Driving your vehicle
40
5
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 litre
(gallon) of fuel. To operate your vehicle
as economically as possible, use the fol-
lowing driving suggestions to help save
money in both fuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moder-
ate rate. Don't make "kangaroo" starts or full-throttle shifts and maintain a
steady cruising speed. Don't race
between stoplights. Try to adjust your
speed to that of the other traffic so you
don't have to change speeds unneces-
sarily. Avoid heavy traffic whenever
possible. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from other vehicles so you can
avoid unnecessary braking. This also
reduces brake wear.
Drive at a moderate speed. The faster you drive, the more fuel your car uses.
Driving at a moderate speed, especial-
ly on the highway, is one of the most
effective ways to reduce fuel consump-tion. Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This can
increase fuel consumption and also
increase wear on these components.
In addition, driving with your foot rest-
ing 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 tyres. Keep them inflated to the recommended pressure.
Incorrect inflation, either too much or
too little, results in unnecessary tyre
wear. Check the tyre pressures at leastonce a month.
Be sure that the wheels are aligned correctly. Improper alignment can
result from hitting kerbs or driving too
fast over irregular surfaces. Poor align-
ment causes faster tyre wear and may
also result in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption. Keep your car in good condition. For
better fuel economy and reduced
maintenance costs, maintain your carin accordance with the maintenance
schedule in section 7. If you drive your
car in severe conditions, more frequentmaintenance is required (see section 7
for details).
Keep your car 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 car. This extra
weight can result in increased fuel con-
sumption and also contribute to corro-sion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary weight in your car. 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
75
Maintenance
Whilst operating your vehicle:
Note any changes in the sound of theexhaust or any smell of exhaust fumes
in the vehicle.
Check for vibrations in the steering wheel. Notice any increased steering
effort or looseness in the steering
wheel, or change in its straight-aheadposition.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side when trav-
elling on smooth, level road.
When stopping, listen and check for unusual sounds, pulling to one side,
increased brake pedal travel or “hard-
to-push” brake pedal.
If any slipping or changes in the oper- ation of your transaxle occurs, check
the transaxle fluid level.
Check automatic transaxle P (Park) function.
Check parking brake.
Check for fluid leaks under your vehicle (water dripping from the air condition-
ing system during or after use is nor-mal).
At least monthly:
Check coolant level in the enginecoolant reservoir.
Check the operation of all exterior lights, including the stoplights, turn sig-
nals and hazard warning flashers.
Check the inflation pressures of all tyres including the spare.
At least twice a year
(i.e., every Spring and Fall):
Check radiator, heater and air condi- tioning hoses for leaks or damage.
Check windscreen washer spray and wiper operation. Clean wiper blades
with clean cloth dampened with wash-er fluid.
Check headlight alignment.
Check muffler, exhaust pipes, shields and clamps.
Check the lap/shoulder belts for wear and function.
Check for worn tyres and loose wheel nuts.
737
Maintenance
Disc brake pads should be inspectedfor wear whenever tyres are rotated.
✽✽ NOTICE
Rotate radial tyres that have an
asymmetric tread pattern only from
front to rear and not from right to
left.
Wheel alignment and tyre balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tyre
life and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to
have your wheels aligned again.
However, if you notice unusual tyre
wear or your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the alignment may needto be reset.
If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
S2BLA790
S2BLA790A
CBGQ0707A
Without a spare tyre
With a full-size spare tyre (if equipped) Directional tyres (if equipped)WARNING
Do not use the compact spare tyre for tyre rotation.
Do not mix bias ply and radial ply tyres under any circum-
stances. This may cause
unusual handling characteris-tics that could result in death,
severe injury, or property
damage.
CAUTION
Improper wheel weights can
damage your vehicle's alu-minum wheels. Use onlyapproved wheel weights.
739
Maintenance
Compact spare tyre replacement (if equipped)
A compact spare tyre has a shorter
tread life than a regular size tyre.
Replace it when you can see the
tread wear indicator bars on the tyre.The replacement compact spare tyre
should be the same size and design
tyre as the one provided with your
new vehicle and should be mountedon the same compact spare tyre
wheel. The compact spare tyre is notdesigned to be mounted on a regular
size wheel, and the compact spare
tyre wheel is not designed for mount-
ing a regular size tyre. Wheel replacement
When replacing the metal wheels for
any reason, make sure the new
wheels are equivalent to the original
factory units in diameter, rim widthand offset.
Tyre traction
Tyre traction can be reduced if you
drive on worn tyres, tyres that are
improperly inflated or on slippery
road surfaces. Tyres should be
replaced when tread wear indicators
appear. To reduce the possibility of
losing control, slow down whenever
there is rain, snow or ice on the road.
Tyre maintenance In addition to proper inflation, correct wheel alignment helps to decrease
tyre wear. If you find a tyre is worn
unevenly, have your dealer check thewheel alignment.
When you have new tyres installed,
make sure they are balanced. This
will increase vehicle ride comfort and
tyre life. Additionally, a tyre should
always be rebalanced if it is removedfrom the wheel.
WARNING
A wheel that is not the correct
size may adversely affect wheel
and bearing life, braking and
stopping abilities, handling
characteristics, ground clear-
ance, body-to-tyre clearance,
snow chain clearance,speedometer and odometer cal-
ibration, headlight aim and
bumper height.
I9
Index
Transaxle
Automatic transaxle ..................................................5-15
Manual transaxle ......................................................5-12
Tripmeter ........................................................................4-48
Trip computer..................................................................4-47
Tyre specification and pressure label................................8-7
Tyres and wheels ....................................................7-34, 8-3 Checking tyre inflation pressure ..............................7-35
Compact spare tyre replacement ..............................7-39
Recommended cold tyre inflation pressures ............7-34
Tyre care ....................................................................7-34
Tyre maintenance ......................................................7-39
Tyre replacement ......................................................7-38
Tyre rotation ..............................................................7-36
Tyre sidewall labeling ..............................................7-40
Tyre traction ..............................................................7-39
Wheel alignment and tyre balance ............................7-37
Wheel replacement ....................................................7-39 Vehicle certification label ................................................8-6
Vehicle identification number (VIN) ................................8-6
Vehicle run-in process ......................................................1-4
Vehicle weight ................................................................5-58
Base kerb weight ......................................................5-58
Cargo weight ............................................................5-58
GAW (Gross axle weight) ........................................5-58
GAWR (Gross axle weight rating) ............................5-58
GVW (Gross vehicle weight)....................................5-58
GVWR (Gross vehicle weight rating) ......................5-58
Vehicle setting ................................................................4-50V
Index
10
I
Washer fluid ....................................................................7-23
Waste tray, see ashtray ..................................................4-102
Warnings and indicators..................................................4-52
Weight ............................................................................5-58
Base kerb weight ......................................................5-58
Cargo weight ............................................................5-58
GAW (Gross axle weight) ........................................5-58
GAWR (Gross axle weight rating) ............................5-58
GVW (Gross vehicle weight)....................................5-58
GVWR (Gross vehicle weight rating) ......................5-58
Wheel alignment and tyre balance..................................7-37
Wheel replacement ........................................................7-39
Windows ........................................................................4-22 Auto up/down window ..............................................4-23
Power window lock button........................................4-25
Windscreen defrosting and defogging ............................4-97 Defogging logic ........................................................4-99
Winter driving ................................................................5-46 Snow tyres ................................................................5-46
Tyre chains ................................................................5-47
Wiper blades ..................................................................7-29
Wipers and washers ........................................................4-74
W