Alfa Romeo 8C 2009 Owner handbook (in English)

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BEFORE YOU DRIVE
BOSE HI-FI
SYSTEM (OPTIONAL)The Bose HI-FI audio system has been carefully
designed to provide the best acoustics, also
based on the type of passenger compartment.
Technical Information:
The Bose HI-FI system is composed of:1) Two 38 mm Tweeters with 25 Wrms output
power installed in the dashboard.2) A sub-woofer box with 100 Wrms output
power bass-reflex type, installed in the
footwell.3) A power amplifier with DSP with 8
independent channels installed behind the
rear panel.4) A 290 mm sub-woofer with 100 Wrms
output power installed behind the driver’s
seat.
5)
Two 80 mm mid-range speakers with 25
Wrms output power installed on the rear
pillar
6) Two 165 mm mid-woofers with 40 Wrms
output power installed in the door panels

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IPOD CONNECTION
SOCKET (OPTIONAL)
A socket is located in the glove compartment to
connect an iPod.
This socket can be installed with both audio
system configurations.NAVIGATOR
(OPTIONAL)
The car stereo can come equipped with a GPS
navigation system.

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5VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION DATA
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SAFETY
INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS
BEFORE YOU DRIVE
USING THE VEHICLE
IN AN EMERGENCY
CAPACITIES AND TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
MAINTENANCE
TABLE OF CONTENTS

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USING THE VEHICLE
Starting the engine ............................................................................................................ 114
Q-Select gearbox ............................................................................................................... 116
Using the brakes ................................................................................................................ 124
Using the engine ............................................................................................................... 125
Constant speed regulator (Cruise Control) .............................................................................. 126
Headlights ........................................................................................................................ 130
Driving conditions .............................................................................................................. 130
Anti-pollution devices ......................................................................................................... 135
Parking ............................................................................................................................ 136
Tyres ................................................................................................................................ 141
Useful accessories to keep in the vehicle ............................................................................... 142

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MAR
STARTING THE
ENGINE
CAUTION
Hold the brake pedal depressed
when starting the engine.
CAUTION
It is dangerous to operate the
engine in an enclosed space. The engine
consumes oxygen and discharges
carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and
other toxic gases.
WARNING: Before start-up, switch off the
electrical devices with a high power consumption
(air-conditioning and heating system, heated
rear window, headlights, etc.).
WARNING: Do not start the engine if the fuel
level in the tank is low.
1) Make sure that the parking brake is applied
and that the doors are closed.
2) Hold the brake pedal depressed when
starting the engine.
3) Do not depress the accelerator pedal.
4) Set the gear to neutral by pulling both
paddles UP and DOWN towards the
steering wheel and check that the gear
display indicates N not fl ashing.
5) Turn the ignition key to MAR.
6) press button START button and release it as
soon as the engine starts.
Do not hold the START button for a long time.If the engine does not start, turn the key back to
position STOP and wait for the gear display to go
off before retrying.
The engine can also be started with a gear
engaged; turning the key to position MAR, with
the brake pedal depressed, press the START
button. The system allows the clutch to open and
the gearshift to engage neutral gear; then the
starter motor receives clearance for start-up. This
procedure usually requires one second. At very
low temperatures, the procedure could take a
slightly longer time.
If the gearbox is instead in the N position,
starting is immediate.
If the engine does not start after turning the key
to position STOP, wait for the gear display to go
off and then repeat the entire procedure.

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USING THE VEHICLE
STARTING-OFF WHEN
THE ENGINE IS COLD
Start-off slowly, avoiding sudden accelerations
and run the engine at low-medium speeds. High-
performance driving should be avoided until the
water temperature reaches
65–70 °C.EMERGENCY STARTING
WITH AUXILIARY
BATTERY
If the battery is flat, the engine can be started
using another battery having the same or slightly
higher capacity than the flat one.
Proceed as follows:
1) Connect the positive terminals (+) of the
two batteries with a cable specifi cally
designed for this purpose.
2) Connect the negative terminals (-) of the
two batteries with a cable specifi cally
designed for this purpose.
WARNING: The battery is housed in a metal box,
therefore, be extremely careful not to let the
battery charger clips come into contact with it.3) Start the engine.
4) When the engine starts, remove the cables
in reverse order.
If the engine does not start after a number
of attempts, do not continue indefinitely but
consult an Authorised Service Centre of the
Manufacturer’s Network.
CAUTION
Do not carry out this procedure
if you have no experience of it:
incorrect manoeuvres may cause high
levels of electrical discharge and may
even lead to the battery explosion.
CAUTION
You are also advised not to
approach the battery with open flames
or lit cigarettes and not to cause
sparks: risk of explosion and fire!

