Page 172 of 295

170SAFETY
The front air bags (driver, passenger, driver’s knee bags)
are designed and calibrated to protect front seat passen-
gers wearing seat belts.
Their volume at the moment of maximum inflation fills
most space between the steering wheel and the driver, be-
tween the lower post guard and the knees on passenger
side and between the dashboard and the passenger.
The airbags are not deployed in the event of minor front
collisions (for which the restraining action of the seat
belts is sufficient). Safety belts must always be worn. In
the event of frontal impact they guarantee correct posi-
tioning of the passenger. FRONT AIR BAG ON DRIVER’S SIDE fig. 7
It consists of an instantly inflating bag contained in a spe-
cial recess in the centre of the steering wheel.
FRONT AIR BAG ON PASSENGER SIDE fig. 8
This consists of an instantly inflating bag contained in
a special recess in the dashboard: this bag has a larger
volume than that of the driver’s.
fig. 7L0E0067mfig. 8L0E0068m
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174SAFETY
Never travel with objects on your lap, in
front of your chest or with something be-
tween your lips like a pipe or pencil, etc. In
the event of an impact where the air bags are de-
ployed this could cause serious injury.
Always keep your hands in the correct po-
sition on the steering wheel whilst driving so
that if the air bags are activated they can in-
flate properly. Do not drive with your body bent
forward. Keep the backrest in an upright position,
resting your back on it correctly.
If someone has tried to steal or damage your
car, and in the event of floods, have the air
bag system checked by a Lancia Dealership.
GENERAL WARNINGS
If when turning the key to MAR the warning
light¬does not turn on or if it stays on when
travelling, there could be a failure in the
safety systems; in this event air bags or preten-
sioners may not be deployed in case of impact or,
in a lower number of cases, they deploy acciden-
tally. Contact a Lancia Dealership immediately to
have the system checked.
Do not cover the front seat backrests with covers
if side bags are fitted.
Page 180 of 295

178STARTING AND DRIVING
ENGINE STARTING
The car is fitted with an electronic engine lock device: if
the engine fails to start, see the paragraph on “Lancia
CODE system” in chapter “1”.
The engine may be noisier during the first few seconds of
operation, especially after a long period of inactivity. This
characteristic feature of the hydraulic tappet system does
not compromise functionality or reliability: the system
devised for your car was designed to limit maintenance
interventions.
In the first period of use, we recommend
avoiding excessive stress for the car (for in-
stance excessive accelerations, extended
travel at maximum speed, sudden braking etc.).
With engine off, do not leave the key in the
ignition switch on MAR–ON to prevent
draining the battery.
It is dangerous to let the engine run in en-
closed spaces. The engine consumes oxygen
and engine exhaust contains carbon dioxide,
carbon monoxide and other toxic gasses.
Remember that the brake servo and power
steering are not operational until the engine
has been started, therefore much effort than
usual is required on the brake pedal and steering
wheel.
STARTING PROCEDURE FOR PETROL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❍engage the handbrake;
❍put the gear lever into neutral;
❍fully depress the clutch pedal without operating the
accelerator;
❍turn the ignition key to AVV and release it as soon
as the engine starts.
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3
STARTING AND DRIVING181
HANDBRAKE
The handbrake lever is located between the two front
seats.
Pull the lever upwards to operate the handbrake, until
the vehicle is braked.
The car should be braked after a few clicks
of the lever; if it is not, contact a Lancia
Dealership to have it adjusted.
When the handbrake is on and the ignition key is at MAR,
the instrument panel warning light xwill come on.
Proceed as follows to release the handbrake:
❍slightly lift the handbrake and press release button
A-fig. 1;
❍keep button A pressed and lower the lever. The warn-
ing light xon the instrument panel will turn off.
Press the brake pedal when carrying out this operation
to prevent the car from moving accidentally. PARKING THE VEHICLE
Proceed as follows:
❍stop the engine and engage the handbrake;
❍engage a gear (on a slope, engage first gear if the car
is facing uphill or reverse if it is facing downhill) and
leave the wheels steered.
If the car is parked on a steep slope, it is also advisable
to block the wheels with a wedge or stone.
Do not leave the ignition key turned to MAR to prevent
draining the battery. Always remove the key when you
leave the car.
Never leave children in the unattended car. Always re-
move the ignition key when leaving the car and take it
out with you.
fig. 1L0E0072m
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186STARTING AND DRIVING
IMPORTANT When snow tyres are used with a maxi-
mum speed index below the one that can be reached by
the car (increased by 5%), place a notice in the passen-
ger compartment, plainly in view, which states the max-
imum permissible speed of the snow tyres (as per an EC
Directive).
All four tyres should be the same (brand and track) to en-
sure greater safety when driving and braking and better
driveability.
Remember that it is inappropriate to change the rotation
direction of tyres.
The max. speed of snow tyres with “Q”
marking is 160 km/h. The Highway Code
speed limits must however be always com-
plied with.
SNOW TYRES
Use snow tyres of the same size as the normal tyres pro-
vided with the car.
A Lancia Dealership will be happy to provide advice con-
cerning the most suitable type of tyre for your require-
ments.
For the type of snow tyre to fit, the inflation pressures and
specifications, follow the instructions in the “Wheels”
paragraph in chapter “6” very carefully. The winter fea-
tures of these tyres are reduced considerably when the
tread depth is below 4 mm. Replace them in this case.
Due to snow tyre features, under normal conditions of use
or on long motorway journeys, the performance of these
tyres is much lower than that of standard tyres. Their us-
age should therefore be restricted in accordance with to
their type approval.
Page 189 of 295

