2012 Lancia Thema Owner handbook (in English)

oil and coolant to carry excess heat
away from the combustion chamber,
bearings, internal components, and
turbocharger. This is especially im-
portant for turbocharged, charge air
cooled engines.
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSIONCAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may oc-
cur if the following precautions are
not observed:
 Shift into PARK only after the ve-hicle has come to a complete stop.
 Shift into or out of REVERSE
only after the vehicle has come to
a complete stop and the engine is
at idle speed.
Do not shift between PARK, RE-
VERSE, NEUTRAL or DRIVE
when the engine is above idle speed. Before shifting into any gear,
make sure your foot is firmly
pressing the brake pedal.
NOTE:
You must press and hold the brake
pedal while shifting out of PARK.
WARNING!
 It is dangerous to move the shift lever out of PARK or NEUTRAL if
the engine speed is higher than
idle speed. If your foot is not
firmly pressing on the brake
pedal, the vehicle could accelerate
quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle
and hit someone or something.
Only shift into gear when the en-
gine is idling normally and when
your foot is firmly pressing on the
brake pedal.
 Unintended movement of a ve-
hicle could injure those in or near
the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle
while the engine is running. Be-
fore exiting a vehicle, always ap-
ply the parking brake, shift the
transmission into PARK, and turn
the engine OFF. When the ignition
is in the OFF position, the shift
lever is locked in PARK, securing
the vehicle against unwanted
movement.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
 Never leave children alone in a
vehicle, or with access to an un-
locked vehicle. Allowing children
to be in a vehicle unattended is
dangerous for a number of rea-
sons. A child or others could be
seriously or fatally injured. Chil-
dren should be warned not to
touch the parking brake, brake
pedal or the shift lever.
 Do not leave the key fob in or near
the vehicle, and do not leave a
vehicle equipped with Keyless
Enter-N-Go in the ACC or ON/
RUN mode. A child could operate
power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle.
KEY IGNITION PARK
INTERLOCK
This vehicle is equipped with a Key
Ignition Park Interlock which re-
quires the shift lever to be placed in
PARK before the engine can be turned
off. This helps the driver avoid inad-
vertently leaving the vehicle without
placing the transmission in PARK.
This system also locks the shift lever
195

in PARK whenever the ignition switch
is in the OFF position.
BRAKE/TRANSMISSION
SHIFT INTERLOCK
SYSTEM
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake
Transmission Shift Interlock (BTSI)
that holds the shift lever in the PARK
position unless the brakes are applied.
To move the shift lever out of the
PARK position, the ignition switch
must be turned to the ON/RUN or
START position (engine running or
not) and the brake pedal must be
pressed.
EIGHT-SPEED AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION – 3.6L
ENGINE
The transmission gear display
(PRND) (located in the instrument
panel cluster) indicates the transmis-
sion gear range. Transmission gear
state is also indicated in the display in
the shift knob. The shift lever is
spring-loaded and returns to a home
position when it is released. To select a
gear range, press the lock button on
the shift lever and move the lever rear-ward or forward. You must also press
the brake pedal to shift the transmis-
sion out of the PARK position (refer to
“Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock
System” in this section). To shift past
multiple gear ranges at once (such as
PARK to DRIVE), move the lever past
the first (or second) detent. Select the
DRIVE range for normal driving.
The electronically-controlled trans-
mission provides a precise shift sched-
ule. The transmission electronics are
self-calibrating; therefore, the first
few shifts on a new vehicle may be
somewhat abrupt. This is a normal
condition, and precision shifts will de-
velop within a few hundred kilome-
ters.
Shifting from DRIVE to PARK or RE-
VERSE should be done only after the
accelerator pedal is released and the
vehicle is stopped. Be sure to keep
your foot on the brake pedal when
moving the shift lever between these
gears.
The shift lever has PARK, REVERSE,
NEUTRAL, DRIVE, and LOW shift
positions. Using the LOW position
manually downshifts the transmission
to a lower gear based on vehicle speed.
GEAR RANGES
DO NOT race the engine when shift-
ing from PARK or NEUTRAL into
another gear range.
PARK
This range supplements the parking
brake by locking the transmission.
The engine can be started in this
range. Never attempt to use PARK
while the vehicle is in motion. Apply
the parking brake when leaving the
vehicle in this range.
When parking on a level surface, you
may place the shift lever in the PARK
position first, and then apply the
parking brake.
When parking on a hill, apply the
parking brake before placing the shift
lever in PARK. As an added precau-
tion, turn the front wheels toward the
curb on a downhill grade and away
from the curb on an uphill grade.
196

