Driving your vehicle
16
5
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy traf-
fic or whilst driving up steep hills, down-
shift before the engine starts to labour.
Downshifting reduces the chance of
stalling and gives better acceleration
when you again need to increase your
speed. When the vehicle is travelling
down steep hills, downshifting helps
maintain safe speed and prolongs brake
life. Good driving practices
Never take the vehicle out of gear and
coast down a hill. This is extremely
hazardous. Always leave the vehicle in
gear.
Don't "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and malfunction.
Instead, when you are driving down a
long hill, shift to a lower gear. When
you do this, engine braking will help
slow down the vehicle.
Slow down before shifting to a lower gear. This will help avoid over-revving
the engine, which can cause damage.
Slow down when you encounter cross winds. This gives you much better con-
trol of your vehicle.
Be sure the vehicle is completely stopped before you attempt to shift into
reverse. The transaxle can be dam-
aged if you do not. To shift into reverse,
depress the clutch, move the shift lever
to neutral, wait three seconds, then
shift to the reverse position.
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.WARNING
Always buckle-up! In a collision, an unbelted occupant is signifi-
cantly more likely to be seriously
injured or killed than a properlybelted 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 re-enter 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 vehicle
18
5
For smooth operation, depress the brake
pedal when shifting from N (Neutral) to aforward or reverse gear.Transaxle ranges
The indicator in the instrument cluster
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 drivewheels 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 incline, do not hold the vehicle stationarywith 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 isabove idle speed.
WARNING
Shifting into P (Park) whilst 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.
Driving your vehicle
22
5
Always use the parking brake. Do not
depend on placing the transaxle in P
(Park) 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.
Moving up a steep grade from a stand-
ing start
To 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 whilst releasing the
service brakes.
WARNING
Always buckle-up! In a collision, an unbelted occupant is signifi-
cantly more likely to be seriously
injured or killed than a properlybelted 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 re-enter 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.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 orobjects.
Driving your vehicle
26
5
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) (if equipped)
* : Some countries use the term ESC(Electronic stability control) instead of
ESP. Please refer to the term your
country uses. The ABS continuously senses the speed
of the wheels. If the wheels are going to
lock, the ABS system repeatedly modu-
lates the hydraulic brake pressure to the
wheels.
When you apply your brakes under con-
ditions which may lock the wheels, you
may hear a groaning sound from the
brakes, or feel a pulsating sensation in
the brake pedal. This is normal and it
means your ABS is active.
In order to obtain the maximum benefit
from your ABS in an emergency situa-
tion, do not attempt to modulate your
brake pressure and do not try to pump
your brakes. Press the brake pedal as
hard as possible or as hard as the situa-
tion warrants and allows, the ABS con-
trols the force being delivered to the
brakes.
WARNING
ABS (or ESP/ESC*) will not prevent
accidents due to improper or dan-
gerous driving manoeuvres. Even
though vehicle control is improved
during emergency braking, always
maintain a safe distance between
you and objects ahead. Vehicle
speeds should always be reduced
during extreme road conditions.
The braking distance for vehicles
equipped with an anti-lock braking
system (or Electronic Stability
Program System/Electronic Stability
Control System*) may be longer than
for those without it in the following
road conditions.
During these conditions the vehicle should be driven at reducedspeeds:
Rough, gravel or snow-covered
roads.
With tyre chains installed. (Continued)
(Continued)
On roads where the road surfaceis pitted or has different surface height.
The safety features of an ABS (or
ESP/ESC*) equipped vehicle should
not be tested by high speed driving
or cornering. This could endanger
the safety of yourself or others.
Driving your vehicle
28
5
Electronic stability program (ESP) (if equipped)
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
system is designed to stabilize the vehicle
during cornering manoeuvres. ESP
checks where you are steering and where
the vehicle is actually going.
ESP applies the brakes at individual
wheels and intervenes in the engine
management system to stabilize the
vehicle. The Electronic Stability Program (ESP)system is an electronic system designed
to help the driver maintain vehicle control
under adverse conditions. It is not a
substitute for safe driving practices.
Factors including speed, road conditions
and driver steering input can all affect
whether ESP will be effective in
preventing a loss of control. It is still your
responsibility to drive and corner at
reasonable speeds and to leave a
sufficient margin of safety.
When you apply your brakes under con-
ditions which may lock the wheels, you
may hear a groaning sound from the
brakes, or feel a pulsating sensation in
the brake pedal. This is normal and it
means your ESP is active.
✽✽
NOTICE
A click sound may be heard in the
engine compartment when the vehicle
begins to move after the engine is start-
ed. These conditions are normal and
indicate that the Electronic Stability
Program System is functioning proper-
ly.
