Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced.Do not change the oil until the
multi-inf ormation display indicates
it is needed. Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km). Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration. Your vehicle is designed to operate
on premium unleaded gasoline with a
pump octane of 91 or higher. If this
octane grade is unavailable, regular
unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane of 87 or higher may be used
temporarily. The use of regular
unleaded gasoline can cause metallic
knocking noises in the engine and
will result in decreased engine
perf ormance. The long-term use of
regular-grade gasoline can lead to
engine damage. You may hear a knocking noise from
the engine if you drive the vehicle at
low engine speed (below about 1,000
rpm) in a higher gear. To stop this,
raise the engine speed by shif ting to
a lower gear.
On vehicles with manual transmissionBreak-in Period
Fuel Recommendation
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
468
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µµ
µ µ
µ
µ
µ
Aggressive driving (hard
acceleration and braking)
Excessive idling, accelerating and
braking in stop-and-go traf f ic
Cold engine operation (engines
aremoreefficientwhenwarmed
up)
Driving with a heavy load or the
air conditioner running
Improperly inf lated tires
The f ollowing f actors can lower your
vehicle’s f uel economy:
Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering,
and hard braking increase fuel
consumption.
Aerodynamic drag has a big ef f ect
on f uel economy at speeds above
45 mph (75 km/h). Reduce your
speed and you reduce the drag.
Trailers, car top carriers, roof
racks and bike racks are also big
contributors to increased drag.
If your vehicle has a
manual transmission, you can
boost your f uel economy by up
shif ting as early as possible.
Idling
results in 0 miles per gallon (0 kms
per liter).
It puts a heavier
load on the engine, increasing f uel
consumption.
In
particular, a build-up of snow or
mud on your vehicle’s underside
adds weight and rolling resistance.
Frequent cleaning helps your f uel
economy. An underinf lated tire increases
‘‘rolling resistance,’’ which reduces
f uel economy.
A properly maintained vehicle
maximizes f uel economy. Poor
maintenance can signif icantly reduce
f uel economy. Always maintain your
vehicle according to the maintenance
messages displayed on the multi-
inf ormation display (see on page ).
For example: 539
CONT INUED
Fuel Economy Factors
Use the recommended viscosity
motor oil, displaying the A PI
Certif ication Seal (see page ).
Improving Fuel Economy Drive moderately
Observe the speed limit
Always drive in the highest gear
possible
Avoid excessive idling
A void carrying excess weight in
your vehicle
K eep your vehicle clean Maintain proper tire inf lation
Owner’s
Maintenance Checks 543
Vehicle Maint enance
Drive Ef f icient ly
Fuel Economy
Bef ore Driving
477
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This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
manual and automatic transmissions.
It also includes important
information on parking your vehicle,
the braking system, the Super
Handling-All Wheel Drive
(SH-AWD
) system, the vehicle
stability assist (VSA
), aka
electronic stability control (ESC),
system, the tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS), and the blind spot
inf ormation system (BSI). ........................
Preparing to Drive . 486
Starting the Engine
(Models without Keyless .....................
Access System) . 487
Starting the Engine (Models with Keyless .....................
Access System) . 489
...................
Manual Transmission . 491
..............
Automatic Transmission . 494
Driving with the Paddle
.......................................
Shif ters . 499
Super Handling-All Wheel ...
Drive (SH-AWD
) System . 504
...........................................
Parking . 506
.............................
Braking System . 507
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 508
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA
),
aka Electronic Stability ........
Control (ESC), System . 510
.........................
Hill Start Assist . 512
Tire Pressure Monitoring ........................
System (TPMS) . 514
Blind Spot Inf ormation System ...........................................
(BSI) . 519
...........................
Towing a Trailer . 528
...................
Towing Your Vehicle . 528
Driving
Driving
485
TM
TM
12/07/20 11:33:10 31TK4640_490
µ
The keyless access remote battery
becomes weak or dead. The keyless access remote system
main switch is of f .
In either of the f ollowing cases, you
should insert the keyless access
remote into the keyless remote slot.
For more inf ormation, see pages
and .
Your vehicle’s starting system has an
auto control mode. When you have
your keyless access remote and push
the engine start/stop button while
depressing the brake pedal (A/T) or
clutch pedal (M/T), this f eature
keeps the engine’s starter motor
running until the engine starts.
Follow these instructions to start the
engine:
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal. Press the clutch pedal down all the
way. The power mode f rom ON to
START does not f unction unless
the clutch pedal is pressed. In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery. Apply the parking brake. Without touching the accelerator
pedal, push and release the engine
start/stop button. You do not need
to hold the engine start/stop
button to start the engine. The
starter motor runs until the engine
starts or a maximum of 10 25
seconds depending on engine
coolant temperature.If the engine does not start, wait at
least 10 seconds bef ore trying
again.
1.
2.
