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Driving your vehicle6 4AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
1KMA3019
The lock release button must be depressed while moving the shift lever. Depress the brake pedal and push the button when shifting.
The shift lever can be moved without depressing the lock release button.
+ (UP)
- (DOWN)
Sports mode Automatic mode
Lock release button prevents shift lever
movement without first depressing the button.
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47
Driving your vehicle
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Automatic transaxle operationAll normal forward driving is done
with the shift lever in the D (Drive)
position.
To move the shift lever from the P
(Park) position, the brake pedal must
be depressed and the lock release
button must be depressed.
For smooth operation, depress the
brake pedal when shifting from N
(Neutral) to a forward or reverse
gear.
✽ ✽
NOTICE• To avoid damage to your
transaxle, do not accelerate the
engine in R (Reverse) or any for-
ward gear position with the brakes
on.
• When stopped on an upgrade, do
not hold the vehicle stationary
with engine power. Use the service
brake or the parking brake.
• Do not shift from N (Neutral) or P
(Park) into D (Drive), or R
(Reverse) when the engine is
above idle speed.
WARNING
- Automatic
transaxle
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is in the P (PARK) position; then
set the parking brake fully and
shut the engine off. Unexpected
and sudden vehicle movement
can occur if these precautions
are not followed in the order
identified.
1KMA3019
Automatic
mode
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Driving your vehicle8 4
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Transaxle rangesP (park)Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into P. This position
locks the transaxle and prevents the
front wheels from rotating.
(Continued)
Before leaving the driver’s
seat, always make sure the
shift lever is in the P (PARK)
position. Set the parking
brake fully, shut the engine off
and take the key with you.
Unexpected and sudden vehi-
cle movement can occur if you
do not follow these precau-
tions in the order specified.
Never leave a child unattend-
ed in a vehicle.
WARNING
Shifting into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion will cause
the drive wheels to lock which
will cause you to lose control
of the vehicle.
Do not use the P (Park) posi-
tion in place of the parking
brake. Always make sure the
shift lever is latched in the P
(Park) position so that it can-
not be moved unless the lock
release button is pushed in,
AND set the parking brake
fully.
(Continued)
CAUTION
The transaxle may be damaged
if you shift into P (Park) while
the vehicle is in motion.
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Driving your vehicle
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R (reverse)Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.✽ ✽
NOTICEAlways come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R
(Reverse); you may damage the
transaxle if you shift into R while
the vehicle is in motion, except as
explained in “Rocking the Vehicle”,
in this manual.
N (neutral)The wheels and transaxle are not
locked. The vehicle will roll freely
even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or service brakes
are applied.
D (drive)This is the normal forward driving
position. The transaxle will automati-
cally shift through a 4-gear
sequence, providing the best fuel
economy and power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or climbing grades,
depress the accelerator fully, at
which time the transaxle will auto-
matically downshift to the next lower
gear.
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Driving your vehicle10 4
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Sports modeWhether the vehicle is stationary or
in motion, sports mode is selected by
pushing the shift lever from the “D”
position into the manual gate. To
return to “D” range operation, push
the shift lever back into the main
gate.
In sports mode, moving the shift
lever backwards and forwards will
allow you to make gearshifts rapidly.
In contrast to a manual transaxle, the
sports mode allows gearshifts with
the accelerator pedal depressed.Up (+) : Push the lever forward
once to shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards
once to shift down one
gear.
Snow modeWhen taking off from a standstill on a
slippery road, push the shift lever for-
ward into the +(up) position. This
causes the transaxle to shift into the
2nd gear which is better for smooth
driving on a slippery road.
Push the shift lever to the -(down)
side to shift back to the 1st gear.
✽ ✽
NOTICE• Upshifts do not take place auto-
matically in sports mode. The
driver must execute upshifts in
accordance with road conditions,
taking care to keep the engine
speed below the red zone.
• In sports mode, only the four for-
ward gears can be selected. To
reverse or park the vehicle, move
the shift lever to the “R” or “P”
position as required.
• In sports mode, downshifts are
made automatically when the
vehicle slows down. When the
vehicle stops, 1st gear is automati-
cally selected.
• In sports mode, when the engine
rpm approaches the red zone shift
points are varied to upshift auto-
matically.
