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Driving your vehicle
16 5
✽ NOTICE
• If the battery is weak or the smart
key does not work correctly, you
can start the engine by pressing
the engine start/stop button with
the smart key.
(Continued)(Continued)
The side with the lock button
should contact the engine
start/stop button directly. When
you press the engine start/stop
button directly with the smart key,
the smart key should contact the
button at a right angle.
• When the stop lamp fuse is blown,
you cannot start the engine nor-
mally.
Replace the fuse with a new one. If
it is not possible, you can start the
engine by pressing the engine
start/stop button for 10 seconds
while it is in the ACC position. The
engine can start without depress-
ing the brake pedal. But for your
safety always depress the brake
pedal and clutch pedal (if
equipped) before starting the
engine.
CAUTION
• Do not press the engine start/
stop button for more than 10
seconds except when the stop
lamp fuse is blown.
• Do not turn the ignition switch
to the START position with the
engine running. It may dam-
age the starter.
ODM052007
ODMEDR2202R
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517
Driving your vehicle
Manual transaxle operation
• The manual transaxle has 6 for-
ward gears.
This shift pattern is imprinted on
the shift knob. The transaxle is fully
synchronized in all forward gears
so shifting to either a higher or a
lower gear is easily accomplished.
• Depress the clutch pedal down
fully while shifting, then release it
slowly.
If your vehicle is equipped with an
ignition lock switch, the engine will
not start when starting the engine
without depressing the clutch
pedal.
• The shift lever must return to the
neutral position before shifting into
R (Reverse). The button located
immediately below the shift knob
must be pushed upward while
moving the shift lever to the R
(Reverse) position.
•
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before shifting into R
(Reverse).
Never operate the engine with the
tachometer (rpm) in the red zone.
MANUAL TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
ODM052010
The button must be pushed while mov-
ing the shift lever. The shift lever can be moved without
pushing the button.
CAUTION
• When downshifting from 5
(Fifth) gear to 4 (Fourth) gear,
caution should be taken not to
inadvertently move the shift
lever sideways in such a man-
ner that second gear is
engaged. Such a drastic
downshift may cause the
engine speed to increase to
the point that the tachometer
will enter the red-zone. Such
over-revving of the engine
may possibly cause engine
and transaxle damage.
• Do not downshift more than 2
gears or downshift the gear
when the engine is running at
high speed (5,000 RPM or
higher). Such a downshifting
may damage the engine,
clutch and the transaxle.
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Driving your vehicle
18 5
• During cold weather, shifting may
be difficult until the transaxle lubri-
cant has warmed up. This is nor-
mal and not harmful to the
transaxle.
• If you've come to a complete stop
and it's hard to shift into 1 (First) or
R (Reverse), put the shift lever in
neutral position and release the
clutch. Press the clutch pedal back
down, and then shift into 1 (First)
or R (Reverse) gear position.CAUTION
• To avoid premature clutch
wear and damage, do not
drive with your foot resting on
the clutch pedal. Also, don’t
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.
• To prevent possible damage
to the clutch system, do not
start with the 2nd (second)
gear engaged except when
you start on a slippery road.
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 1
(First) gear when the vehicle is
parked on a level or uphill
grade, and shifted into R
(Reverse) on a downhill grade.
Unexpected and sudden vehi-
cle movement can occur if
these precautions are not fol-
lowed in the order identified.
• If your vehicle has a manual
transaxle not equipped with a
ignition lock switch, it may
move and cause a serious
accident when starting the
engine without depressing the
clutch pedal while the parking
brake is released and the shift
lever not in the neutral posi-
tion.
• Do not use the engine brake
(shifting from a high gear to
lower gear) rapidly on slippery
roads. The vehicle may slip
causing an accident.
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519
Driving your vehicle
Using the clutch
The clutch pedal 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 unnec-
essary 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
When you must slow down in heavy
traffic or while driving up steep hills,
downshift 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 vehi-
cle is traveling down steep hills,
downshifting helps maintain safe
speed and prolongs brake life.
Good driving practices
• Never take the vehicle out of gear
and coast down a hill. This is
extremely hazardous. Always leave
the vehicle in gear.
• Don't "ride" the brakes. This can
cause them to overheat and mal-
function. 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 down the vehicle.
• 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 control of your vehicle.
• Be sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before you attempt to shift
into R (Reverse). The transaxle can
be damaged if you do not. To shift
into R (Reverse), depress the
clutch, move the shift lever to neu-
tral, wait three seconds, then shift
to the R (Reverse) position.
CAUTION
When operating the clutch
pedal, depress the clutch pedal
down fully. If you don’t depress
the clutch pedal fully, the clutch
may be damaged or noise may
occur.
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Driving your vehicle
20 5
• 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 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.
Page 470 of 711
521
Driving your vehicle
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
ODM052011/ODMEDR2203R
The shift lever can be shifted freely. Press the lock release button when shifting. Depress the brake pedal and the lock release button when shifting.
(If the shift lock system is not equipped, it is not necessary to depress the brake pedal. However, it is recommended to depress the
brake pedal to avoid inadvertent movement of the vehicle.)
■Type A■Type B
+ +
( (
U U
P P
) )
- -
( (
D D
O O
W W
N N
) )+ +
( (
U U
P P
) )
- -
( (
D D
O O
W W
N N
) )
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Driving your vehicle
22 5
Automatic transaxle operation
The highly efficient automatic
transaxle has 6 forward speeds and
one reverse speed. The individual
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 a forward or reverse
gear.
WARNING- Automatic
transaxle
• Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for
people, especially children,
before shifting a vehicle 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.
• Do not use the engine brake
(shifting from a high gear to
lower gear) rapidly on slip-
pery roads. The vehicle may
slip causing an accident.
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 upgrade,
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.
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523
Driving your vehicle
Transaxle ranges
The indicator lights in the instrument
cluster displays the shift lever posi-
tion 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 front wheels from rotating.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.
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) 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
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
manual.
CAUTION
The transaxle may be damaged
if you shift into P (Park) while
the vehicle is in motion.
WARNING
Do not drive with the shift lever
in N (Neutral).
The engine brake will not work
and lead to an accident.