warning Lancia Thema 2013 Owner handbook (in English)

It also includes diagnostics that will
illuminate the instrument cluster Air
Bag Warning Light if a malfunction is
noted that could affect the air bag
system. The diagnostics also record
the nature of the malfunction.WARNING!
Ignoring the Air Bag Warning Light
in your instrument panel could
mean you won't have the air bags to
protect you in a collision. If the light
does not come on as a bulb check
when the ignition is first turned on,
stays on after you start the vehicle,
or if it comes on as you drive, have
an authorized dealer service the air
bag system immediately.
Driver And Passenger Advanced
Front Air Bag Inflator Units
The Driver and Passenger Advanced
Front Air Bag Inflator Units are lo-
cated in the center of the steering
wheel and on the right side of the
instrument panel. When the ORC
detects a collision requiring the
Advanced Front Air Bags, it signals
the inflator units. A large quantity of non-toxic gas is generated to inflate
the Advanced Front Air Bags. Differ-
ent air bag inflation rates are possible,
based on several factors, including the
collision type and severity. The steer-
ing wheel hub trim cover and the
upper right side of the instrument
panel separate and fold out of the way
as the air bags inflate to their full size.
The air bags fully inflate in about
50 to 70 milliseconds. This is about
half of the time it takes to blink your
eyes. The air bags then quickly deflate
while helping to restrain the driver
and front passenger.
The Advanced Front Air Bag gas is
vented through the vent holes in the
sides of the air bag. In this way, the air
bags do not interfere with your con-
trol of the vehicle.
Supplemental Driver Side Knee
Air Bag Inflator Unit
The Supplemental Driver Side Knee
Air Bag unit is located in the instru-
ment panel trim beneath the steering
column. When the ORC detects a col-
lision requiring the Advanced Front
Air Bags, it signals the inflator units.A large quantity of non-toxic gas is
generated to inflate the Supplemental
Driver Side Knee Air Bag. The trim
cover separates and folds out of the
way allowing the air bag to inflate to
the full size. The air bag fully inflates
in about 15 to 20 milliseconds. The
Supplemental Driver Side Knee Air
Bag gas is vented through small vent
holes in the side of the air bag.
Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side
Air Bag (SAB) Inflator Units
The Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side
Air Bags (SAB) are designed to acti-
vate only in certain side collisions.The ORC determines if a side collision
requires the side air bags to inflate,
based on the severity and type of col-
lision.
Based on the severity and type of col-
lision, the side air bag inflator on the
crash side of the vehicle may be trig-
gered, releasing a quantity of non-
toxic gas. The inflating SAB exits
through the seat seam into the space
between the occupant and the door.
42

If you do have a collision, which de-
ploys the air bags, any or all of the
following may occur:
 The nylon air bag material maysometimes cause abrasions and/or
skin reddening to the driver and
front passenger as the air bags de-
ploy and unfold. The abrasions are
similar to friction rope burns or
those you might get sliding along a
carpet or gymnasium floor. They
are not caused by contact with
chemicals. They are not permanent
and normally heal quickly. How-
ever, if you haven't healed signifi-
cantly within a few days, or if you
have any blistering, see your doctor
immediately.
As the air bags deflate, you may see
some smoke-like particles. The par-
ticles are a normal by-product of the
process that generates the non-toxic
gas used for air bag inflation. These
airborne particles may irritate the
skin, eyes, nose, or throat. If you
have skin or eye irritation, rinse the area with cool water. For nose or
throat irritation, move to fresh air.
If the irritation continues, see your
doctor. If these particles settle on
your clothing, follow the garment
manufacturer's instructions for
cleaning.
Do not drive your vehicle after the air
bags have deployed. If you are in-
volved in another collision, the air bags
will not be in place to protect you.
WARNING!
Deployed air bags and seat belt
pretensioners cannot protect you in
another collision. Have the air
bags, seat belt pretensioners, and
the front seat belt retractor assem-
blies replaced by an authorized
dealer immediately. Also, have the
Occupant Restraint Controller Sys-
tem serviced as well. Maintaining Your Air Bag System
WARNING!
 Modifications to any part of the
air bag system could cause it to
fail when you need it. You could
be injured if the air bag system is
not there to protect you. Do not
modify the components or wiring,
including adding any kind of
badges or stickers to the steering
wheel hub trim cover or the upper
right side of the instrument panel.
Do not modify the front bumper,
vehicle body structure, or add af-
termarket side steps or running
boards.
 It is dangerous to try to repair any
part of the air bag system your-
self. Be sure to tell anyone who
works on your vehicle that it has
an air bag system.
(Continued)
44

