Lancia THESIS. Service Manual - part 5

76

SEAT BELTS

HOW TO USE 
THE SEAT BELTS

The belt should be worn keeping

the chest straight and rested against
the seat back.

Instrument panel warning light 

<

will come on if the ignition key is
turned to MAR and the driver’s seat
belt is not fastened. 

To fasten the seat belt, take the

fastening tongue A (fig. 69) and
push it into buckle B, until you hear
it click.

Pull the seat belt gently. If it jams,

let it rewind a little and pull it out
again without jerking.

To release the seat belts, press but-

ton C. Guide the seat belt with your
hand while is rewinding to prevent it
from twisting.

Through the reel, the belt  auto-

matically adapts to the body of the
passenger wearing it, allowing free-
dom of movement.

Never press button C

(fig. 69) while travelling.

fig. 69

L0A0088b

fig. 70

L0A003b

To activate centralised window and

sunroof opening, keep button A (fig.
68) pressed for over 2 seconds after
opening the doors: window and sun-
roof will move until complete open-
ing or until releasing the button.

This function can be used to aerate

the passenger’s compartment before
getting into the car parked in the
sun.

77

When the car is parked on a steep

slope the reel mechanism may block;
this is normal. The reel mechanism
prevents the webbing coming out
when it is jerked or if the car brakes
sharply, in a collision or when cor-
nering at high speed.

The rear seat is fitted with inertial

seat belts with three anchor points
and reel for the side and centre
seats.

Rear seat belts shall be worn as

shown in fig. 70.

To prevent incorrect fastening, the

tongues of the side seats and the
buckle of the centre lap belt are
incompatible.

fig. 71

L0A0096b

When the rear seats are not occu-

pied, use the spaces provided in the
cushion to stow the belt buckles (fig.
71).

Remember that in the

event of a violent colli-
sion, back seat passen-

gers not wearing seat belts also
represent a serious danger for the
front seat passengers.

ADJUSTING THE HEIGHT OF
THE FRONT SEAT BELTS

Only adjust seat belt

height when the car is sta-
tionary.

Always adjust the height of the seat

belt to fit the person wearing it. This
precaution could greatly reduce the
risk of injury in case of collision.

Correct adjustment is obtained

when the belt passes half way
between the end of the shoulder and
the neck.

To adjust, lower or raise the grip A

(fig. 72). To lower the device keep
button B pressed.

78

The pretensioner does not require

any maintenance or greasing.
Anything that modifies its original
conditions invalidates its efficiency.
If due to unusual natural events
(floods, sea storm, etc.) the device
has been affected by water and mud,
it must necessarily be replaced.

The pretensioner can

only be used once. After a
collision that has trig-

gered it, have it replaced at a
Lancia Dealership Pretensioner
validity is written on the plate
located on the front left door post
near door hinges. The preten-
sioners should be replaced at a
Lancia Dealership as this date
approaches.

After adjustment, always

check that the device is
anchored in one of the

positions provided. To do this,
with the grip released, exert a
further pressure to allow the
anchor device to catch if release
did not take place at one of the
preset positions. 

PRETENSIONERS

Your car is fitted with pretension-

ers on the front and rear side seats to
improve protection. 

These devices “feel”, through a

sensor, that a violent crash is in
progress and rewind the seat belts a
few centimetres. In this way they
ensure that the seat belt adheres per-
fectly to the wearer before the
restraining action begins. 

The seat belt locks to indicate that

the device has intervened; the seat
belt cannot be drawn back up even
when guiding it manually.

IMPORTANT To obtain the high-

est degree of protection from the
action of the pretensioning device,
wear the seat belt keeping it firmly
close to the chest and pelvis.

Front seat pretensioners activate

only if front seat belts are properly
fitted into buckles.

A small amount of smoke may be

produced. This smoke is in no way
toxic and presents no fire hazard.

fig. 72

L0A0089b

LOAD LIMITING DEVICES

In order to increase passive safety,

the front and rear seat belt reels
have a built-in load limiting device
which collapse in a controlled fash-
ion so to dose the force on the pas-
senger’s shoulder and chest during
the retaining operation. 