• To maintain the required levels of
vehicle performance and safety,
the system may not execute cer-
tain gearshifts when the shift lever
is operated.
1KMA3020 + (UP)
- (DOWN)Sports mode
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Driving your vehicle
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Moving up a steep grade from
a standing startTo move up a steep grade from a
standing start, depress the brake
pedal, shift the shift lever to D
(Drive). Select the appropriate gear
depending on load weight and steep-
ness of the grade, and release the
parking brake. Depress the accelera-
tor gradually while releasing the
service brakes.
Shift lock systemFor your safety, the Automatic
Transaxle has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transaxle
out of P (Park) unless the brake
pedal is depressed.
To shift the transaxle out of P (Park):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Depress the lock release button
and move the shift lever.
If the brake pedal is repeatedly
depressed and released with the
shift lever in the P (Park) position, a
chattering noise near the shift lever
may be heard. This is a normal con-
dition.
Ignition key interlock systemThe ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position. If the ignition switch
is in any other position, the key can-
not be removed.
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Driving your vehicle12 4
Engine power can be delivered to all
front and rear wheels for maximum
traction. Full-time 4WD is useful
when good traction is required, such
as, when driving on slippery, muddy,
wet, or snow-covered roads. These
vehicles, however, are not designed
for challenging off-road use. Full-time
4WD vehicles are designed primarily
to improve traction and performance
on paved roads and highways in wet
and/or slippery conditions.
Occasional off-road use such as
established unpaved roads and trails
is OK. It is always important when
traveling off-highway that the driver
carefully reduce speed to a level that
does not exceed the safe operating
speed for those conditions. In gener-
al, off-road conditions provide less
traction and braking effectiveness
than normal road conditions.These factors must be carefully con-
sidered when driving off-road.
Keeping the vehicle in contact with
the driving surface and under control
in these conditions is always the dri-
ver's responsibility for the safety of
him/herself and his or her passen-
gers.
FOUR WHEEL DRIVE (4WD) (IF EQUIPPED)
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WARNING
This vehicle is designed prima-
rily for on road use. Driving the
vehicle in challenging off-road
conditions for which it was not
designed may result in damage
to the vehicle. Driving in condi-
tions that exceed the vehicle's
intended design or the driver's
experience level may result in
severe injury or death.
1KMA3053 4WD1KMA3054
2WDFront wheel
Front wheel Rear wheel
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Driving your vehicle
Four Wheel Drive (4WD) transfer mode selection
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Transfer mode Selection button Indicator light Description
This mode is used for climbing or descending sharp grades,
off-roads driving, driving on sandy and muddy roads etc. to
maximize traction.
This mode automatically begins to deactivate at speed above
30 km/h (19 mph) and is shifted to 4WD AUTO mode at
speed above 40 km/h (25 mph). If the vehicle decelerates to
speeds below 30 km/h (19 mph), however, the transfer mode
is shifted into 4WD LOCK mode again.
When driving in AUTO mode, the vehicle operates similar to
the conventional 2WD vehicles under normal operating.
However, if it is determined that there is a need to drive the
vehicle in 4WD mode, the engine’s driving power is properly
distributed to all front and rear wheels automatically without
driver intervention.
When driving on normal roads and pavement, the vehicle
moves almost similar to the conventional 2WD vehicles and
the mode is used downtown and on highway.
4WD
LOCK
4WD LOCK
4WD AUTO
(4WD LOCK is
deactivated)
4 4W
WD
D
L LO
OC
CK
K
(Indicator light is
not illuminated) (Indicator light is
illuminated)
✽ ✽
NOTICE• When driving on normal roads, be sure to have the 4WD LOCK mode deactivated by pushing the 4WD LOCK
button(the indicator light goes off). When driving on normal roads with 4WD LOCK mode(especially, when cor-
nering), it may cause mechanical noise or vibration. It is not a mechanical failure but a normal phenomenon. The
noise and vibration disappear when the 4WD LOCK mode is deactivated. However, some parts in the power train
may be damaged by continuous driving with the noise and vibration.
• When the 4WD LOCK mode is deactivated, a shock may be felt because the drive power delivered to front and
rear wheels is shifted. This shock is not a mechanical failure but a normal phenomenon.
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