WARNING!(Continued)
Do not attempt to modify any part
of your air bag system. The air bag
may inflate accidentally or may
not function properly if modifica-
tions are made. Take your vehicle
to an authorized dealer for any
air bag system service. If your seat,
including your trim cover and
cushion, needs to be serviced in
any way (including removal or
loosening/tightening of seat at-
tachment bolts), take the vehicle
to your authorized dealer. Only
manufacturer approved seat ac-
cessories may be used. If it is nec-
essary to modify the air bag system
for persons with disabilities, con-
tact your authorized dealer.
Air Bag Warning Light
You will want to have the
air bags ready to inflate for
your protection in a colli-
sion. The Air Bag Warning
Light monitors the internal circuits
and interconnecting wiring associated with air bag system electrical compo-
nents. While the air bag system is
designed to be maintenance free. If
any of the following occurs, have an
authorized dealer service the air bag
system immediately.
 The Air Bag Warning Light does
not come on during the four to eight
seconds when the ignition is first
cycled to the ON/RUN.
 The Air Bag Warning Light remains on after the four to eight-second
interval.
 The Air Bag Warning Light comes on intermittently or remains on
while driving.
NOTE:
If the speedometer, ta-
chometer, or any engine related
gauges are not working, the Occu-
pant Restraint Controller (ORC)
may also be disabled. The air bags
may not be ready to inflate for your
protection. Promptly check the fuse
block for blown fuses. Refer to the
label located on the inside of the
fuse block cover for the proper air
bag fuses. See your authorized
dealer if the fuse is good.
Event Data Recorder (EDR)This vehicle is equipped with an event
data recorder (EDR). The main pur-
pose of an EDR is to record, in certain
crash or near crash-like situations,
such as an air bag deployment or hit-
ting a road obstacle, data that will
assist in understanding how a vehicle’s
systems performed. The EDR is de-
signed to record data related to vehicle
dynamics and safety systems for a
short period of time, typically 30 sec-
onds or less. The EDR in this vehicle is
designed to record such data as: How various systems in your ve-
hicle were operating;
 Whether or not the driver and pas- senger safety belts were
buckled/fastened;
 How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the accelerator and/or
brake pedal; and,
 How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better
understanding of the circumstances in
which crashes and injuries occur.
45

NOTE:
EDR data are recorded by
your vehicle only if a non-trivial
crash situation occurs; no data are
recorded by the EDR under normal
driving conditions and no personal
data (e.g., name, gender, age, and
crash location) are recorded. How-
ever, other parties, such as law en-
forcement, could combine the EDR
data with the type of personally
identifying data routinely acquired
during a crash investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR,
special equipment is required, and ac-
cess to the vehicle or the EDR is
needed. In addition to the vehicle
manufacturer, other parties, such as
law enforcement, that have the spe-
cial equipment, can read the informa-
tion if they have access to the vehicle
or the EDR. CHILD RESTRAINTS
Everyone in your vehicle needs to
be buckled up all the time, including
babies and children.
Children 12 years or younger should
ride properly buckled up in a rear
seat, if available. According to crash
statistics, children are safer when
properly restrained in the rear seats
rather than in the front.
WARNING!
 “Extreme Hazard! Do not use a
rearward-facing child restraint
on a seat protected by an air bag
in front of it!” Refer to visor and
door shut face mounted labels for
information.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
 In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny baby, can be-
come a projectile inside the ve-
hicle. The force required to hold
even an infant on your lap could
become so great that you could
not hold the child, no matter how
strong you are. The child and
others could be badly injured.
Any child riding in your vehicle
should be in a proper restraint for
the child's size.
There are different sizes and types of
restraints for children from newborn
size to the child almost large enough
for an adult safety belt. Always check
the child seat Owner's Manual to en-
sure you have the correct seat for your
child. Use the restraint that is correct
for your child.
46

