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Driving your vehicle
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The hazard warning flasher causes
the rear tail lights and front turn sig-
nal lights to flash on and off, which
serves as a warning to other drivers
to exercise caution when approach-
ing or passing your vehicle.
To activate the flasher, depress the
hazard warning flasher switch. This
switch operates in any ignition switchposition.
To turn the flashers off, depress the
switch again. HAZARD WARNING FLASHER
1SAA2100
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✽✽
NOTICE
It should be noted that prolonged
operation of the heating in recircu-
lated air position will cause foggingof the windshield and side windows
and the air within the passengercompartment will become stale.
In addition, prolonged use of the air
conditioning with the “recirculated
air position” selected, will result in
excessively dry air in the passengercompartment.
Air conditioning button (if equipped)
Push the A/C button to turn the air conditioning system on (indicator
light will illuminate). Push the button
again to turn the air conditioning sys-
tem off.
WARNING
Continued climate control system operation in the recir-
culated air position may allowhumidity to increase inside
vehicle which may fog the
glass and obscure visibility.
Do not sleep in a vehicle withair conditioning or heating
system on. It may cause seri-ous harm or death due to a
drop in the oxygen level
and/or body temperature.
Continued climate controlsystem operation in the
reciruclated air position can
cause drowsiness or sleepi-
ness, and loss of vehicle con-
trol. Set the air intake controlto the outside (fresh) air posi-
tion as much as possiblewhile driving.
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Driving your vehicle
Theft alarm system will not operate
when the ignition key is in the ignition
switch.
If the doors are locked by the trans-
mitter key, unlock the doors with the
transmitter.If the lock button on the transmitter is
pressed when the key is not in the
ignition and any vehicle door or therear hatch is open, then, the doors
will lock but the theft alarm system
will not activate. However, the theft
alarm system will automatically acti-
vate then the open door(s) or rear
hatch is closed and locked.
Armed stage
When the ignition switch is in the “
LOCK ”position, and key is not in the
ignition, the system will be armedand the hazard lights will flash once
when the following conditions aremet: The hood, rear hatch and doors
are all closed and the lock button
on the transmitter is pressed.
If a door or the rear hatch is not
opened within approximately 30
seconds after unlocking with the
transmitter, all doors will be locked
again and theft alarm system
armed.
THEFT-ALARM SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
HMR.082
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Alarm stage
The alarm will be activated when:
1. Any door is opened without using
the transmitter.
2. The rear hatch lid is opened with anything except the transmitter (opening the rear hatch with the
key will cause the alarm to sound).
The alarm sound and flash will be
ON for 30 seconds. During this time,
the engine will not start. (For Europe)
The alarm will sound ON for 30 sec-
onds, then OFF for 10 seconds. ThisON/OFF cycle will be repeated three
times. During this time, the engine
will not start. (Except Europe) Disarmed stage
If the following conditions are met,
the alarm system will be deactivatedand hazard flasher light will flash
twice.
When the unlock button on the
transmitter is pressed. If a door orthe rear hatch is not opened within
approximately 30 seconds after
unlocking with the transmitter, all
doors will be locked again and theft
alarm system armed.
When the ignition key is in the ON
position for 30 seconds or more.
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Driving tips
BEFORE DRIVING
Before entering vehicle:
Be sure that all windows, outside mirror(s), and outside lights are clean.
Check the condition of the tires.
Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil,
engine coolant, brake fluid, and
washer fluid should be checked on a
regular basis, with the exact interval
depending on the fluid. Further
details are provided in Section 7,
Maintenance. Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all con-
trols are easily reached.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
Be sure that all lights work.
Check all gauges.
Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position.
Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning lightgoes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and itsequipment.
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WARNING - Driving under
the influence of alcohol or drugs
Drinking and driving is danger-
ous. Drunk driving is the num-
ber one contributor to the high-
way death toll each year. Even asmall amount of alcohol will
affect your reflexes, perceptions
and judgement.
You are much more likely to
have a serious accident if you
drink and drive.
