Page 242 of 369

Try to maintain a constant speed.
Everytimeyouslowdownand
speed up, your vehic le uses extra
fuel. Use cruise control when
appropriate.
Combine several short trips into
one.
The air conditioning puts an extra
load on the engine which makes it
usemorefuel.Usethefresh-air
ventilation when possible.
Always
maintain your vehicle
according to the maintenance
messages given by the multi-
information display. See
on page
.
an underinflated tire
causes more ‘‘rolling resistance,’’
which uses more fuel.
The build-up of snow or mud on
your vehicl e’s underside adds
weight and rolling resistance.
Frequent cleaning helps your fuel
mileage and reduces the chance of
corrosion.
Drive moderately. Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering,
and hard braking use more fuel.
Always drive in the highest gear
possible.
Refer
to
on page for information
about checking other items on your
vehicle. Look at the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Make sure it is
between the MAX and MIN lines. If
it is below the MIN line, see
on page f or
inf ormation on adding the proper
coolant. 277
286
277
For example,
Improving Fuel Economy Owner’s
Maintenance Checks
Engine Coolant Check
Owner’s Maintenance
Checks A dding
Engine Coolant
Service Station Procedures, Fuel Economy
Bef ore Driving
239
RESERVE TANK
MINMAX
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Page 248 of 369
This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
manual and the automatic
transmission. It also includes
important inf ormation on parking
your vehicle, the braking system, the
vehicle stability assist (VSA) system
and the tire pressure monitoring
system.........................
Preparing to Drive .246
.......................
Starting the Engine .247
...................
Manual Transmission .250
..............
Automatic Transmission .253
...........................................
Parking .260
.............................
Braking System .261
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) .262
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)
........................................
System .264
Tire Pressure Monitoring ........................
System (TPMS) .266
...........................
Towing a Trailer .270
Driving
Driving
245
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Page 249 of 369
Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments every day before
you drive your vehicle.
Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove frost, snow,
or ice.
Check that the hood and trunk are
fully closed.
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a g auge to check its
pressure. Check the seat adjustment (see
page ).
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Check the steering wheel
adjustment (see page ).
Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.
Fasten your seat be
lt. Check that
your passengers have fastened
their seat belts (see page ).
Check that any items you may be
carrying are stored properly or
fastened down securely. When you start the engine, check
the gauges and indicato
rs in the
instrument panel, and the
messages on the multi-inform ation
display (see pages , and
).
3. 2.
1.
4. 5.
6.
7.
8.
9. 10.
103
107 91
14 57 65
68
Preparing to Drive
246
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Page 250 of 369

Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn off all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Press the clutch pedal down all the
way. The START (III) position
does not function unless the clutch
pedal is pressed.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. Do not hold
the key in the START (III)
position for more than 15 seconds
at a time. If the engine does not
start right away, pause for at least
10 seconds before trying again. If
the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed halfway
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
If the engine fails to start, press
the accelerator pedal all the way
down, and hold it there while
starting to clear flooding. If the
engine still does not start, return
to step 5.
6.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
94
Starting
theEngine(ModelswithManualTransmission)
Driv ing
247
The immobilizer system protects your
vehicle f rom thef t. If an improperly-
coded key (or other device) is used, the
engine’s f uel system is disabled. For
more inf ormation, see page . The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air f ound at
altitudes above 8,000 f eet (2,400
meters) adds to this problem.
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Page 251 of 369

Your vehicle’s starting system has an
auto control mode. When you turn
the ignition switch to the START
(III) position, this feature keeps the
engine’s starter motor running until
the engine starts. Follow these
instructions to start the engine: If
the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed halfway
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
If the engine fails to start, press
the accelerator pedal all the way
down, and hold it there while
starting to clear flooding. If the
engine still does not start, return
to step 5.
Apply
the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn off all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Make sure the shift lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition switch to
the START (III) position, then
release the ignition switch. You do
not need to hold the ignition
switch in the START (III) position
to start the engine. Depending on
the outside temperature, the
starter motor runs for about 6 to 9
seconds until the engine starts. If
you hold the ignition switch in
the START (III) position for more
than 7 seconds, the starter motor,
depending on the outside
temperature, runs for about 10 to
25 seconds until the engine starts.
If the engine does not start, wait at
least 10 seconds before trying
again. 6.
1.
2.
3.
4. 5.
94
St
arting theEngine(ModelswithAutomaticTransmission)
248
The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air found at
altitudes above 8,000 f eet (2,400
meters) adds to this problem.
T he immobilizer system protects your
vehicle f rom thef t. If an improperly-
coded key (or other device) is used, the
engine’s f uel system is disabled. For
more inf ormation, see page .
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Page 252 of 369
If there is a problem with the
starting system, you will see a
‘‘CHECK STARTING SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON (II) position. You
will also see this message when the
auto control mode of the starting
system has a problem.If this message is on, the ignition
switchhastobeheldintheSTART
(III) position manually until the
engine starts. The ignition switch
canbeheldinthatpositionupto15
seconds.
Even though you may be able to
start the engine manually without
the auto control mode of the starting
system, have your vehicle inspected
by a dealer.
Check Starting System Message
Starting the Engine (Models with Automatic Transmission)
Driving
249
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When slowing down, you can get
extra braking from the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes from
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Before downshifting,
make sure the engine speed will not
go into the tachometer’s red zone in
the lower gear.
The manual transmission is
synchronized in all forward gears for
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot accidentally shift from
f if th to reverse instead of sixth (see
page ). When shif ting up or
down,makesureyoupushtheclutch
pedal down all the way, shift to the
next gear, and let the pedal up
gradually. When you are not shif ting,
do not rest your f oot on the clutch
pedal. This can cause your clutch to
wear out faster. Come to a full stop before you shift
into reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shif t into
reverse with the vehicle moving.
Push down the clutch pedal, and
pause f or a f ew seconds bef ore
shif ting into reverse, or shif t into one
of the f orward gears f or a moment.
This stops the gears so they won’t
‘‘grind.’’
251The engine can be damaged if
you inadvertently downshif t into the wrong gear (f or example, going f romthird gear at high rpms to second gearinstead of upshif ting to f ourth gear; theengine speed limiter will not work in thissituation).
Manual T ransmission
250
Note:
Rapid slowing or speeding-up
can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,
you can be injured.
Use extra care when driving on
slippery surfaces.
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If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
rpm below the red zone.
Bef ore downshif ting, make sure the
engine will not go into the
tachometer’s red zone.
Shif t up
1st to 2nd
2nd to 3rd 3rd to 4th4th to 5th
5th to 6th Normal acceleration
17 mph (27 km/h)
27 mph (43 km/h)
36 mph (58 km/h)
41 mph (66 km/h)
44 mph (71 km/h)
Drive in the highest gear that lets
the engine run and accelerate
smoothly. This will give you good
f uel economy and ef f ective
emissions control. The f ollowing
shif t points are recommended:
The manual transmission has an
electric lockout so you cannot
accidentally shif t f rom f if th to
reverse instead of sixth while the
vehicle is moving.
CONT INUED
Engine Speed L imiter
Recommended Shif t Points Reverse L ockout
Manual T ransmission
Driving
251
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