2013 Lancia Flavia Owner handbook (in English)

 ADDING FUEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167 FUEL FILLER CAP (GAS CAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
 LOOSE FUEL FILLER CAP MESSAGE . . . . . . .168
 TRAILER TOWING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
 RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND MOTORHOME, ETC.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
 TOWING THIS VEHICLE BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
 RECREATIONAL TOWING – ALL MODELS . . .169
139

STARTING
PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust
your seat, adjust the inside and out-
side mirrors, fasten your seat belt, and
if present, instruct all other occupants
to buckle their seat belts.WARNING!
 When leaving the vehicle, alwaysremove the key fob from the igni-
tion 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.
 Do not leave the key fob in or near the vehicle, and do not leave the
ignition in the ACC or ON/RUN
position. A child could operate
power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle. AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
The shift lever must be in the PARK or
NEUTRAL position before you can
start the engine. Apply the brakes be-
fore shifting to any driving gear.
NOTE: The ignition switch must
be in the ON position, and you
must press the brake pedal before
shifting out of PARK.
NORMAL STARTING
NOTE: Normal starting of either a
cold or a warm engine is obtained
without pumping or pressing the
accelerator pedal.
Turn the ignition switch to the START
position and release it as soon as the
starter engages. The starter motor will
continue to run, and it will disengage
automatically when the engine is run-
ning. If the engine fails to start, the
starter will disengage automatically in
10 seconds. If this occurs, turn the
ignition switch to the LOCK position,
wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat the
“Normal Starting” procedure.
IF ENGINE FAILS TO
START
WARNING!
 Never pour fuel or other flam-
mable liquids into the throttle
body air inlet opening in an at-
tempt to start the vehicle. This
could result in a flash fire causing
serious personal injury.
Do not attempt to push or tow your
vehicle to get it started. Unburned
fuel could enter the catalytic con-
verter and once the engine has
started, ignite and damage the
converter and vehicle. If the ve-
hicle has a discharged battery,
booster cables may be used to ob-
tain a start from a booster battery
or the battery in another vehicle.
This type of start can be dangerous
if done improperly. Refer to “Jump
Starting” in “In An Emergency”
for further information.
140

If the engine fails to start after you have
followed the “Normal Starting” proce-
dure, it may be flooded. To clear any
excess fuel, push the accelerator pedal
all the way to the floor and hold it.
Then, turn the ignition switch to the
START position and release it as soon as
the starter engages. The starter motor
will disengage automatically in 10 sec-
onds. Once this occurs, release the
accelerator pedal, turn the ignition
switch to the LOCK position, wait 10 to
15 seconds, then repeat the “Normal
Starting” procedure.CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter,
wait 10 to 15 seconds before trying
again.
AFTER STARTING
The idle speed will automatically de-
crease as the engine warms up. AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may
occur 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 on the brake pedal.
NOTE: You MUST press and hold
the brake pedal while shifting out
of PARK.
WARNING!
 It is dangerous to shift 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 engine is idling nor-
mally and your foot is firmly
pressing on the brake pedal.
 Unintended movement of a ve- hicle could injure those in and
near the vehicle. As with all ve-
hicles, you should never exit a
vehicle while the engine is run-
ning. Before exiting a vehicle, al-
ways apply the parking brake,
shift the transmission into PARK,
turn the engine OFF, and remove
the ignition key. When the igni-
tion is in the OFF position, the
shift lever is locked in PARK, se-
curing the vehicle against un-
wanted movement. Furthermore,
(Continued)
141

WARNING!(Continued)
you should never leave children
alone in a vehicle, or with access
to an unlocked vehicle. Allowing
children to be in a vehicle unat-
tended is dangerous for a number
of reasons. A child or others could
be seriously or fatally injured.
Children 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 position. A child could oper-
ate power windows, other con-
trols, or move the vehicle. KEY IGNITION PARK
INTERLOCK
This vehicle is equipped with a Key
Ignition Park Interlock which requires
the shift lever to be placed in PARK
before the ignition switch can be turned
to the LOCK/OFF position. The key fob
can only be removed from the ignition
when the ignition is in the LOCK/OFF
position and once removed the shift
lever is locked in PARK.NOTE: If a malfunction occurs,
the system will trap the key in the
ignition switch to warn you that
this safety feature is inoperable.
The engine can be started and
stopped, but the key cannot be re-
moved until you obtain service.
BRAKE/TRANSMISSION
SHIFT INTERLOCK
SYSTEM
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake
Transmission Shift Interlock System
(BTSI) that holds the shift lever in
PARK unless the brakes are applied. To move the shift lever out of PARK,
the ignition switch must be turned to
the ON/RUN position (engine run-
ning or not) and the brake pedal must
be pressed.
SIX-SPEED AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
The shift lever position display (lo-
cated in the instrument cluster) indi-
cates the transmission gear range. You
must press the brake pedal to move
the shift lever out of PARK (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 transmis-
sion provides a precise shift schedule.
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 develop within a
few hundred kilometers.
Shift Lever
142

