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Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
BURNS
SPARK OR ,\I/,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle
is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN SEAT 4
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
These symbols
have to do with
your lights:
SIGNALS e 9
TURN
WARNING A
HAZARD
FLASHER
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING FAN
These symbols are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT Fe
TEMP --
ENGINE
CHARGING I-1
BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE (a)
RADIATOR COOLANT
FUEL
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
Wb
TEMP OIL &
ANTI-LOCK (@)
BRAKE
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
RELEASE
RADIO
VOLUME
CONDITIONING A‘R 43
RELEASE
LIGHTER m
HORN )tr
SPEAKER
b
V
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Manual transaxle:
The gear selector should be in neutral. Hold the clutch
pedal to the floor and
start the engine. Your vehicle
won’t start
if the clutch pedal is not all the way
down
-- that’s a safety feature.
To start your 2.3 Liter engine:
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than 15
seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
I
2. If it doesn’t start right away, and if the weather is
very cold (below
-20” F, or -29” C), push the
accelerator pedal about one-quarter of the way down
while you turn the key to START.
Do this until the
engine starts. As soon as it does, let
go of the key.
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal
all the way to the
floor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds.
This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine. If the car starts briefly but
then stops again, do the same thing, but this time
keep the pedal about one-quarter of
the way down
for five or six seconds.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the
way
the fuel injection system operates. Before adding
electrical equipment, check with your dealer.
If
you don’t, your engine might not perform
properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part
of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle’’ in the Index.
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Page 70 of 354

To start your 3.1 Liter engine:
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go
of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
2. If your engine won’t start (or starts but then stops), it
could be flooded with
too much gasoline. Try
pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and holding
it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds.
If the car starts
briefly but then stops again, do the same thing, but
this time keep the pedal down for five or six seconds.
This clears the extra gasoline from the engine.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the fuel injection system operates. Before adding
electrical equipment, check with your dealer.
If
you don’t, your engine might not perform
properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to do
it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
2-15
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Page 71 of 354
Driving Through Deep Standing Water To use the coolant heater:
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
NOTICE: 3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt outlet.
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come in through your
engine's air intake and badly damage your engine.
If you can't avoid deep puddles or
standing water, drive through them very slowly.
Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
In very cold weather, 0" F (- 18 O C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You'll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged in a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
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Forward Gears (Three Speed)
DRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving with the
three speed automatic transaxle.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower
fuel economy. You can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It
can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would
also want to use
your brakes off and on.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than 5 miles
(8 km), or at speeds over 55 mph (88 km/h), or
you can damage your transaxle. Use DRIVE
@)
as much as possible.
Don’t shift into
SECOND (2) unless you are going
slower than
65 mph (105 M), or you can
damage your engine.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than
SECOND (2). You can
use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud.
If the
shift lever
is put in FIRST (l), the transaxle won’t shift
into first gear until the vehicle
is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen
if you were stuck in
very deep sand
or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transaxle.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transaxle. Use your brakes to hold your vehicle in
position on
a hill.
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Forward Gears (Four Speed)
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D): This position is for
normal driving with the four speed automatic transaxle.
If you need more power for passing, and you’re:
0 Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
The transaxle will automatically shift down to the next
gear and provide more power.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than OVERDRIVE (D). Here are some
times
you might choose THIRD (3) instead of
OVERDRIVE (D):
When driving on hilly, winding roads.
When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears.
When going down a steep hill.
SECOND and FIRST (2 and 1): This position
provides second and first gear performance. When
downshifting from OVERDRIVE
(D) or THIRD (3) into
SECOND
(2), the transaxle will operate in second gear
at vehicle speeds greater than
20 mph (32 km/h) and in
first gear at vehicle speeds less than
20 mph
(32 Wh).
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than 5 miles
(8 km), or at speeds over 55 mph (88 km/h), or
you can damage your transaxle.
Use DRIVE (D)
as much as possible.
Don’t shift into SECOND
(2) unless you are going
slower than
65 mph (105 kmh), or you can
damage your engine.
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Page 78 of 354

THIRD, FOURTH and FIFTH (3,4 and 5): Shift into
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and l?lFTH (5) the same way
you do for
SECOND (2). Slowly let up on the clutch
pedal as you press the accelerator pedal.
To Stop: Let up on the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal.
Just before the vehicle stops, press the
clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and shift into
NEUTRAL
(N).
NEUTRAL (N): Use this position when you start or
idle your engine.
REVERSE (R): To back up, press down the clutch
pedal and shift into REVERSE
(R) Let up on the clutch
pedal slowly while pressing the accelerator pedal.
I NOTICE:
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped. Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your
vehicle is moving could damage your transaxle.
Also, use REVERSE (R), along with the parking brake,
for parking your vehicle.
Shift Light
0
SHIFT
If you have a manual
transaxle, you have a
SHIFT light. This light will
show
you when to shift to
the next higher gear for best
fuel economy.
k' . :I
When this light comes on, you can shift to the next
higher gear if weather, road and traffic conditions let
you. For the best fuel economy, accelerate slowly
and
shift when the light comes on.
While you accelerate, it is normal for the light to go on
and
off if you quickly change the position of the
accelerator. Ignore the
SHIFT light when you downshift.
Shift Speeds (Manual Transaxle)
This chart shows when to shift to the next higher gear
for best fuel economy.
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Page 107 of 354
The Instrument Panel -- Your Information System
Your instrument panel is designed to let you know at a
glance how your vehicle is running. You’ll know how
fast you’re going, how much fuel you’re using, and
many other things you’ll need to drive safely and
economically.
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