check engine Lancia Flavia 2012 Owner handbook (in English)

In unusual situations involving
grossly malfunctioning engine opera-
tion, a scorching odor may suggest
severe and abnormal catalyst over-
heating. If this occurs, stop the ve-
hicle, turn off the engine and allow it
to cool. Service, including a tune-up
to manufacturer's specifications,
should be obtained immediately.
To minimize the possibility of cata-
lytic converter damage:
 Do not shut off the engine or inter- rupt the ignition, when the trans-
mission is in gear and the vehicle is
in motion.
 Do not try to start the engine by pushing or towing the vehicle.
 Do not idle the engine with any spark plug wires disconnected or
removed, such as when diagnostic
testing, or for prolonged periods
during very rough idle or malfunc-
tioning operating conditions. COOLING SYSTEM
WARNING!
 When working near the radiator
cooling fan, disconnect the fan
motor lead or turn the ignition
switch to the LOCK position. The
fan is temperature controlled and
can start at anytime the ignition
switch is in the ON position.
 You or others can be badly burned
by hot engine coolant (antifreeze)
or steam from your radiator. If
you see or hear steam coming
from under the hood, do not open
the hood until the radiator has
had time to cool. Never try to open
a cooling system pressure cap
when the radiator is hot.
CAUTION!
Car maintenance should be done at
a LANCIA Dealership. For routine
and minor maintenance operations
you wish to carry out yourself, we do
recommend you have the proper
equipment, genuine LANCIA spare
parts and the necessary fluids; do
not however carry out these opera-
tions if you have no experience.
Coolant ChecksCheck engine coolant (antifreeze) pro-
tection every 12 months (before the on-
set of freezing weather, where appli-
cable). If the engine coolant (antifreeze)
is dirty or rusty in appearance, the sys-
tem should be drained, flushed, and re-
filled with fresh engine coolant (anti-
freeze). Check the front of the A/C
condenser for any accumulation of bugs,
leaves, etc. If dirty, clean by gently
spraying water from a garden hose ver-
tically down the face of the condenser.Check the coolant recovery bottle
tubing for brittle rubber, cracking,
tears, cuts, and tightness of the con-
nection at the bottle and radiator. In-
spect the entire system for leaks.
190

NOTE:
Mixing engine coolant (antifreeze)
types will decrease the life of the
engine coolant (antifreeze) and
will require more frequent coolant
changes.
Cooling System Pressure Cap
The cap must be fully tightened to
prevent loss of engine coolant (anti-
freeze), and to ensure that the engine
coolant (antifreeze) will return to the
radiator from the coolant recovery
bottle.
The cap should be inspected and
cleaned if there is any accumulation
of foreign material on the sealing sur-
faces.
WARNING!
 The warning words “DO NOTOPEN HOT” on the cooling sys-
tem pressure cap are a safety pre-
caution. Never add engine coolant
(antifreeze) when the engine is
overheated. Do not loosen or re-
move the cap to cool an over-
heated engine. Heat causes pres-
sure to build up in the cooling
system. To prevent scalding or in-
jury, do not remove the pressure
cap while the system is hot or un-
der pressure.
 Do not use a pressure cap other
than the one specified for your
vehicle. Personal injury or engine
damage may result.
Disposal Of Used Engine Coolant
Used ethylene glycol based engine
coolant (antifreeze) is a regulated
substance requiring proper disposal.
Check with your local authorities to
determine the disposal rules for your
community. To prevent ingestion by
animals or children, do not store eth-
ylene glycol based engine coolant (an-
tifreeze) in open containers or allow it to remain in puddles on the ground. If
ingested by a child or pet, seek emer-
gency assistance immediately. Clean
up any ground spills immediately.
Coolant Level
Four-Cylinder Engines –
the cool-
ant bottle provides a quick visual
method for determining that the en-
gine coolant (antifreeze) level is ad-
equate. With the engine idling and
warm to normal operating tempera-
ture, the level of the engine coolant
(antifreeze) in the bottle should be
between the “ADD” and “FULL”
lines, shown on the bottle.
The radiator normally remains com-
pletely full, so there is no need to
remove the radiator cap unless check-
ing for engine coolant (antifreeze)
freeze point or replacing coolant. Ad-
vise your service attendant of this. As
long as the engine operating tempera-
ture is satisfactory, the coolant bottle
need only be checked once a month.
When additional engine coolant (an-
tifreeze) is needed to maintain the
proper level, it should be added to the
coolant bottle. Do not overfill.
192