3. 4.194 195
Automatic transmission:
Manual transmission:
Starting the Engine (Models with Keyless Access System)
Driving
489
T he immobilizer system protects your
vehicle f rom thef t. If an improperly
coded keyless access remote (or other
device) is used, the engine’s f uel system
is disabled. For more inf ormation, see
page .
The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air f ound at
altitudes above 8,000 f eet (2,400
meters) adds to this problem. 149
12/07/20 11:33:41 31TK4640_494
If you cannot start the engine using
the normal engine start procedure,
do the f ollowing:Set the parking brake.
If there is a problem with the
starting system, you will see a
‘‘CHECK STARTING SYSTEM’’
message on the multi-inf ormation
display with the power mode ON.
You will also see this message when
the auto control mode of the starting
system has a problem. Do not f ollow this procedure unless
it is a case of emergency. Even if you
can start the engine using this
method, the system may have a
malf unction. Contact your dealer as
soon as possible.Press and hold the engine start/
stop button f or about 15 seconds
while pressing the brake pedal
(automatic) or the clutch pedal
(manual). Press the engine start/stop button
to turn on the ACCESSORY mode. Put the shif t lever into Park.
If this message is on, you should
press and hold the engine start/stop
button until the engine starts. The
engine start/stop button may need to
be held several seconds bef ore the
starter motor runs. The starter
motor can be run up to 15 seconds.
Your vehicle has the engine start/
stop button instead of an ignition
switch to select the power mode. For
more information, see page . Even though you may be able to
start the engine manually without
the auto control mode of the starting
system, have your vehicle inspected
by a dealer.
1.
2.
3.
4.
184
Automatic transmission:
Starting the Engine (Models with Keyless Access System)
Emergency Engine Start
Check Starting System Message
490
12/07/20 11:33:51 31TK4640_495
When shif ting up or down, make
sure you push the clutch pedal down
all the way, shif t to the next gear,
and let the pedal up gradually. When
you are not shif ting, do not rest your
f oot on the clutch pedal. This can
cause your clutch to wear out f aster.
Come to a full stop before you shift
into reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shif t into
reverse with the vehicle moving.
Push down the clutch pedal, and
pause f or a f ew seconds bef ore
shif ting into reverse, or shif t into one
of the f orward gears f or a moment.
This stops the gears so they won’t
‘‘grind.’’When slowing down, you can get
extra braking from the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes f rom
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Bef ore downshif ting,
make sure the engine speed will not
go into the tachometer’s red zone in
the lower gear.
The manual transmission is
synchronized in all f orward gears f or
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot accidentally shif t f rom
any forward gear to reverse while
the vehicle is moving at a certain
speed (see page ). 493
Manual T ransmission
Driving
491
13/04/02 19:21:50 31TK4640_496
Press the clutch pedal, and shif t to
reverse.
The manual transmission has a
lockout so you cannot accidentally
shif t f rom any f orward gear to
reverse while the vehicle is moving
at a certain speed. If you cannot shif t
to reverse when the vehicle is
stopped, do the f ollowing:
With the clutch pedal pressed,
move the shift lever to the first/
second gear side of the neutral
gate, then shif t to reverse.If you are still unable to shif t to
reverse, apply the parking brake,
and select the ACCESSORY or
VEHICLE OFF (LOCK) mode
(see page ).
With the clutch pedal still pressed
f ully, press the engine start/stop
button to start the engine.
If you need to use this procedure to
shif t to reverse, your vehicle may be
developing a problem. Have it
checked by your dealer.
1. 2.
3.
4.
185
Reverse Lockout
Manual T ransmission
Driving
493
Move the shift lever in sequence.
12/07/20 11:34:11 31TK4640_498
µIf you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
rpm below the red zone. This allows you to move the shif t
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal and pressing the release
button does not work.
Set the parking brake.
Remove the key from the ignition
switch.
Remove the built-in key from the
keyless access remote (see page ).
With the shift lever in D or S, you
canalsousethepaddleshiftersto
shif t the transmission up or down.
With the paddle shifters, you can
operate the transmission much like a
manual transmission without a
clutch pedal. For more inf ormation
on driving with the paddle shif ters,
see page . The engine may cut in and out in R
position or depending on the road
condition, even when the engine
speed is lower than the tachometer’s
red zone. This is the engine’s
computer working to protect the
transmission.
To shift into the S
position, press the release button on
the front of the shift lever, and move
the lever to S. This position is similar
to D, except only gears f rom f irst to
fifth are selected. (When shifting up
automatically, the vehicle speed is
higher than when in the D position.)
The S position keeps the
transmission f rom cycling between
fourth, fifth and sixth gears in stop-
and-go driving. 1.
2.
501 201
CONT INUED
On models without keyless access
system
On models with keyless accesssystem
Shif t L ock Release
Engine Speed L imiter
S Position (S)
Automatic Transmission
Driving
497
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