5-3
Driving your vehicle
Before entering the vehicle
• Be sure all windows, outside mir-ror(s), and outside lights are clean
and unobstructed.
Remove frost, snow, or ice.
Visually check the tires for uneven wear and damage.
Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.
Before starting
Make sure the hood, the tailgate,and the doors are securely closed
and locked.
Adjust the position of the seat and steering wheel.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
Verify all the lights work.
Fasten your seatbelt. Check that all passengers have fastened their
seatbelts.
Check the gauges and indicators in the instrument panel and the mes-
sages on the instrument display
when the ignition switch is in theON position.
Check that any items you are car- rying are stored properly or fas-
tened down securely.
5
CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65
WARNING
Engine exhaust and a wide vari- ety of automobile components
including components found inthe interior furnishings in a
vehicle, contain or emit harmful
chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and
birth defects and reproductive
harm. In addition, certain fluids
contained in vehicles and cer-
tain products of components
contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth
defects or other reproductiveharm.
WARNING
BBEEFFOO RREE DD RRIIVV IINN GG
5-5
Driving your vehicle
Key ignition switch
IIGG NN IITT IIOO NN SS WW IITT CCHH
5
(Continued)
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is in position, apply the parking
brake, and turn ignition switchto the LOCK position.
Unexpected vehicle movement
may occur if these precautions
are not followed.
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS
INJURY or DEATH, take the fol-
lowing precautions:
NEVER allow children or any
person who is unfamiliar with
the vehicle to touch the igni-
tion switch or related parts.
Unexpected and sudden vehi-
cle movement can occur.
NEVER reach through the
steering wheel for the ignition
switch, or any other control,
while the vehicle is in motion.
The presence of your hand or
arm in this area may cause a
loss of vehicle control result-ing in an accident.
WARNING
NEVER turn the ignition switch
to the LOCK or ACC position
while the vehicle is in motion
except in an emergency. Thiswill result in the engine turning
off and loss of power assist forthe steering and brake systems.
This may lead to loss of direc-
tional control and braking func-
tion, which could cause an acci-dent.
(Continued)
WARNING
OLMB053001
5-6
Driving your vehicle
Key ignition switch positions
Switch
PositionActionNotes
LOCK
To turn the ignition switch to the LOCK position, push the
key in slightly at the ACC position and turn the key
towards the LOCK position.
The ignition key can be removed in the LOCK position.The steering wheel locks to protect the vehicle from theft. (if equipped)
ACC
Electrical accessories are usable.The steering wheel unlocks.
If difficulty is experienced turning the ignition switch to
the ACC position, turn the key while turning the steering
wheel right and left to release tension.
ON
This is the normal key position when the engine has
started.
All features and accessories are usable.
The warning lights can be checked when you turn the
ignition switch from ACC to ON.Do not leave the ignition switch in the ON position when
the engine is not running to prevent the battery from dis-charging.
START
To start the engine, turn the ignition switch to the START
position. The switch returns to the ON position when you
let go of the key.The engine will crank until you release the key.
5-8
Engine Start/Stop button
Whenever the front door is opened,
the Engine Start/Stop button will illu-minate and will go off 30 secondsafter the door is closed.
Driving your vehicle
OLMB053004
To turn the engine off in an
emergency: Press and hold the Engine
Start/Stop button for more than
two seconds OR Rapidly pressand release the Engine
Start/Stop button three times(within three seconds).
If the vehicle is still moving, you
can restart the engine without
depressing the brake pedal by
pressing the Engine Start/Stop
button with the shift lever in theN (Neutral) position.
WARNING
NEVER press the Engine
Start/Stop button while the
vehicle is in motion except in
an emergency. This will resultin the engine turning off and
loss of power assist for thesteering and brake systems.
This may lead to loss of direc-
tional control and braking
function, which could causean accident.
Before leaving the driver’s
seat, always make sure the
shift lever is in the P (Park)
position, set the parking
brake, press the Engine
Start/Stop button to the OFF
position, and take the Smart
Key with you. Unexpected
vehicle movement may occurif these precautions are not
followed.
WARNING
5-19
Driving your vehicle
5
Good driving practices
Never move the shift lever from P(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other
position with the accelerator pedaldepressed.
Never move the shift lever into P (Park) when the vehicle is inmotion.
Be sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before you attempt to shift
into R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
Do not move the shift lever to N (Neutral) when driving. Doing so
may result in an accident because
of a loss of engine braking and the
transaxle could be damaged.
Do not drive with your foot resting on the brake pedal. Even light, butconsistent pedal pressure can
result in the brakes overheating,
brake wear and possibly even
brake failure.
When driving in Sports mode, slow down before shifting to a lower
gear. Otherwise, the lower gear
may not be engaged if the engine
rpms are outside of the allowable
range. Always apply the parking brake
when leaving the vehicle. Do not
depend on placing the transmis-
sion in P (Park) to keep the vehicle
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
may cause loss of vehicle controlresulting in an accident
Optimum vehicle performance and economy is obtained by smoothlydepressing and releasing the
accelerator. To reduce the risk of SERIOUS
INJURY or DEATH:
ALWAYS wear your seatbelt.
