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Introduction
VEHICLE BREAK-IN
PROCESSNo special break-in period is need-
ed. By following a few simple precau-
tions for the first 1,000 km (600
miles) you may add to the perform-
ance, economy and life of your vehi-
cle.
Do not race the engine.
Do not maintain a single speed forlong periods of time, either fast or
slow. Varying engine speed is
needed to properly break-in the
engine.
Avoid hard stops, except in emer- gencies, to allow the brakes to seat
properly.
Avoid full-throttle starts.
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Side air bag (if equipped)Side air bags are stored in the left
side of the driver’ s seat and right side
of the front passenger’ s seat.
If air bag inflation conditions are met
(side collision), they will inflate.
1LDA2056
1LDN2050/1LDN2051
(Continued)
If the driver brakes the vehicle heavily prior to an impact,
unbelted occupants will be
thrown forward. If the front
passenger is not wearing the
safety belts, they will be
directly in front of the air bag
when deployment occurs. In
that situation, serious injury
or death is possible.
Never allow front passenger to put their hands, feet or face
on or close to the instrument
panel. In the event of air bag
deployment, such a misposi-
tioned occupant would be
likely to suffer severe injury or
death.
Never allow children, pregnant women or weak persons to sit
in the front passenger seat.
They may be seriously injured
by the air bag inflation when
air bag deploys.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Never allow children, pregnantwomen or weak persons to sit
in the front passenger seat.
Do not put child restraint sys-
tem on the front passenger's
seat either. They may be seri-
ously injured by the airbag
inflation when airbag deploys.
Do not put objects or stickers on the instrument panel. Do
not apply any accessory to the
front windshield. Do not install
aftermarket mirrors or acces-
sories on the factory-installed
rearview mirror. Any of these
could interfere with the
deployment of the air bag or
could hit your body at high
speed and cause severe bodi-
ly injury and even death.
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Driving your vehicle
Automatic transaxle 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 thebrake pedal when shifting from N(Neutral) to a forward or reversegear.
WARNING
- Automatic
transaxle
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.
CAUTION
To avoid damage to your transaxle, do not acceleratethe engine in R (Reverse) orany forward gear position withthe brakes on.
When stopped on an upgrade, do not hold the vehicle sta-tionary with engine power.Use the service brake or theparking brake.
Do not shift from N (Neutral) or P (Park) into D (Drive), or R(Reverse) when the engine isabove idle speed.
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Driving your vehicle
N (neutral)With the gearshift in the N position,
the wheels and transaxle are not
locked. The vehicle will roll freely
even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or service brakes
are applied.D (drive)This is the normal forward driving
position. The transaxle will automati-
cally shift through a 4-gear
sequence, providing the best fuel
economy and power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or climbing grades,
depress the accelerator fully, at
which time the transaxle will auto-
matically downshift to the next lower
gear.
3 (Third Gear)Move shift lever to this position for
towing a trailer during hill climbing.
This position also provides engine
braking when going down hills.2 (Second Gear)Use 2 (Second Gear) for more power
when climbing hills and for increased
braking when going down hills. This
position also helps reduce wheel
spin on slippery surfaces. When the
shift lever is placed in 2 (Second
Gear), the transaxle will automatical-
ly shift from first to second gear.
L (Low)Move the shift lever to this position in
hard pulling situations and for climb-
ing steep grades.
CAUTION
Do not exceed the recommend-ed maximum speeds in 2(Second Gear) or L (Low).Operating the vehicle at speedsabove the maximum recom-mended, for 2 (Second Gear) orL (Low) may cause excessiveheat to develop which couldresult in damage to or failure ofthe automatic transaxle.
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Moving up a steep grade from
a standing startTo move up a steep grade from a
standing start, depress the brake
pedal, shift the shift lever to D
(Drive). Select the appropriate gear
depending on load weight and steep-
ness of the grade, and release the
parking brake. Depress the accelera-
tor gradually while releasing the
service brakes.
Shift lock systemFor your safety, the Automatic
Transaxle has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transaxle
out of P (Park) unless the brake
pedal is depressed.
To shift the transaxle out of P (Park):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or turn the ignition
to the ON position.
