2008 Lancia Thesis Owner handbook (in English)

256
Make sure that any mats
are appropriate in size:
any hindrance, even
slight, to the braking system may
require a higher pedal stroke
than normal.
Water, ice and salt on
the road may deposit on
brake disks, reducing
braking efficiency the first time
they are used.Driving while drunk or
under the influence of
drugs or certain medi-
cines is dangerous both for you
and other road users.
Always fasten both front
and back seat belts,
including child restraint
systems if there are children trav-
elling with you. Travelling with
seat belts unfastened increases
the risk of injury or death if you
are involved in a collision. Take care when fitting
additional spoilers, alloy
rims and wheel caps: they
might reduce ventilation of the
brakes, thus their efficiency dur-
ing abrupt braking or long down-
hill slopes.
Never drive with objects
on the floor in front of the
driver’s seat: they might
get stuck under the pedals mak-
ing it impossible to accelerate or
brake.

257
– Keep a greater safety distance
from the cars in front of you than
during daylight hours: it is hard to
judge how fast other cars are going
when all you can see are their lights.
– Only use main beam headlights
when you are driving outside town
and when you are sure they do not
annoy other drivers.
– Dip your headlights as soon as
you see cars coming in the other
direction and pass them with the
headlights dipped.
– Keep all lights clean.
– Be careful of animals crossing the
road when driving in the country.
DRIVING IN THE RAIN
Rain and wet road surfaces spell
danger.
All manoeuvres are more difficult
on a wet road because the grip of the
wheels on the tarmac is greatly
reduced. This is why braking dis-
tances are much longer and road-
holding is lower.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 heavi-
ly, visibility is also reduced. In these
cases, switch on the dipped head-
lights 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 if you do: 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”), so to avoid visibil-
ity problems.
– Periodically check the condition
of the windscreen wiper blades. – Do not drive too many hours at a
time but stop at intervals to stretch
your legs and recoup your energy.
– Make sure the air in the car is
being changed continuously.
– Never coast downhill (i.e.: with
the engine off): if you do, you lose
the aid of engine braking and power
brakes so that braking requires
greater effort.
DRIVING AT NIGHT
There are the main rules to follow
when you are driving at night.
– Drive especially carefully: it is
harder to drive at night.
– Slow down especially if the road
is not lit.
– At the first signs of sleepiness,
stop: continuing would be a risk for
yourself and everybody else. Only
start driving again when you have
had enough rest.

258
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 danger of fog
patches:
– Keep your speed down.
– Turn on the dipped headlights,
rear fog lights and front fog lights
even during the day. Do not drive
with your headlights at main beam.
IMPORTANTOn stretches of road
with good visibility, switch off your
rear fog lights; the brightness of
these lights could annoy the people
travelling in the cars behind.
– Remember that fog also means
the tarmac is very wet and therefore
manoeuvres 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 decelerations. – 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 beam headlights.
Rhythmically sound the horn if you
realise another car is coming. DRIVING IN THE MOUNTAINS
– When driving downhill use the
engine 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 gear in neutral, let
alone with the ignition key out.
– Drive at a moderate speed with-
out cutting corners.
– Remember that overtaking while
going uphill is slower and therefore
requires more free road. If you are
being overtaken while driving
uphill, make it easier for the other
vehicle to pass.

