Alfa GTV 2006

When the laden setting applies

Check these figures before carrying the passenger and luggage load shown on the vehicle placard. The front and rear adjustments may differ. Use the exact tyre-size entry and the load condition described by the manufacturer; do not add an arbitrary amount to normal pressures.

Prepare for the journey

Adjust pressures with cold tyres before loading or setting off, following the vehicle instructions. Higher pressure does not increase the permitted weight of the vehicle, its axles or its tyres. Towing may have additional instructions that need checking separately.

When the load changes

When returning to lighter use, follow the vehicle instructions for the appropriate cold pressures. Allow warm tyres to cool before checking. Missing laden figures are not a recommendation to use another tyre size’s settings; confirm the correct values on the vehicle label or in its documentation.

Normal, fully laden and Eco: which is which?

Normal or light-load settings usually apply to everyday passenger loads. Fully laden settings apply to the heavier passenger and luggage condition specified by the vehicle maker. Eco means an economy-oriented pressure option intended to reduce rolling resistance and energy use where the manufacturer provides it. It can change ride comfort and is not automatically a full-load setting.

Recognising the placard symbols

A small group of people commonly represents a lighter load; more people with luggage commonly represents a heavier load. An economy option may be labelled ECO or explained in a separate note. Symbol designs and passenger counts vary: read the key on your own placard. Check any speed conditions too, and follow the front and rear axle headings rather than assuming every column is a different load.

If the placard is missing or unreadable

Check the correct handbook for your Alfa GTV 2006 or ask Alfa, a dealer or a tyre specialist to confirm the figures using the exact vehicle, tyre sizes and load. A registration or VIN helps identify the specification. Do not guess from an unclear photograph, another model or the tyre sidewall. A replacement label should match the vehicle’s approved specification.

Check the unit and decimal point

2.5 bar is approximately 36 PSI (250 kPa), not 25 PSI. Reading 2.5 as 25 and selecting PSI would leave the tyre substantially below that target. Read the unit beside the placard figure and select the same unit on the inflator. If the units differ, use a reliable conversion rather than moving or ignoring the decimal point.

What cold inflation means

Cold means the tyres have cooled to the surrounding temperature, before driving has warmed them. Checking before the first journey, after the vehicle has stood for several hours, is a practical approach. Direct sunshine can also warm a tyre. Use the vehicle’s checking instructions and the same pressure unit as your gauge.

How much can pressure rise when warm?

The increase is not fixed: speed, load, journey length and temperature all affect it. Several PSI is possible; a rise around 6 PSI (about 0.4 bar) can occur. This is an illustration, not a correction to add to every tyre. Do not bleed a warm tyre down to its cold target. Recheck when cold; if adjustment cannot wait, obtain the applicable warm-check procedure.

The sidewall maximum is not the target

When checking the sidewall markings on the listed 195/60R15, 225/45R17, 205/50R16 tyres for the Alfa GTV 2006, do not mistake MAX PRESS for the pressure to inflate them to. MAX PRESS on the tyre describes a limit, not the recommended inflation pressure for your vehicle. Use the vehicle manufacturer’s specified cold pressure for the fitted tyres and load. Only use that same numerical value if it is also the correctly specified vehicle setting; do not choose it merely because it is on the sidewall. If the vehicle requirement conflicts with a tyre or wheel limit, have compatibility checked before inflation.