MANUAL TRANSAXLEMANUAL TRANSAXLE
OPERATIONThe shift pattern is conventional for five
forward gears, as shown below.Press the clutch pedal down fully while
shifting, then release it slowly.
A special safety feature prevents
inadvertent shifting from 5 (Fifth) to R
(Reverse). The gearshift lever must be
returned to the Neutral position before
shifting into R (Reverse).
DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
4-6
1
24
R 3
S
N
135
R 4 2
MMSA4002
✻
NOTICE
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before shifting into R
(Reverse).✻
NOTICE
To avoid premature clutch wear
and damage, do not drive with your
foot resting on the clutch pedal.
Also, don’t use the clutch to hold
the vehicle stopped on an upgrade
(while waiting for a traffic light,
etc).
WARNING - Manual
Transaxle
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always set the parking brake
fully and shut the engine off,
then make sure the transaxle is
shifted into 1st gear.
Unexpected and sudden vehicle
movement can occur if these
precautions are not followed in
the order identified.
MS-CNA-Eng 4(~39).QXD 7/25/2005 5:16 PM Page 6
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 ignition switch must be in
the ON 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.
DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
4-8
CAUTION
• Do not accelerate the engine in R
(Reverse) or any of the forward
positions with the brakes on.
When stopped on an upgrade,
do not hold the vehicle station-
ary 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.
MS-CNA-Eng 4(~39).QXD 7/25/2005 5:16 PM Page 8
NORMAL OPERATIONP (Park)This position locks the transaxle and
prevents the front wheels from rotating.
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into this position.
R (Reverse)Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.N (Neutral)In this position, 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 auto-
matically shift through a four-gear
sequence, providing the best fuel
economy and power.
4-9
WARNING
Shifting into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion will cause
the front wheels to lock and you
will lose driving control of the
vehicle.✻
NOTICE
The transaxle may be damaged if
you shift into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion.
WARNING
Do not use the P (Park)
position in place of the
parking brake when leaving
the vehicle. Always make
sure the shift lever is latched
in the P (Park) position so
that it cannot be moved
unless the lock release
button is pushed in AND the
parking brake is fully set.
Turn the ignition switch OFF
whenever you leave the
vehicle unattended. Never
leave the vehicle unattended
while the engine is running.
Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement may occur
if these precautions are not
taken.
Never leave a child
unattended in a vehicle.
CAUTION
Always 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”.
MS-CNA-Eng 4(~39).QXD 7/25/2005 5:16 PM Page 9
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 selector
lever back into the main gate.
In sports mode, moving the shift lever
backwards and forwards can make
gearshifts rapidly. In contrast to a
manual transaxle, the sports mode allows
gearshifts with the shift pedal depressed.
Up (+): Push the lever forward once to
shift up one gear.
Down (-): Pull the lever backwards once
to shift down one gear.
DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
4-10
PRND
MMSA4006
Automatic
modeShift lever
Sports mode
✻
NOTICE
• In sports mode, only the four
forward 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, downward shifts
are made automatically when the
vehicle slows down. When the
vehicle stops, 1st gear is automati-
cally selected.
• In sports mode, shift points are
varied to upward shifts automat-
ically when the engine rpm
approaches red zone.
• To maintain the required levels
of vehicle performance and safe-
ty, the system may not execute
certain gear shifts when the shift
lever is operated.
• When driving on a slippery road,
push the shift lever forward 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
• For smooth and safe operation,
depress the brake pedal when
shifting from “Neutral” position or
“Park” position to a forward or
reverse gear.
• The ignition key must be in the
“ON” position and the brake
pedal fully depressed in order to
move the shift lever from the
“P”(Park) position to any of the
other positions.
• It is always possible to shift from
“R”, “N”, “D” position to the
“P” position. But before shifting
to “P” make sure the vehicle is
fully stopped to avoid transaxle
damage.
MS-CNA-Eng 4(~39).QXD 7/25/2005 5:16 PM Page 10
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 steepness of the grade, and
release the parking brake. Depress the
accelerator gradually while releasing the
service brakes.
When accelerating from a stop on a
steep hill, the vehicle may have a
tendency to roll backwards. Shifting
the shift lever into 2 (Second Gear)
while in Sports mode will help prevent
the vehicle from rolling backwards.
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. Start the engine or turn the ignition
key to the ON position.
