
Driving your vehicle
4
5
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 30 sec-onds when the door is closed. Ignition switch position
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 towardthe LOCK position.
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, turnthe key while turning the steering wheel
right and left to release the tension.
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 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.
KEY POSITIONS
OED046001OED046002
ACC
ON
START
LOCK
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Driving your vehicle
Starting the engine
✽✽
NOTICE - Kick down mecha- nism (if equipped)
If your vehicle is equipped with a kick down mechanism in the 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
at full throttle and the accelerator pedal
will be easier to depress. This is not amalfunction but a normal condition.
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 anaccident.
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 st
gear for the
manual transaxle or P (Park) for
the automatic transaxle, set the
parking brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and sud-
den vehicle movement may occurif 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 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).
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57
Driving your vehicle
3. Turn the ignition switch to the ON posi-tion 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 switch once more to
the LOCK position for 10 seconds, and
then to the ON position, in order to pre-heat again.
Starting and stopping the engine for tur-
bocharger intercooler
1. Do not race or accelerate the engine immediately after starting.
If the engine is cold, idle for several
seconds before sufficient lubrication isensured 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.
W-60
Glow indicator light
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 tur-bocharger unit.
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Driving your vehicle
18
5
Manual transaxle operation
The manual transaxle has 5 (6, if
equipped) forward gears.
This shift pattern is imprinted on the shift
knob. The transaxle is fully synchronized
in all forward gears so shifting to either a
higher or a lower gear is easily accom-plished.
Depress the clutch pedal down fully while
shifting, then release it slowly.
If your vehicle is equipped with an igni-
tion lock system, the engine will not start
when starting the engine withoutdepressing the clutch pedal.
The shift lever must return to the Neutral
position before shifting into R (Reverse).
The button (1) located immediately below
the shift knob must be pulled upward
while moving the shift lever to the R
(Reverse) 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)
CAUTION
When downshifting from 5th (Fifth) gear to 4th (Fourth) gear,
caution should be taken not toinadvertently move the shift leversideways in such a manner that second gear is engaged. Such a
drastic downshift may cause the engine speed to increase to thepoint that the tachometer will
enter the red-zone. Such over-revving of the engine may possi- bly cause engine and transaxledamage.
Do not downshift more than 2 gears or downshift the gear whenthe engine is running at highspeed (5,000 RPM or higher).
Such a downshifting may damagethe engine and the transaxle.
OED050001
The shift lever can be moved without pulling
the button (1).
The button (1) must be pulled up while mov-
ing the shift lever.
* The actual shift lever in the vehicle may
differ from the illustration.
■ Type A
■ Type B
NN
NN
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Driving your vehicle
During cold weather, shifting may bedifficult 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 (First) or R
(Reverse), leave the shift lever at
Neutral position and release the clutch.
Depress the clutch pedal back down,and then shift into 1st (First) or R
(Reverse) gear position.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 park-
ing 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 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 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 parking brake fully
and shut the engine off. Thenmake sure the transaxle is shifted
into 1st (First) 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 pre-
cautions are not followed in the
order identified.
If your vehicle has a manual transaxle not equipped with a
ignition lock switch, it may moveand cause a serious accident
when starting the engine without
depressing the clutch pedal whilethe parking brake is released and
the shift lever not in the Neutralposition.
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Driving your vehicle
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.
✽✽NOTICE
The first few shifts on a new vehicle, if the battery has been disconnected, may
be somewhat abrupt. This is a normalcondition, and the shifting sequence will
adjust after shifts are cycled a few times
by the TCM (Transaxle Control
Module) or PCM (Powertrain ControlModule).
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
OYN059005
Depress the brake pedal when shifting, if your vehicle is equipped shift lock system.
The shift lever can be moved freely.
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Driving your vehicle
22
5
For smooth operation, depress the brake
pedal when shifting from N (Neutral) to aforward or reverse gear.Transaxle ranges
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into P (Park). This position locks
the transaxle and prevents the frontwheels from rotating.
WARNING - Automatic
transaxle
Always check the surrounding areas near your vehicle for peo-
ple, especially children, beforeshifting a car 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 movementcan 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 thebrakes on.
When stopped on an upgrade, do not hold the vehicle with enginepower. 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 isabove idle speed.
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
and set the parking brake fully.
Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle.
CAUTION
The transaxle may be damaged if
you shift into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion.
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Driving your vehicle
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward. N (Neutral)
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.D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving posi-
tion. The transaxle will automatically shift
through a 4-gear sequence, providing the
best fuel economy and power.
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing grades, depress the
accelerator fully, at which time the
transaxle will automatically downshift to
the next lower gear.
✽✽
NOTICE
Always ensure vehicle is stationary, at a
complete stop, before selecting D(Drive).
3 (Third Gear)
Move the shift lever to this position for
towing a trailer when climbing up a hill.
This position also provides engine brak-
ing when going down hills. 2 (Second Gear)
Use 2 (Second Gear) for more power
when climbing hills and for increased
braking when going down hills. This posi-tion also helps reduce wheel spin on slip-
pery surfaces. When the shift lever is
placed in 2 (Second Gear), the transaxlewill automatically shift from first to sec-
ond gear. 1 (First Gear)
Move the shift lever to this position in
hard pulling situations and for climbing
steep grades.
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(Reverse) while the vehicle is inmotion, except as explained in “Rocking the vehicle” in this sec-
tion.
CAUTION
Do not exceed the recommendedmaximum speeds in 2 (SecondGear) or 1 (First Gear). Operating
the vehicle at speeds above themaximum recommended for 2 (Second Gear) or 1 (First Gear) maycause excessive heat to develop
which could result in damage or failure of the automatic transaxle.
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