MASERATI LEVANTE 2019 Owners Manual

Traction Downhill When descending mountains or hills,
use Hill Descent Control (HDC) to
avoid repeated heavy braking (for
further details, refer to “Brake and
Stability Control System” in this
section).
When descending mountains or hills,
repeated braking can cause brake
fade with loss of braking power. Avoid
repeated heavy braking and
downshift the transmission whenever
possible in order to cool down the
brakes.
Warnings and Tips for Off-road
Driving When driving off-road, using the “OFF
ROAD” drive mode which is specific
for this use.
Before driving, always make sure that
the vehicle reached the ride height set
through the selector.
When driving, always:
• limit driving speed as much as
possible to tackle bends, bumpy
sections and slopes;
• increase visual control in front and
on the sides of the vehicle to quickly
spot any obstacles in your path
(potholes, branches, etc.); Always consider these tips further to
your experience gained in off-road
driving.
After Driving Off-road Off-road operation puts more stress
on your vehicle than does most
on-road driving. After going off-road,
it is always a good idea to check for
damage. That way you can get any
problems taken care of right away and
have your vehicle ready when you
need it.
• Completely inspect the underbody of
your vehicle. Check tires, body
structure, steering, suspension, and
exhaust system for damage.
• Inspect the radiator for mud and
debris that might decrease sinking
effect and clean as required.
• Check for accumulations of plants or
brush in underbody. These things
could be a fire hazard if they get in
contact with the exhaust system.
• After extended operation in mud,
sand, water, or similar dirty
conditions, have all parts that got in
contact with mud, sand and water
inspected and cleaned as soon as
possible. WARNING!
Abrasive material in any part of the
brakes may cause excessive wear or
unpredictable braking operation. Do
not drive if braking system is not
efficient: get your brakes checked and
cleaned as necessary by an
Authorized Maserati Dealer.
• If you experience unusual vibration
after
driving in mud, slush or similar
conditions, check the wheels and
suspension linkages for impacted
material. Impacted material can
cause wheel imbalance and affect
suspension response. Removing it
will correct the situation.Driving
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Parking Brake The vehicle is equipped with an
electric automatic parking brake, also
called EPB (Electric Parking Brake).
The braking action is ensured by a
power actuator directly working on
the brake pad inside each caliper of
the rear brake system.
It can be automatically engaged when
the engine is turned off and
disengaged with engine running,
driver seatbelt latched and driver door
closed, while pressing the brake pedal
and operating the shift lever.
Furthermore, EPB can be automatically
engaged above a slope threshold with
gearshift in park to avoid damage to
the vehicle. EPB can be disengaged
before turning off the vehicle.
When the parking brake is applied, the
warning light
lights up on the
tachometer display and the related
message is displayed on the instrument
cluster for 5 seconds (see “Instrument
Cluster” in section “Dashboard
Instruments and Controls”). During engagement and
disengagement procedures, the
warning light
flashes until the
parking brake has reached its
maximum activation force and is
respectively fully released.
In the above-mentioned conditions,
the automatic engagement function
can be deactivated/activated by
selecting the menu item “Vehicle
settings” on the main menu (refer to
paragraph “Deactivating Automatic
Operation” in this chapter).
Manual Engagement/
Disengagement The parking brake can also be
manually engaged or disengaged
when the engine is running or the
ignition switch is in the RUN position,
by pressing the brake pedal and raising the lever located behind the
shift lever.
When the parking brake is applied, the
warning light
lights up on the
tachometer and the related message
will be displayed for 5 seconds on the
instrument cluster.
If you attempt to engage/disengage
the parking brake without having
pressed the brake pedal, a message
will be displayed, warning you to press
the brake pedal.
If the engine was turned off when the
automatic engagement device was
deactivated (see “Deactivating
Automatic Operation” in this chapter)
it is possible to shift the parking brake
simply by pulling the lever upward
within 3 minutes after turning off.Driving
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CAUTION!
The main function of the EPB is to
allow safe parking of the vehicle,
therefore it must only be applied
when the vehicle is already stationary.
