Driving your vehicle
45
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Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all controls areeasily 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.
WARNING- Driving under
the influence of alcohol or
drugs
Drinking and driving is dangerous.
Drunk driving is the number one
contributor to the highway death
toll each year. Even a small amount
of alcohol will affect your reflexes,
perceptions and judgement.
Driving while under the influence of
drugs is as dangerous or more dan-
gerous than driving drunk.
You are much more likely to have a
serious accident if you drink or
take drugs and drive.
If you are drinking or taking drugs,
don’t drive. Do not ride with a driv-
er who has been drinking or taking
drugs. Choose a designated driver
or call a cab.
WARNING
When you intend to park or stop
the vehicle with the engine on, be
careful not to depress the accel-
erator pedal for a long period of
time. It may overheat the engine
or exhaust system and cause fire.
When you make a sudden stop or turn the steering wheel rapidly,
loose objects may drop on the
floor and it could interfere with
the operation of the foot pedals,
possibly causing an accident.
Keep all things in the vehicle
safely stored.
If you do not focus on driving, it may cause an accident. Be care-
ful when operating what may dis-
turb driving such as audio or
heater. It is the responsibility of
the driver to always drive safely.
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).
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Driving your vehicle
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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
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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 batterydischarge.
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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 lamp can be checked in this
position.
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KEY POSITIONS
Driving your vehicle
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Starting the engine
1. Make sure the parking brake is applied.
2.Manual Transaxle - 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.
Automatic Transaxle - Place the
transaxle shift lever in P (Park).
Depress the brake pedal fully.
You can also start the engine when the shift lever is in the N (Neutral) position.
3. Turn the ignition switch to START and
hold it there until the engine starts (a
maximum of 10 seconds), then
release the key. 4. In extremely cold weather (below
0°F / -18°C) or after the vehicle has
not been operated for several days, let
the engine warm up without depress-
ing the accelerator.
Whether the engine is cold or warm, itshould be started without depressing the accelerator.
CAUTION
Do not engage the starter for morethan 10 seconds. If the engine stallsor fails to start, wait 5 to 10 seconds before re-engaging the starter.Improper use of the starter may damage it.
CAUTION
If the engine stalls while you are inmotion, do not attempt to move theshift lever to the P (Park) position. If traffic and road conditions permit,you may put the shift lever in the N (Neutral) position while the vehicleis still moving and turn the ignitionswitch to the START position in an attempt to restart the engine.
WARNING
Always wear appropriate shoes
when operating your vehicle.
Unsuitable shoes (high heels, ski
boots,etc.) may interfere with your
ability to use the brake and acceler-
ator pedal, and the clutch (if
equipped).
STARTING THE ENGINE
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 P (Park) for the
automatic transaxle and set the
parking brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and sud-
den vehicle movement may occur
if these precautions 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 accident.
Driving your vehicle
85
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 or R(Reverse),
put the shift lever in N(Neutral) position
and release the clutch. Press the
clutch pedal back down, and then shift
into 1st or R(Reverse) gear position.E050101AUN
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.
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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 again need to increase your
speed. 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 withyour foot resting on the clutch pedal. Also, don’t use the clutchto hold the vehicle stopped on anuphill grade, while waiting for atraffic light, etc.
Do not use the shift lever as a handrest during driving, as thiscan result in premature wear ofthe 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.
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Driving your vehicle
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Good driving practices
Never take the car out of gear andcoast down a hill. This is extremely
hazardous. Always leave the car in
gear.
Don't "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and malfunction.
Instead, when you are driving down a
long hill, slow down and shift to a lower
gear. When you do this, engine braking
will help slow the car.
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 car.
Be sure the car is completely stopped before you attempt to shift into reverse.
The transaxle can be damaged if you
do not. To shift into reverse, depress
the clutch, move the shift lever to neu-
tral, 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 properly
belted 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 reenter 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
10
5
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AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
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The shift lever can be moved freely. Depress the brake pedal when shifting, if your vehicle is equipped shift lock system.
511
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.
✽ ✽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 aforward or reverse gear.
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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 front
wheels from rotating.
WARNING- Automatic transaxle
Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for peo-
ple, especially children, before
putting 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 movement
can occur if these precautions
are not followed in the order iden-
tified.
CAUTION
To avoid damage to your transaxle, do not accelerate theengine in R (Reverse) or any for- ward gear position with thebrakes on.
When stopped on an upgrade, 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.
Driving your vehicle
12
5
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward. N (Neutral)
The wheels and transaxle are not
engaged. 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 come to a complete stop before
shifting into D (Drive)
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 ifyou shift into P (Park) while the vehicle is in motion.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stopbefore shifting into or out of R (Reverse); you may damage thetransaxle if you shift into R whilethe vehicle is in motion, except asexplained in “Rocking the Vehicle”,in this section.