2013 Lancia Thema towing

If you REGULARLY tow a trailer for
more than 45 minutes of continuous
operation, then change the automatic
transmission fluid and filter as speci-
fied for “police, taxi, fleet, or frequent
trailer towing.” Refer to the “Mainte-
nance Schedule” for the proper main-
tenance intervals.
Electronic Speed Control
 Do not use in hilly terrain or withheavy loads.
 When using the speed control, if you experience speed drops greater
than 16 km/h, disengage until you
can get back to cruising speed.
 Use speed control in flat terrain and with light loads to maximize fuel
efficiency.
AutoStick® (for versions/markets,
where provided)
– When using the AutoStick® shift control, select the highest gear that
allows for adequate performance
and avoids frequent downshifts. For example, choose “4” if the de-
sired speed can be maintained.
Choose “3” or “2” if needed to
maintain the desired speed.
– To prevent excess heat generation, avoid continuous driving at high
RPM. Reduce vehicle speed as nec-
essary to avoid extended driving at
high RPM. Return to a higher gear
or vehicle speed when grade and
road conditions allow.
Cooling System
To reduce potential for engine and
transmission overheating, take the
following actions:
City Driving
When stopped for short periods of
time, shift the transmission into NEU-
TRAL and increase engine idle speed.
Highway Driving
Reduce speed.
Air Conditioning
Turn off temporarily. TRAILER HITCH
ATTACHING POINTS
Your vehicle will require extra equip-
ment to tow a trailer safely and effi-
ciently. The trailer tow hitch must be
attached to your vehicle using the
provided attaching points on the ve-
hicle's frame. Refer to the following
chart to determine the accurate at-
taching points. Other equipment,
such as trailer sway controls and
braking equipment, trailer equalizing
(leveling) equipment and low profile
mirrors, may also be required or
strongly recommended.
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Trailer Tow Hitch Attaching PointsAnd Overhang Dimensions
A 638.9 mm
B 746.1 mm
C 831.1 mm
D (maximum
overhang) 1161.5 mm
E 535.3 mm
F 520.3 mm RECREATIONAL
TOWING (BEHIND
MOTORHOME, ETC.)
Recreational towing (with all four
wheels on the ground, or using a tow
dolly) is
NOT ALLOWED. The only
acceptable method for towing this ve-
hicle (behind another vehicle) is on a
vehicle trailer with all four wheels
OFF the ground.
CAUTION!
Towing this vehicle in violation of
the above requirements can cause
severe transmission damage. Such
damage is not covered by the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty.
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6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
 HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS . . . . . . . . . . . . .254
 IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254
 TIREFIT KIT (for versions/markets, where provided) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255
 TIREFIT STORAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255
 TIREFIT KIT COMPONENTS AND OPERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255
 TIREFIT USAGE PRECAUTIONS . . . . . . . . . . .256
 SEALING A TIRE WITH TIREFIT. . . . . . . . . . .257
 JUMP-STARTING PROCEDURES . . . . . . . . . . . . .260
 PREPARATIONS FOR JUMP-START . . . . . . . . .261
 JUMP-STARTING PROCEDURE . . . . . . . . . . . .261
 FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .262
 TOW EYES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .263
 SHIFT LEVER OVERRIDE — 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .263
 MANUAL PARK RELEASE — 8 SPEED TRANSMISSION (3.6L Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .264
 TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE . . . . . . . . . . . .266  Without The Ignition Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .267
253

