Page 106 of 313
The f ront ceiling light has a two- 
position switch; Door Activated and
OFF.In the Door Activated position, both
ceiling lights come on when you:
Turn on a spotlight by pushing the
lens. Push the lens again to turn it
of f . You can use the spotlights at all
times.
Open either door.
Unlock the driver’s door with the
master door lock switch, lock tab,
key, or the remote transmitter.
Remove the key from the ignition
switch.
Af ter both doors are closed tightly,
the light(s) dims slightly, then f ade
out in about 30 seconds. 
If you do not open either door af ter 
unlocking the driver’s door or
removing the key from the ignition
switch, the light(s) f ades out in
about 30 seconds. 
If you leave either door open without 
the key in the ignition switch, the
ceiling light(s) will go of f af ter 3
minutes.
OnEX,EX-L,SE,andEX-V6models
Interior Lights
Spotlights
Inst rument s and Cont rols
103
DOOR 
ACTIVATED OFF LX and LX-V6 models
EX, EX-L, SE, and EX-V6 models
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        Page 107 of 313
The courtesy light in each door 
comes on when the door is opened,
and goes out when the door is closed.Your vehicle also has a courtesy light
in the ignition switch. This light
comesonwhenyou;
Open either door.
Unlock the driver’s door.
Remove the key from the ignition
switch.
This light f ades out about 30 seconds
af ter you close both doors.
The courtesy light between the
spotlights comes on when you turn
the parking lights on. To adjust its 
knob on the instrument panel.OnEX,EX-L,SE,andEX-V6models
Interior Lights
Courtesy Lights
104
IGNITION SWITCH LIGHT
DOOR LIGHT COURTESY LIGHT
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brightness, turn the select/reset 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 176 of 313

Once the security system is set, 
opening either door without using
the key or the remote transmitter,
the hood, or the trunk will cause the
system to alarm. It also alarms if the
radio is removed f rom the dashboard
or the wiring is cut.With the system set, you can still
open the trunk with the remote
transmitter without triggering the
alarm. The alarm will sound if the
trunk lock is f orced, or the trunk is
opened with the trunk release handle
or the emergency trunk opener. 
The security system will not set if 
the hood, trunk, or either door is not
f ully closed. Bef ore you leave the
vehicle, make sure the doors, trunk,
and hood are securely closed.
To see if the system is set
af ter you exit the vehicle, press the
LOCK button on the remote
transmitter within 5 seconds. If the
system is set, the horn will beep
once. 
Do not attempt to alter this system 
or add other devices to it.
The security system automatically
sets 15 seconds after you lock the
doors, hood, and trunk. For the
system to activate, you must lock the
doors f rom the outside with the key,
lock tab, door lock switch, or remote
transmitter. The security system
indicator on the instrument panel
starts blinking immediately to show
you the system is setting itself .
The security system helps to protect
your vehicle and valuables f rom thef t.
The horn sounds and a combination
of headlights (low beam), parking
lights, side marker lights, and
taillights f lash if someone attempts
to break into your vehicle or remove
the radio. This alarm continues f or 2
minutes, then it stops. To reset an
alarming system bef ore the 2
minutes have elapsed, unlock the
driver’s door with the key or the
remote transmitter.
All models except LX
Security System
174
NOTE:
SECURITY SYSTEM INDICATOR
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        Page 199 of 313

Apply the parking brake. 
In cold weather, turn of f all 
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery. 
Press the clutch pedal down all the 
way. The START (III) position
does not f unction unless the clutch
pedal is pressed. 
Make sure the shif t lever is in 
Park. Press on the brake pedal.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.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. Do not hold
the key in the START (III)
position f or more than 15 seconds
at a time. If the engine does not
start right away, pause for at least
10 seconds bef ore trying again.
1. 2. 3.
4.
5. 6.
Manual transmission:
Automatic transmission: 75
Starting the Engine
Driving
199
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.
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 202 of 313

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.The manual transmission has
lockout so you cannot accidentally
shif t f rom f if th to reverse instead of
sixth while the vehicle is moving. If
you cannot shif t to reverse when the
vehicle is stopped:
With the clutch pedal pressed,
move the shift lever to the first/
second gear side of the neutral
gate, then shif t to reverse. Press the clutch pedal, and shif t to
reverse. 
With the clutch pedal still pressed, 
start the engine.
If you are still unable to shif t to
reverse, apply the parking brake,
and turn the ignition key to the
ACCESSORY (I) or LOCK (0)
position.
If you need to use this procedure to
shif t to reverse, your vehicle may be
developing a problem. Have it
checked by your dealer.
1. 2. 3. 4.6-speed manual transmission only
Engine Speed L imiter Reverse L ockout
Manual T ransmission
202
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        Page 204 of 313

µ
µµ
To shift from:
PtoR 
RtoP
NtoR
Dto2 2to1 
1to2
2toD
DtoD DtoN
DtoD NtoDRtoN Do this:
Press the brake pedal and
press the release button. 
Press the release button. 
Move the lever.
3
3
3
3
If you have done all of the above and 
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see on
page . Use neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop brief ly with
the engine idling. Shif t to the Park
position if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason. Press on the
brake pedal when you are moving
the shift lever from neutral to
another gear.
This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal. Press the release
buttononthefrontof theshiftlever
to move it. Press the brake
pedal and press the release button
on the f ront of the shif t lever to shif t
f rom Park to reverse. To shif t f rom
reverse to neutral, come to a
completestop,andthenshift.Press
the release button bef ore shif ting
into reverse f rom neutral.
To avoid transmission damage, come
to a complete stop bef ore shif ting
into Park. You must also press the
release button to shift into Park. The
shif t lever must be in Park bef ore
you can remove the key f rom the
ignition switch. 206
Automatic Transmission
Shif t L ock Release
Neutral (N)
Park (P) Reverse (R)
204
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        Page 206 of 313

This allows you to move the shif t 
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal and pressing the release
button does not work.Set the parking brake. 
Remove the key from the ignition 
switch.
Push down on the key while you
pressthereleasebuttononthe
shif t lever and move the shif t lever
out of Park to neutral.
Insert the key in the shift lock
release slot.
Remove the key from the shift
lock release slot, then reinstall the
cover. Make sure the notch on the
cover is on the lef t side. Press the
brake pedal, and restart the engine.
If you need to use the shif t lock
release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have it
checked by your dealer.
Putaclothonthenotchof the
shif t lock release slot cover. Using
a small f lat-tipped screwdriver or a
metal f ingernail f ile, caref ully pry
on the notch of the cover to
remove it.
1. 2. 3.
4.5.6.
Shif t L ock Release
Automatic Transmission
206
COVER
RELEASE 
BUTTON
SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SLOT
NOTCH
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If youfindnothingwrong,youwill 
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. Seeon page .
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
Do you have f uel? Check the f uel
gauge; the low f uel indicator may
not be working.
Are you using a properly coded
key? An improperly coded key will
cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the instrument panel
to blink rapidly (see page ).
In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position, but the engine does not run.
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to on page .
Turn the ignition switch to the
START (III) position. If the
headlights do not dim, check the
condition of the f uses. If the f uses
areOK,thereisprobably
something wrong with the
electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualif ied technician to
determine the problem. See
on page .
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is
discharged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of the
battery and terminal connections
(see page ). You can then try
jump starting the vehicle from a
booster battery (see page ). 59
199
280 285
285
272
260
If theEngineWon’tStart
Emergency
Towing
T he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine
Emergency T owing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
271
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