Page 153 of 293
Page 154 of 293

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 .154
.................
Fuel Recommendation . 154
.........
Service Station Procedures . 156
....................................
Ref ueling .156
Opening and Closing the .......................................
Hood .157
...................................
Oil Check .159
.............
Engine Coolant Check . 160
...............................
Fuel Economy .161
........
Improving Fuel Economy . 161
...
Accessories and Modif ications . 162
................................
Accessories .162
...........
Modif ying Your Vehicle . 163
.
Additional Safety Precautions . 163
.............................
Carrying Cargo .164
................................
Load Limits .165
Carrying Cargo in the Trunk .................
or on a Roof Rack . 166
Carrying Items in the .....
Passenger Compartment . 166
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving
153
Page 155 of 293

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. In addition, in order to maintain good
perf ormance, f uel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
f uel additives such as MMT.
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. Your vehicle is designed to operate
on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 87 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy, metallic rapping
noise that can lead to engine damage. We recommend using quality
gasolines containing detergent
additives that help prevent fuel
system and engine deposits.
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 dealer f or service.
For vehicles with manual transmission
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
Break-in Period
Fuel Recommendation
154
Page 156 of 293
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.If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
For f urther important f uel-related
inf ormation, please ref er to your
.
Fuel Recommendation
Quick Start Guide
Bef ore Driving
155
Page 157 of 293

Remove the f uel f ill cap slowly.
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 f uel f ill door.
Stop f illing the tank af ter the f uel
nozzle automatically clicks of f . Do
not try to ‘‘top of f ’’ the tank. Leave
some room f or the f uel to expand
with temperature changes.
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. even though the tank is not f ull,
there may be a problem with your
vehicle’s fuel vapor recovery
system. The system helps keep
f uel vapors f rom going into the
atmosphere. Try f illing at another
pump. If this does not f ix the
problem, consult your dealer.
3.
4.
1.
2.
If the f uel nozzle keeps clicking of f
Ref ueling
156
FUEL FILL CAP
Push
TETHER
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.
Service Station Procedures
Page 158 of 293
To Open the Hood:
Park the vehicle, and set the
parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower left corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly. Put
your fingers under the front
edge of the hood near the center.
Slide your hand to the left until
you feel the hood latch handle.
Push this handle up to release it.
Li ft up the hood.
If the hood latch handle moves stiffly,
or if you can open the hood without
lifting the handle, the mechanism
should be cleaned and lubricated.
Push
the fuel fill 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.
254
CONT INUED
Opening and Closing the Hood
Bef ore Driving
157
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE
LATCH
Service Station Procedures
Page 159 of 293
4-cylinder models4-cylinder models
V6 models V6 models
To Close the Hood:
Lif t it up slightly to remove the
support rod f rom the hole. Put the
support rod back into its holding clip.
Lower the hood to about a f oot
(30cm)abovethefender,thenletit
drop. Make sure it is securely
latched.
Lower it to about a f oot (30 cm)
above the f ender, then press down
f irmly with your hands. Make sure it
is securely latched.
Lif t the hood up most of the way.
The hydraulic supports will lif t it
uptherestof thewayandholdit
up.
Pull the support rod out of its clip
by holding the grip, and insert the
end into the designated hole in the
hood.
3.
158
SUPPORT ROD
V6 models
4-cylinder models GRIP
Service Station Procedures
Page 160 of 293
Wait a few minutes after turning the
engine off before you check the oil. Wipe
the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.
Insert the dipstick all the way back
into its hole. Remove
the dipstick again, and
ch eck the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see on page .
Remove the dipstick (orange
handle).
1. 2.
3.4.
204
CONT INUED
Oil Check
A dding Oil
Bef ore Driving
159
4-cylinder models V6 models 4-cylinder modelsUPPER MARK
LOWER MARK
DIPSTICK
(orange handle) DIPSTICK
(orange loop)
Service Station Procedures