Knowing your vehicle64
3How does the air bag system
operate Air bag only operates when the ignition
switch is turned to ON or START posi-
tion.
Air bags inflate instantly in the event of serious frontal or side collision in order
to help protect the occupants from seri-
ous physical injury.
There is no single speed at which the air bags will inflate.
Generally, air bags are designed to
inflate by the severity of a collision and
its direction. These two factors deter-
mine whether the sensors send out an
electronic deployment/inflation signal.
Air bag deployment depends on a number of factors including vehicle
speed, angles of impact and the densi-
ty and stiffness of the vehicles or
objects which your vehicle hits in the
collision. Though, factors are not limit-
ed to those mentioned above.
The front air bags will completely inflate and deflate in an instant.
It is virtually impossible for you to see
the air bags inflate during an accident.
It is much more likely that you will sim-
ply see the deflated air bags hanging
out of their storage compartments after
the collision. In order to help provide protection in a
severe collision, the air bags must
inflate rapidly. The speed of air bag
inflation has been determined by the
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards (CMVSS) to reduce the like-
lihood of serious or life-threatening
injuries and is thus a mandatory part of
the air bag design.
However, air bag inflation can also
cause injuries which normally can
include facial abrasions, bruises and
broken bones, and sometimes more
serious injuries because the inflation
speed also causes the air bags to
expand with a great deal of force.
There are even circumstances under which contact with the steer-
ing wheel air bag can cause fatal
injuries, especially if the occupant
is positioned excessively close to
the steering wheel.
WARNING
To avoid severe personal injury ordeath caused by deploying air
bags in a collision, the driver
should sit as far back from the
steering wheel air bag as possi-
ble (at least 250 mm (10 inches)
away). The front passenger
should always move their seat as
far back as possible and sit back
in their seat.
Air bag inflates instantly in an event of collision, passengers
may be injured by the air bag
expansion force if they are not in
proper position.
Air bag inflation may cause injuries which normally include
facial or bodily abrasions, injuries
by broken glass or burns by the
explosives.
397
Knowing your vehicle
WARNING
The following specification is themaximum weight that can be
loaded onto the roof rack.
Distribute the load as evenly as
possible across the crossbars
and roof rack and secure the load
firmly.
The vehicle center of gravity will be higher when items are loaded
onto the roof rack. Avoid sudden
starts, braking, sharp turns,
abrupt maneuvers or high speeds
that may result in loss of vehicle
control or rollover causing an
accident.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Always drive slowly and turn cor-ners carefully when carrying
items on the roof rack. Severe
wind updrafts, caused by passing
vehicles or natural causes, can
cause sudden upward pressure
on items loaded on the roof rack.
This is especially true when car-
rying large, flat items such as
wood panels or mattresses. This
could cause the items to fall off
the roof rack and cause damage
to your vehicle or those around
you.
To prevent damage or loss of cargo while driving, check fre-
quently before or while driving to
make sure the items on the roof
rack are securely fastened.
CAUTION
If the vehicle has a sunroof, do not position the roof rack loadsso that they could interfere withthe sunroof.
Loading cargo or luggage above specification on the roof rack maydamage your vehicle.
ROOF 45 kg (100 lbs.)
RACK EVENLY DISTRIBUTED
3 109
Knowing your vehicle
1. SCAN buttonFrequency band scan function
Press the SCANbutton for the tuner to
scan for radio signals in the selected fre-
quency band (AM or FM). Once the tuner
locks onto the signal of a transmitting
station, it plays that station for 5 seconds
before scanning for the next available
station in the selected frequency band.
If you want to keep listening to a particu-
lar station and want to stop the scanning,
press the SCAN button again.
This function is useful for providing you
with a good overview of all the radio sta-
tions within range of your tuner.2. PRESET SCAN functionPress and hold the SCAN button for
more than 2 seconds. Each preset radio
stations will be automatically played for 5
seconds. If you want to keep listening to
a particular preset station and want to
stop the scanning, press the SCAN but-
ton again.
3. SEEK and buttonsAutomatic Channel Selection function
Press the and buttons to scan up
and down the frequency range for the
next available radio station and automat-
ically lock on to that frequency.