WARNING!
 Never use the PARK position as asubstitute for the parking brake.
Always apply the parking brake
fully when parked to guard
against vehicle movement and
possible injury or damage.
 Your vehicle could move and in-
jure you and others if it is not in
PARK. Check by trying to move
the shift lever out of PARK with
the brake pedal released. Make
sure the transmission is in PARK
before leaving the vehicle.
 It is dangerous to move the shift
lever out of PARK or NEUTRAL if
the engine speed is higher than
idle speed. If your foot is not
firmly pressing the brake pedal,
the vehicle could accelerate
quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle
and hit someone or something.
Only shift into gear when the en-
gine is idling normally and when
your foot is firmly pressing the
brake pedal.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
 Unintended movement of a ve-
hicle could injure those in or near
the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle
while the engine is running. Be-
fore exiting a vehicle, always ap-
ply the parking brake, shift the
transmission into PARK, and turn
the engine off. When the ignition
is in the OFF position, the shift
lever is locked in PARK, securing
the vehicle against unwanted
movement.
 When leaving the vehicle, always
remove the key fob and lock your
vehicle.
 Never leave children alone in a
vehicle, or with access to an un-
locked vehicle. Allowing children
to be in a vehicle unattended is
dangerous for a number of rea-
sons. A child or others could be
seriously or fatally injured. Chil-
dren should be warned not to
touch the parking brake, brake
pedal or the shift lever.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
 Do not leave the key fob in or near
the vehicle, and do not leave Key-
less Enter-N-Go in the ACC or
ON/RUN mode. A child could op-
erate power windows, other con-
trols, or move the vehicle.CAUTION!
 Before moving the shift lever outof PARK, you must turn the igni-
tion switch from the LOCK/OFF
position to the ON/RUN position,
and also press the brake pedal.
Otherwise, damage to the shift le-
ver could result.
 DO NOT race the engine when
shifting from PARK or NEUTRAL
into another gear range, as this
can damage the drivetrain.
The following indicators should be
used to ensure that you have engaged
the shift lever into the PARK position:
 When shifting into PARK, press the lock button on the shift lever and
push the lever all the way forward
197

until it stops. When released, the
lever will return to its home posi-
tion.
 With brake pedal released, look at the shift lever position display and
verify that it indicates the PARK
position.
REVERSE
This range is for moving the vehicle
backward. Shift into REVERSE only
after the vehicle has come to a com-
plete stop.
NEUTRAL
Use this range when the vehicle is
standing for prolonged periods with
engine running. The engine may be
started in this range. Set the parking
brake and shift the transmission into
PARK if you must leave the vehicle.WARNING!
Do not coast in NEUTRAL and
never turn off the ignition to coast
down a hill. These are unsafe prac-
tices that limit your response to
changing traffic or road conditions.
You might lose control of the vehicle
and have a collision.
CAUTION!
Towing the vehicle, coasting, or
driving for any other reason with the
transmission in NEUTRAL can re-
sult in severe transmission damage.
Refer to “Recreational Towing” in
“Starting And Operating” and
“Towing A Disabled Vehicle” in
“What To Do In Emergencies” for
further information.
DRIVE
This range should be used for most
city and highway driving. It provides
the smoothest upshifts and down-
shifts, and the best fuel economy. The
transmission automatically upshifts
through all forward gears. The
DRIVE position provides optimum
driving characteristics under all nor-
mal operating conditions.
During extremely cold temperatures
(­30°C or below), transmission op-
eration may be modified depending
on engine and transmission tempera-
ture as well as vehicle speed. Normal
operation will resume once the trans-
mission temperature has risen to a
suitable level. LOW
This range should be used for engine
braking when descending very steep
grades. In this range, the transmission
will downshift for increased engine
braking. To switch between DRIVE
and LOW modes, tap the shift lever
rearward. LOW mode is only acces-
sible from DRIVE.
Transmission Limp Home Mode
Transmission function is monitored
electronically for abnormal condi-
tions. If a condition is detected that
could result in transmission damage,
Transmission Limp Home Mode is ac-
tivated. In this mode, the transmis-
sion may operate only in certain
gears, or may not shift at all. Vehicle
performance may be severely de-
graded and the engine may stall. In
some situations, the transmission may
not re-engage if the engine is turned
off and restarted. The Malfunction In-
dicator Light (MIL) may be illumi-
nated. A message in the instrument
cluster will inform the driver of the
more serious conditions, and indicate
what actions may be necessary.
198