3
STARTING AND DRIVING187
Keep your speed down when snow chains are
fitted. Do not exceed 50 km/h. Avoid pot-
holes, steps and pavements and also avoid
driving long distances on roads not covered with
snow in order to prevent damaging the car and the
roadbed.
SNOW CHAINS
The use of snow chains should be in compliance with lo-
cal regulations.
The snow chains may be applied only onto the front
wheel tyres (drive wheels).
Check the tension of the snow chains after the first few
metres have been driven.
IMPORTANT Snow chains cannot be fitted to the space-
saver spare wheel. So, if a front (drive) wheel is punc-
tured and chains are needed, a rear wheel should be fit-
ted to the front of the car and the space-saving spare
wheel should be fitted to the rear. This way with two nor-
mal drive wheels, snow chains can be fitted to them to
solve an emergency.
CAR INACTIVITY
If the car is to be left inactive for longer than a month,
the following precautions should be followed:
❍park the car in a covered, dry and, if possible, well-
ventilated place;
❍engage a gear;
❍check that the handbrake is not engaged;
❍disconnect the negative battery terminal (for versions
with Start&Stop system refer to the paragraph
“Start&Stop system” in chapter “1”);
❍clean and protect the painted parts of the vehicle with
protective wax;
❍clean and protect the shiny metal parts using special
compounds commercially available;
❍sprinkle talcum powder on the rubber windscreen and
rear window wiper blades and lift them off the glass;
❍open the windows slightly;
❍cover the car with a fabric or perforated plastic sheet.
Do not use sheets of non-perforated plastic as they
do not allow moisture on the car body to evaporate;
❍inflate tyres to a pressure of +0.5 bar above the nor-
mal specified pressure and check regularly;
❍do not drain the engine cooling system.
Page 191 of 295

4
IN AN EMERGENCY189
Engine starting ....................................................................... 190
Quick tyre repair kit Fix&Go Automatic ................................. 192
Replacing a wheel ................................................................... 199
Changing a bulb ..................................................................... 206
Replacing exterior bulbs .......................................................... 210
Replacing an interior bulb ....................................................... 215
Replacing fuses ....................................................................... 219
Battery recharging .................................................................. 226
Jacking the car ........................................................................ 227
Towing the car ........................................................................ 227
In an emergency we recommend that you call the freephone number
found in the Warranty Booklet.
It is also possible to go to the www.lancia.com website
to find the closest Lancia Dealership.
Page 193 of 295

IN AN EMERGENCY191
4
Proceed as follows to start the car:
❍connect the positive terminals (+ sign close to the ter-
minal) of both batteries using a lead;
❍with a second lead, connect the negative terminal (–)
of the auxiliary battery to an earthing point E
on the
engine or the gearbox of the car to be started;
❍start the engine;
❍when the engine has been started, follow the sequence
above in reverse order to remove the leads.
For versions with Start&Stop system, in case of starting
by booster battery, refer to the paragraph “Start&Stop
system” in the chapter “1”.
If after a few attempts the engine does not start, do not
persist but contact a Lancia Dealership.
IMPORTANT Do not directly connect the negative termi-
nals of the two batteries: any sparks may ignite the explo-
sive gas which could come out of the battery. If the auxil-
iary battery is installed on another car, prevent any contact
between metal parts of the cars and the flat battery.BUMP STARTING
Never bump start the engine by pushing, towing or dri-
ving downhill.
This could cause a flow of fuel into the catalytic converter
and damage it beyond repair.
IMPORTANT Remember that the brake servo and elec-
trical power steering system (where provided) are not op-
erational until the engine is started, a greater effort will
therefore be required to press the brake pedal or turn the
steering wheel.