Page 166 of 288

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
manual and automatic transmissions.
It also includes important
information on parking your vehicle,
the braking system, the vehicle
stability assist (VSA) system, and
f acts you need if you are planning to
tow a trailer.........................
Preparing to Drive .166
.......................
Starting the Engine .167
...................
Manual Transmission . 168
.....
Recommended Shif t Points . 169
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 169
..............
Automatic Transmission . 170
Shif t Lever Position ...............................
Indicators .170
.......................................
Shif ting .170
....
Sequential SportShif t Mode . 172
..............
Engine Speed Limiter . 174
....................
Shif t Lock Release . 175
...........................................
Parking .177
.............................
Braking System .178
...............
Brake System Design . 178
.............
Brake Wear Indicators . 178
...........
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 179
Activating the Anti-lock ................................
Brakes .179
........................
ABS Indicator .179
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) ....................................
System .181
.........
VSA Activation Indicator . 181
..............
VSA System Indicator . 181
.......................
VSA OFF Switch .182
...................
VSA and Tire Sizes . 182...........................
Towing a Trailer .183
Driving
Driving
165
Page 183 of 288

If the indicator does not come on
when the ignition switch is turned to
ON(II),theremaybeaproblem
with the VSA system. Have your
dealer inspect your vehicle as soon
as possible.
Without VSA, your vehicle will have
normal braking and cornering ability,
but it will not have VSA traction and
stability enhancement.This switch is under the lef t vent.
Press it to turn the vehicle stability
assist system on and of f .VSA is turned on every time you
start the engine, even if you turned it
off the last time you drove the
vehicle.
Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the VSA to
malf unction. When replacing tires,
make sure they are of the same size
and type as your original tires (see
page ).
Deactivate the VSA system if you
need to drive with the compact spare
tire installed (see page ).
If you install winter tires, make sure
they are the same size as those that
were originally supplied with your
vehicle. Exercise the same caution
during winter driving as you would if
your vehicle was not equipped with
VSA.
When VSA is off, the VSA activation
indicator comes on as a reminder. 182
236
VSA Of f Switch
VSA and Tire Sizes
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) System
182
VSA OFF SWITCH
Page 227 of 288

Keeping the tires properly inf lated
provides the best combination of
handling, tread lif e, and riding
comf ort.Underinf lated tires wear unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel
economy, and are more likely to
fail from being overheated.
Overinf lated tires can make your
vehicleridemoreharshly,are
more prone to damage f rom road
hazards, and wear unevenly.
We recommend that you visually
check your tires every day. If you
think a tire might be low, check it
immediately with a tire gauge.
To saf ely operate your vehicle, your
tires must be the proper type and
size, in good condition with adequate
tread, and correctly inf lated.
The f ollowing pages give more
detailed inf ormation on how to take
care of your tires and what to do
when they need to be replaced.
Check the air pressures when the
tires are cold. This means the
vehicle has been parked f or at least
three hours, or driven less than 1
mile (1.6 km). Add or release air, if
needed, to match the recommended
cold tire pressures on the next page. Use a gauge to measure the air
pressure in each tire at least once a
month. Even tires that are in good
condition may lose one to two psi (10
to 20 kPa, 0.1 to 0.2 kgf /cm ) per
month. Remember to check the
sparetireatthesametime.
Tires
Inf lation Guidelines
226
Using tires that are excessively
worn or improperly inflated can
cause a crash in which you can
be seriously hurt or killed.
Follow all instructions in this
owner’s manual regarding tire
inflation and maintenance.
Page 228 of 288