Points To Remember
NOTE:
When the vehicle is stopped after a
few kilometers of operation, you
may observe vapor coming from
the front of the engine compart-
ment. This is normally a result of
moisture from rain, snow, or high
humidity accumulating on the ra-
diator and being vaporized when
the thermostat opens, allowing hot
engine coolant (antifreeze) to enter
the radiator.
If an examination of your engine com-
partment shows no evidence of radia-
tor or hose leaks, the vehicle may be
safely driven. The vapor will soon dis-
sipate.
 Do not overfill the coolant recoverybottle.
 Check engine coolant (antifreeze) freeze point in the radiator and in
the coolant recovery bottle. If en-
gine coolant (antifreeze) needs to
be added, the contents of the cool-
ant recovery bottle must also be
protected against freezing.  If frequent engine coolant (anti-
freeze) additions are required, or if
the level in the coolant recovery
bottle does not drop when the en-
gine cools, the cooling system
should be pressure tested for leaks.
 Maintain engine coolant (anti- freeze) concentration at 50% en-
gine coolant (antifreeze) (mini-
mum) and distilled water for
proper corrosion protection of your
engine, which contains aluminum
components.
 Make sure that the radiator and coolant recovery bottle overflow
hoses are not kinked or obstructed.
 Keep the front of the radiator clean. If your vehicle is equipped with air
conditioning, keep the front of the
condenser clean.
 Do not change the thermostat for Summer or Winter operation. If re-
placement is ever necessary, install
ONLY the correct type thermostat.
Other designs may result in unsat-
isfactory cooling performance, poor
gas mileage, and increased emis-
sions. BRAKE SYSTEM
In order to assure brake system per-
formance, all brake system compo-
nents should be inspected periodi-
cally. Refer to the “Maintenance
Schedule” for the proper maintenance
intervals.
WARNING!
Riding the brakes can lead to brake
failure and possibly a collision. Driv-
ing with your foot resting or riding
on the brake pedal can result in ab-
normally high brake temperatures,
excessive lining wear, and possible
brake damage. You would not have
your full braking capacity in an
emergency.CAUTION!
Car maintenance should be done at
a LANCIA Dealership. For routine
and minor maintenance operations
you wish to carry out yourself, we do
recommend you have the proper
equipment, genuine LANCIA spare
parts and the necessary fluids; do
not however carry out these opera-
tions if you have no experience.
193

Master Cylinder – Brake Fluid
Level Check
Check the fluid level in the master
cylinder immediately if the brake sys-
tem warning light indicates system
failure.
Check the fluid level in the master
cylinder when performing underhood
services.
Clean the top of the master cylinder
area before removing the cap. If nec-
essary, add fluid to bring the fluid
level up to the requirements described
on the brake fluid reservoir.
Overfilling of fluid is not recom-
mended because it may cause leaking
in the system.
Fluid level can be expected to fall as
the brake pads wear. Brake fluid level
should be checked when pads are re-
placed. However, low fluid level may
be caused by a leak and a checkup
may be needed.
Use only manufacturer's recom-
mended brake fluid. Refer to “Fluids,
Lubricants, and Genuine Parts” in
“Maintaining Your Vehicle” for fur-
ther information.
WARNING!
 Use the manufacturer’s recom- mended brake fluid or a quality-
equivalent product. Refer to “Flu-
ids, Lubricants, and Genuine
Parts” in “Maintaining Your Ve-
hicle” for further information. Us-
ing the wrong type of brake fluid
can severely damage your brake
system and/or impair its perfor-
mance.
 To avoid contamination from for-
eign matter or moisture, use only
new brake fluid or fluid that has
been in a tightly closed container.
Keep the master cylinder reservoir
cap secured at all times. Brake
fluid in a open container absorbs
moisture from the air resulting in
a lower boiling point. This may
cause it to boil unexpectedly dur-
ing hard or prolonged braking,
resulting in sudden brake failure.
This could result in a collision.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
 Overfilling the brake fluid reser-
voir can result in spilling brake
fluid on hot engine parts, causing
the brake fluid to catch fire. Brake
fluid can also damage painted and
vinyl surfaces, care should be
taken to avoid its contact with
these surfaces.
 Do not allow petroleum based
fluid to contaminate the brake
fluid. Brake seal components
could be damaged, causing partial
or complete brake failure. This
could result in a collision.
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
The automatic transmission and dif-
ferential assembly are contained
within a single housing.
The fluid level in the automatic trans-
mission should be checked whenever
the vehicle is serviced. Operation with
an improper fluid level will greatly
reduce the life of the transmission and
the fluid.
194

