
53
Driving your vehicle
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outside mir-
ror(s), and outside lights are clean.
• Check the condition of the tires.
• Check under the vehicle for any sign of
leaks.
• Be sure there are no obstacles behind
you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid, and washer fluid
should be checked on a regular basis,
with the exact interval depending on the
fluid. Further details are provided in sec-
tion 7, “Maintenance”.
Before starting
• Close and lock all doors.
• Position the seat so that all controls are
easily reached.
• Adjust the inside and outside rearview
mirrors.
• Be sure that all lights work.
• Check all gauges.
• Check the operation of warning lights
when the ignition switch is turned to
the ON position.
• Release the parking brake and make
sure the brake warning light goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are famil-
iar with your vehicle and its equipment.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING
All passengers must be properly
belted whenever the vehicle is mov-
ing. Refer to “Seat belts” in section
3 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 D (Drive) or R (Reverse).
WARNING
Driving while distracted can result
in a loss of vehicle control, that
may lead to an accident, severe
personal injury, and death. The dri-
ver’s primary responsibility is in
the safe and legal operation of a
vehicle, and use of any handheld
devices, other equipment, or vehi-
cle systems which take the driver’s
eyes, attention and focus away
from the safe operation of a vehicle
or which are not permissible by law
should never be used during oper-
ation of the vehicle.
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55
Driving your vehicle
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 toward
the 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, turn
the 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
OFS050001 ACCON
START
LOCK
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 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 occur
if these precautions are not taken.
(Continued)
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59
Driving your vehicle
ACC(Accessory)
• With manual transaxle
Press the ENGINE START/STOP button
when the button is in the OFF position
without depressing the clutch pedal.
• With automatic transaxle/DCT
Press the ENGINE START/STOP button
while it is in the OFF position without
depressing the brake pedal.
The steering wheel unlocks and electri-
cal accessories are operational.
If the ENGINE START/STOP button is in
the ACC position for more than 1 hour,
the button turns off automatically to pre-
vent battery discharge.
ON
• With manual transaxle
Press the ENGINE START/STOP button
when the button is in the ACC position
without depressing the clutch pedal.
• With automatic transaxle/DCT
Press the ENGINE START/STOP button
while it is in the ACC position without
depressing the brake pedal.
The warning lights can be checked
before the engine is started. Do not leave
the ENGINE START/STOP button in the
ON position for a long time. The battery
may discharge, because the engine is
not running.
CAUTION
You are able to turn off the engine
(START/RUN) or vehicle power (ON),
only when the vehicle is not in
motion. In an emergency situation
while the vehicle is in motion, you
are able to turn the engine off and
to the ACC position by pressing the
ENGINE START/STOP button for
more than 2 seconds or 3 times
successively within 3 seconds. If
the vehicle is still moving, you can
restart the engine without depressing
the brake pedal by pressing the
ENGINE START/STOP button with the
shift lever in the N (Neutral) position.
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513
Driving your vehicle
Your vehicle may be equipped with the
ISG system, which reduces fuel con-
sumption by automatically shutting down
the engine, when the vehicle is at a
standstill. (For example : red light, stop
sign and traffic jam)
The engine starts automatically as soon
as the starting conditions are met.The ISG system is ON whenever the
engine is running.
✽NOTICE
When the engine automatically starts by
the ISG system, some warning lights
(ABS, ESP, ESP OFF, EPS or Parking
brake warning light) may turn on for a
few seconds.
This happens because of low battery
voltage. It does not mean the system is
malfunctioning.
Auto stop
To stop the engine in idle stop mode
1. Decrease the vehicle speed to less
than 5 km/h.
2. Shift into N (Neutral) position.
3. Release the clutch pedal.
The engine will stop and the green AUTO
STOP indicator ( ) on the instrument
cluster will illuminate. If your vehicle is
equipped with a supervision cluster, the
notice will illuminate on the LCD display.
ISG (IDLE STOP AND GO) SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
OFS052029L
OFS052024L
OFS052055L
■Type A
■Type B
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533
Driving your vehicle
ESP operation
ESP ON condition
• When the ignition is turned
ON, ESP and ESP OFF indi-
cator lights illuminate for
approximately 3 seconds,
then ESP is turned on.
• Press the ESP OFF button for
at least half a second after
turning the ignition ON to turn
ESP off. (ESP OFF indicator
will illuminate). To turn the
ESP on, press the ESP OFF
button (ESP OFF indicator
light will go off).