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR
THE USE OF THE SEAT BELTS

The driver must comply with (and

have the vehicle occupants follow)
all the local legal regulations con-
cerning the use of seat belts.

Always fasten the seat belts before

starting.

The belt should not be

twisted, make sure that it
is taut and adheres to the

passenger’s body. The upper part
should pass over the shoulder
and cross the chest diagonally.
The lower part should adhere to
the pelvis and to the abdomen of
the passenger (fig. 73). Do not use
any objects (pegs, stoppers, etc.)
to keep the belts away from the
body.

For maximum safety,

keep the back of your seat
upright, lean back into it

and make sure the seat belt fits
closely across your chest and
hips.

Make sure that the seat belts of

the front and rear passengers are
fastened at all times! You
increase the risk of serious injury
or death in a collision if you trav-
el with the belts unfastened. 

fig. 73

L0A0004b

Operations which lead

to knocks, vibrations or
localised heating (over

100°C for a maximum of 6 hours)
in the area around the preten-
sioners may cause damage or
trigger them. These devices are
not affected by vibrations caused
by irregularities of the road sur-
face or low obstacles such as
kerbs, etc. Contact a Lancia
Dealership for any assistance.

79

80

Under no circumstances

should the components of
the seat belts and preten-

sioner be tampered with or
removed. Any operation should
be carried out by qualified and
authorised personnel. Always
contact a Lancia Dealership.

If the belt has been subjected to

heavy stress, for example after an
accident, it should be changed
completely together with the
anchors, anchor fastening screws
and the pretensioners. In fact,
even if the belt has no visible
defects, it could have lost its
resilience.

Never travel with a child

sitting on the passenger’s
lap with a single belt to

protect them both (fig. 74). Do not
fasten other objects to the body.

Seat belts are also to be worn by

expectant mothers: the risk of injury
in the case of accident is greatly
reduced for them and the unborn
child if they are wearing a seat belt. 

Of course they must position the

lower part of the belt very low down
so that it passes under the abdomen
(fig. 75).

HOW TO KEEP THE SEAT
BELTS IN PROPER WORKING
ORDER AT ALL TIMES

1) Always use the belt with the

tape taut and never twisted; make
sure that it is free to run without
impediments.

2) After a serious accident, replace

the belt being worn at that time,
even if it does not appear damaged.
Always replace the seat belts if pre-
tensioners have been activated.

3) To clean the belts, wash by hand

with neutral soap, rinse and leave to
dry in the shade. Never use strong
detergents, bleach or dyes or other
chemical substance that might
weaken the fibres.

4) Prevent the reels from getting

wet: their correct operation is only
guaranteed if water does not get
inside.

5) Replace the seat belt when

showing significant wear or cut
signs.

fig. 75

L0A0005B

fig. 74

L0A0006b

81

CARRYING 
CHILDREN
SAFELY

SERIOUS DANGER
Should it be ab-
solutely necessary

to carry a baby on the front pas-
senger seat with a child's seat with
the cradle facing backwards, de-
activate the passenger's air bags
using the key switch and then
check warning light F on the clus-
ter to make sure that deactivation
has actually took place (see para-
graph “ Manual deactivation of
passenger's air bag .

For optimal protection in the event

of a crash, all passengers must be
seated and wearing adequate
restraint systems.

This is especially relevant for chil-

dren.

According to 2003/20/EC Directive,

this prescription is compulsory for all
European Community countries.

A child’s head is larger and heavier

than an adult’s head with respect to
their body weight. Moreover, a
child’s muscular and bone structure
is not fully developed. For these rea-
sons, children require specific
restraint systems, different from
those required by adult passengers.

fig. 76

L0A0007b

With passenger’s air bag
active, never place child’s
seats with the cradle facing

backwards since the air bag activa-
tion could cause to the child serious
injuries, even mortal, regardless of
the seriousness of the crash that trig-
gered it. You are advised to carry
children always with proper
restraint systems on the rear seats,
as this is the most protected position
in the case of a crash.

