wheel Lancia Thesis 2008 Owner handbook (in English)

ASR SYSTEM (wheel antiskid system)
Warning light/symbol
V
Message
ASR OFF
ASR ON
SYSTEM
UNAVAILABLEMeaning of the message
System has been deactivated
manually
System has been activated
manually
System setting in progressAction
–
–
–
EBD SYSTEM (electronic brakeforce distributor)
Warning light/symbol
x>
Message
EBD SYSTEM FAULT
SWITCH OFF ENGINE,
DO NOT PROCEED
SYSTEM
UNAVAILABLEMeaning of the message
EBD system failure
System setting in progressAction
Stop the car and contact a
Lancia Dealership
The car is fitted with an
electronic brakeforce
distributor (EBD). The
turning on at the same time of
the
xand>warning lights on
the instrument panel together
with message “EBD SYSTEM
FAULT” on the multifunction
display, with engine running,
indicates and EBD system fail-
ure; in this case heavy braking
may cause the rear wheel lock
before time, with the possibility
of skidding.
–
129

174
Lift cover Aset at the driver's left
and press button Bto reset the fuel
cut-off switch.
Resetting the circuit breaker
Before resetting the cir-
cuit breaker, carefully
check for any fuel leaks or
damages to the car electric devices
(e.g.: headlights).Circuit breaker is located on the left
side of the boot, inside a box directly
set and connected to the battery pos-
itive terminal.
To reach the circuit breaker:
1) Open the tailgate.
2) Loosen knob A(fig. 130) and re-
move the battery cover B.
3) Press tabs A(fig. 131) and re-
move cover B.
4) Press button A(fig. 132) to reset
the circuit breaker.Initialising the control units of
the door locks, air conditioner
and ESP system
After resetting the circuit breaker, to
restore correct door locking, air con-
ditioning and ESP system, perform
the following operations:
1) Close the doors and the tailgate,
fit the key into the lock of one of the
front doors and perform a door cen-
tralised opening/closing cycle.
2) Start the engine and turn on the
compressor of the conditioner, setting
a lower temperature value than that
of the environment and check
whether the led on the disconnection
push button of the conditioner com-
pressoròis lit.
3) Turn the steering wheel one
fourth turn at least (the car can be at
standstill but the engine shall be run-
ning) and start running the car for a
few metres in a straight line until the
ESP warning light
áis off.
fig. 131
L0A0031b
fig. 132
L0A0347b

ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE
(EPB) (fig. 133)
The car is fitted with the EPB
(Electric Parking Brake) that cuts in
when switching the engine off and
will cut out when starting the engine
and pressing the accelerator pedal
(for manual gearbox versions when
releasing the clutch pedal at the
same time). The EPB can also be
disengaged manually by pressing
buttonAset on the central console
with engine running or ignition key
toMAR.
After disengaging the EPB manual-
ly, when opening the driver’s door
the EPB will re-engage automatical-
ly, press button Aagain to disengage
it.The button shape is rather large so
the brake can be engaged rapidly,
even by the passenger, in case of
emergency.
The advantages of this system, com-
pared to the usual lever, are several:
– no effort should be made to
engage and disengage the parking
brake
– the parking brake efficiency is
always at top level in any using con-
dition, contrary to the lever which
guarantees the car complete stop only
when fully lifted
– the EPB is controlled by electric
wires, therefore all problems regard-
ing transmission cables, such as
adjustments, freezing or tears, no
longer exist
– improved safety as a result of the
sophisticated electronic control sys-
tem, similar to the ABS one, prevent-
ing wheels from blocking if the park-
ing brake is engaged during driving
– improved safety when the car is
stationary and children are left
inside the car; in this case the brake
cannot be disengaged if the ignition
key is at STOPor removed– it has automatic functions that
other systems lack.
When the parking brake is engaged
and the ignition key is at MAR, the
instrument panel warning light x
turns on.
This warning light turns on when
the parking brake reaches its highest
working level, and it turns off when
the brake is disengaged and com-
pletely released. Unlike usual park-
ing brakes, whose warning light
turns on even when the lever is lift-
ed a little bit, the EPB system warn-
ing light turns on only when the car
has come to a complete stop.
When the brake is engaged, a typi-
cal noise can be heard by the driver;
the parking brake is completely
engaged or disengaged when the
operating noise stops.
fig. 133
L0A0197b
When engaging the park-
ing brake keep the brake
pedal always depressed.
175

