engine Lancia Thesis 2009 Owner handbook (in English)

176
Automatic engagement
The parking brake is automatically
engaged whenever the engine is
turned off and afterwards it cannot
be disengaged even if button Ais
pressed. Only after turning the igni-
tion key to MARit is possible to dis-
engage the parking brake by press-
ing the same button.
The EPB will also engage automat-
ically when opening the driver’s door
with the engine running. In this way
the car is completely safe even when
the driver leaves it with the engine
running (to open the gate, the garage
etc.
The operation of the automatic
handbrake function procedure when
the engine stops or when the driver’s
side door is open, is disabled when
the car is running; should hence the
engine be stopped or the driver’s side
door be opened when the car is not at
a full standstill, to operate the hand-
brake, it is necessary to perform the
operation manually.Automatic disengagement
If a gear is engaged, the parking
brake is released automatically
when pressing the accelerator pedal
and (for manual transmission ver-
sions) releasing the clutch pedal at
the same time. The control unit with
built-in gradient sensor, will release
the brake gradually according to the
road slope, thus preventing jumping
or unrequired reverse movements.
This is very useful during uphill
starting: simply engage the parking
brake (if not previously engaged
automatically as described before)
and press the accelerator pedal
(releasing the clutch pedal at the
same time, for manual transmission
versions) without having to gradual-
ly release the lever as required with
traditional parking brakes.IMPORTANTIn certain cases, e.g.
the car is approaching an obstacle, it
could be necessary to disengage the
parking brake manually without
making use of the automatic func-
tion and to brake the car by the ser-
vice brake, as it is usually done on
cars equipped with the traditional
parking brake lever.
Deactivating the automatic
operation
When it is required to leave the car
parked with engine running and
parking brake on (e.g. in car wash
tunnels), press button Aafter open-
ing the driver’s door.
If it is necessary to deactivate the
parking brake automatic engage-
ment with the engine off in order to
move the car manually (e.g. in the
garage or in car wash tunnels), it is
possible to deactivate the related
function through the CONNECT
menu. Deactivation of automatic
operation must be made with the
key at MARand only with the car
stationary. Press the SETUP key,
select “Other setting”, deactivate the In order to guarantee the
automatic operation of the
handbrake, cut off the en-
gine or open the driver’s side door
only when the car is at a standstill.

179
The car is fitted also with an emer-
gency button A(fig. 134), placed in
the boot right compartment, which
can be used to unblock the car if it has
been stopped on the road for a break-
down or an accident and the key can-
not be turned to MAR(accident with
fire risk). To reach the button remove
the compartment cover turning the
catchA(fig. 135) to 1with the igni-
tion key.
To disengage the parking brake
through the emergency button pro-
ceed as follows:
– press and release the main button
on the central console
– press and release the emergency
button in the boot
– press again and release the main
button on the central console.
The time elapsed between these
operations should be lower than 30
seconds.MANUAL GEARBOX
To engage the gears, press down
the clutch and put the gear lever into
one of the positions shown in the
diagram (fig. 136); the diagram is
also on the gear lever knob.
To engage reverse (R), wait for the
car to come to a standstill and lift
the ring Aunder the knob (with the
fingers of the hand operating the
lever).
Release the ring after engaging
reverse gear. You do not need to lift
the ring to disengage reverse.To change gear properly
you must push the clutch
pedal fully down. It is
therefore essential that there is
nothing under the pedals: make
sure mats are lying flat and do
not get in the way of the pedals.
Reverse can only be
engaged when the car is at
a standstill. Wait for two
seconds or longer with the clutch
fully pressed before engaging
reverse when the engine is run-
ning to prevent scraping and
damaging the gears.
Do not drive with your
hand resting on the gear
stick as the force exerted,
even if only slight, could lead to
premature wearing of the gear-
box internal components.
fig. 136
L0A0357b

180
ELECTRONIC
AUTOMATIC
GEARBOX
(COMFORTRONIC)
The electronic automatic gearbox,
besides the usual provided opera-
tions, enables a manual operation
sequential gear selection by shifting
the related lever into the special sec-
tor.
IMPORTANTIn order to use the
automatic gearbox in the right way
it is necessary to read this paragraph
fully, to learn from the very begin-
ning how to perform correct opera-
tions, also on the basis of the Shift-
lock and Key-lock functions the
automatic gearbox is fitted with.STARTING THE ENGINE
The engine can be started only with
the selector to PorN(fig. 137).
For safety reasons, it is advisable to
start the engine with the brake pedal
pressed.
IMPORTANTAt the moment of
departure, after starting the engine,
do not press the accelerator pedal
before and during the gear lever
shift. Observing this precaution is
particularly important when the
engine is cold.MOVING OFF
After starting the engine at idle and
while keeping the brake pedal
pressed (Shift-lock safety), shift the
gear lever to D, or to the manual
sequential operation position.
Release the brake pedal and press
gradually the accelerator pedal.
IMPORTANTThe lever shift from
Pis possible only if the ignition key
is at MARand the brake pedal is
depressed (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. 137
L0A0184b

181
Do not tax the engine
until it has not reached
operating temperature.
STOPPING THE CAR
To stop the car press the brake
pedal, regardless of the gear lever
position.
If the brake pedal is not
pressed, when the gear
lever is to D or R and the
engine is running idle, even on a
flat ground, the car starts moving.The ignition key can be extracted
from the ignition switch only when
the gear lever is at P(Key-lock safe-
ty) and the ignition key is at STOP.
LetterPon the instrument panel
display (fig. 138) will come on for
30 seconds, then it will go off.IMPORTANTIn case of emer-
gency (failures, flat battery, etc.), it
is possible to remove the ignition key
even if the gear lever is not at P. To
do this, turn the key to STOP, press
buttonA(fig. 139) and at the same
time remove the key.
fig. 138
L0A0238b
fig. 139
L0A0178b

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.