In the event of a momentary problem,
the transmission can be reset to regain
all forward gears by performing the
following steps.
NOTE:
In cases where the instrument
cluster message indicates the
transmission may not re-engage
after engine shutdown, perform
this procedure only in a desired
location (preferably, at your au-
thorized dealer).
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Shift the transmission into PARK,
if possible.
3. Turn the engine OFF.
4. Wait approximately 30 seconds.
5. Restart the engine.
6. Shift into the desired gear range. If
the problem is no longer detected, the
transmission will return to normal op-
eration.
NOTE:
Even if the transmission can be
reset, we recommend that you visit
your authorized dealer at yourearliest possible convenience.
Your authorized dealer has diag-
nostic equipment to determine if
the problem could recur.
If the transmission cannot be reset,
authorized dealer service is required.
FIVE-SPEED AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION – 3.0L
DIESEL ENGINE
The shift lever position display (lo-
cated in the instrument panel cluster)
indicates the transmission gear range.
You must press the brake pedal to
move the shift lever out of the PARK
position (refer to “Brake/
Transmission Shift Interlock System”
in this section). To drive, move the
shift lever from PARK or NEUTRAL
to the DRIVE position.
The electronically-controlled trans-
mission provides a precise shift sched-
ule. The transmission electronics are
self-calibrating; therefore, the first
few shifts on a new vehicle may be
somewhat abrupt. This is a normal
condition, and precision shifts will de-
velop within a few hundred kilome-
ters.Shifting from DRIVE to PARK or RE-
VERSE should be done only after the
accelerator pedal is released and the
vehicle is stopped. Be sure to keep
your foot on the brake pedal when
moving the shift lever between these
gears.
The transmission shift lever has only
PARK, REVERSE, NEUTRAL, and
DRIVE shift positions. Manual shifts
can be made using the “AutoStick®”
shift control (refer to “AutoStick®” in
this section). Moving the shift lever to
the left or right (-/+) while in the
DRIVE position will manually select
the transmission gear, and will display
that gear in the instrument cluster as
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Shift Lever
199

GEAR RANGES
DO NOT race the engine when shift-
ing from PARK or NEUTRAL into
another gear range.
PARK
This range supplements the parking
brake by locking the transmission.
The engine can be started in this
range. Never attempt to use PARK
while the vehicle is in motion. Apply
the parking brake when leaving the
vehicle in this range.
When parking on a level surface, you
may place the shift lever in the PARK
position first, and then apply the
parking brake.
When parking on a hill, apply the
parking brake before placing the shift
lever in PARK, otherwise the load on
the transmission locking mechanism
may make it difficult to move the shift
lever out of PARK. As an added pre-
caution, turn the front wheels toward
the curb on a downhill grade and
away from the curb on an uphill
grade.
WARNING!
 Never use the PARK position as asubstitute for the parking brake.
Always apply the parking brake
fully when parked to guard
against vehicle movement and
possible injury or damage.
Your vehicle could move and injure
you and others if it is not com-
pletely in PARK. Check by trying to
move the shift lever rearward (with
the brake pedal released), after you
have placed it in PARK. Make sure
the transmission is in PARK before
leaving the vehicle.It is dangerous to move the shift
lever out of PARK or NEUTRAL if
the engine speed is higher than idle
speed. If your foot is not firmly
pressing the brake pedal, the ve-
hicle could accelerate quickly for-
ward or in reverse. You could lose
control of the vehicle and hit some-
one or something. Only shift into
gear when the engine is idling nor-
mally and when your foot is firmly
pressing the brake pedal.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
 Unintended movement of a ve-
hicle could injure those in or near
the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle
while the engine is running. Be-
fore exiting a vehicle, always ap-
ply the parking brake, shift the
transmission into PARK, and turn
the engine off. When the ignition
is in the OFF position, the shift
lever is locked in the PARK, secur-
ing the vehicle against unwanted
movement.
 When leaving the vehicle, always
remove the key fob and lock your
vehicle.
 Never leave children alone in a
vehicle, or with access to an un-
locked vehicle. Allowing children
to be in a vehicle unattended is
dangerous for a number of rea-
sons. A child or others could be
seriously or fatally injured. Chil-
dren should be warned not to
touch the parking brake, brake
pedal or the shift lever.
(Continued)
200