A I

R B A G

82

The results of research on the best

child restraint systems are contained
in the European Standard ECE-
R44. This Standard enforces the use
of restraint systems classified in five
groups:

Group 0

- weight 0-10 kg

Group 0+

- weight 0-13 kg

Group 1

weight 9-18 kg

Group 2

weight 15-25 kg

Group 3

weight 22-36 kg

The groups partially overlap. This

is because there are systems which
cover more than one weight group
(fig. 76).

All restraint systems must show

homologation data and control
markings on a tag which is solidly
fastened to the system and cannot be
removed.

Children weighing more than 1.5

m are, with reference to restrain sys-
tems, considered adults and can
wear normal seat belts.

We recommend using Lineaccessori

Lancia child restraint systems for
each weight group. These systems
were specifically designed and tested
for Lancia cars.

GROUP 0 and 0+ 

Babies up to 13 kg are to be seated

in a cot type seat supporting the
child’s head facing backwards. This
ensures there is no stress on the
child’s neck in sudden decelerations.

The cot is secured with the seat

belts. Furthermore, the child must
be strapped to the cot (fig. 77).

The figure is only an

example. Follow the
instructions for fastening

the specific child restraint system
you are using.

fig. 77

L0A0011b

83

GROUP 1 

Children from 9 to 18 kg are to be

seated facing forward in child seats
with front cushion. The car seat belt
secures both seat and child (fig. 78).

There are child restraint

for groups 0 and 1 which
are fastened with the car

seat belts by means of an attach-
ment on the seat back. The child
is then secured to the seat with
specific straps. Due to their
weight, child seats can be dan-
gerous if they are fitted incorrect-
ly (e.g. with a cushion placed
therebetween). Always follow
carefully the specific installation
instructions for the child
restraint system you are using.

GROUP 2 

Children from 15 to 25 kg can be

secured directly with the car seat
belts. The seat has the purpose of
positioning the child correctly with
respect to the seat belt so that the
diagonal section crosses the child’s
chest (never the child’s throat) and
the horizontal section fits snugly on
the child’s hips (and not the child’s
abdomen) (fig. 79).

The figure is only an

example. Follow the
instructions for fastening

the specific child restraint system
you are using.

The figure is only an

example. Follow the
instructions for fastening

the specific child restraint system
you are using.

fig. 78

L0A0010b

fig. 79

L0A0009b

84

GROUP 3 

Children from 22 to 36 kg the size

of the child’s chest no longer
requires a support to space the
child’s back from the seat back.

Fig. 80 shows proper child seat

positioning on the rear seat.

Children taller than 1.5 m can

wear seat belts like adults.

PASSENGER SEAT COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATIONS 
ON CHILD’S SEAT USE

THESIS complies with the new EC Directive 2000/3/CE regulating child’s

seat assembling on the different car seats according to the following tables:

Group

Group 0, 0+

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Key:

U

= Suitable for child restraint systems of the “Universal” category, according to

European Standard ECE-R44 for the specified “Groups”

B = Built-in restraint system approved for this range of weight (integral child’s seat
opt.)

L = Suitable for certain child’s restraint systems available at Lineaccessori Lancia for
the specified group

fig. 80

L0A0008b

SEAT

Front

passenger

U

U

U

U

Side

rear

passengers

L-U

L-U

L-U

L-U

Central

rear

passenger

U

U

U

U

Range of

weight

0 -13 kg

9 -18 kg

15 -25 kg

22 -36 kg

85

Below is a summary of the rules

of safety to be followed for carry-
ing children:

1) Child restraint system should be

fitted on the rear seat as this is the
most protected area in the car in the
event of  a crash.

4) Always check the seat belt is

well fastened by pulling the web-
bing.

5) Only one child is to be strapped

to each retaining system.

6) Always check the seat belts do

not fit around the child’s throat.

7) While travelling do not let the

child sit incorrectly or release the
belts.

8) Passengers should never carry

children on their laps. No-one, how-
ever strong they are, can hold a child
in the event of a crash.

9) In case of an accident, replace

the seat with a new one.