If you check air pressures when the
tires are hot (driven f or several
miles), you will see readings 4 to 6
psi (30 to 40 kPa, 0.3 to 0.4 kgf /cm )
higher than the cold readings. This
is normal. Do not let air out to match
the recommended cold air pressure.
The tire will be underinf lated.The following chart shows the
recommended cold tire pressures f or
most normal driving conditions.
Youshouldgetyourowntire
pressure gauge whenever you check
your tire pressures. This will make it
easier f or you to tell if a pressure
loss is due to a tire problem and not
due to a variation between gauges.
While tubeless tires have some
ability to self -seal if they are
punctured, you should look closely
for punctures if a tire starts losing
pressure. Thecompactsparetirepressureis:
For convenience, the recommended
tire sizes and cold air pressures are
on a label on the driver’s doorjamb.
For additional inf ormation about
your tires, see page .
264
Tire Size Cold Tire Pressure
for Normal Driving
Front:
Rear:
Tires
Recommended Tire Pressures
Maint enance
227
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
P215/50R17 93V 32 psi (220 kPa ,2.2 kgf/cm
)
30 psi (210 kPa , 2.1 kgf/cm
)
Page 230 of 288

Replace your tires with radial tires of
the same size, load range, speed
rating, and maximum cold tire
pressure rating (as shown on the
tire’s sidewall).
Mixing radial and bias-ply tires on
your vehicle can reduce braking
ability, traction, and steering
accuracy. Using tires of a dif f erent
size or construction can cause the
ABS to work inconsistently.
It is best to replace all f our tires at
thesametime.If thatisnotpossible
or necessary, replace the two f ront
tires or two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can seriously
af f ect your vehicle’s handling.
Move the tires to the positions
shown in the illustration each time
they are rotated. If you purchase
directional tires, rotate only f ront-to-
back.
To help increase tire lif e and
distribute wear more evenly, rotate
the tires at these intervals:
CONT INUED
T ire Rotation Replacing T ires and Wheels
Tires
Maint enance
229
(For Non-directional
Tires and Wheels)Front Front
(For Directional
Tires and Wheels)
Every 10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Page 231 of 288

´
If you mount snow tires on your
vehicle, make sure they are radial
tires of the same size and load range
as original tires. Mount snow tires on
all f our wheels. The traction
provided by snow tires on dry roads
maybelowerthanyouroriginaltires.
Check with the tire dealer f or
maximum speed recommendations. For the best perf ormance in snowy
or icy conditions, you should install
snow tires or tire chains. They may
be required by local laws under
certain conditions. Tires marked ‘‘M S’’ or ‘‘All
Season’’ on the sidewall have an all-
weather tread design suitable for
most winter driving conditions.
Wheel:
If you ever replace a wheel, make
sure that the wheel’s specif ications
match those of the original wheels.
Replacement wheels are available at
your dealer.
Tire:
See page f or DOT tire quality
grading inf ormation, and page f or tire size inf ormation. 265
267
Tires
Snow T ires
Winter Driving
Wheels and T ires
230
17x7JJ
P215/50R17 93V
Installing improper tires on your
vehicle can affect handling and
stability. This can cause a crash
in which you can be seriously
hurt or killed.
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in this
owner’s manual.
Page 237 of 288

Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:
Follow these precautions:Never exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road sur-
f aces. Use greater caution while
driving. Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare tire.
Do not use the compact spare tire
if you are towing a trailer.
Replace the tire when you can see
the tread wear indicator bars. The
replacement should be the same size
and design tire, mounted on the
same wheel. The spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the spare wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
Use the compact spare tire as a
temporary replacement only. Get
your regular tire repaired or replaced,
and put it back on your vehicle as
soon as you can.
Do not use your compact spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel.
On models with manual
transmission, do not drive f or a
long period with the compact
spare tire mounted on a f ront
wheel; it will damage the limited
slip dif f erential. Turn of f the VSA system (see
page ). Driving with the
compact spare tire may activate
the VSA system.182
Compact Spare Tire
236
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
Page 265 of 288
Specif ications
264
TiresP215/50R17 93V
T135/80D16 101M
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm
)
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm
)
Size
Pressure
30 psi (210 kPa , 2.1 kgf/cm)
Front/Rear
Spare
Front
Rear
Spare