55
Driving your vehicle
Starting the petrol engine
1. Make sure the hand brake is applied. 2.Manual Transaxle - Depress the
clutch pedal fully and shift the
transaxle into Neutral. Keep the clutch
pedal and brake pedal depressed
while turning the ignition switch to the
start position.
Automatic Transaxle - Place the
transaxle shift lever in P (Park).
Depress the brake pedal fully.
You can also start the engine when
the shift lever is in the N (Neutral)position.
3. Turn the ignition switch to START and hold it there until the engine starts (a
maximum of 10 seconds), then
release the key. 4. In extremely cold weather (below
-18°C / 0°F) or after the vehicle has
not been operated for several days, let
the engine warm up without depress-
ing the accelerator.
Whether the engine is cold or warm, it
should be started without depressing
the accelerator.
WARNING - Ignition key
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 anaccident.
The anti-theft steering column lock is not a substitute for the hand
brake. Before leaving the driver’s
seat, always make sure the shift
lever is engaged in P (Park) for theautomatic transaxle and set the
hand brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and sud-
den vehicle movement may occurif these precautions are not taken.
Never reach for the ignition switch, or any other controls through the
steering wheel while the vehicle is
in motion. The presence of yourhand or arm in this area could
cause a loss of vehicle control, an
accident and serious bodily injuryor death.
Do not place any movable objects around the driver’s seat as they
may move while driving, interferewith the driver and lead to an acci-dent.WARNING
Always wear appropriate shoes
when operating your vehicle.
Unsuitable shoes (high heels, ski
boots,etc.) may interfere with yourability to use the brake and acceler-
ator pedal, and the clutch (ifequipped).
CAUTION
If the engine stalls while you are in motion, do not attempt to move theshift lever to the P (Park) position. Iftraffic and road conditions permit, you may put the shift lever in the N
(Neutral) position while the vehicleis still moving and turn the ignition switch to the START position in an
attempt to restart the engine.
STARTING THE ENGINE
CAUTION
Do not crank the engine for morethan 10 seconds. If the engine stalls or fails to start, wait 5 to 10 secondsbefore cranking the engine again. Improper use of the starter motormay cause damage to it.
Driving your vehicle
6
5
Manual transaxle operation
The manual transaxle has 5 forward
gears.
This shift pattern is imprinted on the shift
knob. The transaxle is fully synchronised
in all forward gears so shifting to either a
higher or a lower gear is easily accom-plished.
Press the clutch pedal down fully while
shifting, then release it slowly.
The gearshift lever must be returned to
the neutral position before shifting into R
(Reverse). The ring located immediately
below the shift knob must be pulled
upward while moving the shift lever to theR position.
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before shifting into R (Reverse).
Never operate the engine with thetachometer (rpm) in the red zone.
MANUAL TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
OHD056002
The ring (1) must be pulled up while moving the shift lever.
The shift lever can be moved without pulling the ring (1).
57
Driving your vehicle
To shift into reverse, rest the lever inneutral for at least 3 seconds after your
car is completely stopped. Then move
the lever into the reverse position.
During cold weather, shifting may be difficult until the transaxle lubricant has
warmed up. This is normal and not
harmful to the transaxle.
If you've come to a complete stop and it's hard to shift into 1st or R(Reverse),
put the shift lever in N(Neutral) position
and release the clutch. Press the
clutch pedal back down, and then shift
into 1st or R(Reverse) gear position.CAUTION
When downshifting from fifth
gear to fourth gear, cautionshould be taken not to inadver-tently press the gear shift lever
sideways in such a manner thatsecond gear is engaged. Such a drastic downshift may cause theengine speed to increase to the
point that the tachometer will enter the red-zone. Such over-revving of the engine may possi- bly cause engine damage.
Do not downshift more than 2 gears or downshift the gear whenthe engine is running at high speed (5,000 RPM or higher).
Doing so may damage the engine.
CAUTION
To avoid premature clutch wear and damage, do not drive withyour foot resting on the clutch
pedal. Also, don’t use the clutchto hold the vehicle stopped on an uphill grade, while waiting for atraffic light, etc.
Do not use the shift lever as a handrest during driving, as thiscan result in premature wear of the transaxle shift forks.
WARNING
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always set the hand brake fully and
shut the engine off. Then make sure
the transaxle is shifted into 1st gear
when the vehicle is parked on a
level or uphill grade, and shifted
into R (Reverse) on a downhill
grade. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur if
these precautions are not followed
in the order identified.
Driving your vehicle
8
5
Using the clutch
The clutch should be pressed all the way
to the floor before shifting, then released
slowly. The clutch pedal should always be
fully released while driving. Do not rest
your foot on the clutch pedal while driv-
ing. This can cause unnecessary wear.
Do not partially engage the clutch to hold
the car on an incline. This causes unnec-
essary wear. Use the foot brake or hand
brake to hold the car on an incline. Do not
operate the clutch pedal rapidly and
repeatedly.
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy traf-
fic or while driving up steep hills, down-
shift before the engine starts to labour.
Downshifting reduces the chance of
stalling and gives better acceleration
when you again need to increase your
speed. When the vehicle is travelling
down steep hills, downshifting helps
maintain safe speed and prolongs brake
life. Good driving practices
Never take the car out of gear and
coast down a hill. This is extremely
hazardous. Always leave the car in
gear.
Don't "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and malfunction.
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. This will help avoid over-revving
the engine, which can cause damage.
Slow down when you encounter cross winds. This gives you much better con-
trol of your car.
Be sure the car is completely stopped before you attempt to shift into reverse.
The transaxle can be damaged if you
do not. To shift into reverse, depress
the clutch, move the shift lever to neu-
tral, wait three seconds, then shift to
the reverse position.
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.
