2-13 FEATURES AND CONTROLS
78J00-03E
tion and park your vehicle, a chime will
sound, when you open the driver’s door.
Always remember to remove your key from
the ignition and take it with you. This will
lock your ignition and transaxle. Also,
always remember to lock the doors.
The battery could be drained if you leave
the key in the ignition while your vehicle is
parked. You may not be able to start your
vehicle after it has been parked for an
extended period of time.Retained Accessory Power (RAP)The vehicle has Retained Accessory
Power (RAP), which will allow your vehi-
cle’s radio and windows to work when the
ignition key is in RUN or ACC. Once the
key is turned from RUN to LOCK the radio
will continue to work 10 minutes or until the
driver’s door is opened. Also, the power
windows will continue to work for up to 10
minutes or until any door is opened.
Starting the EnginePlace the transaxle in the proper gear.
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEU-
TRAL (N). Your engine will not start in any
other position -- this is a safety feature. To
restart when you are already moving, use
NEUTRAL (N) only.
Starting Procedure
1) With your foot off the accelerator pedal,
turn the ignition key to START. When
the engine starts, let go of the key. The
idle speed will go down as your engine
gets warm. Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it. Operate
the engine and transaxle gently to allow
the oil to warm up and lubricate all mov-
ing parts.
Your vehicle has a Computer-Con-
trolled Cranking System. This feature
assists in starting the engine and pro-
tects components. If the ignition key is
turned to the START position, and then
released when the engine begins
cranking, the engine will continue
cranking for a few seconds or until the
vehicle starts. If the engine does not
start and the key is held in START for
many seconds, cranking will be stoppedafter 15 seconds to prevent cranking
motor damage. To prevent gear dam-
age, this system also prevents cranking
if the engine is already running. Engine
cranking can be stopped by turning the
ignition switch to the ACC or LOCK
position.
2) If the engine does not start after 5-10
seconds, especially in very cold
weather (below 0°F –18°C), it could be
flooded with too much gasoline. Try
pushing the accelerator pedal all the
way to the floor and holding it there as
you hold the key in START for up to a
maximum of 15 seconds. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try, to allow
the cranking motor to cool down. When
the engine starts, let go of the key and
accelerator. If the vehicle starts briefly
but then stops again, do the same
thing. This clears the extra gasoline
from the engine. Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it. Operate
the engine and transaxle gently until
CAUTION
Shifting into PARK (P) with the vehi-
cle moving could damage the tran-
saxle. Shift into PARK (P) only when
your vehicle is stopped.
CAUTION
Cranking the engine for long periods
of time, by returning the key to the
START position immediately after
cranking has ended, can overheat
and damage the cranking motor, and
drain the battery. Wait at least 15 sec-
onds between each try, to allow the
cranking motor to cool down.
4-13 DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
78J00-03E
does, your vehicle can leave the road in
less than a second, and you could crash
and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis?
First, be aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated,
with a comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road
ahead and to the sides. Check your
vehicle’s mirrors and instruments fre-
quently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a
rest, service, or parking area and take a
nap, get some exercise, or both. For
safety, treat drowsiness on the highway
as an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
806088
Driving on steep hills or mountains is differ-
ent from driving in flat or rolling terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep country, or if
you are planning to visit there, here are
some tips that can make your trips safer
and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check
all fluid levels and also the brakes, tires,
cooling system, and transaxle. These
parts can work hard on mountain roads. Know how to go down hills. The most
important thing to know is this: let your
engine do some of the slowing down.
Shift to a lower gear when you go down
a steep or long hill.
Know how to go uphill. You may want to
shift down to a lower gear. The lower
gears help cool your engine and tran-
saxle, and you can climb the hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on
two-lane roads in hills or mountains. Do
not swing wide or cut across the center
WARNING
If you do not shift down, the brakes
could get so hot that they would not
work well. You would then have poor
braking or even none going down a
hill. You could crash. Shift down to
let the engine assist the brakes on a
steep downhill slope.
WARNING
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or
with the ignition off is dangerous.
The brakes will have to do all the
work of slowing down. They could
get so hot that they would not work
well. You would then have poor brak-
ing or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Always have the
engine running and your vehicle in
gear when you go downhill.
5-38 SERVICE AND APPEARANCE CARE
78J00-03E
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a
drag that pulls the vehicle toward that side.
Take your foot off the accelerator pedal
and grip the steering wheel firmly. Steer to
maintain lane position, and then gently
brake to a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve,
acts much like a skid and may require the
same correction you would use in a skid. In
any rear blowout remove your foot from
the accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle
under control by steering the way you want
the vehicle to go. It may be very bumpy
and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop, well off the road if possi-
ble.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how
to use the jacking equipment to change a
flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat TireIf a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and
wheel damage by driving slowly to a level
place. Turn on your vehicle’s hazard warn-
ing flashers. Refer to “Hazard Warning
Flashers” in “Instrument Panel Overview”
in the “Instrument Panel” section for more
information.
When your vehicle has a flat tire, use the
following example as a guide to assist you
in the placement of wheel blocks.
809231
The following information will tell you next
how to use the jack and change a tire.
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
To access the tools, do the following:
1) Locate the jack and wheel wrench,
which are located on the passenger’s
side of the rear cargo area, behind an
access door. Pull out the access door
to reach them.
WARNING
Lifting a vehicle and getting under it
to do maintenance or repairs is dan-
gerous without the appropriate safety
equipment and training. The jack pro-
vided with your vehicle is designed
only for changing a flat tire. If it is
used for anything else, you or others
could be badly injured or killed if the
vehicle slips off the jack. Use the jack
provided with your vehicle only for
changing a flat tire.
WARNING
Changing a tire can be dangerous.
The vehicle can slip off the jack and
roll over or fall on you or other peo-
ple. You and they could be badly
injured or even killed. Find a level
place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1) Set the parking brake firmly.
2) Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
3) Turn off the engine and do not
restart while the vehicle is raised.
4) Do not allow passengers to
remain in the vehicle.
To be even more certain the vehicle
will not move, you should put blocks
at the front and rear of the tire far-
thest away from the one being
changed. That would be the tire, on
the other side, at the opposite end of
the vehicle.
6-13 MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE
78J00-03E
Owner Checks and ServicesThese owner checks and services should be performed at the intervals specified to help ensure the safety, dependability, and emission
control performance of your vehicle. Your dealer can assist you with these checks and services.
Be sure any necessary repairs are completed at once. Whenever any fluids or lubricants are added to your vehicle, make sure they are
the proper ones, as shown in “Recommended Fluids and Lubricants” in this section.
Check and Service Instruction Timing
Engine oil level check
Refer to “At Each Fuel Fill” in this section At each fuel fill Engine coolant level check
Windshield washer fluid level check
Tire inflation check
Refer to “At Least Once a Month” in this section At least once a month
Tire wear inspection
Starter switch check
Refer to “At Least Once a Year” in this section At least once a year Autimatic transaxle shift lock control system
check
Ignition transaxle lock check
Parking brake and automatic transaxle park (P)
mechanism check
Underbody flushing service