Selection Of Lubricant
It is important that the proper lubri-
cant is used in the transmission to
assure optimum transmission perfor-
mance. Use the manufacturer’s rec-
ommended transmission fluid or a
quality-equivalent product. Refer to
“Fluids, Lubricants, and Genuine
Parts” in “Maintaining Your Vehicle”
for further information. It is impor-
tant that the transmission fluid be
maintained at the prescribed level us-
ing the recommended fluid.CAUTION!Using a transmission fluid other than
the manufacturer's recommended
fluid or a quality-equivalent product
may cause deterioration in transmis-
sion shift quality and/or torque con-
verter shudder. Using a transmission
fluid other than the manufactur er's
recommended fluid or a quality-
equivalent product will require more
frequent fluid and filter changes. Re-
fer to “Fluids, Lubricants, and Genu-
ine Parts” in “Maintaining Your Ve-
hicle” for further information.
Special Additives
Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF)
is an engineered product and its per-
formance may be impaired by supple-
mental additives. Therefore, do not
add any fluid additives to the trans-
mission. The only exception to this
policy is the use of special dyes to aid
in detecting fluid leaks. In addition,
avoid using transmission sealers as
they may adversely affect seals.CAUTION!
Do not use chemical flushes in your
transmission as the chemicals can
damage your transmission compo-
nents. Such damage is not covered
by the New Vehicle Limited War-
ranty.
Fluid Level Check
Routine fluid level checks are not re-
quired, therefore the transmission has
no dipstick. Your authorized dealer
can check your transmission fluid
level using a special service dipstick. If you notice fluid leakage or trans-
mission malfunction, visit your au-
thorized dealer immediately to have
the transmission fluid level checked.
Operating the vehicle with an im-
proper fluid level can cause severe
transmission damage.
Transmission Fluid And Filter
Changes
Refer to the “Maintenance Schedule”
for the proper maintenance intervals.
In addition, change the fluid and filter
if the transmission is disassembled for
any reason.
CAUTION!
Car maintenance should be done at
a LANCIA Dealership. For routine
and minor maintenance operations
you wish to carry out yourself, we do
recommend you have the proper
equipment, genuine LANCIA spare
parts and the necessary fluids; do
not however carry out these opera-
tions if you have no experience.
195

MAINTENANCE
SCHEDULE
The Scheduled Maintenance services
listed in this manual must be done at
the times or mileages specified to pro-
tect your vehicle warranty and ensure
the best vehicle performance and reli-
ability. More frequent maintenance
may be needed for vehicles in severe
operating conditions, such as dusty
areas and very short trip driving. In-
spection and service should also be
done anytime a malfunction is sus-
pected.
The oil change indicator system will
remind you that it is time to take your
vehicle in for scheduled maintenance.On Electronic Vehicle Information
Center (EVIC) equipped vehicles “Oil
Change Required” will be displayed
in the EVIC and a single chime will
sound, indicating that an oil change is
necessary.
NOTE:
 The oil change indicator mes-
sage will not monitor the time
since the last oil change. Change
your vehicles oil if it has been
12 months since your last oil
change even if the oil change in-
dicator message is NOT illumi-
nated.  Under no circumstances should
oil change intervals exceed
12 000 km or 12 months, which-
ever comes first.
Your authorized dealer will reset the
oil change indicator message after
completing the scheduled oil change.
CAUTION!
Failure to perform the required
maintenance items may result in
damage to the vehicle.
Thousands Of Kilometers 24 48 72 96 120 144 168 192
Months 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96
Flush and replace the engine coolant (or at 60 months). 
Inspect and replace PCV valve if necessary. 
Check battery charge status and possibly recharge.        
Check tire condition/wear and adjust pressure, if neces-
sary.        
212