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A
B
WARNING: Do not use a battery-charger for
emergency starting under any circumstances:
you could damage the electronic systems,
particularly the control units that manage the
ignition and fuel supply functions.
CAUTION
Remember that when the
engine is not started, the power
braking and power steering systems
are not activated and so the effort
required on the brake pedal and
steering wheel is much greater.
TURNING OFF THE
ENGINE
With the engine idling, rotate the ignition key to
the STOP position.
A burst on the accelerator pedal before turning
off the engine has no purpose and increases fuel
consumption.
Q-SELECT
GEARBOXThe “Q-Select gearbox” is controlled with
the paddles on the steering wheel for gear
engagement and with the buttons on the centre
console for reverse gear engagement and
activation of the “automatic gearshift” and “low
grip” functions.
The “Q-Select gearbox” controls are the
following:A - Lower gear engagement paddle DOWNB - Upper gear engagement paddle UPC - Reverse gear engagement button

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E
CD
F
H
G
USING THE VEHICLE
D - “Automatic gearshift” button E - “Low grip” mode button F - SPORT mode button ”
The display shows the gear engaged (1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, R or N) in area
G.
In the event of a failure or if the oil level in the
gearbox is low, the symbol
illuminates in
area
H. When the “automatic gearshift” function
is active, the gear displayed is replaced with the
letter “D”.
When “SPORT” and “low grip” modes are
active, the letters “S” and “W”, illuminate in
area G.SYSTEM ACTIVATION
Turning the key to position MAR the display and
the failure symbol
illuminate and will go off
after a few seconds if no faults are found.
The gear engaged will remain highlighted in area
G on the display.WARNING: When the driver’s door is opened,
you may hear a humming coming from the
gearbox assembly; this is due to ignition
preparation stages. The failure warning light
may also flash briefly (10 sec.) and then
turns off. The system completes the “ignition”
stage and is then correctly activated. Avoid
entering any commands in the system during
this stage.
CAUTION
If the symbol continues
flashing without turning off, start the
system again after switching it off.
If the malfunction persists, contact
an Authorised Service Centre of the
Manufacturer’s Network to have the
necessary checks performed.

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If the symbol
remains on, there is a system
failure. This condition is also indicated by a beep
when the key is turned to position MAR.
WARNING: Contact an Authorised Service
Centre of the Manufacturer’s Network to have
the malfunction corrected.
OPERATION WITH THE
ENGINE OFF
After completing the “system start-up” stage,
the gear currently engaged will appear on the
display:
- N (Neutral)
- R (Reverse)
- D(1
st).
If the indication flashes (may also occur with N)
it means that the gear is not properly engaged or
is disengaged; therefore, request neutral (N) and
then the desired gear.CAUTION
If a horizontal dash appears on
the display, there is a system failure.
When the engine is off, 1st gear, reverse (R) and
neutral (N) can be engaged. Keeping the brake
pedal pressed during the request, you must
proceed as follows:
- N (Neutral): pull both paddles found behind
the steering wheel.
- R (Reverse): press button
C.
- Engaging 1
st gear: pull the UP paddle
towards the steering wheel.
CAUTION
To engage reverse gear, hold
the button C down until the letter R is
displayed.
WARNING: Immediately release the paddles
UP, DOWN and the button R after the gearshift
request. A prolonged manoeuvre may cause
the failure warning light
and the buzzer
to activate. Do not operate the system with the
engine off, to prevent discharging the battery.
Avoid useless gearshifting with the engine off, to
prevent overheating of the pump.