WARNING!(Continued)
 Do not leave the key fob in or near
the vehicle, and do not leave Key-
less Enter-N-Go in the ACC or
ON/RUN mode. A child could op-
erate power windows, other con-
trols, or move the vehicle.CAUTION!
 Before moving the shift lever outof PARK, you must turn the igni-
tion switch from the LOCK/OFF
position to the ON/RUN position,
and also press the brake pedal.
Otherwise, damage to the shift le-
ver could result.
 DO NOT race the engine when
shifting from PARK or NEUTRAL
into another gear range, as this
can damage the drivetrain.
The following indicators should be
used to ensure that you have engaged
the shift lever into the PARK position:
 When shifting into PARK, move the shift lever all the way forward and
to the left until it stops and is fully
seated.  Look at the shift lever position dis-
play and verify that it indicates the
PARK position.
 With brake pedal released, verify that the shift lever will not move out
of PARK.
REVERSE
This range is for moving the vehicle
backward. Shift into REVERSE only
after the vehicle has come to a com-
plete stop.
NEUTRAL
Use this range when the vehicle is
standing for prolonged periods with
engine running. The engine may be
started in this range. Set the parking
brake and shift the transmission into
PARK if you must leave the vehicle.
WARNING!
Do not coast in NEUTRAL and
never turn off the ignition to coast
down a hill. These are unsafe prac-
tices that limit your response to
changing traffic or road conditions.
You might lose control of the vehicle
and have a collision.
CAUTION!
Towing the vehicle, coasting, or
driving for any other reason with the
transmission in NEUTRAL can re-
sult in severe transmission damage.
Refer to “Recreational Towing” in
“Starting And Operating” and
“Towing A Disabled Vehicle” in
“What To Do In Emergencies” for
further information.
DRIVE
This range should be used for most
city and highway driving. It provides
the smoothest upshifts and down-
shifts, and the best fuel economy. The
transmission automatically upshifts
through underdrive first, second, and
third gears, direct fourth gear and
overdrive fifth gear. The DRIVE posi-
tion provides optimum driving char-
acteristics under all normal operating
conditions.
When frequent transmission shifting
occurs (such as when operating the
vehicle under heavy loading condi-
tions, in hilly terrain, traveling into
strong head winds, or while towing
heavy trailers), use the “AutoStick®”
201

mode (refer to “AutoStick®” in this
section) to select a lower gear. Under
these conditions, using a lower gear
will improve performance and extend
transmission life by reducing exces-
sive shifting and heat buildup.
Transmission Limp Home Mode
Transmission function is monitored
electronically for abnormal condi-
tions. If a condition is detected that
could result in transmission damage,
Transmission Limp Home Mode is ac-
tivated. In this mode, the transmis-
sion remains in the current gear until
the vehicle is brought to a stop. After
the vehicle has stopped, the transmis-
sion will remain in second gear re-
gardless of which forward gear is se-
lected. PARK, REVERSE, and
NEUTRAL will continue to operate.
The Malfunction Indicator Light
(MIL) may be illuminated. Limp
Home Mode allows the vehicle to be
driven to an authorized dealer for ser-
vice without damaging the transmis-
sion.In the event of a momentary problem,
the transmission can be reset to regain
all forward gears by performing the
following steps:
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Shift the transmission into PARK.
3. Turn the engine OFF.
4. Wait approximately 10 seconds.
5. Restart the engine.
6. Shift into the desired gear range. If
the problem is no longer detected, the
transmission will return to normal op-
eration.
NOTE:
Even if the transmission can be
reset, we recommend that you visit
your authorized dealer at your
earliest possible convenience.
Your authorized dealer has diag-
nostic equipment to determine if
the problem could recur.
If the transmission cannot be reset,
authorized dealer service is required.
Overdrive Operation
The automatic transmission includes
an electronically controlled Overdrive(fifth gear). The transmission will au-
tomatically shift into the Overdrive
gear if the following conditions are
present:
 the shift lever is in the DRIVE po-
sition,
 vehicle speed is sufficiently high, and
 the driver is not heavily pressing the accelerator.
AUTOSTICK®
AutoStick® is a driver-interactive
transmission feature that offers
manual gear shifting to provide you
with more control of the vehicle.
AutoStick® allows you to maximize
engine braking, eliminate undesirable
upshifts and downshifts, and improve
overall vehicle performance.
This system can also provide you with
more control during passing, city
driving, cold slippery conditions,
mountain driving, trailer towing, and
many other situations.
202