53
Driving your vehicle
E020100AUN
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.
E020200AUN
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”. E020300BUN
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 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 judgment. Drivingwhile under the influence of drugs
is as dangerous or more dangerousthan 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 driveror call a cab.
WARNING
When you intend to park or stop the
vehicle with the engine on, be care-ful not to depress the accelerator
pedal for a long period of time. It
may overheat the engine or exhaust
system and cause fire.
Driving your vehicle
4
5
Ignition switch position
E030201AUN
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. E030202BUN
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.
E030203AUN
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.
E030204AUN
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 thisposition.
E030205APA
KEY POSITIONS
OPA057001WARNING -
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
manual transaxle or P (Park) for
automatic transaxle, set the park-
ing brake fully and shut the engine
off. Unexpected and sudden vehi-
cle movement may occur if theseprecautions are not taken.
(Continued)
Driving your vehicle
6
5
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 astandstill.
(For example : red light, stop sign and
traffic jam)
The engine starts automatically as soon
as the starting conditions are met.
✽✽
NOTICE
When the engine automatically starts by
the ISG system, some warning lights
(ABS, ESP, ESP OFF 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.
ISG (Idle Stop and Go) Operation
The ISG system is ON whenever the igni-
tion switch is turned on.
The engine will enter the idle stop (AUTO
STOP) mode automatically when all ofthe essential conditions are met. The gear is not engaged & clutch not
pressed
The vehicle speed should be over 10km/h at least once after key starting
or idle starting.
The vehicle speed should be below 5km/h
The outside temperature is between 2°C to 35°C
The engine coolant temperature is not too low
Battery charge status is adequately high
The driver's seat belt is fastened
The driver's door and hood are closed.
It could be different up to the vehicle con- dition.
ISG (IDLE STOP AND GO) SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
OPA050020
57
Driving your vehicle
When the engine automatically stops,
the "AUTO STOP" indicator on the clus-
ter panel will illuminate.
After you press the clutch pedal, the
engine will start automatically. The
"AUTO STOP" indicator on the cluster
panel will turn off. You can continue driv-ing.
ISG auto-starting
Before and after the engine enters the
idle stop mode, the ISG system will auto-
matically check all the necessary items
such as the safety of the vehicle and pas-
senger comfort.
The engine will start automatically with-
out the driver's action if any of the follow-ing occurs:
If the brake vacuum pressure is low
If the fan speed of the manual climatecontrol system is set above the 3rd position when the air conditioning is on
If the fan speed of the automatic cli- mate control system is set above the6th position when the air conditioningis on
When a certain amount of time has passed with the climate control systemon
When the defroster is ON
When the battery charge status is low
If the vehicle speed is over 5 km/h by rolling down a hill
It could be different up to the vehicle con-dition.
When the automatic starting occurs, the
"AUTO STOP" indicator on the cluster
will blink for 5 seconds. ISG (Idle Stop and Go) system
deactivation
If you desire to deactivate the ISG sys-
tem, you can do it temporarily by press-
ing the ISG OFF button. After pressing
the ISG OFF button, the button light will
illuminate. The ISG system will activate
by pressing the ISG OFF button again
and the button light will turn off.
OPA050022OPA050021
Driving your vehicle
10
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) position
and release the clutch. Press the
clutch pedal back down, and then shift
into 1st or R(Reverse) gear position. E050101AUNUsing 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.
CAUTION
To avoid premature clutch wear
and damage, do not drive with
your foot resting on the clutchpedal. 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 ofthe 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 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 canoccur 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 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 N(Neutral) position.
Driving your vehicle
14
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.
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.L (Low)
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 whilethe vehicle is in motion, exceptwhen “Rocking the vehicle”
explained in this section.CAUTION
Do not exceed the recommended maximum speed in 2 (Second Gear)or L (Low). Operating the vehicle above the maximum speed recom-
mended for 2 (Second Gear) or L(Low) may cause excessive heatwhich could damage the automatictransaxle.
515
Driving your vehicle
E060104APA
O/D (Over Drive) system
Pressing the O/D system button cancels
and engages the overdrive system.When the O/D system is cancelled, theO/D OFF indicator illuminates and the
transaxle gear range is limited to 1st
through 3rd. The transaxle will not shift to
4th gear until the O/D system 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, O/D OFF mode is automatically cancelled.O/D OFF Indicator
This indicator light illumi-nates in the instrument panelwhen the O/D mode is can-celled. E060102APA
Shift lock system (if equipped)
For your safety, the automatic transaxle
has a shift lock system which prevents
shifting the transaxle from P (Park) into R
(Reverse) unless the brake pedal isdepressed.
To shift the transaxle from P (Park) into R
(Reverse):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Depress 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.
OPA057009
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 persons in or around the car.
O/D
OFF
Driving your vehicle
18
5
E070100AUN
Power brakes
Your vehicle has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of a stalled
engine or some other reason, you can
still stop your vehicle by applying greater
force to the brake pedal than you nor-
mally would. The stopping distance, how-
ever, will be longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially depleted
each time the brake pedal is applied. Do
not pump the brake pedal when the
power assist has been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when neces-
sary to maintain steering control on slip-
pery surfaces. E070101AUN
In the event of brake failure
If service brakes fail to operate while the
vehicle is in motion, you can make an
emergency stop with the parking brake.
The stopping distance, however, will be
much greater than normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING
- Brakes
Do not drive with your foot rest- ing on the brake pedal. This will create abnormal high brake tem-
peratures, excessive brake lining
and pad wear, and increasedstopping distances.
When descending a long or steep hill, shift to a lower gear and
avoid continuous application of
the brakes. Continuous brakeapplication will cause the brakes
to overheat and could result in a
temporary loss of braking per-
formance.
Wet brakes may impair the vehi- cle’s ability to sefely slow down;
the vehicle may also pull to oneside when the brakes are applied.
Applying the brakes lightly will
indicate whether they have been
affected in this way. Always test
your brakes in this fashion after
driving through deep water. To
dry the brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe forward
speed until brake performancereturns to normal.
WARNING - Parking brake
Applying the parking brake while
the vehicle is moving at normal
speeds can cause a sudden loss of
control of the vehicle. If you mustuse the parking brake to stop the
vehicle, use great caution in apply-
ing the brake.