3. Depress the lock release button and move the shift lever.
When the ignition switch is in the
LOCK position, the transaxle cannot
be shifted from P (Park).
Ignition key interlock systemThe ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position. If the ignition switch
is in any other position, the key can-
not be removed.
WARNING
Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while shifting
out of the P (Park) position into
another position to avoid inad-
vertent motion of the vehicle
which could injure persons in or
around the car.
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Driving your vehicle
Power brakes Your vehicle has power-assisted
brakes that adjust automatically
through normal usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of a
stalled engine or some other reason,
you can still stop your vehicle by
applying greater force to the brake
pedal than you normally would. The
stopping distance, however, will be
longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially
depleted each time the brake pedal
is applied. Do not pump the brake
pedal when the power assist has
been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when
necessary to maintain steering con-
trol on slippery surfaces.
In the event of brake failure If service brakes fail to operate while
the vehicle is in motion, you can
make an emergency stop with the
parking brake. The stopping dis-
tance, however, will be much greater
than normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING
- Parking brake
Applying the parking brake
while the vehicle is moving at
normal speeds can cause a sud-
den loss of control of the vehi-
cle. If you must use the parking
brake to stop the vehicle, use
great caution in applying the
brake.
WARNING -
Brakes
Do not drive with your foot resting on the brake pedal.
This will create abnormal high
brake temperatures, exces-
sive brake lining and pad
wear, and increased stopping
distances.
When descending a long or steep hill, shift to a lower gear
and avoid continuous applica-
tion of the brakes. Continuous
brake application will cause
the brakes to overheat and
could result in a temporary
loss of braking performance.
(Continued)
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Disc brakes wear indicator Your vehicle has disc brakes.
When your brake pads are worn and
it's time for new pads, you will hear a
high-pitched warning sound from
your front brakes or rear brakes (if
equipped). You may hear this sound
come and go or it may occur when-
ever you depress the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving
conditions or climates may cause a
brake squeal when you first apply (or
lightly apply) the brakes. This is nor-
mal and does not indicate a problem
with your brakes.
WARNING
- Brake wear
This brake wear warning sound
means your vehicle needs serv-
ice. If you ignore this audible
warning, you will eventually lose
braking performance, which
could lead to a serious accident.
CAUTION
Always replace brake pads as complete front or rear axle sets.
(Continued)
Wet brakes may result in the vehicle not slowing down at
the usual rate and pulling to
one side when the brakes are
applied. Applying the brakes
lightly will indicate whether
they have been affected in this
way. Always test your brakes
in this fashion after driving
through deep water. To dry the
brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe for-
ward speed until brake per-
formance returns to normal.
CAUTION
To avoid costly brake repairs, donot continue to drive with wornbrake pads.
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Driving your vehicle
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
(if equipped)
The ABS system continuously sens-
es the speed of the wheels. If the
wheels are going to lock, the ABS
system repeatedly modulates the
hydraulic brake pressure to the
wheels.
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may lock the
wheels, you may hear a “tik-tik’’
sound from the brakes, or feel a cor-
responding sensation in the brake
pedal. This is normal and it means
your ABS system is active.
In order to obtain the maximum ben-
efit from your ABS system in an
emergency situation, do not attempt
to modulate your brake pressure and
do not try to pump your brakes.
Press your brake pedal as hard as
possible or as hard as the situation
warrants and allow the ABS system
to control the force being delivered to
the brakes.
WARNING
- ABS Brakes
Your ABS is not a substitute for
good driving judgement. You
can still have an accident. In
fact, your ABS system will prob-
ably not be able to prevent an
accident in the following driving
conditions:
Dangerous driving, such as neglecting safety precautions,
speeding, or driving too close
to the vehicle in front of you.
Driving at high speed in situa- tions providing considerably
less traction, such as wet con-
ditions where hydroplaning
could occur.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Driving too fast on poor roadsurfaces. The ABS is designed
to improve maximum braking
effectiveness on typical high-
ways and roads in good con-
dition. On poor road surfaces
in poor condition, the ABS
may actually reduce braking
effectiveness.