4121
Features of your vehicle
AntennaD300102AUNRoof antenna Your car uses a roof antenna to receive
both AM and FM broadcast signals. This
antenna is a removable type. To remove
the antenna, turn it counterclockwise. To
install the antenna, turn it clockwise.
D300200AENSteering wheel audio control
(if equipped) The steering wheel audio control button
is installed to promote safe driving.
AUDIO SYSTEM
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CAUTION
• Before entering a place with a low
height clearance, be sure that the
antenna is fully folded down or
removed.
Be sure to remove the antenna
before washing the car in an auto-
matic car wash or it may be dam-
aged.
When reinstalling your antenna, it
is important that it is fully tight-
ened and adjusted to the upright
position to ensure proper recep-
tion. But it could be folded or
removed when parking the vehi-
cle or when loading cargo on the
roof rack.
When cargo is loaded on the roof
rack, do not place the cargo near
the antenna pole to ensure proper
reception.
OEN046168L
CAUTION
Do not operate audio remote con-
trol buttons simultaneously.
Type A
Type B
Driving your vehicle4 5
E030100AENIlluminated ignition switch Whenever a front door is opened, the
ignition switch will be illuminated for your
convenience, provided the ignition switch
is not in the ON position. The light will go
off immediately when the ignition switch
is turned on or go off after about 30 sec-
onds when the door is closed.
Ignition switch positionE030201AUNLOCKThe steering wheel locks to protect
against theft. The ignition key can be
removed only in the LOCK position.
When turning the ignition switch to the
LOCK position, push the key inward at
the ACC position and turn the key toward
the LOCK position.
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OUN036002
WARNING
Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for people,
especially children, before putting a
car into D (Drive) or R (Reverse).
WARNING
- Driving under
the influence of alcohol or
drugs
Drinking and driving is dangerous.
Drunk driving is the number one
contributor to the highway death
toll each year. Even a small amount
of alcohol will affect your reflexes,
perceptions and judgment. Driving
while under the influence of drugs
is as dangerous or more dangerous
than driving drunk.
You are much more likely to have a
serious accident if you drink or
take drugs and drive.
If you are drinking or taking drugs,
don’t drive. Do not ride with a driv-
er who has been drinking or taking
drugs. Choose a designated driver
or call a cab.
KEY POSITIONS
55
Driving your vehicle
E030202AUNACC (Accessory)The steering wheel is unlocked and elec-
trical accessories are operative.✽ ✽
NOTICEIf difficulty is experienced in turning the
ignition switch to the ACC position, turn
the steering wheel right and left to
release the tension and then turn the
key.E030203AUNONThe warning lights can be checked
before the engine is started. This is the
normal running position after the engine
is started.Do not leave the ignition switch ON if the
engine is not running to prevent battery
discharge.
E030204AUNSTARTTurn the ignition switch to the START
position to start the engine. The engine
will crank until you release the key; then
it returns to the ON position. The brake
warning lamp can be checked in this
position.E030205AUN
WARNING -
Ignition
switch
Never turn the ignition switch to
LOCK or ACC while the vehicle is
moving. This would result in loss
of directional control and braking
function, which could cause an
accident.
The anti-theft steering column lock
is not a substitute for the parking
brake. Before leaving the driver’s
seat, always make sure the shift
lever is engaged in P (Park) for the
automatic transaxle, set the park-
ing brake fully and shut the engine
off. Unexpected and sudden vehi-
cle movement may occur if these
precautions are not taken.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Never reach for the ignition switch,
or any other controls through the
steering wheel while the vehicle is
in motion. The presence of your
hand or arm in this area could
cause a loss of vehicle control, an
accident and serious bodily injury
or death.
Do not place any movable objects
around the driver’s seat as they
may move while driving, interfere
with the driver and lead to an acci-
dent.
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Driving your vehicle
E060200AENGood driving practices Never move the gear shift lever from P
(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other posi-
tion with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
Never move the gear shift lever into P
(Park) when the vehicle is in motion.
Be sure the car is completely stopped
before you attempt to shift into R
(Reverse) or D (Drive).
Never take the car out of gear and
coast down a hill. This may be
extremely hazardous. Always leave the
car in gear when moving.
Do not "ride" the brakes. This can
cause them to overheat and malfunc-
tion. Instead, when you are driving
down a long hill, slow down and shift to
a lower gear. When you do this, engine
braking will help slow the car.
Slow down before shifting to a lower
gear. Otherwise, the lower gear may
not be engaged. Always use the parking brake. Do not
depend on placing the transaxle in P
(Park) to keep the car from moving.
Exercise extreme caution when driving
on a slippery surface. Be especially
careful when braking, accelerating or
shifting gears. On a slippery surface,
an abrupt change in vehicle speed can
cause the drive wheels to lose traction
and the vehicle to go out of control.
Optimum vehicle performance and
economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the accelera-
tor pedal.
WARNING
Always buckle-up! In a collision,
an unbelted occupant is signifi-
cantly more likely to be seriously
injured or killed than a properly
belted occupant.
Avoid high speeds when corner-
ing or turning.
Do not make quick steering
wheel movements, such as sharp
lane changes or fast, sharp turns.
The risk of rollover is greatly
increased if you lose control of
your vehicle at highway speeds.
Loss of control often occurs if
two or more wheels drop off the
roadway and the driver over-
steers to reenter the roadway.
In the event your vehicle leaves
the roadway, do not steer sharply.
Instead, slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.