Only shift from DRIVE to PARK or
REVERSE when the accelerator
pedal is released and the vehicle is
stopped. Be sure to keep your foot on
the brake pedal when shifting be-
tween these gears.The transmission shift lever has PARK,
REVERSE, NEUTRAL, DRIVE, and
AutoStick® shift positions. Manual
shifts can be made using the
AutoStick® shift control (refer to
“AutoStick®” in “Starting And Operat-
ing” for further information). Moving
the shift lever to the left or right (-/+)
while in the AutoStick® position (below
the Drive position) will manually select
the transmission gear, and will display
the current gear in the instrument clus-
ter as 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.GEAR RANGES
DO NOT race the engine when shift-
ing from PARK or NEUTRAL into
another gear range.NOTE: After selecting any gear
range, wait a moment to allow the
selected gear to engage before ac-
celerating. This is especially im-
portant when the engine is cold.
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 PARK 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 a
substitute 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 on the brake
pedal, the vehicle could acceler-
ate quickly forward or in reverse.
You could lose control of the ve-
hicle and hit someone or some-
thing. Only shift into gear when
the engine is idling normally and
your foot is firmly pressing the
brake pedal.
(Continued)
143

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 re-
move the ignition key. Once the
key is removed, the shift lever is
locked in the PARK position, se-
curing the vehicle against un-
wanted 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 the
ignition in the ACC or ON/RUN
position. A child could operate
power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle.CAUTION!
Before moving the shift lever out
of 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 whenshifting from PARK or NEU-
TRAL 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, firmly 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
the engine running. The engine may
be started in this range. Apply the
parking brake and shift the transmis-
sion into PARK if you must leave the
vehicle.
144

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 ve-
hicle and have a collision.CAUTION!
Towing the vehicle, coasting, or
driving for any other reason with
the transmission in NEUTRAL can
cause 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, third, and fourth gears, direct fifth
gear and overdrive sixth gear. The
DRIVE position provides optimum
driving characteristics under all nor-
mal operating conditions.
When frequent transmission shifting
occurs (such as when operating the
vehicle under heavy loading condi-
tions, in hilly terrain, or traveling into
strong head winds), use the
AutoStick® shift control (refer to
“AutoStick®” in this section for fur-
ther information) to select a lower
gear. Under these conditions, using a
lower gear will improve performance
and extend transmission life by re-
ducing excessive shifting and heat
buildup.
During cold temperatures, transmis-
sion operation may be modified de-
pending on engine and transmission
temperature as well as vehicle speed.
This feature improves warm up time
of the engine and transmission to
achieve maximum efficiency. Engage-
ment of the torque converter clutch is
inhibited until the transmission fluid
is warm (refer to the “Note” under
“Torque Converter Clutch” in this
section). During extremely cold tem-
peratures (­27°C or below), operation
may briefly be limited to third gear
only. Normal operation will resume
once the transmission temperature
has risen to a suitable level.
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 third gear regardless
of which forward gear is selected.
PARK, REVERSE, and NEUTRAL
will continue to operate. The Mal-
function Indicator Light (MIL) may
be illuminated. Limp Home Mode al-
lows the vehicle to be driven to an
authorized dealer for service without
damaging the transmission.
145

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
operation.
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
(sixth gear). The transmission will
automatically shift into the Overdrive
gear if the following conditions are
present:
 the shift lever is in the DRIVE po-
sition,
 the transmission fluid has reached an adequate temperature,
 the engine coolant has reached an adequate temperature,
 vehicle speed is sufficiently high, and
 the driver is not heavily pressing the accelerator.
Torque Converter Clutch
A feature designed to improve fuel
economy has been included in the au-
tomatic transmission on your vehicle. A clutch within the torque converter
engages automatically at calibrated
speeds. This may result in a slightly
different feeling or response during
normal operation in the upper gears.
When the vehicle speed drops or dur-
ing some accelerations, the clutch au-
tomatically disengages.
NOTE: The torque converter
clutch will not engage until the
transmission fluid and engine
coolant are warm [usually after
2 to 5 km of driving]. Because the
engine speed is higher when the
torque converter clutch is not en-
gaged, it may seem as if the trans-
mission is not shifting into Over-
drive when cold. This is normal.
Using the AutoStick® shift control,
when the transmission is suffi-
ciently warm, will demonstrate
that the transmission is able to
shift into and out of Overdrive.
146