5
Before driving / 5-3
Key positions / 5-4
ENGINE START/STOP button / 5-6
Starting the engine / 5-8
Automatic transmission / 5-12
Four wheel drive (4WD) / 5-18
Brake system / 5-28
Locking differential / 5-40
Air leveling system / 5-41
Cruise control system / 5-44
Economical operation / 5-48
Special driving conditions / 5-50
Winter driving / 5-54
Trailer Towing / 5-58
Vehicle weight / 5-66
Driving your vehicle
Driving your vehicle
18
5
FOUR WHEEL DRIVE (4WD) (IF EQUIPPED)
E170000AHM
Engine power can be delivered to all front
and rear wheels for maximum traction.
4WD is useful when extra traction is
required on road, such as, when driving
on slippery, muddy, wet, or snow-covered
roads. These vehicles are not designed
for challenging off-road use. Occasional
off-road use such as established
unpaved roads and trails are OK. It is
always important when traveling off-high-
way that the driver carefully reduces the
speed to a level that does not exceed the
safe operating speed for those condi-
tions. In general, off-road conditions pro-
vide less traction and braking effective-
ness than normal road conditions. The
driver must be especially alert to avoid
driving on slopes which tilt the vehicle to
either side.
These factors must be carefully consid-
ered when driving off-road. Keeping the
vehicle in contact with the driving surfaceand under control in these conditions is
always the driver's responsibility for the
safety of him/herself and his or her pas-
sengers. E170201AHM
Tight corner brake effect
Tight corner brake effect is a unique
characteristic of four-wheel drive vehicles
caused by the difference in tire rotation at
the four wheels and the zero-degreealignment of the front wheels and sus-pension.
Sharp turns at low speeds should be car-
ried out with caution.
WARNING
- Off road driving
This vehicle is designed primarily
for on road use although it can oper-
ate effectively off road. However, it
was not designed to drive in chal-
lenging off-road conditions. Driving
in conditions that exceed the vehi-
cle's intended design or the driver's
experience level may result in
severe injury or death.
CAUTION - 4WD
When turning sharply on a paved
road at low speed while in four-wheel drive (4L mode for full-time 4WD operation or 4L/4H mode for
part-time 4WD operation), steering control will be difficult.
CAUTION
Do not select four wheel drive on flat and normal roads.
Four-wheel driving on flat roads for a long period causes poor fueleconomy and noise and it alsocauses tires to wear faster.
Four-wheel driving on flat and normal roads can result in asevere binding and chatteringcondition when turning the steer- ing wheel.
Four-wheel driving on flat roads for a long period can also causethe differential oil temperature to increase, resulting in damage toparts in the power train.
521
Driving your vehicle
Transfer mode Shift knob Indicator light Description
This mode is used when driving on normal roads and highway.
The engine power is distributed to all four wheels automatical-
ly without the driver's intervention in accordance with the road
conditions and driving conditions.
This mode is used when driving on slippery roads, such as
snowy and rainy roads at normal speed.
Maximum speed: 80 km/h (50 mph)This mode is used when ncreased traction is required, such as
climbing or descending hills, driving off-roads, and towing a
vehicle.
Maximum speed: 40 km/h (25 mph)44 WW DD
H
H II
4WD
HI
4WD
LOW
44 WW DD
L
L OO WWAUTO
(Automatic
4-wheel drive)
4H
(High-speed
4-wheel drive)
4L
(Low-speed
4-wheel drive) (not illuminated)
✽✽
NOTICE
4WD transfer has a time delay for a few seconds until the actual shift is made after turning the transfe r shift knob.
When the 4WD transfer mode is shifted, it may cause mechanical noise. It is not a mechanical failur e but a normal condition.
E170900AHM Full-Time 4WD Operation (if equipped)
CAUTION
When you stop the vehicle to transfer the shift knob, wait until the corresponding indicator light turns on or off to
depart. If the vehicle moves before the transfer is completed, the vehicle may be damaged.
(illuminated)
(illuminated)
523
Driving your vehicle
E170300AHM
For safe four-wheel drive opera- tion
Do not try to drive in deep standingwater or mud since such conditions
can stall your engine and clog your
exhaust pipes. Do not drive down
steep hills since it requires extreme
skill to maintain control of the vehicle. When you are driving up or down hills
drive as straight as possible. Use
extreme caution in going up or down
steep hills, since you may flip your
vehicle over depending on the grade,
terrain and water/mud conditions.