Thousands Of Kilometers24 48 72 96 120 144 168 192
Months 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96
Check operation of lighting system (headlamps, direction
indicators, hazard warning lights, luggage compartment,
passenger compartment, glove compartment, instrument
panel warning lights, etc.).        
Check operation of windshield washer system and adjust
jets if necessary.        
Check windshield/rear window wiper blade position/
wear.        
Check cleanliness of hood and tailgate locks and cleanli-
ness and lubrication of linkages.        
Visually inspect condition of: exterior bodywork, under-
body protection, pipes and hoses (exhaust - fuel system -
brakes), rubber elements (boots, sleeves, bushes, etc.).        
Check conditions and wear of front disc brake pads.        
Check conditions and wear of rear disc brake pads.        
Check and, if necessary, top up fluid levels (brakes, wind-
shield washer, battery, engine coolant, etc.).        
Visually inspect the condition of accessory drive belt/s. 
Check the handbrake lever stroke and adjust it, if neces-
sary. 

Check exhaust gas emissions.        
Check engine management system operation (via diag-
nostic socket).        
Change the automatic transmission fluid and filter. 
Replace spark plugs. 
213

Thousands Of Kilometers24 48 72 96 120 144 168 192
Months 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96
Replace air filter cartridge.    
Change engine oil and replace oil filter.*
Change brake fluid (or every 24 months).  
Replace pollen filter.        
* The engine oil and the oil filter must
be changed when the instrument
panel warning light comes on or in
any case every 12 months.
Periodic Checks
Every 1 000 km or before long jour-
neys, check and, if necessary, restore:
 engine coolant;
 brake fluid;
 windshield washer fluid level;
 tire inflation pressure and condi- tion;
 operation of lighting system (head- lights, direction indicators, hazard
warning lights, etc.);
 operation of windshield washer/ wiper system and positioning/wear
of windshield/rear window wiper
blades. Every
3 000 km, check and top up, if
required, the engine oil level.
Heavy-Duty Use Of The Car
If the car is used mainly under one of
the following conditions:
 towing a trailer or caravan;
 dusty roads;
 short, repeated journeys (less than 7-8 km) at sub-zero outside tem-
peratures;
 engine often idling or driving long distances at low speeds or long pe-
riods of idleness.
You should perform the following in-
spections more frequently than shown
on the Scheduled Servicing Plan:
 check front disc brake pad condi- tions and wear;  check cleanliness of hood and trunk
locks, cleanliness and lubrication of
linkage;
 visually inspect conditions of: en- gine, transmission, pipes and hoses
(exhaust - fuel system - brakes) and
rubber elements (boots - sleeves -
bushes - etc.);
 check battery charge and battery fluid level (electrolyte);
 visually inspect condition of the ac- cessory drive belts;
 check and, if necessary, change en- gine oil and replace oil filter;
 check and, if necessary, replace pol- len filter;
 check and, if necessary, replace air cleaner.
214