If you are drinking or taking
drugs, don’t drive. Do not ridewith a driver who has beendrinking or taking drugs.Choose a designated driver orcall a cab. Driving while under the influ-
ence of drugs is as dangerous
or more dangerous than drivingdrunk.
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Driving tips
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar haz-
ards, follow these suggestions:
Drive cautiously and allow extra distance for braking.
Avoid sudden movements in brak- ing or steering.
When braking, pump the brake pedal with a light up-and-down
motion until the vehicle is stopped.
✽✽ NOTICE
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
If stalled in snow, mud, or sand, use second gear. Accelerate slow-
ly to avoid spinning the drive
wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, tire chains, or other non-slip material under the
drive wheels to provide traction
when stalled in ice, snow, or mud. Rocking the vehicle
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle
to free it from snow, sand, or mud,
first turn the steering wheel right and
left to clear the area around your
front wheels. Then, shift back and
forth between 1 (First) and R
(Reverse) in vehicles equipped with
a manual transaxle or R (Reverse)
and any forward gear in vehiclesequipped with an automatic
transaxle. Do not race the engine,and spin the wheels as little as pos-
sible. If you are still stuck after a few
tries, have the vehicle pulled out by a
tow vehicle to avoid engine overheat-
ing and possible damage to the
transaxle.
✽✽
NOTICE
Prolonged rocking may cause engine
over-heating, transaxle damage or
failure, and tire damage.
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WARNING - Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slip-
pery surfaces can cause an
accident. The sudden change intire speed could cause the tires
to skid. Be careful when down-
shifting on slippery surfaces.
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Driving tips
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Driving at night
Because night driving presents more
hazards than driving in the daylight,
here are some important tips to
remember:
Slow down and keep more dis-
tance between you and other vehi-
cles, as it may be more difficult tosee at night, especially in areas
where there may not be any street
lights.
Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glare from other driver's head-
lights.
Keep your headlights clean and properly aimed on vehicles notequipped with the automatic head-
light aiming feature. Dirty or
improperly aimed headlights will
make it much more difficult to seeat night.
Avoid staring directly at the head- lights of oncoming vehicles. You
could be temporarily blinded, and it
will take several seconds for your
eyes to readjust to the darkness. Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not
prepared for the slick pavement.
Here are a few things to consider
when driving in the rain:
A heavy rainfall will make it harder
to see and will increase the dis-
tance needed to stop your vehicle,
so slow down.
Keep your windshield wiping equipment in good shape. Replace
your windshield wiper blades when
they show signs of streaking ormissing areas on the windshield.
If your tires are not in good condi- tion, making a quick stop on wet
pavement can cause a skid and
possibly lead to an accident. Be
sure your tires are in good shape.
Turn on your headlights to make it easier for others to see you.
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WARNING - Spinning tires
Do not spin the wheels, espe-
cially at speeds more than 56
km/h (35 mph). Spinning thewheels at high speeds when the
vehicle is stationary could
cause a tire to overheat, explode
and injure bystanders.
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Driving tips
Driving too fast through large pud-dles can affect your brakes. If you
must go through puddles, try to
drive through them slowly.
If you believe you may have gotten your brakes wet, apply them lightly
while driving until normal braking
operation returns. Winter driving
We recommend that you carry
emergency equipment, including
tire chains, a window scraper,
windshield de-icer, a bag of sand
or salt, flares, a small shovel and
jumper cables.
Make sure you have sufficient eth- ylene-glycol coolant in the radiator.
Check the battery condition and cables. Cold temperatures reduce
the capacity of any battery, so it
must be in excellent condition to
provide enough winter starting
power.
Make sure the engine oil viscosity is suitable for cold weather.
Check the ignition system for loose connections and damage. Use antifreeze-formulated wind-
shield washer fluid. (Do not use
engine coolant antifreeze.)
Do not use the parking brake if it might freeze. When parking, shift
to 1 (First) or R (Reverse) with a
manual transaxle or P (Park) with
an automatic transaxle and block
the rear wheels.
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