PRESETTING FOR MOUNTING
THE “ISOFIX TYPE” CHILD
RESTRAINT SYSTEM

THESIS is preset for mounting the

Isofix type child restraint system, a
new European standardised system
for transporting children. Isofix type
child restraint system is an addition-
al option that does not prevent from
using traditional child restraint sys-
tems. Isofix type child's seat covers
three weight groups: 0, 0+ and 1.

Due to its different anchoring sys-

tem, the Isofix type child's seat shall
be anchored using the proper metal
brackets set between rear seat back
and cushion, shown in figures 81
and 82.

It is possible to mount both the tra-

ditional child restraint system and
the Isofix type one. Max. two Isofix
type child's seats can be mounted on
the rear seat using the proper cou-
plings.

On the front passenger seat it is

possible to mount only traditional
child's seats.

Children must never be

seated in the front pas-
senger seat in cars with

passenger’s front airbag.

2) In case of passenger airbag

deactivation check that instrument
panel warning light F is on to
make sure that deactivation has
actually taken place .

3) Follow the instructions for fas-

tening the specific child restraint
system you are using which must be
provided by the manufacturer. Keep
the child restraint system installa-
tion instructions with the car papers
and with this handbook. Never use a
child restraint system without the
installation instructions.

86

Only use Isofix type child restraint

systems specifically designed, tested
and approved for this car.

Mount the child

restraint system only with
the car stationary. The

Isofix child restraint system is
properly anchored to the mount-
ing brackets when clicks are
heard. In any case, keep to the
installation instructions that
must be provided by the child
restraint system’s Manufacturer.

Mounting the ISOFIX TYPE
child restraint system

Groups 0 and 0+

For children included in this

weight group (up to 13 kg) the
restraint system faces back and the
child is held by the restraint system
belts D (fig. 83).

fig. 81

L0A0271b

fig. 82

L0A0270b

fig. 83

L0A0254b

87

fig. 84

L0A0420b

fig. 85

L0A0255b

For proper mounting, proceed as

follows:

– remove the upper tether on the

back of the child's restraint system;

– check whether the release lever B

(fig. 83) is at rest position (inward);

– identify the brackets A (fig. 83)

and mount the child restraint system
with the retainers C (fig. 83) aligned
to the brackets;

– push the child restraint system

until hearing the locking clicks;

– check for proper locking by mov-

ing the child's seat with force: the
built-in safety mechanism actually
inhibit improper coupling with just
one coupling locked;

– fit the supporting foot into sup-

port B (fig. 84), secured on the
child's seat back; to do this, pull
knob A (fig. 84) outwards, fit the
foot into the support, release knob A
and push the foot upwards until the
locking pin clicks;

– fully loosen knob C (fig. 84) and

extend both support legs until they
rest on the car floor; tighten knob C
in one of the preset holes.

Group 1

When the child grows up and

reaches the next weight group
(group 1, 9 to 18 kg), the child
restraint system should be rein-
stalled facing forward; keep to the
instructions provided by the child
restraint system manufacturer.

88

FRONT AND SIDE
AIRBAGS

The car is equipped with front

(Multistage) airbags for the driver
(fig. 86) and passenger B (fig. 87),
front side bags C (fig. 88), window
bags D (fig. 89) and (where provid-
ed) rear side bags E (fig. 90).

“SMART BAG” SYSTEM
(FRONT MULTISTAGE AIRBAGS) 

Description and operation

The front air bag (driver and pas-

senger) is a safety device which
comes into action in the event of a
front/angled impact.

fig. 86

L0A6017b

For proper mounting, proceed as

follows:

– remove the upper tether on the

back of the child's restraint system;

– remove the black plate on the

child's seat back and loosen the
three knob screws completely;

– check whether the release lever B

(fig. 85) is at rest position (inward);

– identify the brackets A (fig. 85)

and mount the child restraint system
with the retainers C (fig. 85) aligned
to the brackets;

– push the child restraint system

until hearing the locking clicks;

– check for proper locking by mov-

ing the child's seat with force: the
built-in safety mechanism actually
inhibit improper coupling with just
one coupling locked.