About Your Brakes . . . . . . . . . 145
ABS
(Anti-Lock Brake System) . . . 146
Adding Engine Coolant
(Antifreeze) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Adding Washer Fluid . . . . . . . 188
Additives, Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Air Cleaner, Engine
(Engine Air Cleaner Filter) . . . 184
Air Conditioner
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Air Conditioning Filter . . . 128,186
Air Conditioning Refrigerant . . 186
Air Conditioning
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124,186
Air Conditioning, Operating
Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Air Pressure, Tires . . . . . . . . . 151
Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Airbag Deployment . . . . . . . . . 34
Airbag Light . . . . 32,33,36,46,108
Airbag Maintenance . . . . . . . . . 35
Airbag, Side . . . . . . . . . . 31,32,33
Airbag, Window
(Side Curtain) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Alarm (Security Alarm) . . . . . . 14
Alarm System
(Security Alarm) . . . . . . . . 14,112Alterations/Modifications,
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Anti-Lock Warning Light . . . . 146
Anti-Theft Security Alarm
(Theft Alarm) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Antifreeze
(Engine Coolant) . . . . . . . 191,206
Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . 196
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Auto Down Power Windows . . . 19
Auto Unlock, Doors . . . . . . . . . 18
Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . 18
Automatic Headlights . . . . . . . 91
Automatic Oil Change
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . 110,117
Automatic Temperature
Control (ATC) . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Automatic Transaxle . . . . . 12,134 Adding Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Selection Of Lubricant . . . . 207
Automatic Transmission . . 135,194 Adding Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Fluid and Filter Changes . . . 195
Fluid Level Check . . . . . . . 195
Fluid Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Gear Ranges . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Special Additives . . . . . . . . 195
Autostick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Keyless Transmitter
Replacement (RKE) . . . . . . . 17
Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Belts, Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23,45
Body Mechanism
Lubrication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Brake Assist System . . . . . . . . 148
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 Anti-Lock (ABS) . . . . . . . . 146
Fluid Check . . . . . . . . 194,207
Master Cylinder . . . . . . . . . 194
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . 108
Brake, Parking . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Brake/Transmission
Interlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Break-In Recommendations,
New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . 203
Bulbs, Light . . . . . . . . . . . 47,203
Calibration, Compass . . . . . . . 118
216

Capacities, Antifreeze
(Engine Coolant) . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Capacities, Fluid . . . . . . . . . . 206
Caps, FillerFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Oil (Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . 144
Radiator
(Coolant Pressure) . . . . . . . 192
Car Washes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Carbon Monoxide Warning . . . . 45
Cellular Phone . . . . . . . . . 65,123
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Checking Your Vehicle For
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Checks, Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Child Restraint . . . . . 37,39,41,43
Child Restraint Tether
Anchors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40,41
Cigar Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Clean Air Gasoline . . . . . . . . . 159
Cleaning Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Windshield Wiper Blades . . . 188
Climate Control . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Coin Holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Compass Calibration . . . . . . . 118 Compass Variance . . . . . . . . . 118
Computer, Trip/Travel . . . . 16,117
Console, Floor . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Convertible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Convertible Top . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Coolant Pressure Cap
(Radiator Cap) . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Adding Coolant
(Antifreeze) . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Coolant Capacity . . . . . . . . 206
Coolant Level . . . . . . . 190,192
Disposal of Used Coolant . . . 192
Drain, Flush, and Refill . . . . 191
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Points to Remember . . . . . . 193
Pressure Cap . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Radiator Cap . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Selection of Coolant
(Antifreeze) . . . . . . . . . 191,206
Corrosion Protection . . . . . . . 196
Crankcase Ventilation Module . . 16
Cruise Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . 100,198
Customer Programmable
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Data Recorder, Event . . . . . . . . 36
Deck Lid, Emergency Release . . 21 Deck Lid, Power Release . . . . . 20
Defroster, Rear Window . . . . . 102
Defroster, Windshield . . . . 46,126
Delay (Intermittent) Wipers . . . 95
Diagnostic System, Onboard . . 182
Diesel Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Dimmer Switch, Headlight . . . . 93
Dipsticks
Automatic Transmission . . . 195
Oil (Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . 144
Disabled Vehicle Towing . . . . . 176
Disposal Antifreeze
(Engine Coolant) . . . . . . . . 192
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Door Locks, Automatic . . . . . . 18
Driver's Seat Back Tilt . . . . . . . 88
Driving On Slippery Surfaces . . . . . 142
Through Flowing, Rising, or
Shallow Standing Water . . . 142
Electric Rear Window
Defrost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Electric Remote Mirrors . . . . . . 64
Electrical Power Outlets . . . . . . 98
217