Page 232 of 379
Bef ore you begin driving your
vehicle, you should know what
gasoline to use and how to check the
levels of important f luids. You also
need to know how to properly store
luggage or packages. The
inf ormation in this section will help
you. If you plan to add any
accessories to your vehicle, please
read the information in this section
first..............................
Break-in Period .230
.................
Fuel Recommendation . 230
.........
Service Station Procedures . 231
....................................
Ref ueling .231
OpeningandClosingthe .......................................
Hood .232
...................................
Oil Check .234
.............
Engine Coolant Check . 234
...............................
Fuel Economy .235
...
Accessories and Modif ications . 236
.............................
Carrying Cargo .238
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving
229
Page 233 of 379

Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
Do not tow a trailer.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. Your vehicle is designed to operate
on premium unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane number of 91 or higher.
Useof aloweroctanegasolinecan
cause occasional metallic knocking
noises in the engine and will result in
decreased engine perf ormance. Use
of a gasoline with a pump octane
number less than 87 can lead to
engine damage.
You may hear a knocking noise from
the engine if you drive the vehicle at
low engine speed (below about 1,000
rpm) in a higher gear. To stop this,
raise the engine speed by shif ting to
a lower gear.
We recommend quality gasoline
containing detergent additives that
help prevent f uel system and engine
deposits.
In addition, in order to maintain good
perf ormance, f uel economy, and
emissions control, we stronglyrecommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
f uel additives such as MMT.
Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely af f ect perf ormance,
and cause the malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact
your authorized dealer f or service.
For f urther important f uel-related
inf ormation, please ref er to your
.
If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline. Some gasoline today is blended with
oxygenates such as ethanol or
MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to
operate on oxygenated gasoline
containing up to 10 % ethanol by
volume and up to 15 % MTBE by
volume. Do not use gasoline
containing methanol.
On vehicles with manual transmission
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
Break-in Period
Fuel Recommendation
Quick Start Guide
230
Page 234 of 379
Park with the driver’s side closest
to the gas pump.
To open the f uel f ill door, push
down on the lever located to the
lef t of the driver’s seat.Removethefuelfillcapslowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
The fuel fill cap is attached to the
f uel f iller with a tether. Put the
attachment on the fuel fill cap into
the slit on the fuel fill door.
3.
1.
2.
CONT INUED
Ref ueling
Service Station Procedure
Bef ore Driving
231
FUEL FILL CAP
Push
TETHER
ATTACHMENT
FUEL FILL DOOR RELEASE LEVER
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel. Stop the engine, and keep
heat, sparks, and flame away.
Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.
Page 237 of 379
Remove the dipstick again, and
check the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks. 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 for
informationonaddingtheproper
coolant.
Refer to
on page for information
about checking other items on your
vehicle.
If
it is near or below the lower mark,
see on page .
Insert the dipstick all the way back
into its hole. Wipe the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel. Remove the dipstick (orange
handle).
Wait a f ew minutes af ter turning the
engine of f bef ore you check the oil. Park the vehicle on a level surf ace.
1.
2.
3. 4.
291
282
287
Oil Check
Engine Coolant Check
A dding
Engine Coolant
Owner’s Maintenance
Checks
A dding Engine Oil
Service Station Procedure
234
UPPER MARK
DIPSTICK (orange handle) LOWER MARKRESERVE TANK
MAX
MIN
Page 238 of 379
Always drive in the highest gear
possible.
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-
inf ormation display. See on page
.
an underinf lated tire
causes more ‘‘rolling resistance,’’
which uses more f uel.
The build-up of snow or mud on
your vehicle’s underside adds
weight and rolling resistance.
Frequent cleaning helps your f uel
mileage and reduces the chance of
corrosion.
Drive moderately. Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering,
and hard braking use more f uel. 282
For example,
Improving Fuel Economy
Owner’s
Maintenance Checks
Fuel Economy
Bef ore Driving
235
Page 244 of 379
This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
manual and automatic transmissions.
It also includes important
information on parking your vehicle,
the braking system, the vehicle
stability assist (VSA) system, the tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS),
and f acts you need if you are
planning to tow a trailer.........................
Preparing to Drive .242
.......................
Starting the Engine .243
...................
Manual Transmission . 244
..............
Automatic Transmission . 246
...........................................
Parking .253
.............................
Braking System .254
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 255
Tire Pressure Monitoring ........................
System (TPMS) .257
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) ........................................
System .262
...........................
Towing a Trailer .264
Driving
Driving
241
Page 245 of 379
Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove frost, snow,
or ice.
Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have fastened
their seat belts (see page ).
Check
the steering wheel
adjustment (see page ).
Check that the hood is fully closed.
Check that the trunk is fully
closed.
Check that any items you may be
carrying are stored properly or
fastened down securely. Check
the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
pages and ).
Youshoulddothesechecksand
adjustments
before you drive your
vehicle:
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure (see page ). Check
the seat adjustment (see
page ). 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 ).
11.
61
76
3. 2. 1.
4.
5. 6.
7.
8.
9.
10. 145
15
146
138
125
310 68
Preparing to Drive
242
Page 246 of 379

Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn off all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery. If
the engine fails to start, press
the accelerator pedal all the way
downandholdittherewhile
starting to clear flooding. Return
to step 5 if the engine does not
start.
Push the clutch pedal down all the
way.
Make sure the shift lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal. 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.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.6.
Manual
transmission:
Automatic transmission:
127
Starting theEngine
Driv ing
243
The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air found at
altitudes above 8,000 feet (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 .