177
“Automatic parking brake” function
and the press “OK”. Deactivation of
automatic operation can be achieved
also in the following way:
– turn the key to STOP(the park-
ing brake is engaged)
– turn the key back to MAR,
depress the brake pedal and at the
same time keep button Apressed for
at least 2 seconds. Warning light x
flashes thrice to indicate the auto-
matic operation deactivation.
When the key is turned again to
STOPthe parking brake will not be
engaged. The parking brake auto-
matic operation will be automatical-
ly restored when the key is turned
again to MAR.IMPORTANTIf, after the parking
brake has been disengaged, the car
starts moving at a speed higher than
the usual manual movement, deacti-
vation of the automatic mode is
immediately cancelled and the park-
ing brake is engaged.
If, after the parking
brake has been disen-
gaged, the car starts mov-
ing at a speed higher than the
usual manual movement, deacti-
vation of the automatic mode is
immediately cancelled and the
parking brake is engaged.Proceed as follows: release the
accelerator pedal, press and keep
buttonA(fig. 133) pressed for the
whole manoeuvre: the system elec-
tronic control unit will come imme-
diately into action with alternate
braking on/off cycles on the rear
wheels (thus preventing wheel lock-
ing). Braking cycles are applied
alternately on right and left wheel to
guarantee roadholding, braking
continuity and to reduce braking
distance.
Wheel locking could take place
under the safety speed threshold
(lower than 10 km/h).
A buzzer will sound during the
whole manoeuvre to indicate that
the dynamic mode shall only be used
in an emergency, but this is also use-
ful to warn the driver if the parking
brake has been inadvertently
engaged by other passengers.
Use in an emergency
In particular cases (e.g. fault in the
whole hydraulic brake system, both
service and emergency brake), the
parking brake can be used to stop
the car running (“dynamic mode”).

182
SELECTING THE AUTOMATIC/
MANUAL SEQUENTIAL
OPERATION
The main characteristic of this
gearbox is the possibility to be used
in automatic mode or in manual
sequential mode.
The operating mode can be select-
ed by setting the gear lever to the
right sector at D(automatic mode)
or to the left sector at (+/-) (manual
sequential mode).
On display A(fig. 140) of the
instrument panel it is possible to see
the engaged gear (1to5in manual
sequential mode) or the symbol D
(automatic gearbox mode).AUTOMATIC OPERATION
To activate automatic operation,
move the lever to the right sector
(fig. 137) to one of the following
positions:
P- parking (the engine can be
started)
R- reverse
N- neutral (engine can be started)
D- automatic forward gear.
IMPORTANTThe lever can be
shifted from position Pis possible
only with the ignition key at MAR
and the brake pedal pressed (Shift-
lock safety).
The gear lever can be shifted freely
from position Dto other positions
without pressing the brake pedal,
according to the diagram shown on
the mask. Only when shifting from
positionPit is necessary, for safety
reasons, to press the brake pedal to
move the lever.
fig. 140
L0A0239b
P - Parking
When parking the car shift the gear
lever to this position. A gearbox
device will block the driving wheels.
To avoid accidental engaging, shift
from position Pto any other position
is possible only with the brake pedal
pressed.
To bring the lever back to position
Pit is not necessary to press the
brake pedal, but as a rule it is sug-
gested to keep the brake pedal
pressed even in this case.
IMPORTANTShift the lever to P
only when the car is stationary.