The LCD screen displays the frequency
of the radio station transmitting a clear
and strong signal.
Use this function to search for a radio
station you want. If you like a particular
station, you can store it as one of 6
Presets using the Preset buttons below.✽ ✽
NOTICEThis function is not effective if you are
experiencing poor reception in your
vicinity.
4. Tuning KnobManual Channel Selection
Rotate the knob clockwise or counter-
clockwise to manually advance up or
down the frequency range. The tuning
knob also gives you fine-grain control
which you can use to manually fine-tune
your frequency selection. This is useful if
you are searching for a radio signal
which is not strong enough for you to use
the Automatic Channel Selection func-
tion✽ ✽NOTICEThe speed at which you advance up or
down the frequency range depends on
how fast you turn the knob.
Driving your vehicle64Automatic transmission operationAll normal forward driving is done with
the shift lever in the D (Drive) position.
To move the shift lever from the P (Park)
position, the brake pedal must be
depressed and the lock release button
must be depressed.
For smooth operation, depress the brakepedal when shifting from N (Neutral) to a forward or reverse gear.
WARNING
- Automatic transmission
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever is
in the P (PARK) position; then set
the parking brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur if
these precautions are not followed
in the order identified.
OBL046900
+ (UP)
- (DOWN)
Automatic
modeSports mode
CAUTION
To avoid damage to your trans-
mission, do not accelerate theengine in R (Reverse) or any for-ward gear position with the brakes on.
When stopped on an upgrade, do not hold the vehicle stationarywith engine power. Use the serv-ice brake or the parking brake.
Do not shift from N (Neutral) or P (Park) into D (Drive), or R(Reverse) when the engine is above idle speed.
Driving your vehicle84Sports modeWhether the vehicle is stationary or in
motion, sports mode is selected by push-
ing the shift lever from the “D” position
into the manual gate. To return to “D”
range operation, push the shift lever back
into the main gate.
In sports mode, moving the shift lever
backwards and forwards will allow you to
make gearshifts rapidly. The sports mode
allows gearshifts with the accelerator
pedal depressed.Up (+) : Push the lever forward once to
shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards once to shift down one gear.
Snow mode
When taking off from a standstill on a
slippery road, push the shift lever forward
into the +(up) position. This causes the
transmission to shift into the 2nd gear
which is better for smooth driving on a
slippery road.
Push the shift lever to the -(down) side to
shift back to the 1st gear.
✽ ✽ NOTICE• Upshifts take place automatically in
sports mode. However, the driver
must execute upshifts in accordance
with road conditions, taking care to
keep the engine speed below the red
zone because upshifts take place at the
higher engine rpm.
• In sports mode, only the four forward gears can be selected. To reverse or
park the vehicle, move the shift lever
to the “R” or “P” position as required.
• In sports mode, downshifts are made automatically when the vehicle slows
down. When the vehicle stops, 1st gear
is automatically selected.
• In sports mode, when the engine rpm approaches the red zone shift points
are varied to upshift automatically.✽ ✽ NOTICEIn the sport mode, if you push the lever
to shift and no shift occurs, the system is
acting to protect your safety and the
vehicle.
E4BLA402C
+ (UP)
- (DOWN)
Automatic
modeSports mode
Driving your vehicle10
4For safe four-wheel drive opera-
tion Your vehicle allows you to drive in on-
road and off-road conditions.
However, do not try to drive in deep standing water, mud, or over steep
hills.
When you are driving up or down hills drive as close to straight up and down
the hill as possible. Use extreme cau-
tion in going up or down steep hills,
since you may flip your vehicle over
depending on the grade, terrain and
water/mud conditions.
You must learn how to corner in a 4WDvehicle as soon as possible. Do not
rely on your experience in convention-
al 2WD vehicles in choosing safe cor-
nering speed. You must drive more
slowly.
Drive off-road carefully because your vehicle may be damaged by rocks or
roots of trees. Become familiar with the
off-road conditions you are going to
drive before you start.FOUR WHEEL DRIVE (4WD) (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING -
Four wheel
drive
Driving across the contour of steep
hills can be extremely dangerous.