NOTE: Press the "ESC Off"
switch, to place the Electronic Sta-
bility Control (ESC) system in
"Partial Off" mode, before rocking
the vehicle. Refer to “Electronic
Brake Control” in “Starting And
Operating” for further informa-
tion.Once the vehicle has been
freed, press the "ESC Off" switch
again to restore "ESC On" mode.CAUTION!
 When “rocking” a stuck vehicleby shifting between DRIVE and
REVERSE, do not spin the
wheels faster than 24 km/h, or
drivetrain damage may result.
 Revving the engine or spinning
the wheels too fast may lead to
transmission overheating and
failure. It can also damage the
tires. Do not spin the wheels
above 48 km/h while in gear (no
transmission shifting occurring).
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be danger-
ous. Forces generated by excessive
wheel speeds may cause damage, or
even failure, of the axle and tires.
A tire could explode and injure
someone. Do not spin your vehicle's
wheels faster than 48 km/h or for
longer than 30 seconds continu-
ously without stopping when you
are stuck and do not let anyone
near a spinning wheel, no matter
what the speed.
TOW EYES
Your vehicle is equipped with tow
eyes, which are mounted in the front
and the rear.CAUTION!
Tow eyes are for emergency use
only, to rescue a vehicle stranded
off road. Do not use tow eyes for
tow truck hookup or highway tow-
ing. You could damage your ve-
hicle. Tow straps are recommended
when towing the vehicle; chains
may cause vehicle damage.
WARNING!
Stand clear of vehicles when pull-
ing with tow eyes. Tow straps and
chains may break, causing serious
injury.
SHIFT LEVER
OVERRIDE — 5 SPEED
TRANSMISSION
If a malfunction occurs and the shift
lever cannot be moved out of the
PARK position, you can use the fol-
lowing procedure to temporarily
move the shift lever:
1. Turn the engine OFF.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
3. Remove the rubber liner from the
storage tray (located next to the
shifter on the center console).
4. Press and maintain firm pressure
on the brake pedal.
263

TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLETowing ConditionWheels OFF the Ground ALL MODELS
Flat Tow NONEIf transmission is operable:
 Transmission inNEUTRAL
 48 km/h maxspeed
 24 km maxdistance (5-speed trans)
 48 km maxdistance (8-speed trans)
Wheel Lift
Front
Rear OK
Flatbed ALLBEST METHOD
Proper towing or lifting equipment is
required to prevent damage to your
vehicle. Use only tow bars and other
equipment designed for the purpose,
following equipment manufacturer’s
instructions. Use of safety chains is
mandatory. Attach a tow bar or other
towing device to main structural
members of the vehicle, not to bum-
pers or associated brackets. State and
local laws applying to vehicles under
tow must be observed.If you must use the accessories (wipers,
defrosters, etc.) while being towed, the
ignition must be in the ON/RUN posi-
tion, not the ACC position.
If the vehicle's battery is discharged,
see “Shift Lever Override” in “What
To Do In Emergencies” for instruc-
tions on shifting the automatic trans-
mission out of the PARK position for
towing.CAUTION!
 Do not use sling type equipment when towing. Damage to the fas-
cia will occur.
 When securing the vehicle to a flatbed truck, do not attach to the
front or rear suspension compo-
nents. Damage to your vehicle
may result from improper towing.
(Continued)
CAUTION!(Continued)
 Do not push or tow this vehicle with another vehicle as damage to
the bumper fascia and transmis-
sion may result.
 The manufacturer does not rec- ommend towing this vehicle using
a tow dolly. Vehicle damage may
occur.
The manufacturer does not recom-
mend that you tow this vehicle on a
tow dolly. Vehicle damage may occur.
The manufacturer recommends tow-
ing your vehicle with all four wheels
OFF the ground using a flatbed.
266

If flatbed equipment is not available,
and the transmission is operable, the
vehicle may be flat towed (with all
four wheels on the ground) under the
following conditions:
 The shift lever must be in NEU-TRAL.
 The distance to be traveled must not exceed 24 km for 5-speed
transmission, or 48 km for 8-speed
transmission.
 The towing speed must not exceed 48 km/h.
If the transmission is not operable, or
the vehicle must be towed faster than
48 km/h or farther than 24 km for
5-speed transmission, or 48 km for
8-speed transmission, tow with the
rear wheels OFF the ground (on a
flatbed, or with the rear wheels raised
using a wheel lift and the transmission
in NEUTRAL).
CAUTION!
Failure to follow these towing
methods can cause severe engine or
transmission damage. Such dam-
age is not covered by the New Ve-
hicle Limited Warranty.
Vehicles equipped with AWD can be
towed with the transmission in NEU-
TRAL and the rear wheels OFF the
ground with no limitation on speed or
distance.
Without The Ignition Key
Special care must be taken when the
vehicle is towed with the ignition in
the OFF position. The only approved
method of towing without the ignition
key is with a flatbed truck. Proper
towing equipment is necessary to pre-
vent damage to the vehicle.
267

