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Knowing your vehicle
✽ ✽NOTICEWhen you fold the rear seatback or
put luggage on the rear seat cushion,
insert the buckle in the pocket
between the rear seatback and cush-
ion. Doing so can prevent the buckle
from being damaged by the rear
seatback or luggage.
To unfold the rear seat:1. Move the rear center shoulder belt
(1) to the side so that it is clear of
the seatback.
2. Lift and push the seatback back- ward firmly until it clicks into place
(2).
Move and push the seat cushion
downward firmly to the proper
position (5 Door, if equipped).
3. Replace the rear safty belt to the proper position.
✽ ✽NOTICEIf the seat belt is locked during the
seatback folding, pull out and
retract the seat belt to release it.
1LDN3026A
1LDN3026B
CAUTION
When returning the rear seat-
backs to the upright position,remember to return the rearshoulder belts to their properposition.
Do not remove the floor carpet in your vehicle. Emission con-trol system componentscause high exhaust tempera-tures under the floor.
WARNING
- Cargo danger
Cargo should always be
secured to prevent it from shift-
ing and causing injury to the
vehicle occupants.
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Knowing your vehicle
3. Pull the shoulder portion of thesafety belt all the way out. When
the shoulder portion of the safety
belt is fully extended, it will shift
the retractor to the “Auto Lock”
(child restraint) mode. 4. Slowly allow the shoulder portion
of the safety belt to retract and lis-
ten for an audible “clicking” or
“ratcheting” sound. This indicates
that the retractor is in the “Auto
Lock” mode. If no distinct sound is
heard, repeat steps 3 and 4. 5. Remove as much slack from the
belt as possible by pushing down
on the child restraint system while
feeding the shoulder belt back into
the retractor.
6. Push and pull on the child restraint system to confirm that the safety
belt is holding it firmly in place. If it
is not, release the safety belt and
repeat steps 2 through 6.
"Click"
MMSA3029
MMSA3030
MMSA3028
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Driving your vehicle
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 immedi-
ate 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 1st gear for manual
transaxle or P (Park) for auto-
matic transaxle, set the park-
ing brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement
may occur if these precau-
tions are not taken.
(Continued)
WARNING
When you intend to park or stop
the vehicle with the engine on,
be careful not to depress the
accelerator pedal for a long
period of time. It may overheat
the engine or exhaust system
and cause fire.
(Continued)
Never reach for the ignitionswitch, 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 driv-
er and lead to an accident.
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Driving your vehicle64
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AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
OLD036019N
The lock release button must be depressed while moving the shift lever. Depress the brake pedal and push the button when shifting.The shift lever can be moved without depressing the lock release button.
Lock release button
Prevents shift lever movement
without first depressing the button.
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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 vehicle84
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Transaxle rangesP (park)This position locks the transaxle and
prevents the front wheels from rotat-
ing. Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into this position.
R (reverse)Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.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.
(Continued)
Before leaving the driver’sseat, 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 vehi-
cle movement can occur if you
do not follow these precau-
tions in the order specified.
WARNING
Shifting into P (Park) while thevehicle 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) posi- tion in place of the parking
brake. Always make sure the
shift lever is latched in the P
(Park) position so that it can-
not be moved unless the lock
release button is pushed in,
AND set the parking brake
fully.
(Continued)
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stopbefore shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage thetransaxle if you shift into Rwhile the vehicle is in motion,except as explained in “Rockingthe Vehicle”, in this manual.
CAUTION
The transaxle may be damagedif you shift into P (Park) whilethe vehicle is in motion.
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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 tips
Driving too fast through large pud-dles can affect your brakes. If you
must go through puddles, try to
drive through them slowly.
If you believe you may have gotten your brakes wet, apply them lightly
while driving until normal braking
operation returns.
Winter driving We recommend that you carryemergency equipment, including a
window scraper, windshield de-
icer, a bag of sand or salt, flares, a
small shovel and jumper cables.
Make sure you have sufficient eth- ylene-glycol coolant in the radiator.
Check the battery condition and cables. Cold temperatures reduce
the capacity of any battery, so it
must be in excellent condition to
provide enough winter starting
power.
Make sure the engine oil viscosity is suitable for cold weather.
Check the ignition system for loose connections and damage. Use antifreeze-formulated wind-
shield washer fluid. (Do not use
engine coolant antifreeze.)
Do not use the parking brake if it might freeze. When parking, shift
to 1 (First) or R (Reverse) with a
manual transaxle or P (Park) with
an automatic transaxle and block
the rear wheels.
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