With this configuration, the child is

secured also by the car seat belts
(fig. 85).

To apply car seat belts to child's

seat, refer to the child's seat hand-
book.

It consists of an instantly inflatable

bag housed in a special compart-
ment located:

– in the centre of the steering wheel

on the driver’s side A (fig. 86);

– in the dashboard on the passen-

ger’s side (larger bag) B (fig. 87).

fig. 87

L0A0068b

fig. 88

L0A0069b

89

The front airbag (driver and pas-

senger) has been designed to protect
the occupants in the event of head-
on/angled collision of medium-high
severity, by placing a soft bag
between the passenger and the steer-
ing wheel or the dashboard.

In case of head-on collision, an

electronic control unit processes the
signals from deceleration sensor
and, when required, triggers the
inflation of the cushion according to
the severity of the collision.

fig. 89

L0A0070b

The cushion immediately inflates,

placing itself as a soft protective bar-
rier between the body of the front
passengers and the structure that
could cause injuries. Immediately
after, the cushion deflates.

The front air bag (driver and pas-

senger) is not a replacement for the
use of seat belts but rather a com-
plement. We recommend that seat
belts are worn at all times as pre-
scribed by legislation in Europe and
most other countries world-wide. A
passenger not wearing the seat belt
may crash into the bag before it is
fully inflated. In this case the protec-
tion is considerably decreased.

fig. 90

L0A0071b

Front air bags are designed to pro-

tect car’s passengers in front/angled
crashes and therefore non-activation
in other types of collisions (side col-
lisions, rear-end shunts, roll-overs,
etc…) is not a system malfunction.

For impacts against very

deformable or mobile objects (traffic
sign poles, heaps of gravel or snow,
etc…), rear impacts (e.g. car crash-
ing into the back), side impacts,
wedging under other vehicles or bar-
riers (e.g. under a truck or guard
rail), the airbag does not offer addi-
tional protection with respect to the
seat belts and may even be undesir-
able.

The fact that the airbag is not trig-

gered in these situations, this does
not signify a malfunction.

90

SEVERE DANGER:
The car is
equipped with

front passenger’s airbag, do not
place the child restraint seat on
the front seat. The inflation of the
airbag could cause even fatal
injury. If required, always deacti-
vate the passenger’s front airbag
when a child seat is placed on the
front seat. The passenger’s seat
shall be set as backwards as pos-
sible to prevent accidental con-
tacts between the child restraint
system and the dashboard.
Although it may not be pre-
scribed by law, we recommend
reactivating the airbag as soon as
it is no longer necessary to carry
children to provide better protec-
tion to adult passengers.

A I

R B A G

PASSENGER’S FRONT AIRBAG

The passenger’s airbag was

designed and calibrated to protect a
person wearing seat belts.

When fully inflated the bag will fill

most of the space between the dash-
board and the passenger.

MANUALLY DEACTIVATING
THE PASSENGER’S FRONT
AIRBAG

The passenger’s front airbag can be

deactivated if it is absolutely neces-
sary to carry a child in the front pas-
senger seat.

Deactivation/reactivation takes

place with ignition key at STOP and
operating it in the special key switch
A (fig. 91) on the dashboard on the
passenger side.

You can reach the switch only if

the door is opened.

fig. 91

L0A0072b

91

Only turn the switch

when the engine is not
running and the ignition

key is  removed.

The key switch has two possible

positions:

1) Passenger’s front airbag active

(position ON

P

): instrument panel

warning light F off. Do not carry
children on the front seat.

2) Passenger’s front airbag deacti-

vated (position OFF F): instru-
ment panel warning light F on. A
child may be carried on the front
seat, protected with a specific
restraint system.

The F warning light on the

instrument panel will stay on until
the passenger front airbag is reacti-
vated.

The side airbag will work although

the front airbag is deactivated.

The key can be inserted and

removed from the switch with the
door open in any of the two posi-
tions.

IMPORTANT To receive the best

system protection in the event of an
accident, you have to seat in proper
position (fig. 92).

fig. 92

L0A0256b