In a collision, an unbelted
occupant is significantly more
likely to be seriously injured
or killed than a properly belt-ed 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 highwayspeeds.
Loss of control often occurs if
two or more wheels drop off
the roadway and the driver
over steers to reenter the
roadway.
(Continued)
WARNING
5-21
Driving your vehicle
5
The All Wheel Drive (AWD) System
delivers engine power to all front
and rear wheels for maximum trac-
tion. AWD is useful when extra trac-tion is required on roads such slip-
pery, muddy, wet, or snow-covered
roads. Occasional off-road use such as
established unpaved roads and trails
are OK. It is always important that
the driver carefully reduces the
speed to a level that does not exceed
the safe operating speed for those
conditions.✽✽NOTICE
Do not drive in water if the level is higher than the bottom of the vehi-
cle.
Check your brake condition once you are out of mud or water.
Depress the brake pedal several
times as you move slowly until you
feel normal braking return.
Shorten your scheduled mainte- nance interval if you drive in off-
road conditions such as sand, mud
or water (see “Maintenance Under
Severe Usage Conditions” in chap-
ter 7).
Always wash your vehicle thor- oughly after off road use, especial-
ly the bottom of the vehicle.
Be sure to equip the vehicle with four tires of the same size and
type.
Make sure that a full time AWD vehicle is towed by a flat bed tow
truck.
AALLLL WW HHEEEE LL DD RRIIVV EE (( AA WW DD)) (( IIFF EE QQ UUIIPP PPEEDD ))
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS
INJURY or DEATH:
Do not drive in conditions that
exceed the vehicles intended
design such as challenging
off-road conditions.
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 a rollover is great-
ly increased if you lose con-
trol of your vehicle at highwayspeeds.
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.
WARNING
5-23
Driving your vehicle
5
✽✽NOTICE
When the AWD LOCK mode is
deactivated, a sensation may be felt
as the driving power is delivered
entirely to the front wheels.
For safe AWD operation
Before driving
Make sure all passengers are wearing seat belts.
Sit upright and closer to the steer- ing wheel than usual. Adjust the
steering wheel to a position com-
fortable for you to drive.
Driving on snow-covered or icy
roads
Start off slowly by applying theaccelerator pedal gently.
Use snow tires or tire chains.
Keep sufficient distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front
of you.
Use engine braking during deceler- ation.
Avoid speeding, rapid acceleration, sudden brake applications, and
sharp turns to prevent skids.
Driving in sand or mud
Maintain slow and constant speed.
Use tire chains driving in mud ifnecessary.
Keep sufficient distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front
of you.
Reduce vehicle speed and always check the road condition.
Avoid speeding, rapid acceleration, sudden brake applications, and
sharp turns to prevent getting
stuck.
When driving on normal roads,
deactivate the AWD LOCK mode
by pushing the AWD LOCK but-
ton (AWD LOCK indicator light
goes off). Driving on normal
roads with the AWD LOCK
mode, especially, when corner-
ing may cause mechanical
noise or vibration. The noiseand vibration will disappear
when the AWD LOCK mode is
deactivated. Prolong drivingwith the noise and vibration
may damage some parts of the
power train.CAUTION
When the vehicle is stuck in
snow, sand or mud, place a non-slip material under the drive
wheels to provide traction OR
Slowly spin the wheels in for-
ward and reverse directions
which causes a rocking motion
that may free the vehicle.
However, avoid running the
engine continuously at high
rpm, doing so may damage the
AWD system.
CAUTION
5-25
Driving your vehicle
5
Driving through water
Try to avoid driving in deep stand-ing water. It may stall your engine
and clog your exhaust pipes.
If you need to drive in water, stop your vehicle, set the vehicle in
AWD LOCK mode and drive under5mph (8 km/h).
Do not change gear while driving in water.
Additional driving conditions
Become familiar with the off-roadconditions before driving.
Always pay attention when driving off-road and avoid dangerous
areas.
Drive slowly when driving in heavy wind.
Reduce vehicle speed when cor- nering. The center of gravity of
AWD vehicles is higher than con-
ventional 2WD vehicles, making
them more likely to roll over when
you rapidly turn corners. Always hold the steering wheel
firmly when you are driving off-road.
Always drive slowly in water. If
you drive too fast, water may
get into the engine compart-ment and wet the ignition sys-
tem causing your vehicle to
suddenly stop.
CAUTION
OLMB053019
Do not grab the inside of the
steering wheel when you are
driving off-road. You may hurt
your arm by a sudden steering
maneuver or from steeringwheel rebound due to an impact
with objects on the ground. You
could lose control of the steer-
ing wheel that may lead to seri-
ous injury or death.
WARNING