183
R - Reverse
Shift the lever to Rwith the car
stationary, the engine running idle
and the brake pedal pressed.
When the lever is at Rbackup
lights turn on and a buzzer will
sound for about 4 seconds to warn
other people that reversing is in
progress.
IMPORTANTEven with the lever
in position R, the reverse gear can-
not be engaged if the car speed is
higher than the established value.
When the speed is reduced, the
reverse gear can be engaged and it
remains engaged even if the car
speed overcomes that limit.N - Neutral
This is the position to be used when
the car must be pushed or towed.
D - Forward gear (automatic)
This is the position to be used when
all automatic gearbox functions are
required.
The electronic control unit controls
that the five gears are engaged auto-
matically according to car speed,
engine rpm, accelerator pedal posi-
tion and pressing speed, together
with the main driving conditions
such as hills, slopes, curves and
braking.
Indeed, the electronic automatic
gearbox is able to choose, according
to the type of driving adopted by the
driver, different programmes subdi-
vided into comfortable driving,
economy driving and sporty driving,
with shift points ranging between
low and high. Before leaving the car,
check that the electric
parking brake (EPB) is
on. Shift the lever to position P
even when the car is left with the
engine running.
In case of emergency (failures, flat
battery, etc.), it is possible to shift
the lever from position PtoN,Dor
Rby pressing lever A(fig. 141) set
under the gear lever mask. To reach
the lever, remove the press-fit odd-
ment compartment shelf Bin front
of the gearshift lever.
fig. 141
L0A0276b

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-

185
Winter programme
When starting to drive with a
reduced road grip (snow-covered,
icy road, etc.), the shift control unit
automatically engage the “ICE” pro-
gramme.
This programme allows starting
with the 2
ndgear engaged, in order to
improve the gear shift efficiency
according to grip conditions.
“ICE” programme activation is
possible only when the gear lever is
atD. If the lever is in the sequential
gear sector, the gear engaged at the
moment of moving off is always that
selected by the driver.
When the “ICE” programme has
been activated, Kickdown is not
operating.Kick down
When maximum acceleration is
required (e.g. during overtaking), if
the accelerator is rapidly and fully
depressed, lower gears are automat-
ically engaged, provided the engine
rpm enable this operation.
Later, when the accelerator pedal
is released, the gear engaged is
selected according to the type of dri-
ving and the position of the acceler-
ator.
Kick-down can be engaged only
when the gear lever is at D.
IMPORTANTIt is suggested to use
Kick-down only when required, e.g.
during overtaking, to limit the fuel
consumption.
When the engine is run-
ning idle and the lever is
at D, the car starts moving
even if on a flat ground: keep the
brake pedal pressed until moving
off. formance is requested in terms of
acceleration and maximum speed,
this gear is almost never selected.
The electronic automatic gearbox
is fitted with a device reducing
inside gearing dragging when the car
is stationary and the brake pedal
depressed. The advantages of such a
function are a considerable noise
reduction, with consequent vibra-
tion reduction and limited fuel con-
sumption.

187
Even in fault conditions it is possi-
ble to move the lever to R,NandD.
If the lever is in position D,the con-
trol unit of the automatic gearbox
will select only certain gears, accord-
ing to the type of failure detected.
In case of failure of the
automatic gearbox, take
the car immediately to a
Lancia Dealership to have the
failure eliminated.FAILURE INDICATION
Automatic gearbox faults are indi-
cated by multifunction display
warning light tcoming on with
the following messages:
– AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
OIL TEMP. HIGH
– AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
FAULT.
Automatic transmission oil tem-
perature high
This message is displayed when the
gearbox oil has reached the maxi-
mum preset temperature. In this
case the electronic control unit has
an emergency programme.
Anyway, it is suggested to stop the
car, to set the lever to PorNand to
keep the engine running idle until
the message displayed disappears.
Then start driving again without
taxing the engine.If the message is displayed again,
re-stop the car and let the engine
run idle until the message disap-
pears.
If the interval between the first and
second message appearance is lower
than 15 minutes, stop the car, stop
the engine and wait until the engine-
gearbox unit is completely cold.
Automatic transmission fault
If this message is displayed during
driving, it means that there is a fail-
ure in the automatic gearbox. In this
case the electronic control unit has
an emergency programme.
In such conditions, stop the car and
stop the engine for at least 1 minute.
When the engine is restarted, the
self-diagnosis system could exclude
that failure, that however will be
stored by the electronic control unit.

188
If the failure is signalled when the
engine is started, it means that the
electronic control unit had stored it
previously, before stopping the
engine. Even in this case, go to a
Lancia Dealershipto have the
automatic gearbox checked.
When driving with auto-
matic gearbox faulty,
drive carefully consider-
ing the limited car efficiency in
terms of acceleration and speed.
In addition, when driving with
automatic gearbox faulty, the
reverse block might not be oper-
ating: for this reason it is
absolutely necessary to move the
lever to position R while the car
is moving.SOUND SIGNAL
A buzzer will sound in the follow-
ing conditions:
– for about 15 seconds when the
driver’s door is opened while the
engine is running or not and the gear
lever has a position different from P
– for about 15 seconds when the
engine is turned off and the gear
lever has a position different from P
– for about 4 seconds when the
gear lever is shifted to R(reverse)
– with the manual sequential oper-
ation on, when the selected gear is
not accepted by the electronic con-
trol unit (e.g. since it might generate
a runaway speed rate). BUMP STARTING
Never bump starting the engine (by
pushing, towing, etc.). In an emer-
gency, when the battery is flat, start
the engine with the appropriate
emergency battery according to the
instructions contained in chapter “In
an emergency”.