Never exceed posted speed lim-
its.
515
Driving your vehicle
Occasional off-road use such as estab-
lished unpaved roads and trails is OK. It
is always important when traveling off-
highway that the driver carefully reduce
speed to a level that does not exceed the
safe operating speed for those condi-
tions. In general, off-road conditions pro-
vide less traction and braking effective-
ness than normal road conditions. The
driver must be especially alert to avoid
driving on slopes which tilt the vehicle to
either side.
These factors must be carefully consid-
ered when driving off-road. Keeping the
vehicle in contact with the driving surface
and under control in these conditions is
always the driver's responsibility for the
safety of him/herself and his or her pas-
sengers.
E170201AEN-EUTight corner brake effectThis is called tight corner brake effect.
Tight corner brake effect is a unique
characteristic of all wheel drive vehicles
caused by the difference in tire rotation at
the four wheels and the zero-degree
alignment of the front wheels and sus-
pension.
Sharp turns at low speeds should be car-
ried out with caution.
WARNING
- Off road driv-
ing
This vehicle is designed primarily
for on road use although it can
operate effectively off road.
However it was not designed for
driving in challenging off-road con-
ditions. Driving in conditions that
exceed the vehicle's intended
design or the driver's experience
level may result in severe injury or
death.
CAUTION -
AW D
When turning sharply on a paved
road at low speed while in all wheel
drive, steering control will be diffi-
cult.
Driving your vehicle18 5 You must consciously take the effort to
learn how to corner in an AWD vehicle.
Do not rely on your experience in con-
ventional 2WD vehicles in choosing
safe cornering speed in AWD mode.
For starters, you must drive more slow-
ly in AWD.
Drive carefully off-road because your
vehicle may be damaged by rocks or
roots of trees. Become familiar with the
off-road conditions where you are
going to drive before you begin driving.
Always hold the steering wheel firmly
when you are driving off-road.
Make sure all passengers are wearing
seat belts. If you need to drive in water, stop your
vehicle, set your transfer to the AWD
LOCK mode and drive at less than 5
mph (8 km/h).
WARNING
- AW D
Reduce speed when you turn cor-
ners. The center of gravity of AWD
vehicles is higher than that of con-
ventional 2WD vehicles, making
them more likely to roll over when
you turn corners too fast.
WARNING
- Steering
wheel
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.
You could lose control of the steer-
ing wheel.
WARNING
- Wind danger
If you are driving in heavy wind, the
vehicle's higher center of gravity
decreases your steering control
capacity and requires you to drive
more slowly.
WARNING
- Driving
through water
Drive slowly. If you are driving too
fast in water, the water spray can
get into the engine compartment
and wet the ignition system, caus-
ing your vehicle to suddenly stall. If
this happens and your vehicle is in
a tilted position, your vehicle may
roll over.
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519
Driving your vehicle
✽ ✽
NOTICE• Do not drive in water if the level is
higher than the bottom of the vehicle.
• Check your brake condition once you
are out of mud or water. Press the
brake pedal several times as you move
slowly until you feel normal braking
forces return.
• Shorten your scheduled maintenance
interval if you drive in off-road condi-
tions such as sand, mud or water (see
“Maintenance under severe usage
conditions” in section 7). Always wash
your car thoroughly after off road use,
especially cleaning the under side of
the vehicle.
• Since the driving torque is always
applied to the 4 wheels the perform-
ance of the AWD vehicle is greatly
affected by the condition of the tires.
Be sure to equip the vehicle with four
tires of the same size and type.
• A full time all wheel drive vehicle can-
not be towed by an ordinary tow
truck. Make sure that the vehicle is
placed on a flat bed truck for moving.
WARNING -
AWD driving
Avoid high cornering speed.
Do not make quick steering
wheel movements, such as sharp
lane changes or fast, sharp turns.
The risk of rollover is greatly
increased if you lose control of
your vehicle at high speed.
In a collision, an unbelted person
is significantly more likely to die
compared to a person wearing a
seat belt.
Loss of control often occurs if
two or more wheels drop off the
roadway and the driver over
steers to re-enter the roadway. In
the event your vehicle leaves the
roadway, do not steer sharply.
Instead, slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.
CAUTION -
Mud or snow
If one of the front or rear wheels
begins to spin in mud, snow, etc.
the vehicle can sometimes be driv-
en out by depressing the accelera-
tor pedal further; however avoid
running the engine continuously at
high rpm because doing so could
damage the AWD system.
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Driving your vehicle
E070100AUNPower 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 nor-
mally would. The stopping distance, how-
ever, 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 neces-
sary to maintain steering control on slip-
pery surfaces.
E070101AUNIn 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 distance, however, will be
much greater than normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING
- Brakes
Do not drive with your foot rest-
ing on the brake pedal. This will
create abnormal high brake tem-
peratures, excessive brake lining
and pad wear, and increased
stopping distances.
When descending a long or steep
hill, shift to a lower gear and
avoid continuous application of
the brakes. Continuous brake
application will cause the brakes
to overheat and could result in a
temporary loss of braking per-
formance.
Wet brakes may impair the vehi-
cle’s ability to sefely slow down;
the vehicle may also pull 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 forward
speed until brake performance
returns to normal.
WARNING
- Parking brake
Applying the parking brake while
the vehicle is moving at normal
speeds can cause a sudden loss of
control of the vehicle. If you must
use the parking brake to stop the
vehicle, use great caution in apply-
ing the brake.