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The moonroof has a key-of f delay
f unction. You can still open and close
the moonroof f or up to 10 minutes
after you turn off the ignition switch.
The key-of f delay f unction cancels as
soon as you open either f ront door.
You must then turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position to
operate the moonroof .To apply the parking brake, pull the
lever up f ully. To release it, pull up
slightly, push the button, and lower
the lever. The parking brake
indicator in the instrument panel
should go out when the parking
brake is f ully released with the
engine running (seepage).60
Parking Brake
Moonroof , Parking Brake
98
PARKING BRAKE LEVER
BUTTON
Opening or closing the
moonroof on someone’s hands
or fingers can cause serious
injury.
Make sure all hands and fingers
are clear of the moonroof
before opening or closing it.
If you try to open the moonroof in
below-f reezing temperatures, or when
it is covered with snow or ice, you can
damage the moonroof panel or motor.
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Thevanitymirrorlightscomeon
when you pull up the cover. Tousethevanitymirrorontheback
of the sun visor, pull up the cover.
If you drive without f ully releasing
the parking brake, the beeper
sounds continuously.
To use a sun visor, pull it down. You
can also use a sun visor at the side
window. Remove the support rod
f rom the clip, and swing the sun
visor toward the side window.Vanity Mirror
Sun Visor
Parking Brake, Sun Visor, Vanity Mirror
Inst rument s and Cont rols
99
Driving the vehicle with the parking
brake applied can damage the rear
brakes and hubs.
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Page 161 of 287
To Open the Hood:Park the vehicle, and set the
parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower lef t corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly. Put your f ingers under the f ront
edge of the hood near the center.
Slide your hand to the lef t until
you f eel the hood latch handle.
Push this handle up to release it.
Lif t up the hood.
If the hood latch handle moves stif f ly,
or if you can open the hood without
lif ting the handle, the mechanism
should be cleaned and lubricated.
Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches. Screw the fuel fill cap back on
until it clicks at least once. If you
do not properly tighten the cap,
the malf unction indicator lamp
maycomeon(seepage ).You
will also see a ‘‘CHECK FUEL
CAP’’ message on the inf ormation
display.
1. 2.
5.
6.
246
Opening and Closing the Hood
Service Station Procedure
158
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE
LATCH
06/08/08 14:42:21 31SDR620_163
Page 172 of 287

This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important inf ormation on
parking your vehicle, the braking
system, the vehicle stability assist
(VSA) system, and f acts you need if
you are planning to tow a trailer.
........................Preparing to Drive . 170
.......................Starting the Engine . 171
..............Automatic Transmission . 172
Shif t Lever Position
...............................Indicators . 172
.......................................Shif ting . 172
..............Engine Speed Limiter . 174
....................Shif t Lock Release . 175
............................Auto Idle Stop . 177
...........Auto Idle Stop Indicator . 178
...........................................Parking . 179
.............................Braking System . 180
...........Braking System Design . 180
.....Brake Pad Wear Indicators . 180
...............Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 181
............................ABS Indicator . 181
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)
....................................System . 183
.........VSA Activation Indicator . 183
..............VSA System Indicator . 183
.........................VSA Of f Switch . 184
...................VSA and Tire Sizes . 184
...........................Towing a Trailer . 185
Driving
Driving
169
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Page 174 of 287

Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
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.In cold weather, conventional starter
is used instead of the IMA system
starter. This is normal.
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. If the engine f ails 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.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
82
Starting the Engine
Starting in Cold Weather
Driving
171
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 .
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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µµ
µ
µ
µ
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see on
page .
You must also press the release
button to shift into Park. To avoid
transmission damage, come to a
complete stop bef ore shif ting into
Park. The shif t lever must be in Park
bef ore you can remove the key f rom
the ignition switch.
Press the brake
pedal and press the release button to
shif t f rom Park to Reverse. To shif t
from Reverse to Neutral, come to a
completestopandthenshift.
This position is similar
to D, except only the first three
gears are selected instead of all f ive.
Use D when towing a trailer in hilly
terrain, or to provide engine braking
when going down a steep hill. D can
also keep the transmission f rom
cycling between third and f ourth
gears in stop-and-go driving.
Use this position f or
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear for the vehicle speed
and acceleration. You may notice the
transmission shif ting up at higher
speeds when the engine is cold. This
helps the engine warm up f aster.
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 and apply the parking brake.
Press on the brake pedal when you
are moving the shif t lever f rom
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.
175
3
3
CONT INUED
Automatic Transmission
Shif t L ock Release
Reverse (R) Drive (D )
Drive (D)
Neutral (N)
Park (P)3
Driving
173
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Page 178 of 287
Put a cloth on the edge of the shif t
lock release slot cover next to the
shif t lever. Use a small f lat-tipped
screwdriverorfingernailfileto
remove the cover. Caref ully pry
of f the edge of the cover.Insert the key in the shift lock
release slot.
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.
Remove the key from the ignition
switch. Set the parking brake.
1.
2.
3.4.
CONT INUED
Automatic Transmission
Shif t L ock Release
Driving
175
COVER
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Always use the parking brake when
you park your vehicle. Make sure
the parking brake is set f irmly, or
your vehicle may roll if it is parked
on an incline.
Set the parking brake bef ore you put
the transmission in Park. This keeps
the vehicle from moving and putting
pressure on the parking mechanism
in the transmission.If the vehicle is f acing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the
curb.
If the vehicle is f acing downhill,
turn the front wheels toward the
curb.
Make sure the parking brake is
f ully released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or
damage the rear brakes.
Make sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed.
Check the indicator on the
instrument panel to verif y that the
security system is set. Lockthedoorswiththekeyorthe
remote transmitter. Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the trunk or take them with you. Turn of f the lights.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The hot three way
catalytic converter could cause
these materials to catch on fire.
Parking T ips
Parking
Driving
179
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