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Knowing your vehicle
✽ ✽NOTICEClose the vanity mirror cover
securely and return the sunvisor to
its original position after use. If the
vanity mirror is not closed securely,
the lamp will stay on and could
result in battery discharge and pos-
sible sunvisor damage.
Power socket (if equipped)The power outlets are designed to
provide power for mobile telephones
or other devices designed to operate
with vehicle electrical systems. The
devices should draw less than 10
amps with the engine running.
✽ ✽NOTICE Use when the engine is running,
and remove a plug from the power
outlet after using the electric
appliance. Using when the engine
stops or remaining the electric
appliance with plugged in for
many hours may cause the battery
to be discharged.
Only use the electric appliances which are less than 12V and 10A
in electric capacity.
Adjust the air-conditioner or heater to the lowest operation
level when you have to use the
power socket while using air-con-
ditioner or heater.
Close the cover when not in use.
Some electronic devices can cause electronic interference when
plugged into a vehicle’s power out-
let. These devices may cause exces-
sive audio static and malfunctions
in other electronic systems or
devices used in your vehicle.
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Ignition switch / 4-2
Starting the engine / 4-4
Manual transaxle / 4-5
Automatic transaxle / 4-6
Brake system / 4-12
Steering wheel / 4-19
Cruise control / 4-22
Traction control system / 4-27
Instrument cluster / 4-30
Gauges / 4-31
Warnings and indicators / 4-33
Lighting / 4-40
Wipers and washers / 4-44
Defroster / 4-47
Hazard warning flasher / 4-48
Manual climate control system / 4-49
Windshield defrosting and defogging / 4-58
Theft-alarm system / 4-60
Driving your vehicle
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Driving your vehicle24
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Illuminated ignition switchWhenever a door is opened, the igni-
tion switch will be illuminated for your
convenience, provided the ignition
switch is not in the ON position. The
light will go off approximately 10 sec-
onds after closing the door or when
the ignition switch is turned on.
Ignition switch and anti-theft
steering column lock Ignition switch position
LOCK
The steering wheel locks to protect
against theft. The ignition key can be
removed only in the LOCK position.
When turning the ignition switch to
the LOCK position, push the key
inward at the ACC position and turn
the key toward the LOCK position.
ACC (Accessory)
The steering wheel is unlocked and
electrical accessories are operative.ON
The warning lights can be checked
before the engine is started. This is
the normal running position after the
engine is started.
Do not leave the ignition switch ON if
the engine is not running to prevent
battery discharge.
START
Turn the ignition key to the START
position to start the engine. The
engine will crank until you release
the key; then it returns to the ON
position. The brake warning lamp
can be checked in this position.
If difficulty is experienced in turning
the ignition key to the START posi-
tion, turn the steering wheel right
and left to release the tension and
then turn the key.
IGNITION SWITCH
1LDA3012
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Driving your vehicle
Automatic transaxle
When turning the ignition switch to
the LOCK position, the shift lever
must be in the P (Park) position.
WARNING -
Ignition key
• Never turn the ignition switch to LOCK or ACC while the
vehicle is moving. This would
result in loss of directional
control and braking function,
which could cause an immedi-
ate accident.
The anti-theft steering column lock is not a substitute for the
parking brake. Before leaving
the driver’s seat, always make
sure the shift lever is engaged
in 1st gear for manual
transaxle or P (Park) for auto-
matic transaxle, set the park-
ing brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement
may occur if these precau-
tions are not taken.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Never reach for the ignitionswitch, or any other controls
through the steering wheel
while the vehicle is in motion.
The presence of your hand or
arm in this area could cause a
loss of vehicle control, an
accident and serious bodily
injury or death.
Do not place any movable objects around the driver’s
seat as they may move while
driving, interfere with the driv-
er and lead to an accident.
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1. Make sure the parking brake isapplied.
2. Manual Transaxle - Depress the
clutch pedal fully and shift the
transaxle into Neutral. Keep the
clutch pedal depressed while turn-
ing the ignition switch to the start
position. The starter will not oper-
ate if the clutch pedal is not fully
depressed.
Automatic Transaxle - Place the
transaxle shift lever in P (Park).
Depress the brake pedal fully.
You can also start the engine
when the shift lever is in the N
(Neutral) position.
3. Turn the ignition switch to START and hold it there until the engine
starts (a maximum of 10 seconds),
then release the key. 4. In extremely cold weather (below
-18°C / 0°F) or after the vehicle
has not been operated for several
days, let the engine warm up with-
out depressing the accelerator.
Whether the engine is cold or warm,
it should be started without
depressing the accelerator.
✽ ✽ NOTICEDo not engage the starter for more
than 10 seconds. If the engine stalls
or fails to start, wait 5 to 10 seconds
before re-engaging the starter.
Excessive or improper use of the
starter may damage it.The starter will not operate if:
Automatic Transaxle - the shift
lever is NOT in P (Park) or N
(Neutral).
Manual Transaxle - the clutch
pedal is not fully depressed.
STARTING THE ENGINE
CAUTION
If the engine stalls while you are
in motion, do not attempt to
move the shift lever to the P
(Park) position. If traffic and
road conditions permit, you may
put the shift lever in the N
(Neutral) position while the
vehicle is still moving and turn
the ignition switch to the START
position in an attempt to restart
the engine.
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Driving your vehicle
Manual transaxle operationThe manual transaxle has five for-
ward gears.
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).
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before shifting into R
(Reverse).
Never operate the engine with the
tachometer (rpm) in the red zone.
✽ ✽NOTICETo 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 vehi-
cle stopped on an upgrade, while
waiting for a traffic light, etc.
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy
traffic or while driving up steep hills,
downshift before the engine starts to
“labor’’. Downshifting reduces the
chance of stalling and gives better
acceleration when you again need to
increase your speed. When the vehi-
cle is traveling down steep hills,
downshifting helps maintain safe
speed and prolongs brake life.
MANUAL TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
1
2 4
R
3
S
N
135
R42
MMSA4002
WARNING
- Manualtransaxle
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 when the
vehicle is parked on a level or
uphill grade, and shift into R
(Reverse) on a downhill grade.
Unexpected and sudden vehicle
movement can occur if these
precautions are not followed in
the order identified.
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Driving your vehicle
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.
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Transaxle rangesP (park)
This position locks the transaxle and
prevents the front wheels from rotat-
ing. Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into this position.
✽ ✽
NOTICEThe transaxle may be damaged if
you shift into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion.(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)
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