• When starting the engine,
you may hear a slight ticking
sound. This is the ESP per-
forming an automatic system
self-check and does not indi-
cate a problem.When operating
When the ESP is in operation,
ESP indicator light blinks.
• When the Electronic Stability
Program is operating proper-
ly, you can feel a slight pulsa-
tion in the vehicle. This is only
the effect of brake control and
indicates nothing unusual.
• When moving out of the mud
or slippery road, depressing
the accelerator pedal may not
cause the engine rpm (revo-
lutions per minute) to
increase.
ESP operation off
ESP OFF state
• To cancel ESP operation,
press the ESP OFF button
(ESP OFF indicator light illu-
minates).
• If the ignition switch is turned
to the LOCK position when
ESP is off, ESP remains off.
Upon restarting the engine,
the ESP will automatically
turn on again.
-
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543
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 (miles) you can get from a
liter (gallon) of fuel. To operate your vehi-
cle as economically as possible, use the
following driving suggestions to help
save money in both fuel and repairs:
• Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moder-
ate rate. Don't make "jack-rabbit" starts
or full-throttle shifts and maintain a
steady cruising speed. Don't race
between stoplights. Try to adjust your
speed to the traffic so you don't have to
change speeds unnecessarily. Avoid
heavy traffic whenever possible.
Always maintain a safe distance from
other vehicles so you can avoid unnec-
essary braking. This also reduces
brake wear.
• Drive at a moderate speed. The faster
you drive, the more fuel your vehicle
uses. Driving at a moderate speed,
especially on the highway, is one of the
most effective ways to reduce fuel con-
sumption.• 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 tires. Keep them
inflated to the recommended pressure.
Incorrect inflation, either too much or
too little, results in unnecessary tire
wear. Check the tire pressures at least
once 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 tire wear and may
also result in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption.• Keep your vehicle in good condition.
For better fuel economy and reduced
maintenance costs, maintain your vehi-
cle in accordance with the mainte-
nance schedule in section 7. If you
drive your vehicle in severe conditions,
more frequent maintenance is required
(see section 7 for details).
• Keep your vehicle 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 vehicle. This
extra weight can result in increased
fuel consumption and also contribute
to corrosion.
• Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary
weight in your vehicle. 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.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION
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Driving your vehicle
46 5
✽NOTICE
The ESP system (if equipped) should be
turned OFF prior to rocking the vehicle.
Smooth cornering
Avoid braking or gear changing in cor-
ners, especially when roads are wet.
Ideally, corners should always be taken
under gentle acceleration. If you follow
these suggestions, tire wear will be held
to a minimum.
Driving at night
Because night driving presents more
hazards than driving in the daylight, here
are some important tips to remember:
• Slow down and keep more distance
between you and other vehicles, as it
may be more difficult to see at night,
especially in areas where there may
not be any street lights.
WARNING- Spinning tires
Do not spin the wheels, especially
at speeds more than 56 km/h (35
mph). Spinning the wheels at high
speeds when the vehicle is station-
ary could cause a tire to overheat
which could result in tire damage
that may injure bystanders.
OFS052042LOMC035004
WARNING
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
operation the vehicle may suddenly
move forward of backward as it
becomes unstuck, causing injury
or damage to nearby people or
objects.
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547
Driving your vehicle
• Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glare
from other driver's headlights.
• Keep your headlights clean and prop-
erly aimed on vehicles not equipped
with the automatic headlight aiming
feature. Dirty or improperly aimed
headlights will make it much more diffi-
cult to see at night.
• Avoid staring directly at the headlights
of oncoming vehicles. You could be
temporarily blinded, and it will take
several seconds for your eyes to read-
just to the darkness.
Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not pre-
pared for the slick pavement. Here are a
few things to consider when driving in the
rain:
• A heavy rainfall will make it harder to
see and will increase the distance
needed to stop your vehicle, so slow
down.
• Keep your windshield wiping equip-
ment in good shape. Replace your
windshield wiper blades when they
show signs of streaking or missing
areas on the windshield.• If your tires are not in good condition,
making a quick stop on wet pavement
can cause a skid and possibly lead to
an accident. Be sure your tires are in
good shape.
• Turn on your headlights to make it eas-
ier for others to see you.
• Driving too fast through large puddles
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 oper-
ation returns.
Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no high-
er than the bottom of the wheel hub.
Drive through any water slowly. Allow
adequate stopping distance because
brake performance may be affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them several
times while the vehicle is moving slowly.
OFS052043L
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