184
If the accelerator pedal is pressed
rapidly, the gearbox selects the sporty
driving programme to meet the re-
quest for a higher car performance.
To disengage this function, release the
accelerator gradually.
If the accelerator pedal is pressed
more slowly, the economy programme
is automatically selected.
The electronic control unit is able
to recognize particular situations
like a curve, detected as a different
speed of front wheel instant rotation
through the ABS active sensors, thus
preventing shifting to the higher
gear until the engine revolution limit
is reached. Only with this condition
or at the end of the curve will it be
possible to shift gear. This strategy is
useful to improve the car balance
and to guarantee a prompt accelera-
tion when coming out of the curve,
since the car has already the right
gear engaged.Likely, during sudden braking, the
lower gear is engaged to exploit the
engine braking action at best. In
case of a curve, the new gear will be
engaged during slowing down before
the curve, therefore when coming
out of the curve it will not be neces-
sary to shift gear to accelerate.
Sporty driving on mixed roads is
recognized by the control unit
because the accelerator pedal is
released rapidly; if this condition is
detected, the gear selected is main-
tained even if the accelerator has
been released, without shifting to
higher gears, in order to increase the
engine efficiency for the following
acceleration.The gear electronic control unit is
able to recognize hills as a result of
the torque signals coming from the
engine on the basis of the car speed,
therefore it is able to eliminate use-
less gear shifts when the accelerator
is released (e.g. before cornering)
and to use only those gears required
to improve the driving comfort.
Likely, the control unit is able to
recognize slopes and to prevent
shifting to higher gears when the
accelerator is released, in order to
use the “exhaust brake” at best to
the advantage of the braking system
and the car control.
IMPORTANTThe “exhaust brake”
function and shifting to a lower gear
during braking is not activated when
the ABS is operating.
A longer gear (5
th) can be used
when the car is driving for long dis-
tances with constant high speed, but
limited engine rpm, thus reducing
driving noise and fuel consumption.
That is why, when a higher car per-

189
If these rules are not
respected, the automatic
gearbox might be severely
damaged.
The car can be towed only for
short distances and at a low
speed: if it is necessary to tow it
for a longer distance, raise the
driving wheels so that the gear-
box is not dragged during towing. TOWING THE CAR
IMPORTANTTo tow the car
observe local current laws and fol-
low the instructions contained in
chapter “In an emergency”.
If the car must be towed, observe
the following precautions:
– if possible, transfer the car on a
towtruck
– otherwise, tow the car by raising
the front driving wheels
– even if the latter solution is not
possible, the car can be towed for
less than 50 Km at a speed of 50
km/h.
Towing shall be performed with
gear lever to N.Before starting towing,
disengage the parking
brake as described in the
relevant paragraph and leave the
Keyless System CID (if any) in the
passenger’s compartment to pre-
vent automatic steering lock. Do
not tow the car with the engine
running.
ESP AND ASR
SYSTEMS
ESP SYSTEM (ELECTRONIC
STABILITY PROGRAM):
GENERAL
ESP is an electronic system con-
trolling the car stability which
affects the driving torque and brakes
the wheels in a different way in case
of grip loss, thus making the car
recover the right driving direction.
During driving the car is subject to
side and longitudinal forces which
can be controlled by the driver until
tire grip is acceptable. When the lat-
ter is lower than the minimum level,
the car starts skidding.
If the road bed is uneven (bumpy
road, presence of ice, mould, etc.)
tyre grip is considerably reduced. In
these conditions, when extreme
manoeuvres are made, the car might
start skidding.

190
If the sensors detect the conditions
which might cause car skidding, the
ESP system affects the engine and
the brakes by generating a torque
which makes the car recover the
right driving direction.
The system operations,
in terms of safety, should
not make the driver run
useless risks. The driving behav-
iour must always be appropriate,
according to the conditions of the
road bed, visibility and traffic.
Anyway, the driver is held
responsible for a safe driving.
The ESP system helps the driver
control the car in case of tyre grip
loss, however the forces used by
the system to control the car sta-
bility still depend on the grip
ratio between tyres and road bed.ESP SYSTEM OPERATION
ESP is automatically started when
the car is started and it cannot be
disengaged. On the contrary, it is
possible to exclude the ASR system
by pressing the related button on the
central console.
The ESP main components are the
following:
– an electric-hydraulic control unit
processing signals coming from the
various sensors and choosing the
most appropriate strategy by operat-
ing solenoid valves and the engine
control unit;
– a sensor detecting the steering
wheel rotation angle;
– 4 sensors detecting the rotation
speed of each wheel;
– a sensor detecting the car rota-
tion around a vertical axis;
– a sensor detecting side accelera-
tion (centrifugal force).The ESP core is a sensor, of aero-
nautic origin, detecting the car rota-
tions around its vertical axis.
Centrifugal forces generated when
the car is cornering are detected by a
high-sensitive side acceleration sen-
sor.
The ESP stabilizing action is based
on the signals coming from the steer-
ing wheel rotation sensors, from the
side acceleration sensors and the
wheel speed sensors, thus recogniz-
ing the driving direction selected by
the driver when turning the steering
wheel.
The control unit processes each
information coming from the sensors
and is able to recognize every single
moment of the car position and to
compare it with the direction the
driver is willing to follow. In case of
discrepancy, the control unit
instantly selects and controls the
most appropriate actions to make
the car recover the required direc-
tion: it brakes with a different inten-
sity one or more wheels and, if nec-
essary, reduces the power supplied
by the engine. Corrections are con-