3. Depress the lock release button and
move the shift lever.
When the ignition switch is in the ACC
or LOCK position, the transaxle cannot
be shifted from P (Park).
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 condition.
Note that the 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 cannot be
removed.
4-11
CAUTION
Shift into the “R” and “P” posi-
tion only when the vehicle has
completely stopped.
Do not accelerate the engine in
reverse or any of the forward
positions with the brakes applied.
Always apply the footbrake when
shifting from “P” or “N”, to “R”
or “D” position.
Do not use the “P” (Park) posi-
tion in place of the parking
brake. Always set the parking
brake, shift the transaxle into
“P” (Park) position and turn off
the ignition when you leave the
vehicle, even momentarily.
Never leave the vehicle unat-
tended while the engine is run-
ning.
Check the automatic transaxle
fluid level regularly, and add
fluid as necessary.
MS-CNA-Eng 4(~39).QXD 7/25/2005 5:16 PM Page 11
BRAKE SYSTEMPOWER BRAKESYour vehicle has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
usage.
In the event that brake system power
assist is lost because of a stalled engine
or some other reason, you can still stop
your vehicle by applying greater force to
the brake pedal than you normally
would. The stopping distance, however,
will be longer than usual.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially depleted
each time the brake pedal is depressed.
Do not pump the brake pedal when the
power assist has been interrupted, except
when necessary to maintain steering
control on slippery surfaces.
ANTI LOCK BRAKES (ABS)
(IF EQUIPPED)The anti-lock brake system is designed
to prevent lock-up of the wheels during
sudden braking or braking on slippery
surfaces. Compared to a conventional
brake system, the anti-lock brake system
provides greater steering control during
braking in such situations.DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
4-12
WARNING - ABS Brakes
The anti-lock brake system
(ABS) cannot compensate for
bad road conditions, for
unsafe or reckless driving or
for bad judgement.
The ABS is designed to
improve maximum braking
effectiveness on typical
highways and roads in good
condition.
On road surfaces which are
in poor condition, the ABS
may actually reduce braking
effectiveness.
Always operate your vehicle
at reasonable speeds that are
safe for weather and traffic
conditions.
MS-CNA-Eng 4(~39).QXD 7/25/2005 5:16 PM Page 12
IN THE EVENT OF BRAKE
FAILUREIf the service brakes should fail to operate
while the vehicle is in motion, you can
make an emergency stop with the parking
brake. The stopping distance, however,
will be much greater than normal.DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
4-14✻
NOTICE
• If the battery is discharged and
the engine is jump started, the
ABS warning light may come on.
This condition occurs because of
a discharged battery and not
because there is an anti-lock
brake system malfunction.
• Have the battery recharged
before driving the vehicle.
WARNING -
Parking Brake
Pulling on the parking brake
while the vehicle is moving at
normal speed can cause a
sudden loss of control of the
vehicle. If you must use the
parking brake to stop the
vehicle, use great caution in
applying the brake.
WARNING
Do not drive with your foot
resting on the brake pedal.
This will create abnormally
high brake temperatures,
excessive brake lining and
pad wear, and increased
stopping distances.
When descending a long or
steep hill, shift to a lower gear
and avoid continuous applica-
tion of the brakes.
Continuous brake application
will cause the brakes to
overheat and could result in a
temporary loss of braking
performance.
MS-CNA-Eng 4(~39).QXD 7/25/2005 5:16 PM Page 14
Check the brake warning light each time
you start the engine. The light is located
in the instrument panel. This warning
light will be illuminated when the engine
is running and the parking brake is set.
Before driving, be sure the parking brake
is fully released and the brake warning
light is off.
If the brake warning light remains on
after the parking brake is released, there
may be a malfunction in the brake
system. Immediate attention is
necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the
vehicle immediately. If that is not
possible, use extreme caution in
operating the vehicle and only drive it
until you reach the first safe location or a
repair shop.
4-17
AN7B04014
CAUTION
When stopped, do not use the
gearshift lever in place of the park-
ing brake. Always set the parking
brake fully AND make sure the
gearshift lever is securely positioned
in P (Park) with an automatic
transaxle or in 1st (First) or R
(Reverse) gear with a manual
transaxle.
MS-CNA-Eng 4(~39).QXD 7/25/2005 5:16 PM Page 17