55
Driving your vehicle
Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all con-
trols 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
familiar with your vehicle and its
equipment.WARNING
Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for peo-
ple, 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 danger-
ous. Impaired driving is the
number one contributor to the
highway death toll each year.
Even a small amount of alcohol
will affect your reflexes, percep-
tions and judgment. Driving
while under the influence of
drugs is as dangerous or more
dangerous 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 driver who has been drink-
ing or taking drugs. Choose a
designated driver or call a cab.
WARNING
All passengers must be proper-
ly belted whenever the vehicle
is moving. Refer to “Seat belts”
in section 3 for more informa-
tion on their proper use.
WARNING
When you intend to park or
stop the vehicle with the
engine on, be careful not to
depress the accelerator 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 opera-
tion of the foot pedals, possi-
bly causing an accident. Keep
all things in the vehicle safely
stored.
If you do not focus on driving,
it may cause an accident. Be
careful when operating
devices that may disturb driv-
ing such as the audio system
or the heater. It is the respon-
sibility of the driver to always
drive safely.
57
Driving your vehicle
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 igni-
tion switch to the start position.
The starter will not operate if the
clutch pedal is not fully depressed.
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.
WARNING - Ignition
switch
Never turn the ignition switch
to LOCK or ACC while the vehi-
cle is moving. This can result in
loss of directional control and
braking function, which could
cause an accident.
Before leaving the driver’s
seat, always make sure the
shift lever is engaged in 1st
gear for the manual transaxle
or P (Park) for automatic
transaxle, set the parking
brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement
may occur if these precau-
tions are not taken.
(Continued)(Continued)
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 driv-
er and lead to an accident.
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, accelerator pedal, and
clutch (if equipped).
511
Driving your vehicle
Starting the engine
1. Carry the smart key or have it
inside the vehicle.
2. Make sure the parking brake is
firmly applied.
3.Manual Transaxle- Depress the
clutch pedal fully and shift the
transaxle into Neutral. Depress the
brake and clutch pedal fully.
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.
WARNING
Except in an emergency situa-
tion, never press the engine
start/stop button while the
vehicle is in motion. This may
result in loss of directional
control and braking function,
which could cause an accident.
Before leaving the driver’s
seat, always make sure the
shift lever is engaged in 1st
gear for the manual transaxle
or P (Park) for the automatic
transaxle, set the parking
brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement
may occur if these precau-
tions are not taken.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Never reach for the engine
start/stop button, 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 con-
trol, 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 driv-
er and lead to an accident.
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, accelerator and clutch
pedal (if equipped).
515
Driving your vehicle
During cold weather, shifting may
be difficult until the transaxle lubri-
cant is warmed up. This is normal
and not harmful to the transaxle.
If you've come to a complete stop
and it is difficult to shift into 1st or
R (Reverse), leave the shift lever in
the neutral position and release the
clutch. Depress the clutch pedal
and then shift into 1st or R
(Reverse) gear position.Using the clutch
The clutch should be depressed 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
driving. This can cause unnecessary
wear. Do not partially engage the
clutch to hold the vehicle on an
incline. This causes unnecessary
wear. Use the foot brake or parking
brake to hold the vehicle on an
incline. Do not operate the clutch
pedal rapidly and repeatedly.
Downshifting
It is important to downshift when you
must slow down in heavy traffic or
while driving up or down steep hills.
Downshifting reduces the chance of
stalling and gives better acceleration.
When the vehicle is traveling down
steep hills, downshifting helps main-
tain safe speed and prolongs brake
life.
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.
CAUTION
To avoid premature clutch
wear and damage, do not
drive with your foot resting on
the clutch pedal. Also, do not
use the clutch to hold the
vehicle stopped on an uphill
grade while waiting for a traf-
fic light, etc.
Do not use the shift lever as a
handrest during driving, as
this can result in premature
wear of the transaxle shift
forks.
(Continued)
(Continued)
When operating the clutch
pedal, press the clutch pedal
fully.
If you don't press the clutch
pedal fully, the clutch may be
damaged.
Driving your vehicle
18 5
For smooth operation, depress the
brake pedal when shifting from N
(Neutral) to a forward or reverse gear.Transaxle ranges
The indicator in the instrument clus-
ter 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 pre-
vents the drive wheels from rotating.
WARNING- Automatic
transaxle
Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for
people, especially children,
before shifting 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
identified.
CAUTION
To avoid damage to your
transaxle, do not accelerate
the engine in R (Reverse) or
any forward gear position with
the brakes on.
When stopped on an incline,
do not hold the vehicle sta-
tionary with engine power.
Use the service brake or the
parking brake.
Do not shift from N (Neutral)
or P (Park) into D (Drive), or R
(Reverse) when the engine is
above idle speed.
519
Driving your vehicle
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
position. The transaxle will automati-
cally shift through a 6-gear
sequence, providing the best fuel
economy and power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or climbing grades,
depress the accelerator fully, at
which time the transaxle will auto-
matically downshift to the next lower
gear.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into D (Drive).
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
(Reverse) while the vehicle is in
motion, except as explained in
“Rocking the vehicle” in this
section.
WARNING
Shifting into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion will cause
the drive wheels to lock which
may cause you to lose control
of the vehicle.
Do not use the P (Park) posi-
tion 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 unattend-
ed in a vehicle.
CAUTION
The transaxle may be damaged
if you shift into P (Park) while
the vehicle is in motion.
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
accelerator pedal.
WARNING
Always buckle-up! In a colli-
sion, an unbelted occupant is
significantly more likely to be
seriously injured or killed
than a properly belted occu-
pant.
Avoid high speeds when cor-
nering 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
oversteers to reenter the road-
way.
(Continued)
(Continued)
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
limits.
525
Driving your vehicle
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 dis-
tance, however, will be greater than
normal.
Disc brakes wear indicator
Your vehicle has disc brakes.
When your brake pads are worn and
new pads are required, you will hear
a high-pitched warning sound from
your front brakes or rear brakes. You
may hear this sound come and go or
it may occur whenever you depress
the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving
conditions or climates may cause a
brake squeal when you first apply (or
lightly apply) the brakes. This is nor-
mal and does not indicate a problem
with your brakes.
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 must use the
parking brake to stop the vehi-
cle, use great caution in apply-
ing the brake.WARNING- Brake wear
This brake wear warning sound
means your vehicle needs serv-
ice. If you ignore this audible
warning, you will eventually
lose braking performance,
which could lead to a serious
accident.
CAUTION
To avoid costly brake repairs,
do not continue to drive with
worn brake pads.
Always replace the front or
rear brake pads in pairs.