59
Driving your vehicle
During cold weather, shifting may bedifficult until the transaxle lubricant has
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),
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. E050101AUNUsing 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 driv-
ing. This can cause unnecessary wear.
Do not partially engage the clutch to hold
the car on an incline. This causes unnec-
essary wear. Use the foot brake or park-
ing brake to hold the car on an incline. Do
not operate the clutch pedal rapidly and
repeatedly.
E050102AUN
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy traf-
fic or while driving up steep hills, down-
shift 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 vehicle is traveling
down steep hills, downshifting helps
maintain safe speed and prolongs brake
life.
CAUTION
To avoid premature clutch wear
and damage, do not drive with
your foot resting on the clutch pedal. Also, don’t use the clutchto hold the vehicle stopped on anuphill grade, while waiting for a
traffic light, etc.
Do not use the shift lever as a handrest during driving, as thiscan result in premature wear of the transaxle shift forks.
WARNING
Before leaving the driver’s seat, always set the parking brake fully
and shut the engine off. Thenmake 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 canoccur if these precautions are not
followed in the order identified.
If your vehicle has a manual transaxle not equipped with a
ignition lock switch, it may moveand cause a serious accident
when starting the engine without
depressing the clutch pedal whilethe parking brake is released and
the shift lever not in theN(Neutral) position.
513
Driving your vehicle
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.N (Neutral)
The wheels and transaxle are not locked.
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 4-gear sequence, providing the
best fuel economy and power.
Bring the car to a complete stop before
shifting the selector to “D” position.
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.
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) position 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.
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
vehicle movement can occur if
you do not follow these precau-
tions in the order specified.
Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle.
CAUTION
The transaxle may be damaged if
you shift into P (Park) while thevehicle is in motion.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stopbefore shifting into or out of R
(Reverse); you may damage the transaxle if you shift into R whilethe vehicle is in motion, except asexplained in “Rocking the Vehicle”,
in this manual.
Driving your vehicle
14
5
3 (Third gear)
Use for towing a trailer during hill climb-
ing or to use engine braking downhill.
"3" automatically shifts between 1st, 2nd
and 3rd gears. This means that no shift-
up to 4th gear is performed. However, theshift-up to 4th gear is done when the car
speed exceeds a certain value to prevent
the engine from over-revving. Manually
move the selector to "D" when returning
to normal driving condition.
2 (Second gear)
Use for driving on a slippery road, hill
climbing or engine braking downhill. "2"
automatically shifts between first and
second gears. This means that no shift-up to 3rd gear is
performed. However, the shift-up to thirdgear is done when the car speed
exceeds a certain value to prevent the
engine from over-revving. Manually move
the selector to "D" returning to normal
driving condition. 1 (First gear)
Use for driving up a very steep grade or
for engine braking when descending
steep hills. When downshifting to "1", the
transaxle will temporarily remain in sec-
ond gear until the vehicle has slowed
enough for low gear to engage. Do not
exceed 50 km/h (30 mph) in low gear.
"1" shifts to 1st gear only. However, shift
up to 2nd is performed when the car
exceeds a certain speed and, as speed
increases, the transaxle will shift up to
3rd gear to prevent over-revving the
engine.
✽✽
NOTICE
For smooth and safe operation, depress the brake pedal when shifting
from "N" (Neutral) position or "P"
(Park) position to a forward or "R"
(Reverse) gear.
Fully depress the brake pedal in order to move the shift lever from the "P"
(Park) position to any of the other
positions.
It is always possible to shift from "R",
"N", "D", "3", "2", "1" position to
"P" position. The vehicle must be
fully stopped to avoid transaxle dam-
age.
CAUTION
Shift into "R", “D” and "P" posi-
tion only when the vehicle has
completely stopped.
Do not accelerate the engine in reverse or any of the forwardpositions with the brakes applied.
Always apply the footbrake when shifting from "P" or "N", to "R","D","3", "2" or "1" position.
Check the automatic transaxle fluid level regularly, and add fluidas necessary.
See the maintenance schedule forthe proper fluid recommendation.
Driving your vehicle
18
5
E070102AUN
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 (if equipped). You
may hear this sound come and go or it
may occur whenever you depress the
brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving con-
ditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when you first apply (or lightly
apply) the brakes. This is normal and
does not indicate a problem with your
brakes. Parking brake E070201AFD
Applying the parking brake
To engage the parking brake, first apply
the foot brake and then without pressing
the release button in, pull the parking
brake lever up as far as possible. In addi-
tion it is recommended that when parking
the vehicle on a gradient, the shift lever
should be positioned in the appropriate
low gear on manual transaxle vehicles or
in the P (Park) position on automatic
transaxle vehicles.
WARNING
- Brake wear
This brake wear warning sound
means your vehicle needs service.
If you ignore this audible warning,
you will eventually lose braking
performance, which could lead to aserious 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.
CAUTION
Driving with the parking brakeapplied will cause excessive brake
pad and brake rotor wear.