If the EPB is used while the vehicle is
moving and decelerating until a speed
lower of 3 mph (5 km/h) and, in
particular, until complete stop
(typically in a sudden brake), it is
necessary to have the EPB system
checked by an Authorized Maserati
Dealer .
WARNING!
• Always hold the brake pedal pressed
during engagement or
disengagement of the parking
brake.
• The EPB command activation while
running generates a deceleration of
the vehicle with strong deceleration
(Dynamic Braking). It is therefore
recommended to use this feature
only in case of emergency. The
stability of the car is guaranteed by
the action of the activated ESC
system. • It is advisable to keep the "Auto
Apply" function always active (On)
so that the vehicle is properly
secured with electric parking brake.
Deactivating Automatic
Operation The automatic engagement function
can be deactivated/reactivated by
selecting the menu item “Vehicle
settings” through the switch on the
right side of the steering wheel (refer
to “Instrument Cluster” in section
“Dashboard Instruments and
Controls”).
Press and release the switch toward
the arrow (
) to select “Electric Park
Brake”.
Press and release the switch once
again toward the arrow (
)to
visualize the options connected to this
function. • Auto Apply On (recommended
setting);
• Auto Apply Off.
WARNING!
It is advisable to keep the "Auto
Apply" function always active (On) so
that the vehicle is properly secured
with electric parking brake.
Scroll with the switch toward the
arrow
or through the
programmable options.
Press and release the switch toward
the arrow (
) to set the selected
option. A check mark will remain next
to the selected item until a new
selection is made.Driving
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“Setting Saved” Selection notification
appears as a popup for 2 seconds then
the display will show again the
modified function.
In order to disable the automatic
operation follow the same procedures
and select the other option.
CAUTION!
• Under certain conditions when the
battery voltage is low, the electric automatic parking brake system may
temporarily be deactivated for safety
reasons. Therefore, typically upon
starting the engine, when the
battery voltage drops, a message
may temporarily be displayed,
indicating that automatic operation
is temporarily disabled.
• In case of repetitive requests to reset
the EPB through the messages shown
on the TFT display, please contact an
Authorized Maserati Dealer .
Failure Indication In the event of electric parking brake
system failure, the warning light
on the display will light up and the
related message will show for 5
seconds.
WARNING!
In the event of an EPB failure, take
your vehicle to the nearest Authorized
Maserati Dealer as soon as possible. Initialize the EPB System after
Re-connecting
the V ehicle Battery
After the detachment and the
subsequent connection of the battery,
on the instrument cluster display the
warning light
will be illuminated.
To initialize the EPB system, lift,
release and lift again the lever located
behind the shift lever.
Emergency Disengagement
In case of brake lock with complete
electrical system failure, it is necessary
to force the electric actuator on the
rear calipers (see “Emergency Release
of the Parking Brake” chapter in
section “In an Emergency”).
EPB Operation with
Overheated Brakes Driving on mountain roads with steep
slopes or a sports use of the vehicle
could overheat the brake systemDriving
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components. In these conditions the
parking brake must not be used since
the push of the power actuator might
not be sufficient to ensure vehicle
braking, especially on a slope.
Drive normally without braking to
allow the brakes to cool down a few
minutes before stopping. In this way,
the automatic or manual activation of
the parking brake will ensure vehicle
braking.
Parking Before leaving the vehicle, make sure
that the parking brake is fully applied
and place the transmission lever in the
P (Park) position by pressing the “P”
button.
WARNING!
• Always check that the vehicle is
locked before leaving it.
• Never leave children unattended in
the vehicle.
• Do not park the vehicle on paper,
grass, dry leaves or other flammable
materials.
• Do not leave the engine running
while the vehicle is unattended.
CAUTION!
• When you need to park the vehicle
on a steep slope, both with the
engine on or off, it is recommended
not only to engage the parking
brake, but also to shift the
transmission lever to P (Park) before
leaving the vehicle.