WARNING - Four-wheel driving
The conditions of on-road or off-
road that demand four-wheel drive
mean all functions of your vehicle
are exposed to extreme stress than
under normal road conditions. Slow
down and be ready for changes inthe composition and traction of the
surface under your tires. If you
have any doubt about the safety of
the conditions you are facing, stop
and consider the best way to pro-
ceed. Do not exceed the ability of
yourself or your vehicle to operate
safely.
WARNING - Hills
Driving across the contour of steep
hills can be extremely dangerous.
This danger can come from slight
changes in the wheel angle which
can destabilize the vehicle or, even
if the vehicle is maintaining stabili-
ty under power, it can lose that sta-
bility if the vehicle stops its forward
motion. Your vehicle may roll overwithout warning and without time
for you to correct a mistake that
could cause serious injury ordeath.
HILL1HILL2
525
Driving your vehicle
✽✽NOTICE
Do not drive in water if the level is higher than the bottom of the vehicle.
Check your brake condition once you
are out of mud or water. Press the
brake pedal several times as you move
slowly until you feel normal braking
forces return.
Shorten your scheduled maintenance interval if you drive in off-road condi-
tions such as sand, mud or water (see
“Maintenance under severe usage
conditions” in section 7). Always wash
your vehicle thoroughly after off road
use, especially cleaning the bottom of
the vehicle.
Since the driving torque is always applied to the 4 wheels the perform-
ance of the 4WD vehicle is greatly
affected by the condition of the tires.
Be sure to equip the vehicle with four
tires of the same size and type.
A full time four wheel drive vehicle cannot be towed by an ordinary tow
truck. Make sure that the vehicle is
placed on a flat bed truck for moving.E170800AHM
Reducing the risk of a rollover
This multi-purpose passenger vehicle is
defined as a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).
SUV’s have higher ground clearance and
a narrower track to make them capable
of performing in a wide variety of off-road
applications. Specific design characteris-
tics give them a higher center of gravity
than ordinary vehicles. An advantage of
the higher ground clearance is a better
view of the road, which allows you to
anticipate problems. They are not
designed for cornering at the same
speeds as conventional passenger vehi-
cles, any more than low-slung sports
vehicles are designed to perform satis-
factorily in off-road conditions. Due to this
risk, driver and passengers are strongly
recommended to buckle their seat belts.
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
more likely to die than a person wearing
a seat belt. There are steps that a driver
can make to reduce the risk of a rollover.
If at all possible, avoid sharp turns or
abrupt maneuvers, do not load your roof
rack with heavy cargo, and never modify
your vehicle in any way.
CAUTION - Mud or snow
If one of the front or rear wheels
begins to spin in mud, snow, etc.
the vehicle can sometimes be driv-en out by depressing the accelera-tor pedal further; however avoid running the engine continuously at
high rpm because doing so coulddamage the 4WD system.
Driving your vehicle
54
5
E120000ASA
Severe weather conditions in the winter
result in greater wear and other prob-
lems. To minimize the problems of winter
driving, you should follow these sugges-tions: E120100AUN
Snowy or icy conditions
To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it may
be necessary to use snow tires or to
install tire chains on your tires. If snow
tires are needed, it is necessary to select
tires equivalent in size and type of the
original equipment tires. Failure to do so
may adversely affect the safety and han-
dling of your vehicle. Furthermore,
speeding, rapid acceleration, sudden
brake applications, and sharp turns are
potentially very hazardous practices.
During deceleration, use engine braking
to the fullest extent. Sudden brake appli-
cations on snowy or icy roads may cause
skids to occur. You need to keep suffi-
cient distance between the vehicle in
operation in front and your vehicle. Also,
apply the brake gently. It should be notedthat installing tire chains on the tire will
provide a greater driving force, but will
not prevent side skids.
✽✽
NOTICE
Tire chains are not legal in all countries.
Check the country laws before fitting
tire chains.
