Driving your vehicle
10 5
Starting the engineWARNING
Never press the ENGINE
START/STOP button while the
vehicle is in motion. This
would result in loss of direc-
tional control and braking
function, which could cause
an accident.
The anti-theft steering column
lock (if equipped) is not a sub-
stitute for the parking brake.
Before leaving the driver’s
seat, always make sure the
shift lever is engaged in 1st
gear for the manual transmis-
sion or P (Park) for the auto-
matic transmission
,set the
parking brake fully and shut
the engine off. Unexpected
and sudden vehicle move-
ment may occur if these pre-
cautions 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).
511
Driving your vehicle
1. Carry the smart key or leave it
inside the vehicle.
2. Make sure the parking brake is
firmly applied.
3.Manual Transmission- Depress
the clutch pedal fully and shift the
transmission into Neutral. Depress
the brake and clutch pedal fully.
Automatic Transmission- Place
the transmission 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.
4. Press the engine start/stop button.
It should be started without
depressing the accelerator.
5. Do not wait for the engine to warm
up while the vehicle remains sta-
tionary.
Start driving at moderate engine
speeds. (Steep accelerating and
decelerating should be avoided.)Even if the smart key is in the vehi-
cle, if it is far away from you, the
engine may not start.
When the engine start/stop button
is in the ACC or ON position, if any
door is open, the system checks
for the smart key. If the smart key is
not in the vehicle, and if all doors
are closed, the chime will sound for
about 5 seconds. Keep the smart
key in the vehicle, when using the
ACC position or if the vehicle
engine is on.
WARNING
The engine will start by press-
ing the engine start/stop button,
only when the smart key is in
the vehicle. Never allow chil-
dren or any person who is unfa-
miliar with the vehicle to touch
the engine start/stop button or
related parts.
CAUTION
If the engine stalls while you are
in motion, do not attempt to
move the shift lever to the P
(Park) position. If traffic and
road conditions permit, you may
put the shift lever in the
N(Neutral) position while the
vehicle is still moving and press
the engine start/stop button in
an attempt to restart the engine.
Driving your vehicle
14 5
During cold weather, shifting may
be difficult until the transmission
lubricant has warmed up. This is
normal and not harmful to the
transmission.
If you've come to a complete stop
and it's hard to shift into 1st or
R(Reverse), put the shift lever in
N(Neutral) position and release the
clutch. Press the clutch pedal back
down, and then shift into 1st or
R(Reverse) gear position.Using the clutch
The clutch should be pressed 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 car on an incline. This causes
unnecessary wear. Use the foot
brake or parking brake to hold the
car on an incline. Do not operate the
clutch pedal rapidly and repeatedly.
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 transmission shift
forks.
WARNING
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always set the parking brake
fully and shut the engine off.
Then make sure the transmis-
sion 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 fol-
lowed in the order identified.
Driving your vehicle
18 5
✽
✽
NOTICE
The first few shifts on a new vehicle
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
(Transmission 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
transmission
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
transmission, do not acceler-
ate 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
Transmission ranges
The indicator in the instrument cluster
displays the shift lever position when
the ignition switch is in the ON posi-
tion.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into P (Park). This posi-
tion locks the transmission and pre-
vents the drive wheels from rotating.R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
N (Neutral)
The wheels and transmission are not
engaged. The vehicle will roll freely
even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or service brakes
are applied.(Continued)
Before leaving the driver’s
seat, always make sure the
shift lever is in the P (Park)
position. Set the parking
brake fully, shut the engine off
and take the key with you.
Unexpected and sudden vehi-
cle movement can occur if
you do not follow these pre-
cautions in the order speci-
fied.
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.
(Continued)CAUTION
The transmission may be dam-
aged if you shift into P (Park)
while the vehicle is in motion.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R
(Reverse); you may damage the
transmission if you shift into R
while the vehicle is in motion,
except as explained in “Rocking
the vehicle” in this section.
523
Driving your vehicle
Good driving practices
Never move the shift lever from P
(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other
position with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
Never move the shift lever into P
(Park) when the vehicle is in
motion.
Be sure the car is completely
stopped before you attempt to shift
into R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
Never take the car out of gear and
coast down a hill. This may be
extremely hazardous. Always leave
the car in gear when moving.
Do not "ride" the brakes. This can
cause them to overheat and mal-
function. Instead, when you are
driving down a long hill, slow down,
move the shift lever to the manual
gate and shift to a lower gear.
When you do this, engine braking
will help slow the car.
Slow down before shifting to a
lower gear. Otherwise, the lower
gear may not be engaged. Always use the parking brake. Do
not depend on placing the trans-
mission 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 occupant.
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 over-
steers to reenter the roadway.
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.
Driving your vehicle
24 5
Moving up a steep grade from a
standing start
To move up a steep grade from a
standing start, press the brake pedal,
shift the shift lever to D (Drive) and
release the parking brake. Depress
the accelerator gradually while
releasing the brake pedal. When
accelerating from a stop on a steep
hill, the vehicle may have a tendency
to roll backwards.
WARNING
If your vehicle becomes stuck in
snow, mud, sand, etc., then you
may attempt to rock the vehicle
free by moving it forward and
backward. Do not attempt this
procedure if people or objects
are anywhere near the vehicle.
During the rocking operation
the vehicle may suddenly move
forward or backward as it
becomes unstuck, causing
injury or damage to nearby peo-
ple or objects.
Driving your vehicle
26 5
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 much 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- 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 brake pads as
complete front or rear axle
sets.
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.