This danger can come from slight
changes in the wheel angle which
can destabilize the vehicle or, even
if the vehicle is maintaining stabili-
ty under power, it can lose that sta-
bility if the vehicle stops its forward
motion. Your vehicle may roll over
without warning and without time
for you to correct a mistake that
could cause serious injury or death.
WARNING
Reduce speed when you turn cor-
ners. The center of gravity of 4WD
vehicles is higher than that of con-
ventional 2WD vehicles, making
them more likely to roll over when
you turn corners too fast.
WARNING
Do not grab inside of the steering
wheel when you are driving off-
road. Your arm may be hurt by a
sudden steering maneuver or from
steering wheel rebound due to
impact with objects on the ground.
This may cause you to lose steering
wheel control.
Driving your vehicle12
4✽
✽
NOTICEWhen the vehicle shifts into 4WD mode,
a slight mechanical sound and vibration
may be felt and does not indicate a prob-
lem with the system. To avoid shift shock, when the vehicle is
stopped and you make a transfer case
shift using the transfer shift knob, wait
until the corresponding indicator light in
the instrument cluster illuminates before
driving.
Knob positionThis is used to set different positions.
AUTO
Full power delivered to front and rear
axle for increased traction. Use this mode
for normal on-road driving.
The 4WD LOW indicator light ( ) will
be turned off after blinking for a few sec-
onds to remind you that you are in the
AUTO mode.
LOW
Full power to both axles, including a
lower gear ratio for low speed applica-
tions that require extra power such as
wet pavement, snow-covered roads
and/or off-road.
LOW Mode is not recommended on dry
pavement.
The 4WD LOW indicator light
( )
will
be turned on after blinking for a few sec-
onds to remind you that you are in the
LOW mode.
Transfer shift knob operationAUTO ↔ ↔
LOW
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Depress the clutch pedal (Manual transmission) or put the shift lever into
N (Neutral) position (Automatic trans-
mission).
3. AUTO ➝ ➝
LOW
: Turn the transfer shift knob to LOW mode.
LOW ➝
➝
AUTO
: Turn the transfer shift knob to AUTO mode.
4. Before releasing the clutch pedal (Manual transmission) or shifting to
other ranges from N (Automatic trans-
mission), wait for the corresponding
indicator light in the instrument cluster
to go ON or OFF.
4WD
LOW4WD
LOW
CAUTION
If the vehicle moves while the trans-
fer shift is in process, the gearbox may be damaged.
Driving your vehicle14
4Knob positionThis is used to set different positions.
2HI (Rear-wheel drive)
This mode is used, when driving on nor-
mal roads and highway.
4HI (High-range 4-wheel drive)
This mode is used, when driving off-
roads, wet or snow covered roads with
normal speed.
The 4WD indicator light
()
will be
turned on to remind you that you are in
the 4HI mode.
4LO (Low-range 4-wheel drive)
Use 4LO for climbing or descending hills,
off-roads driving and towing the vehicle,
especially when increased power is
required.
The 4WD LOW indicator light
( )
will
be turned on to remind you that you are
in the 4LO mode.
Transfer shift knob operationBy turning the transfer knob (4HI, 4LO),
both front and rear axles are engaged.
This improves the traction characteristic.
2HI ➝ ➝
4HI
Turn the transfer knob from the 2HI mode
to 4HI mode at speed below 80 km/h (50
mph).
It is not necessary to depress the clutch
pedal or put the shift lever into N
(Neutral) position (Manual transmission)
or put the shift lever into N (Neutral) posi-
tion (Automatic transmission).
Perform this operation when driving
straight. There will be a few seconds of
time delay before come into 4HI mode
when you shift the knob to 4 HI from 2HI. 4HI
➝ ➝
2HI
Turn the transfer knob from the 4HI mode
to the 2HI mode at speed below 80 km/h
(50 mph). It is not necessary to depress
the clutch pedal (Manual transmission) or
put the shift lever into N (Neutral)
(Automatic transmission). Perform this
operation when driving straight.
If the transfer mode does not shift into
2HI mode when you turn the transfer
knob to 2HI, drive straight ahead with
accelerating or decelerating, or drive in
reverse.
4WD
LOW