WARNING!
Rearward-facing child seats must
never be used in the front seat of a
vehicle with the front passenger air
bag. An air bag deployment could
cause severe injury or death to in-
fants in this position.
Older Children And Child
RestraintsChildren who are two years old or who
have outgrown their rear-facing con-
vertible child seat can ride forward-
facing in the vehicle. Forward-facing
child seats and convertible child seats
used in the forward-facing direction
are for children who are over two years
old or who have outgrown the rear-
facing weight or height limit of their
rear-facing convertible child seat. Chil-
dren should remain in a forward-facing
child seat with a harness for as long as
possible, up to the highest weight or
height allowed by the child seat. These
child seats are also held in the vehicle
by the lap/shoulder belt or the ISOFIX
child restraint anchorage system. Refer
to “ISOFIX — Child Seat Anchorage
System”.
All children whose weight or height is
above the forward-facing limit for
the child seat should use a belt-
positioning booster seat until the
vehicle’s seat belts fit properly. If the
child cannot sit with knees bent over
the vehicle's seat cushion while the
child's back is against the seatback,
they should use a belt-positioning
booster seat. The child and belt-
positioning booster seat are held in
the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt.
Children Too Large For Booster
Seats
Children who are large enough to
wear the shoulder belt comfortably
and whose legs are long enough to
bend over the front of the seat when
their back is against the seatback
should use the lap/shoulder belt in a
rear seat.
 Make sure that the child is upright in the seat.
 The lap portion should be low on the hips and as snug as possible.  Check belt fit periodically. A child's
squirming or slouching can move
the belt out of position.
 If the shoulder belt contacts the face or neck, move the child closer
to the center of the vehicle. Never
allow a child to put the shoulder
belt under an arm or behind their
back.
WARNING!
 Improper installation can lead tofailure of an infant or child re-
straint. It could come loose in a
collision. The child could be
badly injured or killed. Follow
the manufacturer's directions ex-
actly when installing an infant or
child restraint.
 A rearward-facing child restraint should only be used in a rear seat.
A rearward-facing child restraint
in the front seat may be struck by
a deploying passenger air bag,
which may cause severe or fatal
injury to the infant.
50

Here are some tips on getting the
most out of your child restraint:
 Before buying any restraint system,make sure that it has a label certi-
fying that it meets all applicable
Safety Standards. LANCIA also
recommends that you make sure
that you can install the child re-
straint in the vehicle where you will
use it before you buy it.
 The restraint must be appropriate for your child's weight and height.
Check the label on the restraint for
weight and height limits.
 Carefully follow the instructions that come with the restraint. If you
install the restraint improperly, it
may not work when you need it.
 Buckle the child into the seat ac- cording to the child restraint manu-
facturer's directions.WARNING!
When your child restraint is not in
use, secure it in the vehicle with
the seat belt or remove it from the
vehicle. Do not leave it loose in the
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
vehicle. In a sudden stop or colli-
sion, it could strike the occupants
or seatbacks and cause serious per-
sonal injury.
ISOFIX — Child Seat Anchorage
System
Your vehicle's rear seat is equipped
with the child restraint anchorage
system called ISOFIX. The ISOFIX
system provides for the installation of
the child restraint without using the
vehicle's seat belts, instead securing
the child restraint using lower anchor-
ages and upper tether straps from the
child restraint to the vehicle structure.
ISOFIX-compatible child restraint
systems are now available. However,
because the lower anchorages are to
be introduced over a period of years,
child restraint systems having attach-
ments for those anchorages will con-
tinue to have features for installation
using the vehicle's seat belts. Child
restraints having tether straps and
hooks for connection to the top tether
anchorages have been available for some time. For some older child re-
straints, many child restraint manu-
facturers offer add-on tether strap
kits or retrofit kits. You are urged to
take advantage of all the available
attachments provided with your child
restraint in any vehicle.
All three rear-seating positions have
lower anchorages that are capable of
accommodating ISOFIX-compatible
child seats. You should never install
ISOFIX-compatible child seats so that
two seats share a common lower an-
chorage. If installing child seats in
adjacent rear-seating positions, or if
your child restraints are not ISOFIX-
compatible, install the restraints using
the vehicle's seat belts.
ISOFIX Anchorages
51

