
Driving your vehicle4 4
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 judgement. 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.
WARNING
All passengers must be properly
belted whenever the vehicle is mov-
ing. Refer to pages: 3-59 through 3-
70 for more information on their
proper use.
WARNING
Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for people,
especially children, before putting a
car into “Drive” or “Reverse”.

45
Driving your vehicle
Illuminated ignition switch
(if equipped)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 10 sec-
onds when the door is closed.
Ignition switch and anti-theft
steering column lock Ignition switch positionLOCKThe 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.
ACC (Accessory)
The steering wheel is unlocked and elec-
trical accessories are operative.ON
The 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.START
Turn the ignition key to the START posi-
tion 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.✽ ✽
NOTICEIf difficulty is experienced turning the
ignition switch to the ACC position, turn
the key while turning the steering wheel
right and left to release the tension.
KEY POSITIONS
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WARNING
When you intend to park or stop the
vehicle with the engine on, be care-
ful not to depress the accelerator
pedal for a long period of time. It
may overheat the engine or exhaust
system and cause fire.

Driving your vehicle6 4
STARTING THE ENGINE 1. Make sure the parking brake is
applied.
2. 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
0°F / -18°C) 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 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 and set the
parking brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and sud-
den vehicle movement may occur
if 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 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.
WARNING
Always wear appropriate shoes
when operating your vehicle.
Unsuitable shoes (high heels, ski
boots,etc.) may interfere with your
ability to use the brake and acceler-
ator pedal.
CAUTION
If the engine stalls while you are in
motion, do not attempt to move the
shift lever to the P (Park) position. If
traffic and road conditions permit,
you may put the shift lever in the N
(Neutral) position while the vehicle
is still moving and turn the ignition
switch to the START position in an
attempt to restart the engine.
CAUTION
Do not engage the starter for more
than 10 seconds. If the engine stalls
out or fails to start, wait 5 to 10 sec-
onds before re-engaging the starter.
Improper use of the starter may
damage it.

Driving your vehicle8 4Automatic 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.✽ ✽
NOTICEThe first few shifts on a new vehicle, or
if the battery has been disconnected,
may be somewhat abrupt. This is a nor-
mal condition, and the shifting sequence
will adjust after shifts are cycled a few
times by the T.C.M (Transaxle Control
Module).
For smooth operation, depress the brake
pedal when shifting from N (Neutral) to a
forward or reverse gear.
WARNING
- Automatic
transaxle
Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for peo-
ple, especially children, before
putting a car into “Drive” or
“Reverse”.
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 iden-
tified.
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Automatic
mode
CAUTION
To avoid damage to your
transaxle, do not accelerate the
engine in R (Reverse) or any for-
ward gear position with the
brakes on.
When stopped on an upgrade, do
not hold the vehicle stationary
with 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.

49
Driving your vehicle
Transaxle rangesP (park)Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into P (Park). This position locks
the transaxle and prevents the front
wheels from rotating.
R (reverse)Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
(Continued)
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is in the P (PARK) position. Set
the parking brake fully, shut the
engine off and take the key with
you. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur if
you do not follow these precau-
tions in the order specified.
Never leave a child unattended in
a vehicle.
WARNING
Shifting into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion will cause the
drive wheels to lock which will
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle.
Do not use the P (Park) position
in place of the parking brake.
Always make sure the shift lever
is latched in the P (Park) position
so that it cannot be moved unless
the lock release button is pushed
in, AND set the parking brake
fully.
(Continued)
CAUTION
The transaxle may be damaged if
you shift into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R
(Reverse); you may damage the
transaxle if you shift into R while
the vehicle is in motion, except as
explained in “Rocking the Vehicle”,
in this manual.

411
Driving your vehicle
Moving up a steep grade from a
standing startTo move up a steep grade from a stand-
ing start, depress the brake pedal, shift
the shift lever to D (Drive). Select the
appropriate gear depending on load
weight and steepness of the grade, and
release the parking brake. Depress the
accelerator gradually while releasing the
service brakes.
When accelerating from a stop on a
steep hill, the vehicle may have a ten-
dency to roll backwards. Shifting the
shift lever into 2 (Second Gear) while
in Sports mode will help prevent the
vehicle from rolling backwards.
Good driving practices Never move the gear selector lever
from "P" or "N" to any other position
with the accelerator pedal depressed.
Never move the gear selector lever into
"P" when the vehicle is in motion.
Be sure the car is completely stopped
before you attempt to shift into "R".
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"
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.

Driving your vehicle12 4
Shift lock system For 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.
If the brake pedal is repeatedly
depressed and released with the shift
lever in the P (Park) position, a chattering
noise near the shift lever may be heard.
This is a normal condition.
Shift-lock overrideIf the shift lever cannot be moved from
the P (Park) position with the brake pedal
depressed, continue depressing the
brake, then do the following:
1. Carefully remove the cap covering the
shift-lock override access hole which is
located on the right side of the shift
lever.
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WARNING
Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while shifting out
of the "P" Park position into anoth-
er position to avoid inadvertent
motion of the vehicle which could
injure persons in or around the car.
CAUTION
If your vehicle becomes stuck in
snow, mud, sand, etc., then you may
attempt to rock the vehicle free by
moving it forward and backward. Do
not attempt this procedure if people
or objects are anywhere near the
vehicle. During the rocking opera-
tion the vehicle may suddenly move
forward of backward as it becomes
unstuck, causing injury or damage
to nearby people or objects.

Driving your vehicle14 4The cruise control system allows you to
program the vehicle to maintain a con-
stant speed without resting your foot on
the accelerator pedal.
This system is designed to function
above approximately 24 mph (40 km/h).
To set cruise control speed:1. Pull the CRUISE ON-OFF button on
the 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 24 mph (40 km/h).3. Push the COAST/SET switch, and
release it at the desired speed. The SET
indicator light in the instrument cluster
will illuminate. Release the accelerator
at the same time. The desired speed will
automatically be maintained.
The SET function cannot be activated until
approximately 2 seconds after the
CRUISE ON-OFF button has been
engaged.
On a steep grade, the vehicle may
momentarily slow down while going down-
hill.
CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING
- Cruise
control
Do not use the cruise control fea-
ture under the following conditions:
Heavy or unsteady traffic
Slippery or winding roads
Situations that involve varying
speeds
WARNING
If the cruise control is left on,
(CRUISE indicator light in the instru-
ment cluster illuminated) the cruise
control can be switched on acciden-
tally. Keep the cruise control system
off (CRUISE indicator light OFF) when
the cruise control is not in use, to
avoid inadvertently setting a speed.
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