• When parking on uneven surfaces
(rocks, sidewalks, etc..) do not activate the Entry/Exit ride height to
avoid any contact of the bottom of
the car with the protrusions of the
ground.
When parking on hill roads, it is
important
to turn the
front wheels
toward the curb on a downhill grade
and away from the curb on an uphill
grade.
Apply the parking brake before
placing the shift lever in P (Park),
otherwise the load on the
transmission locking mechanism may
make it difficult to move the shift
lever out of P (Park).
In certain conditions, it is however
advisable to disengage the parking
brake manually and slightly apply the
service brake for starting off. This is
advisable when there are obstacles
very close to the vehicle in the
direction in which you intend to move.Driving
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“Drive Away Inhibit” strategy In order to avoid a dangerous
condition resulting from leaving the
vehicle “not braked” with running
engine and without driver on board, “Drive Away Inhibit” strategy alerts
the driver with messages on the
instrument cluster display and
sounding chimes, then puts the
transmission in P (Park). The table shows the vehicle condition
and the action that the system runs to
exit the dangerous condition.
Vehicle condition Action of the driver
The system puts the
transmission in P
(Park) position.• Engine running and speed lower than
1.8 mph (3 km/h).
• Transmission in any position other P
(Park).
• Driver safety belt unlocked.
• Driver door opened.
• Brake pedal pressed. The driver releases the brake pedal to
get out of the vehicle.
Warnings Warnings
• Slow continuous chime.
• The condition of the vehicle not in P
(Park) position will be signaled by a
message on the display. • Fast chime.
• A message which invites to engage
the parking brake to prevent vehicle
movement will be displayed on the
display.Driving
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Brake and Stability
Control System The vehicle is equipped with an
Electronic Stability Control System
(ESC), which helps to maintain
directional control in the event of loss
of grip of the tires. The system is able
to detect potentially dangerous
situations for the stability of the
vehicle and automatically sets the
brakes on all four wheels in a
differentiated manner, in order to
provide a torque settlement of the
vehicle.
ESC includes the following subsystems:
• ABS (Anti-lock Braking System);
• EBD (Electronic Brake-force
Distribution);
• TCS (Traction Control System);
• BAS (Brake Assist System);
• BTO (Brake Throttle Override);
• HSA (Hill Start Assist);
• ROM (Roll-Over Mitigation);
• TSM (Trailer Sway Mitigation);
• HDC (Hill Descent Control).
WARNING!
• These systems cannot prevent the natural laws of physics from
affecting the vehicle, nor can they
increase traction, braking or steering
efficiency beyond that afforded by
the condition of the vehicle brakes
and tires.
• These systems cannot prevent
collisions, including those resulting
from excessive speed in turns,
following another vehicle too
closely, or hydroplaning.
• The capabilities of a vehicle
equipped with these systems must
never be exploited in a reckless or
dangerous manner that could
jeopardize the driver’s and the
passenger’s safety or the safety of
others.
Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) This system enhances directional
control and stability of the vehicle
under various driving conditions. The
ESC corrects over steering and under
steering of the vehicle by applying the
brake to the appropriate wheel.
Engine power may also be reduced to
assist in counteracting the conditions
of instability and maintain the right
direction. The system is also able to
reduce the engine power. Through sensors fitted on the vehicle,
the ESC system detects the driver’s
chosen direction comparing it to the
one maintained while running. In case
of discrepancy between the required
trajectory and the current one, the
ESC system brakes the appropriate
wheel to counteract over or under
steering.
• Oversteer - when the vehicle is
turning more than appropriate for
the steering wheel position.
• Understeer - when the vehicle is
turning less than appropriate for the
steering wheel position.
The ESC system has two available
operating modes:
ESC on
This is the normal ESC operating
mode. At each start-up of the vehicle,
the ESC system is set in this mode and
should be used for most driving
conditions. The ESC should only be
turned off for specific reasons as
pointed out in the following
paragraphs.
