2008 Lancia Thesis maintenance

260
CONTAINING RUNNING COSTS AND
POLLUTION
Some suggestions which may help
you to keep the running costs of the
car down and lower the amount of
toxic emissions released into the
atmosphere are given below.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Car maintenance
The overall state of the car is an
important factor which has a
marked influence over fuel con-
sumption and driving comfort and
on the life span of your car. For this
reason care should be taken to main-
tain your car by carrying out the
necessary checks and regulations in
accordance with the specifications
given in the “Service Schedule” (see
sections: spark plugs, air cleaners,
timing...).Tyres
Tyre pressure should be checked at
least once 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 handling suffers,
which will effect safety.
Unnecessary loads
Do not travel with too much load in
the boot. The weight of the car (in
town traffic above all), and its trim
greatly effect consumption and sta-
bility.Roof rack/ski rack
Remove the roof or ski racks from
the car as soon as they are no longer
needed. These accessories reduce the
aerodynamic penetration of the car
and will increase consumption.
When transporting particularly
large objects, use a trailer, where
possible.
Electrical devices
Use electrical devices for the neces-
sary time only. The heated rear win-
dow, fog lights, windscreen wipers,
heater fan require large amounts of
electricity and increasing the request
for power will also increase fuel con-
sumption (up to +25% when driving
in towns).
Climate control system
The climate control system is an
additional load which greatly effects
the engine leading to higher con-
sumption (up to +20% in average).
When the temperature outside
allows, use the air vents where pos-
sible.

311
SCHEDULED
SERVICING
Correct maintenance of the car is
essential for ensuring it stays in tip-
top condition for a long time to
come.
This is why LANCIA has pro-
grammed a number of service oper-
ations every 20,000 kilometres:
IMPORTANTThe Manufacturer
requires the Service Schedule
coupon related checks to be carried
out. Failure to do so could result in
the warranty being cancelled for
those defects that can be attributed
to such failure.Scheduled Servicing is performed
at all Lancia Dealershipsand
there is a set time scale for such
operations.
If it is seen that further replace-
ments or repairs are necessary in
addition to the work being carried
out, these will only be done after the
customer has given his/her consent.IMPORTANTYou are recom-
mended to get in touch with a
Lancia Dealershipimmediately if
any minor running problems crop
up without waiting for the next
coupon.
CAR MAINTENANCE

315
Do not smoke while
working in the engine
compartment: the pres-
ence of flammable gas and
vapour could cause a fire.
Be careful not to mix up
the various types of fluids
when you are topping up:
they are all mutually incompati-
ble and could damage the car.
Maintenance of your car
should be entrusted to a
Lancia Dealership. For
ordinary routine maintenance
operations which you are able to
carry out yourself, ensure that
you have the necessary tools and
original Lancia spare parts and
fluids available. Do not carry out
servicing operations if you have
no experience.IMPORTANT - Engine oil
If the car is normally driven in one
of the following particularly severe
conditions:
– towing a trailer
– on dirty roads
– for short, repeated trips (less
than 7-8 km) with outside tempera-
ture below zero
– with engine frequently idling or
for long distances at low speed (e.g.
taxi, door-to-door deliveries) or pro-
longed storage
change the engine oil more frequent-
ly than shown in the Service
Schedule.
IMPORTANT - Air cleaner
Replace the air cleaner more fre-
quently than shown in the Service
Schedule if the car is used on dusty
roads.
If you are in doubt about how often
the engine oil or the air cleaner
should be changed in relation to how
you use the car, contact a Lancia
Dealership.

316
IMPORTANT - Diesel filter
The different grades of purity in
diesel fuel normally available might
make it necessary to replace the fil-
ter more frequently than indicated
in the Service Schedule. If the engine
misfires it shows the filter needs
changing.IMPORTANT - Dust/pollen filter
If the car is often used in dusty or
extremely polluted environments,
you should change the filter element
more frequently. It should be
changed especially if the amount of
air introduced into the passenger
compartment is reduced.IMPORTANT - Battery
The charge in your battery should
be checked, where possible at the
start of the winter, to limit the risk
of the battery electrolyte freezing.
This check should be carried out
more frequently if the car is mainly
used for short trips or if it is fitted
with accessories that permanently
take in electricity even when the
ignition key is removed, especially in
the case of after market accessories.
If the car is used in very hot cli-
mates or particularly demanding
conditions check the battery elec-
trolyte more frequently than shown
in the “Service Schedule” in the
“Car maintenance” chapter.

