Driving your vehicle
4 5
Ignition switch position
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LOCK
The 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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ACC (Accessory)
The steering wheel is unlocked and elec-
trical accessories are operative.
✽NOTICE
If 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.
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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.
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START
Turn 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 light can be checked in this posi-
tion.
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KEY POSITIONS
OPB059002
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 1
stgear for man-
ual transaxle or P (Park) for auto-
matic transaxle, set the parking
brake fully and shut the engine off.
Unexpected and sudden vehicle
movement may occur if these pre-
cautions 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.
Driving your vehicle
6 5
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Starting the diesel engine
To start the diesel engine when the
engine is cold, it has to be pre-heated
before starting the engine and then has
to be warmed up before starting to drive.
1. Make sure the parking brake is
applied.
2. 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.
3. Turn the ignition switch
to the ON position to pre-
heat the engine. Then
the glow indicator light
will illuminate.
4. If the glow indicator light goes out, turn
the ignition switch to the START posi-
tion and hold it there until the engine
starts (a maximum of 10 seconds),
then release the key.
✽ NOTICE
If the engine does not start within 10
seconds after the preheating is complet-
ed, turn the ignition key once more to
the LOCK position for 10 seconds, and
then to the ON position, in order to pre-
heat again.
✽ NOTICE - Kick down mechanism
If your vehicle is equipped with a kick
down mechanism in an accelerator
pedal,it prevents you from driving at
full throttle unintentionally by making
the driver require increased effort to
depress the accelerator pedal. However
if you depress the pedal more than
approximately 80% the vehicle can be
full throttle and the accelerator pedal
will be easier to depress.This is not a
malfunction but a normal condition.
Starting and stopping the engine for tur-
bocharger intercooler
1. Do not race or accelerate the engine
immediately after starting it.
If the engine is cold, idle it for several
seconds before sufficient lubrication is
ensured in the turbocharger unit.
2. After high speed or extended driving,
requiring a heavy engine load, idle the
engine about 1 minute before turning it
off.
This idle time will allow the tur-
bocharger to cool prior to shutting the
engine off.
CAUTION
Do not turn the engine off immedi-
ately after it has been subjected to
a heavy load. Doing so may cause
severe damage to the engine or
turbo charger unit.W-60
Driving your vehicle
8 5
• 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) posi-
tion and release the clutch. Depress
the clutch pedal back down, and then
shift into 1st or R (Reverse) gear posi-
tion.E050101APB
Using the clutch
The clutch should be depressed 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 driving. This can cause unneces-
sary wear. Do not partially engage the
clutch to hold the vehicle on an incline.
This causes unnecessary wear. Use the
foot brake or parking brake to hold the
vehicle on an incline. Do not operate the
clutch pedal rapidly and repeatedly.
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Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy traf-
fic or while driving up steep hills, down-
shift before the engine starts to labor.
Downshifting reduces the chance of
stalling and gives better acceleration
when you need to increase your speed
again. When the vehicle is traveling
down steep hills, downshifting helps
maintain safe speed and prolongs brake
life.
CAUTION
• To avoid premature clutch wear
and damage, do not drive with
your foot resting on the clutch
pedal. Also, don’t use the clutch
to hold the vehicle on an uphill
grade, while waiting for a traffic
light, etc.
• Do not use the shift lever as a
handrest during driving, as this
can result in premature wear of
the transaxle shift forks.
WARNING
• Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always set the parking 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.
• If your vehicle has a manual
transaxle not equipped with a
ignition lock switch, it may move
and cause a serious accident
when starting the engine without
depressing the clutch pedal while
the parking brake is released and
the shift lever not in the N
(Neutral) position.
Driving your vehicle
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AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
OPB059004R
Lock release button
Prevents shift lever movement
without first depressing the button.
O/D button
The lock release button must be pressed while moving the shift lever.
The shift lever can be moved without pressing the lock release button.
❈Always depress the brake pedal while shifting for your safety.
Depress the brake pedal and the lock release button when shifting. (If your vehicle is equipped with the shift lock system.)
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Driving your vehicle
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Automatic transaxle operation
The automatic transaxle has 4 forward
speeds and one reverse speed. The indi-
vidual speeds are selected automatically,
depending on the position of the shift
lever.
To move the shift lever from the P (Park)
position, the brake pedal must be
depressed and the lock release button
must be pressed.
✽NOTICE
The first few shifts on a new vehicle, if
the battery has been disconnected, may
be somewhat abrupt. This is a normal
condition, and the shifting sequence will
adjust after shifts are cycled a few times
by the TCM (Transaxle Control
Module) or PCM (Powertrain Control
Module).
For smooth operation, depress the brake
pedal when shifting from N (Neutral) to a
forward or reverse gear.
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Transaxle ranges
The indicator light in the instrument clus-
ter displays the shift lever position when
the ignition switch is in the ON position.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into P (Park). This position locks
the transaxle and prevents the front
wheels from rotating.
WARNING- Automatic
transaxle
• Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for peo-
ple, especially children, before
shifting a shift lever into D (Drive)
or R (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.
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 with engine
power. Use the service 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.
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Driving your vehicle
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O/D (Over Drive) system
(if equipped)
Pressing the O/D button cancels and
engages the overdrive system. When the
O/D system is cancelled, the O/D OFF
indicator illuminates and the transaxle
gear range is limited to 1st through 3rd.
The transaxle will not shift to the 4th gear
until the O/D button is pressed again to
release the switch.
When driving down a sloping road with
the transaxle in O/D (4th), you can
decrease the vehicle speed without
using the brakes by pressing the O/D
button.
When the ignition is switched OFF, the
O/D OFF mode is automatically can-
celled.O/D OFF Indicator
This indicator light illumi-
nates in the instrument panel
when the O/D mode is can-
celled.
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Shift lock system (if equipped)
For your safety, the automatic transaxle
has a shift lock system which prevents
shifting the transaxle out of P (Park) into
R (Reverse) unless the brake pedal is
depressed.
To shift the transaxle out of P (Park) into
R (Reverse):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Press 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.
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Ignition key interlock system
(if equipped)
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P (Park)
position.
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 people in or around the vehi-
cle.
OPB059005R
O/D
OFF
Driving your vehicle
24 5
• If your vehicle is equipped with an
automatic transaxle, don't let your
vehicle creep forward. To avoid creep-
ing forward, keep your foot firmly on
the brake pedal when the vehicle is
stopped.
• Be cautious when parking on a hill.
Firmly engage the parking brake and
place the shift lever in P (automatic
transaxle) or in first or reverse gear
(manual transaxle). If your vehicle is
facing downhill, turn the front wheels
into the curb to help keep the vehicle
from rolling. If your vehicle is facing
uphill, turn the front wheels away from
the curb to help keep the vehicle from
rolling. If there is no curb or if it is
required by other conditions to keep
the vehicle from rolling, block the
wheels.
• Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged posi-
tion. This is most likely to happen when
there is an accumulation of snow or ice
around or near the rear brakes or if the
brakes are wet. If there is a risk that
the parking brake may freeze, apply it
only temporarily while you put the shift
lever in P (automatic transaxle) or in
first or reverse gear (manual transaxle)
and block the rear wheels so the vehi-
cle cannot roll. Then release the park-
ing brake.• Do not hold the vehicle on the upgrade
with the accelerator pedal. This can
cause the transaxle to overheat.
Always use the brake pedal or parking
brake.