Starting the vehicle

(Continued)

To start the engine, the gear lever must be in neutral. If any gear is engaged, the control unit will not enable ignition.

STARTING THE VEHICLE

The control unit will check for the following conditions to enable clutch engagement to start the vehicle:

• engine running;
• gear engaged (only 1^st, 2^nd or reverse);
• driver accelerating.

A buzzer will sound if a door is open, while vehicle movement will be inhibited if the 3^rd, 4^th or 5^th gear is engaged.

If the vehicle is being started downhill (i.e. a condition in which no acceleration is required by the driver), the clutch will be engaged as soon as the control unit detects that the gearbox rev ratio (defined by processing the data regarding vehicle speed and engaged gear) is higher than the engine rev ratio.

SHIFTING GEARS

While driving the vehicle, the clutch is disengaged when the driver exerts a pressure on the gear lever knob of approximately 1.5 kg forward or backwards (thus closing one of the two push-pull sensor contacts) and releases the accelerator at the same time to a specific threshold or at a certain speed.

The clutch is engaged when the control unit detects a new gear has been engaged by means of the signals from the two gear selection/engagement potentiometers.

If the engine speed is too low and the rev rating is below a specific threshold, the shifting gears procedure will be replaced by the vehicle stating procedure.

STOPPING THE VEHICLE

When the driver stops the vehicle, the control unit rapidly disengages the clutch according to vehicle deceleration to avoid stopping the engine.

BUMP STARTING

If the engine cannot be started with the starter motor, the system allows to bump start (i.e. to start the engine by means of the vehicle movement).

Turn the ignition switch to MAR and engage a gear. When the control unit detects - by means of the tachometer sensor - that the vehicle has reached a certain speed it sounds the buzzer and engages the clutch thus enabling engine start-up.

If the accelerator is pressed during this operation, the engine will be started even if the speed threshold (signalled by the buzzer) has not been reached.

Once the engine is running, the system will return to normal operation.

ENGINE RATIO/EXCESSIVE GEAR SHIFTING (RUNAWAY ENGINE RATIO PROTECTION)

Following an excessive gear shift, the gearbox turns the engine at a ratio close to maximum. The control unit will not allow clutch engagement completion until appropriate synchronism has been reached, thus protecting the engine.

DISSIPATED ENERGY ALARM

If the driver starts the vehicle rapidly or engages a gear which is too high with respect to the speed of the vehicle, the clutch transmits excessive energy which defines a long engagement (high slipping).

The control unit detects the time (defined as the interval between the engagement command and the time required for the engine to reach the same revolution ratio as the primary gear shaft). This value is compared with the value mapped and stored in this memory. If it is too high, the buzzer is sounded to inform the driver that this way of driving is too demanding on the clutch.

PARKING

When the vehicle is stopped and the ignition switch is turned to stop, before switching off the system engages the clutch, thus offering the opportunity of exploiting a low gear as a parking brake. In this condition, the engine cannot be started until the gear is shifted to neutral.