ONBOARD DIAGNOSTIC
SYSTEM — OBD II
Your vehicle is equipped with a so-
phisticated onboard diagnostic sys-
tem called OBD II. This system moni-
tors the performance of the emissions,
engine, and automatic transmission
control systems. When these systems
are operating properly, your vehicle
will provide excellent performance
and fuel economy, as well as engine
emissions well within current govern-
ment regulations.
If any of these systems require service,
the OBD II system will turn on the
“Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL).”
It will also store diagnostic codes and
other information to assist your ser-
vice technician in making repairs. Al-
though your vehicle will usually be
drivable and not need towing, see
your authorized dealer for service as
soon as possible.
CAUTION!
 Prolonged driving with the MILon could cause further damage
to the emissions control system. It
could also affect fuel economy
and driveability. The vehicle
must be serviced before any emis-
sions tests can be performed.
 If the MIL is flashing while the engine is running, severe catalytic
converter damage and power loss
will soon occur. Immediate ser-
vice is required.
REPLACEMENT PARTS
Use of genuine parts for normal/
scheduled maintenance and repairs is
highly recommended to ensure the
designed performance. Damage or
failures caused by the use of parts
which are not quality-equivalent to
genuine parts for maintenance and
repairs will not be covered by the
manufacturer’s warranty. MAINTENANCE
PROCEDURES
The pages that follow contain the
re-
quired maintenance services deter-
mined by the engineers who designed
your vehicle.
Besides those maintenance items
specified in the fixed maintenance
schedule, there are other components
which may require servicing or re-
placement in the future.
CAUTION!
Failure to properly maintain your
vehicle or perform repairs and ser-
vice when necessary could result
in more costly repairs, damage to
other components or negatively
impact vehicle performance. Im-
mediately have potential malfunc-
tions examined by an authorized
dealership or qualified repair cen-
ter.
(Continued)
273

WARNING!
A hot exhaust system can start a fire
if you park over materials that can
burn. Such materials might be
grass or leaves coming into contact
with your exhaust system. Do not
park or operate your vehicle in ar-
eas where your exhaust system can
contact anything that can burn.
In unusual situations involving
grossly malfunctioning engine opera-
tion, a scorching odor may indicate
severe and abnormal catalyst over-
heating. If this should occur, safely
bring the vehicle to a complete stop,
shut the engine OFF, and allow the
vehicle to cool. Thereafter, obtain ser-
vice, including a tune-up to manufac-
turer's specifications immediately.
To minimize the possibility of catalyst
damage:
 Do not shut off the engine or inter- rupt the ignition when the trans-
mission is in gear and the vehicle is
in motion.
 Do not try to start the engine by pushing or towing the vehicle.  Do not idle the engine with any
spark plug wires disconnected or
removed, such as when diagnostic
testing, or for prolonged periods
during very rough idling or mal-
functioning operating conditions.
COOLING SYSTEM
WARNING!
 When working near the radiator cooling fan, disconnect the fan
motor lead or turn the ignition
switch to the LOCK position. The
fan is temperature controlled and
can start at anytime the ignition
switch is in the ON position.
 You or others can be badly
burned by hot engine coolant
(antifreeze) or steam from your
radiator. If you see or hear steam
coming from under the hood, do
not open the hood until the radia-
tor has had time to cool. Never try
to open a cooling system pressure
cap when the radiator is hot.
CAUTION!
Car maintenance should be done at
a LANCIA Dealership. For routine
and minor maintenance operations
you wish to carry out yourself, we
do recommend you have the proper
equipment, genuine LANCIA spare
parts and the necessary fluids; do
not however carry out these opera-
tions if you have no experience.
Coolant ChecksCheck engine coolant (antifreeze) pro-
tection every 12 months (before the
onset of freezing weather, where appli-
cable). If the engine coolant (anti-
freeze) is dirty or rusty in appearance,
the system should be drained, flushed,
and refilled with fresh coolant. Check
the front of the A/C condenser for any
accumulation of bugs, leaves, etc. If
dirty, clean by gently spraying water
from a garden hose vertically down the
face of the condenser.Check the coolant recovery bottle
tubing for brittle rubber, cracking,
tears, cuts, and tightness of the con-
nection at the bottle and radiator.
Inspect the entire system for leaks.
281