ESC off
The “ESC off” mode is aimed for a
more spirited driving experience but
also purposeful for driving in sand, or
gravel. The current mode disables the
TCS portion of the ESC and raises theDriving
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threshold for ESC activation, allowing
higher wheel spin than normally
granted by the ESC system. The
(ESC
OFF) button is fitted beside the gear
shift lever: to deactivate the system see
“Drive Mode” in this section.
WARNING!
In SPORT mode the ESC control
thresholds are higher for maximum
performance on dry road surface. To
ensure maximum security of the ESC,
it is recommended not to activate
SPORT mode on surfaces with
medium- and low-grip (e.g., wet,
snow, dirt, etc..) with ESC system
active (
(ESC OFF) button not
pressed).
NOTE:
• When in “ESC of f” mode, the TCS
functionality of ESC is deactivated
(except for the limited slip feature
described in the TCS paragraph of
this chapter). All other stability
features of ESC function regularly.
• To improve the vehicle's traction
when driving with snow chains, or
when starting off in deep snow,
sand, or gravel, it may be desirable
to switch to the “ESC off” mode by pressing the
(ESC OFF) button and
remain in this operational mode no
longer than needed. Once the
situation requiring “ESC off” mode is
overcome, turn the ESC on again by
pressing the
(ESC OFF) button. This
may also be performed while in
motion.
Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)
and Electronic Brake-force
Distribution (EBD) The Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)
provides increased vehicle stability and
brake performance under most
braking conditions. The system
automatically “pumps” the brakes
during severe braking to prevent
wheel lock-up.
The Electronic Brake-force Distribution
(EBD) prevents the rear wheels from
over-braking and provides greater
control of available braking forces
applied to the rear axle.
WARNING!
The ABS helps prevent the wheels
from locking, but it does not increase
the physical grip limits between the
tires and the road. Therefore, always
keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front of yours and reduce your
speed when entering a curve.
NOTE:
• When
the vehicle's speed is higher
than 7 mph (11 km/h), you may hear
a slight clicking sound as well as
other motor noises. The system is
performing a self-check cycle to
ensure that the ABS is working
properly.
• This self-check occurs each time the
vehicle is started and accelerated
past 7 mph (11 km/h).
ABS is activated during braking under
certain road or stopping conditions.
ABS-inducing conditions can include
ice, snow, gravel, bumps, railroad
tracks, loose debris.
You may also experience the following
when the brake system goes into Anti-
Lock:
• The ABS motor running (it may
continue to run for a short time after
the vehicle stops).
• The clicking sound of solenoid valves.
• Brake pedal pulsations.
• A slight drop or fall away of the
brake pedal at the end of the stop.
These are all normal characteristics of
ABS functioning.Driving
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WARNING!
• The ABS contains sophisticated
electronic equipment that may be
susceptible to interference caused
by improperly installed or high
output radio transmitting
equipment. This interference can
cause possible loss of anti-lock
braking capability. Installation of
such equipment should be
performed by qualified Maserati
personnel.
• Pumping the Anti-Lock Brakes will
diminish their effectiveness.
Pumping brakes makes the stopping
distance longer. Just press firmly on
your brake pedal when you need to
slow down or stop.
• The ABS installed to this vehicle
does not control trailer braking
system. Pay utmost attention when
driving on slippery ground since the
trailer traction might get poorer.
• Do not modify the vehicle braking
system to control the trailer brakes.
The hydraulic system controlling
vehicle braking must remain
independent from trailer braking
system. Traction Control System (TCS) The current device is an integral part
of the ESC system. It operates
automatically by reducing the power
transmitted by the engine in case of
slipping, loss of grip on wet floor
(aquaplaning), acceleration on
slippery snow-covered or frozen
surfaces, etc.
Activating under slip conditions
different control systems:
• if slippage affects both drive wheels,
it reduces the power transmitted by
the engine;
• if slippage only affects one drive
wheel, it brakes the slipping wheel
automatically.
