2003 Lancia Ypsilon Owner handbook (in English)

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Here is some advice for driving in
the rain:
– Reduce speed and maintain a
greater safety distance from the cars
in front.
– If it is raining particularly heavily,
visibility is also reduced. In these
cases, switch on the dipped headlights
even if it is still daylight so you can be
seen more easily.
– Do not drive through puddles at
speed and hold on tightly to the
wheel: a puddle taken at high speed
might cause you to lose control of the
car (“aquaplaning”).
– Move the ventilation controls to
the position for demisting the win-
dows (see the section “Getting to
know your car”), to avoid visibility
problems.
– Periodically check the condition of
the windscreen wiper blades.DRIVING IN FOG
– If the fog is thick, do not start out
on a journey unless you absolutely
have to.
If driving in mist, blanket fog or
when there is the danger of fog
patches:
– Keep your speed down.
– Turn on the dipped headlights,
rear foglights and front foglights, if
fitted, even during the day. Do not
drive with your headlights at full-
beam.
– Remember that fog also means the
tarmac is wet and therefore manoeu-
vres of all kinds are more difficult and
stopping distances are longer.
– Keep a good distance from the cars
in front of you.
– As far as possible, avoid spurts of
speed or sudden deceleration.
– Do not overtake other vehicles if
you can help it.– If you are forced to stop your car
(breakdown, limited visibility etc.)
try to stop off the road. Turn on the
hazard lights and, if possible, the
dipped headlights. Rhythmically
sound the horn if you realise another
car is coming.
IMPORTANTOn stretches of road
with good visibility, switch off your
rear foglights; the brightness of these
lights could annoy the people travel-
ling in the cars behind.
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DRIVING IN THE MOUNTAINS
– When driving downhill use the en-
gine braking effect by engaging a low
gear so as not to overheat the brakes.
– Under no circumstances should
you drive downhill with the engine off
or with the car in neutral, let alone
with the ignition key out.
– Drive at a moderate speed without
cutting corners.
– Remember that overtaking while
going uphill is slower and therefore re-
quires more free road. If you are being
overtaken while driving uphill, make
it easier for the other vehicle to pass.DRIVING ON SNOW OR ICE
Here are some tips for driving in
these conditions.
– Before starting off, check that the
windscreen wiper blades are not stuck
to the windscreen.
– Remove any snow from the climate
control system air intake.
– Keep your speed down.
– Use chains or snow tyres if the
roads are covered in snow, see the re-
spective paragraphs in this chapter.
– Do not keep the engine running for
long periods in deep snow as the snow
could push exhaust gases into the pas-
senger compartment.– Mainly use the braking effect of
the engine and under all circum-
stances avoid braking sharply.
– When braking in a car not fitted
with ABS, avoid the wheels locking by
varying the pressure you exert on the
brake pedal.
– Do not accelerate suddenly and
avoid swerving.
– In the winter, even apparently dry
roads may have icy patches. Be care-
ful therefore when driving over
stretches that do not get much expo-
sure to the sun or that are lined by
trees and rocks, where ice might not
have melted.
– Keep a good distance from the ve-
hicles in front.
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DRIVING WITH ABS
The car can be fitted with a wheel
anti-locking system (ABS) and with
electronic brake correction (EBD) sys-
tem.
ABS is a braking system that essen-
tially offers two advantages:
1)It prevents wheel locking and
consequent skidding in emergency
stops, particularly when the road does
not offer much grip.
2)It makes it possible to brake and
steer at the same time so you can
avoid unexpected obstacles and direct
the car where you want while brak-
ing. The extent to which this can be
done will depend on the physical lim-
its of the tyre’s total grip.To get the most out of ABS:
– During emergency stops or when
grip conditions are poor, you will feel
a slight pulsation on the brake pedal.
This is the sign that the ABS is work-
ing. Do not release the brake pedal
but continue to press so as not to in-
terrupt the braking action.
– ABS prevents the wheels from
locking, but it does not increase ac-
tual grip conditions between tyre and
road. Therefore, even if your car is fit-
ted with ABS, respect the safety dis-
tance from the car in front of you and
keep your speed down when driving
into bends.
ABS serves to increase the controlla-
bility of the car, not to enable you to
go faster.If warning light >
switches on when the en-
gine is running, this usu-
ally indicates an ABS fault. In such
cases the braking system is still ef-
ficient, although the anti-locking
device does not function. The EBD
system may also be less efficient.