OFD057006
519
Driving your vehicle
E070202AFD
Releasing the parking brake
To release the parking brake, first apply
the foot brake and pull up the parking
brake lever slightly. Secondly depress the
release button (1) and lower the parking
brake lever (2) while holding the button.Check the brake warning light by turning
the ignition switch ON (do not start the
engine). This light will be illuminated
when the parking brake is applied with
the ignition switch in the START or ONposition.
Before driving, be sure the parking brake
is fully released and the brake warning
light is off.
If the brake warning light remains on
after the parking brake is released while
engine is running, there may be a mal-
function in the brake system. Immediate
attention is necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the vehi-
cle immediately. If that is not possible,
use extreme caution while operating the
vehicle and only continue to drive the
vehicle until you can reach a safe loca-
tion or repair shop.
WARNING
To prevent unintentional move- ment when stopped and leaving
the vehicle, do not use the
gearshift lever in place of the
parking brake. Set the parkingbrake AND make sure the
gearshift lever is securely posi-
tioned in 1st (First) gear or R
(Reverse) for manual transaxle
equipped vehicles and in P (Park)
for automatic transaxle equipped
vehicles.
Never allow anyone who is unfa- miliar with the vehicle to touch
the parking brake. If the parking
brake is released unintentionally,
serious injury may occur.
All vehicles should always have the parking brake fully engaged
when parking to avoid inadver-
tent movement of the car whichcan injure occupants or pedestri-ans.
OFD057007W-75
Driving your vehicle
26
5
If your car is equipped with an auto-
matic transaxle, don't let your car
creep forward. To avoid creeping for-
ward, keep your foot firmly on the
brake pedal when the car is stopped.
Use caution when parking on a hill. Firmly engage the parking brake and
place the gear selector lever in P (auto-
matic transaxle) or in first or reverse
gear (manual transaxle). If your car is
facing downhill, turn the front wheels
into the curb to help keep the car from
rolling. If your car is facing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the curb to
help keep the car from rolling. If there
is no curb or if it is required by other
conditions to keep the car from rolling,
block the wheels.
Under some conditions your parking brake can freeze in the engaged posi-
tion. This is most likely to happen when
there is an accumulation of snow or ice
around or near the rear brakes or if the
brakes are wet. If there is a risk that the
parking brake may freeze, apply it only
temporarily while you put the gear
selector lever in P (automatic
transaxle) or in first or reverse gear
(manual transaxle) and block the rear
wheels so the car cannot roll. Then
release the parking brake. Do not hold the vehicle on the upgrade
with the accelerator pedal. This can
cause the transaxle to overheat.
Always use the brake pedal or parking
brake.
527
Driving your vehicle
E090000AFD
The cruise control system allows you to
program the vehicle to maintain a con-
stant speed without resting your foot on
the accelerator pedal. This system is designed to function
above approximately 40 km/h (25 mph).
✽✽NOTICE
During normal cruise control operation,
when the SET switch is activated or
reactivated after applying the brakes,
the cruise control will energize after
approximately 3 seconds. This delay is
normal.
E090100AUN
To set cruise control speed:
1. Push the CRUISE ON-OFF button on the steering wheel to turn the system
on. The CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster will illuminate.
2. Accelerate to the desired speed, which must be more than 40 km/h (25 mph).
CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING
If the cruise control is left on, (CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster illuminated)
the cruise control can be
switched on accidentally. Keep
the cruise control system off
(CRUISE indicator light OFF)
when the cruise control is not in
use, to avoid inadvertently set-ting a speed.
Use the cruise control system only when traveling on open
highways in good weather.
Do not use the cruise control when it may not be safe to keep
the car at a constant speed, for
instance, driving in heavy or
varying traffic, or on slippery
(rainy, icy or snow-covered) or
winding roads or over 6% up-hill
or down-hill roads.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Pay particular attention to thedriving conditions whenever
using the cruise control system.
Be careful when driving downhill using the cruise control system,
which may increase the vehiclespeed.
OFD057010CAUTION
During cruise-speed driving of a
manual transaxle vehicle, do notshift into neutral without depress-ing the clutch pedal, since the engine will be overrevved. If this
happens, depress the clutch pedalor release the cruise controlON/OFF switch.
529
Driving your vehicle
E090400AUN
To temporarily accelerate with the
cruise control on:
If you want to speed up temporarily when
the cruise control is on, depress the
accelerator pedal. Increased speed will
not interfere with cruise control operationor change the set speed.
To return to the set speed, take your foot
off the accelerator.E090500AFD
To cancel cruise control, do one
of the following:
Press the brake pedal.
Press the clutch pedal with a manualtransaxle.
Shift into N (Neutral) with an automatic transaxle.
Press the CANCEL switch located on the steering wheel.
Decrease the vehicle speed lower than the memory speed by 15 km/h (9 mph).
Decrease the vehicle speed to less than approximately 40 km/h (25 mph).Each of these actions will cancel cruise
control operation (the SET indicator light in the instrument cluster will go off), but itwill not turn the system off. If you wish to
resume cruise control operation, pushthe RES/ACCEL switch located on yoursteering wheel. You will return to your
previously preset speed.
OFD057013