WARNING
Always buckle-up! In a collision, an unbelted occupant is signifi-
cantly more likely to be seriously
injured or killed than a properlybelted 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.
525
Driving your vehicle
The cruise control system allows you to
program the vehicle to maintain a con-
stant speed without resting your foot on
the accelerator pedal.
With cruise control, you can set and
automatically maintain any speed of
between 40 km/h and 160 km/h.To set cruise control speed:
1. Push the CRUISE ON-OFF button onthe steering wheel to turn the system
on. The CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster will illuminate.
2. Accelerate to the desired speed, which must be more than 40 km/h and lessthan 160 km/h.
CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING
If the cruise control is left on, (CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster illuminated)
the cruise control can be
switched on accidentally. Keep
the cruise control system off
(CRUISE indicator light OFF)
when the cruise control is not in
use, to avoid inadvertently set-ting a speed.
Use the cruise control system only when travelling on open
highways in good weather.
Do not use the cruise control when it may not be safe to keep
the car at a constant speed, for
instance, driving in heavy or
varying traffic, or on slippery
(rainy, icy or snow-covered) or
winding roads or over 6% up-hill
or down-hill roads.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Pay particular attention to thedriving conditions whenever
using the cruise control system.
During cruise-speed driving of a manual transaxle vehicle, do notshift into neutral without
depressing the clutch pedal,
since the engine will be over-
revved. If this happens, depress
the clutch pedal or release the
cruise control ON/OFF switch.
During normal cruise control operation, when the SET switch
is activated or reactivated after
applying the brakes, the cruise
control will energise after approx-
imately 3 seconds. This delay isnormal.
OHD056010L
527
Driving your vehicle
To temporarily accelerate with the
cruise control on:
If you want to speed up temporarily when
the cruise control is on, depress the
accelerator pedal. Increased speed will
not interfere with cruise control operationor change the set speed.
To return to the set speed, take your foot
off the accelerator.To cancel cruise control, do one
of the following:
Press the brake pedal.
Press the clutch pedal with an manualtransaxle.
Shift into N (Neutral) with an automatic transaxle.
Press the CANCEL switch located on the steering wheel.
Decrease the vehicle speed lower than the memory speed by 15 km/h.
Decrease the vehicle speed to less than 40 km/h.Each of these actions will cancel cruise
control operation (the SET indicator light in the instrument cluster will go off), but it
will not turn the system off. If you wish to resume cruise control operation, pushthe RES/ACCEL switch located on your
steering wheel. You will return to yourpreviously preset speed.
OHD056013L
529
Driving your vehicle
Your vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where you
drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how many
kilometers you can get from a litre of fuel.
To operate your vehicle as economically
as possible, use the following driving
suggestions to help save money in bothfuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moder-ate rate. Don't make “kangaroo” starts or full-throttle shifts and maintain a
steady cruising speed. Don't race
between stoplights. Try to adjust your
speed to that of the other traffic so you
don't have to change speeds unneces-
sarily. Avoid heavy traffic whenever
possible. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from other vehicles so you can
avoid unnecessary braking. This also
reduces brake wear.
Drive at a moderate speed. The faster you drive, the more fuel your car uses.
Driving at a moderate speed, especial-
ly on the highway, is one of the most
effective ways to reduce fuel consump-tion. Don't "ride" the brake or clutch pedal.
This can increase fuel consumption
and also increase wear on these com-
ponents. In addition, driving with your
foot resting on the brake pedal may
cause the brakes to overheat, which
reduces their effectiveness and may
lead to more serious consequences.
Take care of your tyres. Keep them inflated to the recommended pressure.
Incorrect inflation, either too much or
too little, results in unnecessary tyre
wear. Check the tyre pressures at leastonce a month.
Be sure that the wheels are aligned correctly. Improper alignment can
result from hitting curbs or driving too
fast over irregular surfaces. Poor align-
ment causes faster tyre wear and may
also result in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption.
Keep your car in good condition. For better fuel economy and reduced
maintenance costs, maintain your carin accordance with the maintenance
schedule in Section 7. If you drive your
car in severe conditions, more frequentmaintenance is required (see Section
7 for details). Keep your car clean. For maximum
service, your vehicle should be kept
clean and free of corrosive materials. It
is especially important that mud, dirt,
ice, etc. not be allowed to accumulate
on the underside of the car. This extra
weight can result in increased fuel con-
sumption and also contribute to corro-sion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary weight in your car. Weight reduces fuel
economy.
Don't let the engine idle longer than necessary. If you are waiting (and not
in traffic), turn off your engine and
restart only when you're ready to go.
Remember, your vehicle does not require extended warm-up. After the
engine has started, allow the engine to
run for 10 to 20 seconds prior to plac-
ing the vehicle in gear. In very cold
weather, however, give your engine a
slightly longer warm-up period.
Don't “labour” or “over-rev” the engine. Labouring is driving too slowly in toohigh a gear resulting in the engine
bucking. If this happens, shift to a lower
gear. Over-revving is racing the engine
beyond its safe limit. This can be avoid-
ed by shifting at the recommended
speeds.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION
7
Engine compartment / 7-2 Maintenance services / 7-3
Owner maintenance / 7-4Scheduled maintenance service / 7-6Explanation of scheduled maintenance items / 7-13Engine oil / 7-16Engine coolant / 7-17Brake and clutch fluid / 7-19Automatic transaxle fluid / 7-20
Washer fluid / 7-22Hand brake / 7-22
Air cleaner / 7-23
Climate control air filter / 7-25
Wiper blades / 7-27Battery / 7-29
Tyres and wheels / 7-32 Fuses / 7-41 Light bulbs / 7-50
Appearance care / 7-56
Emission control system / 7-62
Maintenance