Go to a LANCIA Dealership imme-
diately, taking care not to brake
suddenly, and have the system
checked.
The car is fitted with an
electronic brake corrector
(EBD). If warning lights >
andxlight up simultaneously
when the engine is running, this
indicates an EBD fault. This
means that violent braking could
cause early locking of the rear
wheels causing the car to skid.
Drive the car extremely carefully
to the nearest LANCIA Dealership
to have the system checked.
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CONTAINING
RUNNING COSTS
AND POLLUTION
Some suggestions which may help
you to keep the running costs of your
car down and lower the amount of
toxic emissions released into the at-
mosphere are given below.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Car maintenance
The overall state of the car is an im-
portant factor which has a marked in-
fluence over fuel consumption and
driving comfort and on the life span
of your car. For this reason care
should be taken to maintain your ve-
hicle by carrying out the necessary
checks and regulations in accordance
with the specifications given in the
Servize Schedule (see spark plugs,
idle, air filters, timing sections).Tyres
Tyres should be checked at least
every four weeks: if the pressure is too
low fuel consumption increases as the
resistance to the rolling movement of
the tyre is greater. In this state, tyre
wear is increased and car handling
suffers which will affect safety.
Unnecessary loads
Do not travel with too much luggage
stowed in the boot. The weight of the
car (especially when driving in town)
and its trim greatly affects consump-
tion and stability.
Roof/ski racks
Remove roof or ski racks from the
roof of the car as soon as they are no
longer needed. These accessories re-
duce the aerodynamic penetration of
the car and will increase consump-
tion. When transporting particularly
large objects, use a trailer where pos-
sible.Electrical devices
Use the electrical devices for the nec-
essary time only. The heated rear win-
dow, supplementary lights, wind-
screen wipers, heating system blower
require large amounts of energy and,
increasing the request for power also
increases fuel consumption (up to
+25% when driving in built-up areas).
Air conditioner
The air conditioner is an additional
load which greatly affects the engine
leading to higher consumption (on av-
erage up to +20%). When the tem-
perature outside the car permits it,
use the air vents where possible.
Spoilers
The use of aerodynamic optional ex-
tras which are not certified for specific
use on the car, may reduce the aero-
dynamic penetration of the car and
increase consumption.
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Gear selection
As soon as the traffic and road con-
ditions allow it, shift to a higher gear.
Using a lower gear to liven up accel-
eration greatly increases consumption.
In the same way, improper use of the
higher gears will increase consump-
tion, emissions and wear and tear on
the engine.
Top speeds
Fuel consumption increases consid-
erably as speed increases. For exam-
ple, when accelerating from 90 to
120 kph, fuel consumption increases
by about +30%. Your speed should
be kept as even as possible and su-
perfluous braking and acceleration
avoided as this increases both con-
sumption and emissions. A “soft” way
of driving should be adopted by at-
tempting to anticipate manoeuvres to
avoid imminent danger and to keep a
safe distance from the vehicle in front
in order to avoid braking sharply.Acceleration
Accelerating violently increasing the
revs will greatly affect consumption
and emissions: acceleration should be
gradual and not exceed the maximum
torque.
CONDITIONS OF USE
Cold starting
Frequent cold starting will not en-
able the engine to reach optimal run-
ning temperature. It follows therefore
that consumption will be higher (from
+15% to +30% in built-up areas) as
will the production of toxic emissions. STYLE OF DRIVING
Starting
Do not warm the engine when the
car is stationery or at high or low revs:
in this way the engine will warm up
gradually increasing consumption and
emissions. You should drive off slowly
straight away avoiding high revs so
that the engine will warm up more
quickly.
Unnecessary actions
Avoid revving the engine when
stopped at traffic lights or before
switching off the engine and avoid
doubling the clutch as these actions
have no purpose on modern vehicles
and serve only to increase consump-
tion and pollution.
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Traffic and road conditions
Heavy traffic and higher consump-
tion are synonymous; for example,
when driving slowly with frequent use
of the lower gears or in large towns
where there are numerous traffic
lights.
Winding roads, mountain roads and
bumpy roads also have a negative ef-
fect on consumption.