WARNING!
An incorrectly anchored tether
strap could lead to increased head
motion and possible injury to the
child. Use only the anchor positions
directly behind the child seat to se-
cure a child restraint top tether
strap.
NOTE:
Ensure that the tether strap does
not slip into the opening between
the seatbacks as you remove
slack in the strap.
When using the ISOFIX attaching
system to install a child restraint,
please ensure that all seat belts
not being used for occupant re-
straints are stowed and out of
reach of children. It is recom-
mended that before installing the
child restraint, buckle the seat
belt so the seat belt is tucked be-
hind the child restraint and out
of reach. If the buckled seat belt
interferes with the child restraint
installation, instead of tucking
the seat belt behind the child
restraint, route the seat belt
through the child restraint belt
path and then buckle it. This
should stow the seat belt out of
the reach of an inquisitive child.
Remind all children in the ve-
hicle that the seat belts are not
toys and should not be played
with, and never leave your child
unattended in the vehicle.
WARNING!
Improper installation of a child
restraint to the ISOFIX anchorages
can lead to failure of an infant or
child restraint. The child could be
badly injured or killed. Follow the
manufacturer's directions exactly
when installing an infant or child
restraint.
Installing Child Restraints Using
The Vehicle Seat Belt
The seat belts in the rear passenger
seating positions are equipped with
an Automatic Locking Retractor
(ALR) to secure a Child Restraint
System (CRS). These types of seat
belts are designed to keep the lap
portion of the seat belt tight around
the child restraint so that it is not
necessary to use a locking clip. The
ALR will make a ratcheting noise if
you extract the entire belt from the
retractor and then allow the belt to
Adjustable Headrest Downward Position
53

NOTE: Ensure that the tether
strap does not slip into the opening
between the seatbacks as you re-
move slack in the strap.WARNING!An incorrectly anchored tether strap
could lead to increased head motion
and possible injury to the child. Use
only the anchor positions directly
behind the child seat to secure a
child restraint top tether strap.Transporting Pets
Air Bags deploying in the front seat
could harm your pet. An unrestrained
pet will be thrown about and possibly
injured, or injure a passenger during
panic braking or in a collision.
Pets should be restrained in the rear
seat in pet harnesses or pet carriers
that are secured by seat belts.ENGINE BREAK-IN
RECOMMENDATIONS
A long break-in period is not required
for the engine and drivetrain (trans-
mission and axle) in your vehicle.
Drive moderately during the first
500 km. After the initial 100 km, speeds
up to 80 or 90 km/h are desirable.While cruising, brief full-throttle ac-
celeration within the limits of local
traffic laws contributes to a good
break-in. Wide-open throttle accel-
eration in low gear can be detrimental
and should be avoided.The engine oil installed in the engine at
the factory is a high-quality energy
conserving type lubricant. Oil changes
should be consistent with anticipated
climate conditions under which vehicle
operations will occur. For the recom-
mended viscosity and quality grades, refer to “Maintenance Procedures” in
“Maintaining Your Vehicle”. NON-
DETERGENT OR STRAIGHT MIN-
ERAL OILS MUST NEVER BE USED.
A new engine may consume some oil
during its first few thousand kilo-
meters of operation. This should be
considered a normal part of the
break-in and not interpreted as an
indication of difficulty.
Additional Requirements
For Diesel Engine
During the first 1500 km avoid heavy
loads, e.g. driving at full throttle.
Do not exceed 2/3 of the maximum
permissible engine speed for each
gear. Change gear in good time. Do
not shift down a gear manually in
order to brake.
55