WARNING
Never drive too fast for the road
conditions or too quickly when cor-
nering. Electronic stability program
(ESP) will not prevent accidents.
Excessive speed in turns, abrupt
manoeuvres and hydroplaning onwet surfaces can still result in seri-
ous accidents. Only a safe and
attentive driver can prevent acci-
dents by avoiding manoeuvres that
cause the vehicle to lose traction.
Even with ESP installed, always fol-
low all the normal precautions for
driving - including driving at safe
speeds for the conditions.
ORB052009R
529
Driving your vehicle
ESP operation
ESP ON conditionON, ESP and ESP OFF indi-
cator lights illuminate for
approximately 3 seconds,
then ESP is turned on.
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 OFFindicator light will go off).
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.
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.
face with poor traction, the
engine rpm (revolutions per
minute) may not be increased
even if you press the acceler-
ator pedal further. This is tomaintain the stability and
traction of the vehicle and
does not indicate a problem.
ESP operation off
ESP OFF state
press the ESP OFF button (ESP OFF indicator light illu-minates).
to LOCK position when ESP
is off, ESP remains off. Upon
restarting the engine, the
ESP will automatically turn onagain.
-
Driving your vehicle
30
5
Indicator light
When ignition switch is turned to ON, the
indicator light illuminates, then goes off if
the ESP system is operating normally.
The ESP indicator light blinks whenever
ESP is operating or illuminates when
ESP fails to operate. ESP OFF indicator light comes on when
the ESP is turned off with the button.
ESP OFF usage
When driving
ESP should be turned on for daily driv-
ing whenever possible.
To turn ESP off whilst driving, press the ESP OFF button whilst driving on a
flat road surface.
Never press the ESP OFF button whilst
ESP is operating (ESP indicator light
blinks).
If ESP is turned off whilst ESP is operat-
ing, the vehicle may slip out of control.
✽✽ NOTICE
When operating the vehicle on a dynamometer, ensure that the ESP is
turned off (ESP OFF light illuminat-
ed).
Turning the ESP off does not affect
ABS or brake system operation.
■ESP indicator light
■ ESP OFF indicator light CAUTION
Driving with varying tyre or wheel
sizes may cause the ESP system to
malfunction. When replacing tyres,make sure they are the same size asyour original tyres.
WARNING
The Electronic Stability Program
system is only a driving aid; use
precautions for safe driving by
slowing down on curved, snowy, or
icy roads. Drive slowly and don’t
attempt to accelerate whenever the
ESP indicator light is blinking, or
when the road surface is slippery.
WARNING
Never press the ESP OFF button whilst ESP is operating. If the ESP is turned off whilst ESP
is operating, the vehicle may go out
of control.
To turn ESP off whilst driving,
press the ESP OFF button whilst
driving on a flat road surface.
531
Driving your vehicle
Electronic stability control (ESC*) (if equipped) The Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
system is designed to stabilize the
vehicle during cornering manoeuvres.
ESC checks where you are steering and
where the vehicle is actually going.
ESC applies the brakes at individual
wheels and intervenes with the engine
management system to stabilize the
vehicle.* Some countries use the term ESC
(Electronic stability control) instead of
ESP. Please refer to the term your
country uses. The Electronic Stability Control (ESC)system is an electronic system designed
to help the driver maintain vehicle control
under adverse conditions. It is not a
substitute for safe driving practices.
Factors including speed, road conditions
and driver steering input can all affect
whether ESC will be effective in
preventing a loss of control. It is still your
responsibility to drive and corner at
reasonable speeds and to leave a
sufficient margin of safety.
When you apply your brakes under con-
ditions which may lock the wheels, you
may hear a groaning sound from the
brakes, or feel a pulsating sensation in
the brake pedal. This is normal and it
means your ESC is active.
✽✽
NOTICE
A click sound may be heard in the
engine compartment when the vehicle
begins to move after the engine is start-
ed. These conditions are normal and
indicate that the Electronic Stability
Control System is functioning properly.
ORB052009R
WARNING
Never drive too fast for the road
conditions or too quickly when cor-
nering. Electronic stability control
(ESC) will not prevent accidents.
Excessive speed in turns, abrupt
manoeuvres and hydroplaning onwet surfaces can still result in seri-
ous accidents. Only a safe and
attentive driver can prevent acci-
dents by avoiding manoeuvres that
cause the vehicle to lose traction.
Even with ESC installed, always fol-
low all the normal precautions for
driving - including driving at safe
speeds for the conditions.