Enforced halts
During prolonged hold-ups (traffic
lights, level crossings) the engine
should be switched off.LOOKING AFTER EMISSION
CONTROL DEVICES
The correct use of pollution control
devices not only ensures respect for
the environment but also has an effect
on the car’s performance. Keeping
these devices in good condition is
therefore a fundamental rule for dri-
ving that is easy on your pocket and
on the environment too.
The first step to take is to follow the
Service Schedule to the letter.
Use only unleaded petrol.
If you have trouble starting, do not
keep turning the ignition key for long
periods. Be especially careful to avoid
bump starting the car by pushing,
towing or rolling down hill: these are
all manoeuvres that can damage the
catalytic exhaust.CHEAP RUNNING
THAT RESPECTS
THE ENVIRONMENT
Environmental protection has been
one of the guiding principles in the
production of the Lancia Y. It is no ac-
cident that its pollution control equip-
ment is much more effective than that
required by current legislation.
Nonetheless, the environment can-
not get by without a concerted effort
from everyone.
By following a few simple rules you
can avoid harming the environment
and often cut down fuel consumption
at the same time.
On this subject, a few useful tips
have been given below to supplement
those marked by symbol #at various
points of the handbook.
You are asked to read both the for-
mer and latter carefully.
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For emergency starts use only an
auxiliary battery.
If the engine begins to “loose its
smoothness” when travelling, con-
tinue your journey but reduce the de-
mands you are making on the engine
and have the car seen to at a LANCIA
Dealershipas soon as you can.
When the instrument panel fuel re-
serve warning light comes on, fill up
as soon as possible. A low level of fuel
can cause an uneven supply of fuel to
the engine with the inevitable increase
in the temperature of the exhaust gas
and serious damage to the catalytic
converter.
Never run the engine with one or
more spark plugs disconnected, even
for testing purposes.
Do not warm up the engine by let-
ting it idle for a while before moving
off unless the outside temperature is
very low and, even in this case, only
do so for less than thirty seconds.When functioning nor-
mally the catalytic con-
verter reaches high tem-
peratures. For this reason do not
park the car over inflammable
material (grass, dry leaves, pine
needles etc.): fire hazard.
Failure to heed these pre-
cautions could cause a
fire.
Do not install other heat shields and
do not remove those already fitted to
the catalytic converter and exhaust
pipe.
Do not allow anything to be sprayed
onto the catalytic converter, Lambda
sensor and exhaust pipe.TOWING A TRAILER
IMPORTANTThe car must be fit-
ted with a homologated tow hitch and
suitable electrical system for towing a
caravan or trailer.
Have the tow hitch fitted by an ex-
pert who will issue specific documen-
tation for use on roads.
Fit special and/or additional
rearview mirrors in accordance with
the highway code.
Remember that towing a trailer
makes it harder for the car to climb
the maximum gradients specified.
Engage a low gear when driving
downhill rather than constantly brak-
ing.
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The ABS system with
which the car may be fitted
does not control the brak-
ing system of a trailer. Special care
must therefore be taken on slip-
pery surfaces.
Under no circumstances
modify the car’s braking
system for trailer braking
control. The trailer’s braking sys-
tem must be completely indepen-
dent of the car’s hydraulic system.The weight the trailer exerts on the
car’s tow hitch coupling reduces the
car’s carrying capacity by the same
amount.
In order to be sure you are not ex-
ceeding the maximum towing weight
(given on the car’s registration pa-
pers), you have to take into account
the trailer’s weight fully laden in-
cluding the accessories and personal
luggage.
Do not exceed the speed limits for
towing a trailer in the country you are
driving in. In any case, do not exceed
the top speed of 100 km/h.SNOW CHAINS
The use of snow chains is regulated
by the legislation in force in the coun-
try the car is driven in.
The chains may only be applied to
the drive wheel tyres (front wheels).
Use only low profile chains (maxi-
mum height off the tyre: 12 mm).
Check the tautness of the chains af-
ter driving some twenty to thirty me-
tres.
IMPORTANTAs the spare wheel is
small (space-saver), it is not possible
to fit snow chains to it. If a front tyre
is punctured, first exchange a rear
wheel with the spare tyre and then
change the flat tyre with the rear wheel
thus removed. This way there will be
two ordinary wheels at the front and
the snow chains can be fitted.
Remember that the wheels should
always be exchanged on the same side
of the vehicle; never change wheels
over from one side of the car to the
other.
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