SAFETY TIPS
Transporting Passengers
NEVER TRANSPORT PASSEN-
GERS IN THE CARGO AREA.WARNING!
 Do not leave children or animalsinside parked vehicles in hot
weather. Interior heat build-up
may cause serious injury or
death.
 It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or outside
of a vehicle. In a collision, people
riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or
killed.
 Do not allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle that is not
equipped with seats and seat
belts.
 Be sure everyone in your vehicle is
in a seat and using a seat belt
properly. Exhaust Gas
WARNING!
Exhaust gases can injure or kill.
They contain carbon monoxide
(CO), which is colorless and odor-
less. Breathing it can make you un-
conscious and can eventually poi-
son you. To avoid breathing (CO),
follow these safety tips:
 Do not run the engine in a closed
garage or in confined areas any
longer than needed to move your
vehicle in or out of the area.
 If you are required to drive with
the trunk/liftgate open, make
sure that all windows are closed
and the climate control BLOWER
switch is set at high speed. DO
NOT use the recirculation mode.
 If it is necessary to sit in a parked vehicle with the engine running,
adjust your heating or cooling
controls to force outside air into
the vehicle. Set the blower at high
speed. The best protection against carbon
monoxide entry into the vehicle body
is a properly maintained engine ex-
haust system.
Whenever a change is noticed in the
sound of the exhaust system, when
exhaust fumes can be detected inside
the vehicle, or when the underside or
rear of the vehicle is damaged, have a
competent mechanic inspect the com-
plete exhaust system and adjacent
body areas for broken, damaged, de-
teriorated, or mispositioned parts.
Open seams or loose connections
could permit exhaust fumes to seep
into the passenger compartment. In
addition, inspect the exhaust system
each time the vehicle is raised for
lubrication or oil change. Replace as
required.
56

Safety Checks You Should
Make Inside The Vehicle
Seat BeltsInspect the belt system periodically,
checking for cuts, frays, and loose
parts. Damaged parts must be replaced
immediately. Do not disassemble or
modify the system.
Front seat belt assemblies must be re-
placed after a collision. Rear seat belt
assemblies must be replaced after a
collision if they have been damaged
(i.e., bent retractor, torn webbing,
etc.). If there is any question regarding
belt or retractor condition, replace the
belt.Air Bag Warning Light
The light should come on
and remain on for four to
eight seconds as a bulb
check when the ignition
switch is first turned ON. If the light
is not lit during starting, see your
authorized dealer. If the light stays on,
flickers, or comes on while driving,
have the system checked by an autho-
rized dealer.
Defroster
Check operation by selecting the de-
frost mode and place the blower con-
trol on high speed. You should be able
to feel the air directed against the
windshield. See your authorized
dealer for service if your defroster is
inoperable.
Floor Mat Safety Information
Always use floor mats designed to fit
the footwell of your vehicle. Use only
floor mats that leave the pedal area
unobstructed and that are firmly se-
cured so that they cannot slip out of
position and interfere with the pedals
or impair safe operation of your ve-
hicle in other ways.WARNING!
Pedals that cannot move freely can
cause loss of vehicle control and
increase the risk of serious personal
injury.
 Always make sure that floor mats
are properly attached to the floor
mat fasteners.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
 Never place or install floor mats or other floor coverings in the
vehicle that cannot be properly
secured to prevent them from
moving and interfering with the
pedals or the ability to control the
vehicle.
Never put floor mats or other floor
coverings on top of already in-
stalled floor mats. Additional floor
mats and other coverings will re-
duce the size of the pedal area and
interfere with the pedals. Check mounting of mats on a regular basis. Always properly re-
install and secure floor mats that
have been removed for cleaning.
 Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the driver foot-
well while the vehicle is moving.
Objects can become trapped un-
der the brake pedal and accelera-
tor pedal causing a loss of vehicle
control.
(Continued)
57