Brake Assist System (BAS) This system completes the ABS system
by optimizing the vehicle braking
capacity during emergency brake
maneuvers. The system detects an
emergency braking situation by
sensing the rate and amount of brake
application and then applies optimum
pressure to the brakes in order to help
reduce braking distances.
The quick brake coupling is optimal
for BAS performances. In order to fully
exploit the system, apply continuous
brake pedal pressure during the entire vehicle stop sequence. Do not reduce
brake pedal pressure earlier than
required. Once the brake pedal is
released, the BAS is deactivated.
Brake Throttle Override (BTO) To complete the range of systems that
assist braking, the vehicle is equipped
with BTO, which is designed to stop
the vehicle even when it is during
acceleration. If the brake pedal is
depressed together with the
accelerator, the system does not
consider as “conflict” the sequence
“brake-first-then-accelerator” of pedal
application and it will not engage the
BTO. When the system recognizes that
the accelerator pedal is stuck pressed
and the sequence “accelerator-first-
then-brake-pressed” (this sequence is
recognized as a “conflict”), the engine
power will be automatically reduced
and, if the driver continues to depress
the accelerator and the brake pedal,
the system can make the vehicle come
to a complete stop.
Additionally, if the brake pedal is
released when the accelerator is still
stuck pressed, the corresponding
engine torque increase gradually to a
safe value.
During this event, the ETC light
indicator will illuminate. The systemDriving
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exits from this strategy when the
accelerator pedal is completely
unstuck.
Hill Start Assist (HSA) The HSA system is designed to assist
the driver when starting a vehicle
uphill. HSA will maintain the level of
brake pressure applied for a short
period of time also after releasing the
brake pedal.
If the driver does not apply the
throttle during this short period of
time, the system will release brake
pressure and the vehicle will start
sloping down. The system will release
brake pressure proportionally to the
amount of throttle/torque applied as
the vehicle starts to move in the
chosen direction.
HSA Activation Criteria
The following criteria must be met in
order for HSA to activate:
• vehicle is stationary;
• gear selection matches vehicle uphill
direction (i.e., vehicle facing uphill is
in forward gear; vehicle backing
uphill is in reverse gear).
HSA will work in R (Reverse) and all
forward gears when the activation
criteria have been met. The system will not activate if the
transmission is placed in N (Neutral) or
P (Park).
Roll-Over Mitigation (ROM) This system anticipates the potential
for wheel lift by monitoring the
driver's steering wheel input and the
speed of the vehicle. When ROM
determines that the rate of change of
the steering wheel angle and vehicle's
speed are sufficient to potentially
cause wheel lift, it then applies the
appropriate brake and may also
reduce engine power to lessen the
chance that wheel lift will occur.
ROM will only intervene during very
severe or evasive driving maneuvers.
ROM can only reduce the chance of
wheel lift occurring during severe or
evasive driving maneuvers. It cannot
prevent wheel lift due to other factors,
such as road and off-road conditions,
leaving the roadway, or striking
objects or other vehicles.
WARNING!
Many factors, such as vehicle loading,
road and off-road conditions, and
driving conditions, influence the
chance that wheel lift or rollover may occur. ROM cannot prevent all wheel
lift or roll-overs, especially those that
involve leaving the roadway or
striking objects or other vehicles. The
capabilities of a ROM-equipped
vehicle must never be exploited in a
reckless or dangerous manner, which
could jeopardize the user’s safety or
the safety of others.
Trailer Sway Mitigation (TSM) TSM uses sensors in the vehicle to
recognize an excessively swaying
trailer and will take the appropriate
actions to attempt to stop the sway.
The system may reduce engine power
and apply the brake of the
appropriate wheel(s) to counteract the
sway of the trailer. TSM will become
active automatically once an
excessively swaying trailer is
recognized.
TSM cannot stop all trailers from
swaying. Always use caution when
towing a trailer and follow the trailer
tongue weight recommendations.
Refer to “Trailer Towing” in this
section for further information. When
TSM is functioning, the “ESC
Activation/Malfunction Indicator
Light” will flash (see “Instrument
Cluster” in section “DashboardDriving
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