259
DRIVING ON SNOW AND ICE
– Here are some tips for driving in
these conditions:
– Keep your speed down.
– Use winter tyres or snow chains
for driving on snow covered roads;
see the respective paragraphs in this
chapter.
– Prevalently use the engine brake
and avoid sudden braking.
– Do not accelerate suddenly and
avoid swerving.
– In 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 are lined with trees
or rocks where ice might not have
melted.
– Keep a good distance from the
vehicles in front.DRIVING WITH ABS
The ABS is a braking system that
essentially offers two advantages:
1) It prevents wheel lock and con-
sequent skidding in emergency
stops, particularly when the road
does not offer much grip.
2) It makes possible to brake and
steer at the same time so you can
avoid unexpected obstacles and
direct the car where you want while
braking.
To get the most out of ABS:
– During emergency stops or when
grip conditions are very poor, you
will feel a slight pulsation on the
brake pedal. This is the sign that the
ABS is working. Do not release the
brake pedal but continue to press so
as not to interrupt the braking
action.– The ABS prevents the wheels
from locking, but it does not
increase actual grip conditions
between tyre and road. Therefore,
even if your car is fitted with ABS,
keep a safe distance from the car in
front of you and keep your speed
down when driving into bends.
ABS serves to increase your control
over the car, not to enable you to go
faster.

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.

261
Gear selections
As soon as the traffic and road con-
ditions allow it, shift to a higher
gear. Using a lower gear to liven up
acceleration greatly increases con-
sumption. In the same way, improp-
er use of the higher gears will
increase consumption, emissions
and wear and tear on the engine.
Top speeds
Fuel consumption increases con-
siderably as speed increases. For
example, when accelerating from 90
to 120 km/h, fuel consumption
increases up to approximately
+30%. Your speed should be kept as
even as possible and superfluous
braking and acceleration avoided, as
this increases both consumption and
emissions. A “smooth” driving style
should be adopted by attempting to
anticipate manoeuvres to avoid
imminent danger, and to keep a safe
distance from the vehicle in front to
avoid braking sharplyAcceleration
Accelerating violently increasing
the revs will greatly effect consump-
tion and emissions: acceleration
should be gradual and not exceed
the maximum torque.
CONDITIONS OF USE
Cold starting
Frequent cold starting will not
enable the engine to reach optimal
running temperature. It follows,
therefore, that consumption will be
higher (from +15 to +30% in towns)
as will the production of toxic emis-
sions. Spoilers
The use of optional extras which
are not certified for specific use on
the car may reduce the aerodynamic
penetration of the car and increase
consumption.
DRIVING STYLE
Starting
Do not warm the engine when the
car is stationary or at high or low
revs: in this way the engine will
warm up gradually increasing con-
sumption and emissions. You should
drive off slowly straight away avoid-
ing 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.

262
Traffic and road conditions
Heavy traffic and higher consump-
tion are synonymous, for example
when driving slowly with frequent
use of lower gears or in towns where
there are numerous traffic lights.
Winding roads, mountain roads
and bumpy roads also have a nega-
tive effect on consumption.
Enforced halts
During prolonged stops (level
crossings, etc.) the engine should be
switched off.Environmental protection has been
one of the guiding principles in the
production of the THESIS.
It is not accident that its pollution
control equipment is much more
effective than that required by cur-
rent 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 consump-
tion at the same time. On this sub-
ject, 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 the latter carefully.CHEAP RUNNING THAT RESPECTS THE
ENVIRONMENT
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 condi-
tion is therefore a fundamental rule
for driving that is easy on your
pocket and on the environment too.
The first step is to follow the
“Service Schedule” to the letter.
Only use unleaded petrol for petrol
engines (95 RON), for JTD versions
only diesel fuel (EN590 specifica-
tion).

263
Ignoring the above rules
may lead to fire. 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.
Do not allow anything to
be sprayed onto the cat-
alytic converter, lambda
sensor and exhaust pipe. Do not install other heat
shields and do not remove
those already fitted to the
catalytic converter and exhaust
pipe.Never run the engine with the
spark plugs disconnected even for
testing purposes. Do not warm up
the engine by letting 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 30 seconds.
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 downhill:
these are all manoeuvres that can
damage the catalytic exhaust sys-
tem. Use an auxiliary battery for
start-ups only.
If the engine begins to “lose its
smoothness” when travelling, con-
tinue your journey but reduce the
demands you are making on the
engine and have the car seen at a
Lancia Dealershipas soon as you
can.
When the instrument panel fuel
reserve 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 damages to
the catalytic converter.