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STARTING AND DRIVING187
3
HANDBRAKE
The handbrake lever is located between the front seats.
Pull the lever upwards to operate the handbrake, until the
car is braked.
The car should be braked after a few clicks
of the lever; if it is not, contact a Lancia Deal-
ership to have it adjusted.
When the handbrake is on and the ignition key is at MAR,
the instrument panel xwarning light will come on.
Proceed as follows to release the handbrake:
❍ slightly lift the lever and press release button A - fig. 1;
❍ keep button A pressed and lower the lever. The x
warning light on the instrument panel turns off.
Press the brake pedal when carrying out this operation
to prevent the car from moving accidentally.
PARKING
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.
Block the wheels with a wedge or a stone if the car is
parked on a steep slope.
Do not leave the ignition key on MAR to avoid draining
the battery. Always remove the key when you leave the
car.
Never leave children unattended in the car. Always remove
the ignition key when leaving the car and take it out with
you.
fig. 1L0E0072m
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188STARTING AND DRIVING
USING THE GEARBOX
To engage the gears, press the clutch pedal fully and shift
the gear lever into the required position (the gear diagram
varies according to the different versions and is shown
on the knob or on the plate below the lever fig. 2).
To engage 6
thgear, operate the lever by pressing it towards
the right in order to avoid engaging 4thgear by mistake.
The same goes for changing from 6thto 5th.
IMPORTANT The car can only be put into reverse gear
when it has stopped moving completely. With the engine
running, wait at least 2 seconds before engaging reverse
gear with the clutch pedal fully depress in order to avoid
damaging or grinding the gears.
fig. 2L0E0073m
To engage reverse gear R from neutral, raise sliding ring
A under the knob and at the same time move the gear lever
to the left and then forwards.
To engage reverse R from neutral, lift the sliding ring A
under the knob and move the gear lever to the right and
then backwards.
IMPORTANT The clutch pedal should be used only to
change gear. Do not drive with your foot resting on the
clutch pedal, however lightly. For versions/markets where
provided, the electronic clutch pedal control could cut in,
interpreting the incorrect driving style as a fault.
Press the clutch pedal fully to change gears
correctly. Therefore, the floor area under the
pedal unit should be clear: ensure that any
mats are flat and do not interfere with the pedals.
Do not drive with your hand resting on the
gear lever, because this pressure, even if light,
can wear out the internal components of the
gearbox over time.
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190STARTING AND DRIVING
DRIVING STYLE
Cranking
Do not warm up the engine at low or high revs when the
car is stationary: under these conditions the engine warms
up much more slowly, increasing consumption and emis-
sions. It is therefore advisable to move off immediately,
slowly, avoiding high speeds: in this way the engine will
warm up more quickly.
Unnecessary actions
Avoid revving up when at traffic lights or before stopping
the engine. The latter action, like double-declutching, is
completely unnecessary and causes increased fuel con-
sumption and pollution.
Gear selection
As soon as the conditions of the traffic and road permit,
use a higher gear. Using a low gear for faster accelera-
tion will increase consumption.
In the same way improper use of a high gear increases con-
sumption, emissions and engine wear.
Max. speed
Fuel consumption considerably increases as speed in-
creases. Maintain a constant speed, avoiding unnecessary
braking and acceleration, which cost in terms of both fu-
el consumption and emissions.Acceleration
Accelerating violently will greatly affect consumption and
emissions: acceleration should be gradual.
CONDITIONS OF USE
Cold starting
Short journeys and frequent cold starts do not allow the
engine to reach optimum operating temperature. This re-
sults in a significant increase in consumption levels (from
+15 to +30% on the urban cycle) and emissions.
Traffic and road conditions
Rather high fuel consumption is caused by heavy traffic,
for instance when travelling in a queue with frequent use
of low gears or in large towns with many traffic lights.
Mountain and rough roads also have a negative effect on
fuel consumption.
Stops in traffic
During prolonged stops (e.g. level crossings) the engine
should be switched off.
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232IN AN EMERGENCY
When towing, remember that without the help
of the brake servo and electric power steer-
ing, a greater effort is required on the pedal
and steering wheel. Do not use flexible cables when
towing and avoid jerky movements. During towing,
make sure that the trailer hitch does not damage any
components it is touching. When towing the car, it
is compulsory to respect specific highway code reg-
ulations relating to the tow hook and procedures for
towing on the road. Do not start the engine while
towing the car. Before tightening the ring clean the
threaded housing thoroughly. Make sure that the
ring is securely fastened before towing the car.
The front and rear tow hooks must only be
used for emergency situations on the road.
The car may be towed for short distances
when a dedicated device is used in compliance with
the Highway Code (rigid bar), and in order to move
the vehicle on the road in preparation for towing
or transport via a breakdown vehicle. Tow hooks
MUST NOT be used to tow vehicles off the road or
where there are obstacles and/or for towing oper-
ations using cables or other non-rigid devices. Re-
specting the above conditions, towing must take
place with two vehicles (one towing, the other towed)
aligned as much as possible along the same centre
line.Before towing, turn the ignition key to MAR
and then to STOP without removing it. The
steering column will automatically lock when
the key is removed and the wheels cannot be steered.
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