Driving your vehicle
4 5
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.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. 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 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.
55
Driving your vehicle
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
LOCK
The steering wheel locks to protect
against theft (if equipped). 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.
ACC (Accessory)
The steering wheel is unlocked (if
equipped) and electrical accessories are
operative.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
If difficulty is experienced in turning the
ignition switch to the ACC position, turn
the key while turning the steering wheel
right and left to release the tension.
KEY
OYF059017NOYF059016
Driving your vehicle
6 5
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.
START
Turn the ignition switch to the START posi-
tion to start the engine. The engine will
crank until you release the key; then it
returns to the ON position. The brake warn-
ing lamp can be checked in this position.
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. The starter will not oper-
ate 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 vehicle is
moving. This would 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 manu-
al transaxle or P (Park) for auto-
matic transaxle, set the parking
brake fully and shut the engine off.
Unexpected and sudden vehicle
movement may occur if these pre-
cautions are not taken.
Never reach for the ignition
switch, or any other controls
through the steering wheel while
the vehicle is in motion. The pres-
ence 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.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).
Driving your vehicle
8 5
Illuminated engine start/stop but-
ton (if equipped)
Whenever the front door is opened, the
engine start/stop button will illuminate for
your convenience. The light will go off
immediately when the engine start/stop
button is turned on or go off after about
30 seconds when the door is closed.
Engine start/stop button position
OFF
• with manual transaxle
To turn off the engine, stop the vehicle
then press the engine start/stop button
with the engine start/stop button ON.
• with automatic transaxle
To turn off the engine, press the engine
start/stop button with the engine
start/stop button ON and the shift lever in
P(Park). When you press the engine
start/stop button without the shift lever in
P(Park), the engine start/stop button
does not turn to the OFF position but to
the ACC position.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
When you turn off the engine, the vehi-
cle should be stopped.
ENGINE START/STOP BUTTON (IF EQUIPPED)
OMD050005
WARNING
In an emergency situation while the
vehicle is moving, you can turn off
the engine and turn the engine
start/stop button to the ACC posi-
tion by pressing the engine
start/stop button for more than 2
seconds or 3 times successively
within 3 seconds. If the vehicle is
moving, you can restart the engine
without pressing the brake pedal by
pressing the engine start/stop but-
ton with the shift lever in N(Neutral).
59
Driving your vehicle
ACC(Accessory)
• with manual transaxle
Press the engine start/stop button when
the button is in the OFF position without
depressing the clutch pedal.
• with automatic transaxle
Press the engine start/stop button when
the button is in the OFF position without
depressing the brake pedal.
If you leave the engine start/stop button
in the ACC position for more than 1 hour,
the button is turned off automatically to
prevent the battery from discharging.
ON
• with manual transaxle
Press the engine start/stop button when
the button is in the ACC position without
depressing the clutch pedal.
• with automatic transaxle
Press the engine start/stop button when
the button is in the ACC position without
depressing the brake pedal.
The warning lights can be checked
before the engine is started. Do not leave
the button in the ON position if the engine
is not running to prevent the battery from
discharging.
START
• with manual transaxle
To start the engine, depress the clutch
pedal and brake pedal, then press the
engine start/stop button with the shift
lever in the N(Neutral) position.
• with automatic transaxle
To start the engine, depress the brake
pedal and press the engine start/stop
button with the shift lever in the P(Park)
or the N (Neutral) position.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
• If you press the engine start/stop but-
ton without depressing the clutch
pedal on manual transaxle vehicles or
without depressing the brake pedal on
automatic transaxle vehicles, the
engine will not start and the engine
start/stop button changes as follows:
OFF→ →
ACC → →
ON → →
OFF
• If you leave the engine start/stop but-
ton in the ACC or the ON position for
a long time, the battery may be dis-
charged.
513
Driving your vehicle
During cold weather, shifting may be
difficult until the transaxle lubricant is
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),
leave the shift lever in the neutral posi-
tion and release the clutch. Depress the
clutch pedal back down, 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 unneces-
sary 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 maintain 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
traffic 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.
When operating the clutch pedal,
press the clutch pedal down fully.
If you don't press the clutch pedal
fully, the clutch may be damaged
or noise may occur.
517
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 posi-
tion. The transaxle will automatically shift
through a 6-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).
Sports mode
Whether the vehicle is stationary or in
motion, sports mode is selected by push-
ing the shift lever from the D (Drive) posi-
tion into the manual gate. To return to D
(Drive) range operation, push the shift
lever back into the main gate.
In sports mode, moving the shift lever
backwards and forwards will allow you to
make gearshifts rapidly.
Up (+) : Push the lever forward once to
shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards once
to shift down one gear.
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 sec-
tion.
OMD050012
+ (UP)
- (DOWN)
Sports mode
521
Driving your vehicle
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.
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 increased
stopping distances.
(Continued)
(Continued)
When descending a long or steep
hill, shift to a lower gear and avoid
continuous application of the
brakes. Continuous brake applica-
tion will cause the brakes to over-
heat and could result in a tempo-
rary loss of braking performance.
Wet brakes may impair the vehi-
cle’s ability to safely slow down;
the vehicle may also pull to one
side 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 performance
returns to normal.
Always, confirm the position of
the brake and accelerator pedal
before driving. If you don't check
the position of the accelerator
and brake pedal before driving,
you may depress the accelerator
instead of the brake pedal. It may
cause a serious accident.
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
vehicle, use great caution in apply-
ing the brake.