326
Batteries contain sub-
stances that are very
harmful for the environ-
ment. You are advised to have the
battery changed at a Lancia
Dealership. It is properly
equipped for disposing of used
batteries in an environmentally-
friendly way that complies with
the law.
With the battery flat, or
after the interruption of
one of the protection
fuses, or if you want to disconnect
a loaded battery (e.g. for a car
stop period), before opening the
luggage compartment bonnet
carefully read and comply with
the instructions contained in the
paragraph “If battery is to be dis-
connected” in the chapter “In an
emergency”.
DUST/POLLEN
FILTER
This filter has a mechanical/elec-
trostatic air filtering action, provid-
ed that windows and doors are
closed.
Have the dust/pollen filter checked
once a year at a Lancia Dealership,
preferably at the onset of summer.
If the car is often used in dusty or
extremely polluted environments,
have the filter replaced more fre-
quently than specified in the Service
Schedule.
IMPORTANTFailure to replace
this filter can significantly reduce
climate control system effectiveness.
BATTERY
The battery is of the “Low
Maintenance” type and is fitted with
an indicator A(fig. 18) for checking
the electrolyte level and battery
charge.
Under normal condition of use top-
ping up the electrolyte with distilled
water is therefore not required. A
periodical check is however neces-
sary to make sure it is in efficient
conditions through the indicator on
the battery cover which should be
dark in colour with a green central
area.If the indicator is a bright colour,
or dark without the green central
area, contact a Lancia Dealership.
fig. 18
L0A0164b

337
Detergents pollute water.
For this reason the car
must be washed in an
area equipped for the collection
and purification of the liquids
used while washing.TIPS FOR KEEPING THE BODY
IN GOOD CONDITIONS
Paintwork
The paintwork is not only to make
your car look attractive but also to
protect the steel.
If the paint is scuffed or scratched
deeply you are therefore advised to
touch up as necessary to prevent rust
from forming.
Only use genuine products when
touching up the paintwork (see
“Bodywork paint identification
plate” in chapter “Technical
Specifications”).
Ordinary maintenance of the
paintwork means washing it. The
frequency you should do this
depends on the conditions and the
environment the car is driven in. For
example, you should wash your car
more often if it is driven in areas
with a high level of air pollution or
on road sprinkled with saltwash.Before leaving your car
into the automatic car-
wash tunnel, disengage
the parking brake following the
instructions given in the relevant
paragraph, and leave the Keyless
System CID (where fitted) in the
car to prevent automatic steering
locking.Before cleaning the
windscreen (e.g. at filling
stations), make sure to
have deactivated the rain sensor
and turned the ignition key to
STOP. Deactivate the rain sensor
also when washing your car man-
ually or at automatic carwash.

369
INDEX
ABS system ........................... 245
- EBD electronic
brakeforce distributor ....... 245
Accessories purchased by
the user ............................... 221
Active carbondust/
pollen filter........................... 161
- maintenance ..................... 326
Aerosol cans (important) ........ 340
Air bags (front and side) ........ 88
- front passenger
presence sensor ................. 91
- general notes ..................... 95
- manually deactivating
the passenger’s
front air bag ..................... 90- manually deactivating
the rear side bags............... 94
- passenger’s
front air bag ..................... 90
- side air bags (Side bag –
Window bag) .................... 92
- “Smart Bag” system
(front Multistage
Airbags) ............................ 88
Air cleaner ............................. 325
Air vents ........................ 144-145
Anchoring the load .................. 232
Anti-lifting sensor .................. 42
Armrests
- front .................................. 65- rear .................................... 67
Ashtray
- front ................................. 215
- rear ................................... 215
ASR system ............................. 189
Autoclose function .................. 50
Automatic climate control
system ................................. 146
- controls ............................. 152
- front control panel ............. 148
- general .............................. 146
- how to use the climate
control system.................... 151
- maintenance ..................... 335
- rear control panel ............. 150
Automatic gearbox display ...... 110

370
Battery
- checking the battery
charge ................................ 327
- disconnecting the loaded
battery ............................... 302
- disconnecting the
unloaded battery................ 303
- initialising the control
units of the door locks,
air conditioner and ESP
system................................ 303
- jump starting ............. 272-304
- maintenance ..................... 326
- recharging the
battery ...................... 304-328
- replacement ...................... 328
- useful advice ..................... 329
Bodywork
- maintenance ..................... 337
- version code ...................... 343Bodywork paint
identification plate .............. 342
Bodywork versions (codes) ..... 343
Bonnet .................................... 237
Boot
- anchoring the load ............ 232
- ceiling light ........................ 231
- closing the boot.................. 231
- functions that can be
modified by the
CONNECT menu ............... 229
- luggage nets ....................... 231
- luggage transport -
important notes ................. 233
- opening by remote
control ............................... 228
- opening from the inside .... 227
- opening from the outside
with the key ....................... 228
- power socket ..................... 234
Boot light
- bulb replacement ............... 290Bose HI-FI audio system ........ 248
Bottle/can holder
- front ................................. 217
- rear ................................... 219
Brake and hydraulic
clutch fluid .......................... 323
Brakes
- fluid level ......................... 323
- technical specifications ...... 348
Bulbs (replacing) .................... 281
- bulbs ................................. 283
- front light cluster ............... 284
- general instructions ........... 282
- rear light cluster ................ 286
- replacing an exterior light .. 284
- types of bulbs ................... 282
Capacities ............................. 362
Car maintenance .................. 309
- additional checks .............. 314