Page 197 of 355

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This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal. Press the release
button on the side of the shift lever
to move it. Use this position f or
your normal driving. The transmis-
sion automatically selects a suitable
gear f or your speed and acceleration.
You may notice the transmission
shif ting up at higher speeds when
the engine is cold. This helps the
engine warm up f aster.
To shif t to Reverse
f rom Park, see the explanation under
Park. To shif t to Reverse f rom
Neutral, come to a complete stop and
then shift. Press the release button
bef ore shif ting into Reverse f rom
Neutral.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shif t Lock Release on page
.
You must also press the release
button to shift into Park. To avoid
transmission damage, come to a
complete stop bef ore shif ting into
Park. The shif t lever must be in Park
bef ore you can remove the key f rom
the ignition switch. Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop brief ly with
the engine idling. Shif t to Park posi-
tion if you need to leave the car for
any reason. Press on the brake pedal
when you are moving the shif t lever
f rom Neutral to another gear.
200
Driving
Automatic Transmission
Park (P) Drive (D )
Reverse (R) Neutral (N)
4
198
Page 199 of 355
This allows you to move the shif t
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal and pressing the release
button does not work.Set the Parking brake.
Remove the key from the ignition
switch.
Insert the key in the Shift Lock
Release slot.
If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone.
Put a cloth on the edge of the Shif t
Lock Release slot cover next to
the shift lever.
Use a small flat-tipped screwdriver
or small metal plate (neither are
included in the tool kit) to remove
the cover. Caref ully pry of f the
edge of the cover.
1. 2.
3. 4.
Automatic Transmission
DrivingShif t L ock Release
Engine Speed L imiter 200
Page 206 of 355
The Traction Control System turns
on every time you start the engine,
even if you turned it of f the last time
you drove the vehicle.
This switch is under the side vent. It
letsyouturntheTractionControl
System on and of f . You cannot turn
of f the TCS while the TCS indicator
light is f lashing. Deactivate the system by pressing
the TCS On/Off switch. The TCS
indicator light comes on as a
reminder. Pressing the switch again
turns the system back on.
The TCS indicator comes on or
f lashes under the f ollowing condi-
tions:
When you turn the ignition switch
to ON (II).
When you manually turn of f the
TCS.
It f lashes when the TCS is
regulating wheelspin.
If the system’s diagnostics senses
a problem in the TCS, the indica-
tor will come on and stay on.
If the brakes overheat, the
indicator will come on.
CONT INUED
TCS ON/OFF Switch TCS Indicator
Traction Control System
Driving207
Page 241 of 355
Loosen the drain plug on the
bottom of the radiator. The
coolant will drain through the
splash guard. Remove the drain
bolt and washer f rom the engine
block.
Openthehood.Makesurethe
engine and radiator are cool to the
touch.
Turn the ignition ON (II). Turn
the temperature control dial to
90°F (32°C). Turn of f the ignition
and remove the key.
Remove the radiator cap.
Turn the ignition ON (II). Turn
the temperature control Dial all
the way clockwise. Turn of f the
ignition and remove the key.
1.
3.
2.
4-cylinder models
EX-V6 model
Except EX-V6 model
Maint enance
Cooling Syst em
242
44--ccyylliinnddeerrmmooddeellss66--ccyylliinnddeerrmmooddeellss44--ccyylliinnddeerrmmooddeellss
DDRRAAIINNBBOOLLTT
DDRRAAIINNPPLLUUGG
Page 257 of 355
The spark plugs in your car should
be replaced according to the time
and distance recommendations in
the maintenance schedule.Loosen the two holding clips by
turning the heads one-quarter turn
counterclockwise with a f lat-tipped
screwdriver. Remove the cover on
the f ront cylinder bank by pulling
it straight up. Disconnect the wire connector
f rom the ignition coil by pushing
on the lock tab and pulling on the
connector. Pull on the plastic
connector, not the wires.
Remove the spark plug with
a f ive-eighths inch (16 mm) spark
plug socket.
Use a wrench to remove the
hexagonsocketheadcapbolt
holding the ignition coil. Remove
the ignition coil by pulling it
straight out.
Clean up any dirt and oil that have
collected around the ignition coils.
1. 2. 3.
4. 5.
Replacement
Spark Plugs (6-cylinder Models)
Maint enance
258
HHOOLLDDIINNGGCCLLIIPP
HHEEXXAAGGOONNSSOOCCKKEETTHHEEAADDCCAAPPBBOOLLTT
Page 258 of 355

´ µ
Torque the spark plug. (If you do
not have a torque wrench, tighten
the spark plug two-thirds of a turn
af ter it contacts the cylinder head.)
Tightening torque:
Put the new spark plug into the
socket; then screw it into the hole.
Screw it in by hand so you do not
crossthread it.
Install the ignition coil. Reinstall
the hexagon socket head cap bolt.Push the wire connector onto the
ignition coil. Make sure it locks in
place.
Spark Plug Gap: Reinstall the cover on the front
cylinder bank while putting its
mounting clip in the hole on the
passenger’s side. Secure the cover
by turning the heads of the two
holding clips one-quarter turn
clockwise with a f lat-tipped
screwdriver.
Repeat this procedure f or the
other f ive spark plugs.
NGK:
DENSO:
6. 7.
8.9.
10. 11.
Specif ications:
Spark Plugs (6-cylinder Models)
Maint enance 259
13 lbf·ft (18 N·m , 1.8 kgf·m)
0.04 in (1.1 mm)PKJ16CR-L11
PZFR5F-11
0
0.1 mm
Tighten the spark plugs caref ully. A
spark plug that is too loose can
overheat and damage the engine.
Overtightening can cause damage to
the threads in the cylinder head.
Page 296 of 355

If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Stopping in traf f ic or on the shoulder
of a busy road is dangerous. Drive
slowly along the shoulder until you
gettoanexitoranareatostopthat
is far away from the traffic lanes.Open the trunk. Raise the trunk
f loor by lif ting up on the back edge.
Unscrew the wing bolt and take
the spare tire out of its well.
The tools are in the tool box on
the right side of the trunk. Take
the tools out of the tool box.
Park the car on f irm, level and
non-slippery ground away f rom
traf f ic. Put the transmission in
Park (automatic) or Reverse
(manual). Apply the parking brake.
Turn on the hazard warning lights
and turn the ignition switch to
LOCK (0). Have all the
passengers get out of the car while
you change the tire. 5.
4.
3.
2. 1.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat T ire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
297
JJAACCKKSSPPAARREETTIIRREE
TTOOOOLLBBOOXXTTRRUUNNKKFFLLOOOORR
The car can easily roll off the
jack, seriously injuring anyoneunderneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the car when it
is supported only by the jack.
Page 302 of 355

When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things:Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed
all the way to the f loor or the
starter will not operate. With an
automatic transmission, it must be
in Park or Neutral.
Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights and check
their brightness. If the headlights
are very dim or don’t light at all,
the battery is discharged. See
on page .
Your car has the Immobilizer
System. You should use a
properly-coded master or valet key
to start the engine (see page ).
A key that is not properly coded
will cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the dash panel to blink
rapidly. If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of
the battery and terminal connec-
tions (see page ). You can
then try jump starting the car from
a booster battery (see page ).
Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the f uses. If
thefusesareOK,thereisproba-
bly something wrong with the
electrical circuit f or the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualif ied technician to
determine the problem. (See
on page .)
260
57
304 320
304
If Your Engine Won’t Start
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump StartingEmergency T owing
303