Lancia THESIS. Service Manual - part 11

172

INSTRUMENT
DIMMER (fig. 127)

Turn ring A upwards or downwards

when the outside lights are on to re-
spectively decrease or increase instru-
ment brightness.

HEATED REAR WINDOW
(fig. 128)

Press button A to switch the heated

rear window on/off. The led on the
button will come on.

The heated rear window will be au-

tomatically switched off after about
20 minutes.

The electrical rearview mirror

demister will also be switched on au-
tomatically.

fig. 127

L0A0202b

fig. 128

L0A0198b

FUEL CUT-OFF SWITCH AND
CIRCUIT BREAKER

The car is fitted with two safety

switches that come into operation in
the case of an accident to block fuel
supply and power, thereby stopping
the engine and the car electric utili-
ties. It also prevents fuel spilling if the
lines are broken in the accident or
sparks and flashover due to electric
component damages.

After the crash, remember to turn

the ignition key to STOP to prevent
the battery running down.

173

If, after an accident, you

can smell petrol or see
that the fuel feed system is

leaking, do not reset the switches
to avoid the risk of fire.

Mechanical connections

of outside handles are
active only if the doors

are locked. In case the driver has
activated the central door locking
from the inside and, after an
accident, the inertial switch was
not able to activate the automatic
door unlocking as a result of bat-
tery loss or damage, it will not be
possible to reach the passenger
compartment from the outside.

Anyway, door opening

from the outside depends
on their conditions after

the accident: if a door is distorted
it might be impossible to open it
even if it is unlocked. In this case
try to open the other car doors.

Before resetting the fuel

cut-off switch, carefully
check for any fuel leaks or

damages to the car electric devices
(e.g.: headlights).

fig. 129

L0A0273b

If, after an accident, you cannot see

any fuel leaks or damages to the car
electric devices (e.g.: headlights) and
the car is in a fit state to continue its
journey, reset the fuel cut-off switch
and the circuit breaker according to
the following instructions.

Door unlocking in case of 
accident

In case of accident with activation of

the inertial switch as a consequence,
door locks are automatically unlocked
to let rescuers reach the passenger
compartment from the outside.

Resetting the fuel cut-off switch
(fig. 129)

fig. 130

L0A0030b

174

Lift cover A set at the driver's left

and press button B to 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-
pressor

ò is 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 

á

is 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
button A set on the central console
with engine running or ignition key
to MAR.

After disengaging the EPB manual-

ly, when opening the driver’s door
the EPB will re-engage automatical-
ly, press button A again 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 STOP or 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

176

Automatic engagement

The parking brake is automatically

engaged whenever the engine is
turned off and afterwards it cannot
be disengaged even if button A is
pressed. Only after turning the igni-
tion key to MAR it 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.

IMPORTANT In 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 A after 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 MAR and 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.

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 A pressed for
at least 2 seconds. Warning light 

x

flashes thrice to indicate the auto-
matic operation deactivation.

When the key is turned again to

STOP the 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.

IMPORTANT If, 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
button A (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”).

178

fig. 135

L0A0275b

fig. 134

L0A0274b

Fault indication

The system is controlled by an elec-

tronic control unit signalling possible
failures by turning on the 

s! warn-

ing light on the multifunction display
together with the message “EPB
FAULT - GO TO DEALER”.

For a higher safety, every time the

parking brake button is pressed dur-
ing a failure, a buzzer will sound to
draw the driver’s attention and the

x warning light will turn on.

If the parking brake does not reach

the required working force (e.g.
when the battery is partially flat),
the instrument panel warning light

x starts flashing. 

In case of instrument panel warn-

ing light 

x fault, the s! warning

light on the multifunction display
turns on together with the message
“EPB INDICATOR FAULT - GO TO
DEALER” to inform the driver
about the dangerous situation. 

In case of failure indi-

cated by the related
warning light and mes-

sage turning on, drive carefully to
a Lancia Dealership because the
parking brake might not work. 

Emergency disengagement

The electric parking brake is fitted

with an independent battery which
can be used to disengage the brake,
for instance when the car main bat-
tery is completely flat or it has bro-
ken after an accident.

The additional battery, always

kept charged by a dedicated elec-
tronic control unit, can engage and
disengage the parking brake when it
is necessary to push manually the
car.

To engage and disengage the elec-

tric parking brake when the car
main battery is completely flat, turn
the key to MAR and press the main
button on the central console.

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
catch A (fig. 135) to 1 with 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 A under 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.

IMPORTANT In 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 P or N (fig. 137).

For safety reasons, it is advisable to

start the engine with the brake pedal
pressed.

IMPORTANT At 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.

IMPORTANT The lever shift from

P is possible only if the ignition key
is at MAR and the brake pedal is
depressed (Shift-lock safety).

The gear lever can be shifted freely

from position D to other positions
without pressing the brake pedal,
according to the diagram shown on
the mask. Only when shifting from
position P it 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.
Letter P on the instrument panel
display (fig. 138) will come on for
30 seconds, then it will go off.

IMPORTANT In 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
button A (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 (1 to 5 in 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.

IMPORTANT The lever can be

shifted from position P is 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 D to other positions
without pressing the brake pedal,
according to the diagram shown on
the mask. Only when shifting from
position P it 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 P to any other position
is possible only with the brake pedal
pressed.

To bring the lever back to position

P it 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.

IMPORTANT Shift the lever to P

only when the car is stationary.

183

R - Reverse

Shift the lever to R with the car

stationary, the engine running idle
and the brake pedal pressed. 

When the lever is at R backup

lights turn on and a buzzer will
sound for about 4 seconds to warn
other people that reversing is in
progress.

IMPORTANT Even 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 P to N, D or
R by pressing lever A (fig. 141) set
under the gear lever mask. To reach
the lever, remove the press-fit odd-
ment compartment shelf B in 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.

IMPORTANT The “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

nd

gear engaged, in order to

improve the gear shift efficiency
according to grip conditions. 

“ICE” programme activation is

possible only when the gear lever is
at D. 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.

IMPORTANT It 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.

186

MANUAL SEQUENTIAL 
OPERATION

To use the manual sequential oper-

ation move the lever to the two-posi-
tion left sector (fig. 137):

(+) = higher gear

(–) = lower gear.

Shifting to the manual sequential

sector is possible only from position
D: the gear automatically selected
when the lever is moved will remain
engaged.

It is possible to pass to the gear

manual sequential control in any
driving condition.

To engage a higher gear, move the

lever to (+) and to shift a lower gear
move the lever to (–).

IMPORTANT If gear shift gener-

ates a runaway speed rate, such gear
is cancelled by the electronic control
unit and the driver is warned by a
buzzer and by the engaged gear
flashing on the instrument panel dis-
play.

When the manual

sequential operation is
set, gears shall be shifted

manually, as for versions with the
traditional manual gearbox. Only
when the car stops the gear auto-
matically engaged is the first one.

If the lever is brought back to D the

gearbox immediately starts to work
automatically and will be engaged
according to the type of driving
selected.

IMPORTANT The electronic con-

trol unit is programmed to shift one
gear at a time, therefore rapid and
repeated actions do not correspond
to rapid and repeated gear engaging.
A higher or lower gear is engaged by
shifting the lever to position (+) or
(–) after the previous request has
been realized.

In case of failure of the manual

sequential system, the electronic
control unit will select the automatic
operation.

187

Even in fault conditions it is possi-

ble to move the lever to R, N and D.
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 

t coming 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 P or N and 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.