191
To make ESP, ASR and
ABS systems work prop-
erly, the tyres must
absolutely be of the same brand
and type on all wheels, in perfect
conditions and, above all, of type,
brand and size specified. stantly changed and controlled in
the attempt to keep the driver’s
direction.
The ESP system considerably
increases the car safety in several
critical conditions and it is particu-
larly useful during overtaking, when
the grip conditions on the road bed
change.ASR FUNCTION (ANTISLIP
REGULATION)
General
The ASR function is part of the
ESP system and it checks the car
drive, taking action every time one
or both driving wheels slip, thus pre-
venting car instability and tyre wear.
On the basis of slipping conditions,
two different check systems are acti-
vated:
– if slipping affects both driving
wheels, as a result of the excessive
force transmitted, the ASR function
reduces the power supplied by the
engine;
– if slipping affects only one of the
driving wheels, the ASR function
automatically brakes the slipping
wheel, with an effect similar to the
self-locking differential.The action of the ASR function is
particularly useful in the following
conditions:
– internal wheel slipping when cor-
nering due to load dynamic varia-
tions and excessive acceleration;
– excessive power supplied to
wheels according to the road bed;
– acceleration on slippery ground,
covered with snow or ice;
– in case of grip loss on wet ground
(aquaplaning).
ASR function activation
The ASR function is activated
automatically whenever the engine
is started.
During driving it is possible to dis-
engage and engage this function by
pressing button A(fig. 142) on the
central console.
When the ASR function is on, sym-
bolVis lighted on the multifunc-
tion display together with the mes-
sage “ASR ON”.

192
When the ASR function is off, sym-
bolVis lighted on the multifunc-
tion display together with the mes-
sage “ASR OFF”.
The function deactivation is indi-
cated by switching on of the related
warning light Bon the button. If this
function is deactivated during dri-
ving, it will be reactivated automat-
ically at the following start up.
IMPORTANTDuring driving on a
snow-covered ground, with snow
chains on, it might be useful to deac-
tivate the ASR function: in these
conditions driving wheel slipping at
start up is useful to reach higher
drive.MSR SYSTEM
(ENGINE DRIVE ADJUSTMENT)
The car is fitted with a system, part
of ASR, affecting the engine torque
in case of sudden gear shift, thus
preventing excessive driving wheel
dragging which, in extremely low
grip conditions, can make the car
loose stability.
ESP SYSTEM ACTION
The ESP action is indicated by
flashing of warning light áon the
instrument panel, to inform the dri-
ver that the car is in critical stability
and grip conditions.
ESP AND ASR FAILURE
INDICATION
In case of failure, ESP and ASR
systems are automatically deactivat-
ed and symbol áand message “ESP
FAULT” will come on with fixed
light on the multifunction display
together with warning light Bon the
ASR button.
If the failure affects only the ESP
system, symbol áand message“ESP FAULT” are lighted on the
multifunction display, while the
warning light on button Bis off and
the ASR system remains operating.
If the failure affects only the ESP
system, symbol áand message
“ESP FAULT” are lighted on the
multifunction display, while the
warning light on button Bis off and
the ASR system remains operating.
In case of ESP or ASR failure, the
car behaves in the same way as a car
that is not fitted with this system: in
any case it is advisable to contact a
Lancia Dealershipas soon as pos-
sible.
fig. 142
L0A0243b