E120101AUN
Snow tires
If you mount snow tires on your vehicle,
make sure they are radial tires of the
same size and load range as the original
tires. Mount snow tires on all four wheels
to balance your vehicle’s handling in all
weather conditions. Keep in mind that the
traction provided by snow tires on dry
roads may not be as high as your vehi-
cle's original equipment tires. You should
drive cautiously even when the roads are
clear. Check with the tire dealer for max-
imum speed recommendations.
Do not install studded tires without first checking local, state and municipal regu-
lations for possible restrictions againsttheir use.
WINTER DRIVING
WARNING - Snow tire size
Snow tires should be equivalent in
size and type to the vehicle's stan-
dard tires. Otherwise, the safety
and handling of your vehicle may
be adversely affected.
1VQA3005
621
What to do in an emergency
F080301AHM
Emergency towing precautions
Turn the ignition switch to ACC so thesteering wheel isn’t locked.
Place the transmission shift lever in N (Neutral).
Release the parking bake.
Press the brake pedal with more force than usual since you will have reduced
brake performance.
More steering effort will be required because the power steering system
will be disabled.
If you are driving down a long hill, the brakes may overheat and brake per-
formance will be reduced. Stop often
and let the brakes cool off. F080400AHM
Tie-down hook
(for flatbed towing)
OHM068014
WARNING
Do not use the hooks under the
rear of the vehicle for towing pur-
poses. These hooks are designed
ONLY for transport tie-down. If the
tie-down hooks are used for tow-
ing, the tie-down hooks or rear
bumper will be damaged and this
could lead to serious injury.
CAUTION - Automatic
transmission
If the car is being towed with all four wheels on the ground, it can
be towed only from the front. Besure that the transmission is inneutral. Be sure the steering is unlocked by placing the ignition
switch in the ACC position. Adriver must be in the towed vehi-cle to operate the steering and
brakes.
To avoid serious damage to the automatic transmission, limit thevehicle speed to 15 km/h (10 mph)and drive less than 1.5 km (1
mile) when towing.
Before towing, check the auto- matic transmission fluid leakunder your vehicle. If the auto- matic transmission fluid is leak-
ing, a flatbed equipment or tow-ing dolly must be used.
Index
2
I
Air bags ···········································································3-42
Air bag warning label................................................3-60
Air bag warning light ................................................3-45
Curtain air bag ..........................................................3-52
Driver's and passenger's front air bag ......................3-48
Side impact air bag....................................................3-50
Air cleaner·······································································7-26
Air conditioner compressor label ·····································8-9
Air leveling system (ALS) ··············································5-41
Air ventilation seat ··························································3-10
Alarm system ··································································4-12
All wheel drive (AWD), see four wheel drive (4WD) ···5-18
Antenna ·········································································4-130
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)········································5-31
Appearance care······························································7-62 Exterior care ······························································7-62
Interior care ·······························································7-67
Armrest ···········································································3-16
Ashtray ··········································································4-120
Audio system ································································4-130 Antenna ···································································4-130
Aux, USB and iPod ·················································4-132
Steering wheel audio control ··································4-131
Automatic climate control system ································4-103 Air conditioning ······················································4-110
Automatic heating and air conditioning··················4-105 Manual heating and air conditioning ······················4-106
Automatic transmission ··················································5-12 Shift lock system ·······················································5-15
Sports mode·······························································5-14
Battery ·············································································7-32
Battery saver function ·····················································4-75
Before driving ···································································5-3
Bottle holders, see cup holders ·····································4-121
Brake system ···································································5-28 Anti-lock brake system (ABS) ··································5-31
Downhill brake control (DBC)··································5-37
Electronic stability program (ESP) ···························5-33
Hill-start assist control (HAC) ··································5-36
Parking brake·····························································5-29
Power brakes ·····························································5-28
Brakes fluid ·····································································7-22
Bulb replacement ····························································7-55 Door courtesy lamp bulb replacement ······················7-60
Front fog light bulb replacement ·····················7-55, 7-57
Headlight bulb replacement ·····························7-55, 7-57
High mounted stop light replacement ·······················7-60
Interior light bulb replacement··································7-61
License plate light bulb replacement ························7-60
Position light bulb replacement ·······················7-55, 7-57
Rear combination light bulb replacement ·················7-58
A
B