53
Driving your vehicle
Before entering vehicle• Be sure that all windows, outsidemirror(s), and outside lights are
clean.
Check the condition of the tires.
Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspectionsFluid levels, such as engine oil,
engine coolant, brake fluid, and
washer fluid should be checked on a
regular basis, at the exact interval
depending on the fluid. Further
details are provided in chapter 7,
“Maintenance”.
Before starting Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all con-trols are easily reached.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
Be sure that all lights work.
Check all gauges.
Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position.
Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning light
goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and its
equipment.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING
Driving while distracted can
result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol, that may lead to an acci-
dent, severe personal injury,
and death. The driver’s primary
responsibility is in the safe and
legal operation of a vehicle, and
use of any handheld devices,
other equipment, or vehicle sys-
tems which take the driver’s
eyes, attention and focus away
from the safe operation of a
vehicle or which are not permis-
sible by law should never be
used during operation of the
vehicle.
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Driving your vehicle
Illuminated ignition switch
(if equipped)Whenever a front door is opened, the
ignition switch will illuminate for your
convenience, provided the ignition
switch is not in the ON position. The
light will go off immediately when the
ignition switch is turned on. It will
also go off after about 30 seconds
when the door is closed.
Ignition switch positionLOCKThe steering wheel locks to protect
against theft (if equipped). The igni-
tion key can be removed only in the
LOCK position.
When turning the ignition switch to
the LOCK position, push the key
inward at the ACC position and turn
the key toward the LOCK position.
ACC (Accessory)The steering wheel is unlocked and
electrical accessories are operative.✽ ✽NOTICEIf difficulty is experienced turning
the ignition switch to the ACC posi-
tion, turn the key while turning the
steering wheel right and left to
release the tension.ONThe warning lights can be checked
before the engine is started. This is
the normal running position after the
engine is started.Do not leave the ignition switch ON if
the engine is not running to preventbattery discharge.
STARTTurn the ignition switch to the START
position to start the engine. The
engine will crank until you release
the key; then it returns to the ON
position. The brake warning light can
be checked in this position.
KEY POSITIONS (IF EQUIPPED)
OXM059001N
OXM059029N
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Driving your vehicle65
Starting the engine1.Make sure the parking brake isapplied.
2. Automatic Transaxle - Place the
transaxle 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.
3.Turn the ignition switch to START and hold it there until the engine
starts (a maximum of 10 seconds),
then release the key.
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 and accelerator pedal.
WARNING
- Ignitionswitch
Never turn the ignition switch
to LOCK or ACC while the
vehicle is moving. This would
result in loss of directional
control and braking function,
which could cause an acci-
dent.
The anti-theft steering column lock is not a substitute for the
parking brake. Before leaving
the driver’s seat, always make
sure the shift lever is engaged
in 1st gear for the manual
transaxle or P (Park) for auto-
matic transaxle, set the park-
ing brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement
may occur if these precau-
tions are not taken.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Never reach for the ignitionswitch, 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 control, 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.
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Driving your vehicle
4.In extremely cold weather (below 0°F / -18°C) or after the vehicle has
not been operated for several days,
let the engine warm up without
depressing the accelerator.Whether the engine is cold or warm,it should be started withoutdepressing the accelerator.
CAUTION
If the engine stalls while you arein motion, do not attempt tomove the shift lever to the P(Park) position. If traffic androad conditions permit, you mayput the shift lever in the N(Neutral) position while thevehicle is still moving and turnthe ignition switch to the STARTposition in an attempt to restartthe engine.
CAUTION
Do not engage the starter formore than 10 seconds. If theengine stalls or fails to start,wait 5 to 10 seconds before re-engaging the starter. Improperuse of the starter may damage it.
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Driving your vehicle
Manual transaxle operationThe manual transaxle has 6 forward
gears.
This shift pattern is imprinted on the
shift knob. The transaxle is fully syn-
chronized in all forward gears so
shifting to either a higher or a lower
gear is easily accomplished.
Press the clutch pedal down fully
while shifting, then release it slowly.
If your vehicle is equipped with an
ignition lock switch, the engine will
not start when starting the engine
without depressing the clutch pedal.
(if equipped)
The gearshift lever must be returned
to the neutral position before shifting
into R (Reverse).
The button (1) located immediately
below the shift knob must be pulled
upward while moving the shift lever
to the R (Reverse) position. (if
equipped)Make sure the vehicle is completelystopped before shifting into R(Reverse).
Never operate the engine with thetachometer (rpm) in the red zone.
MANUAL TRANSAXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
CAUTION
When downshifting from fifth gear to fourth gear, cautionshould be taken not to inad-vertently press the gear shiftlever sideways in such a man-ner that second gear isengaged. Such a drasticdownshift may cause theengine speed to increase tothe point that the tachometerwill enter the red-zone. Suchover-revving of the enginemay possibly cause enginedamage.
Do not downshift more than 2 gears or downshift the gearwhen the engine is running athigh speed (5,000 RPM orhigher). Such a downshiftingmay damage the engine.
OXM053041
The shift lever can be moved without pulling
the ring (1).
The ring (1) must be pulled up while moving
the shift lever.
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Driving your vehicle14
5 During cold weather, shifting may
be difficult until the transaxle lubri-
cant has warmed up. This is nor-
mal 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.
Using the clutchThe 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 vehicle on an incline. This causes
unnecessary wear. Use the foot
brake or parking brake to hold the
vehicle on an incline. Do not operate
the clutch pedal rapidly and repeat-
edly.DownshiftingWhen you must slow down in heavy
traffic or while driving up steep hills,
downshift 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 vehi-
cle is traveling down steep hills,
downshifting helps maintain safe
speed and prolongs brake life.
CAUTION
To avoid premature clutch wear and damage, do notdrive with your foot resting onthe clutch pedal. Also, don’tuse the clutch to hold thevehicle stopped on an uphillgrade, while waiting for a traf-fic light, etc.
Do not use the shift lever as a handrest during driving, asthis can result in prematurewear of the transaxle shiftforks.
WARNING
Before leaving the driver’s seat, always set the parking
brake fully and shut the
engine off. Then make 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 sud-
den vehicle movement can
occur if these precautions are
not followed in the order iden-
tified.
If your vehicle has a manual transaxle not equipped with a
ignition lock switch, it may
move and cause a serious
accident when starting the
engine without depressing
the clutch pedal while the
parking brake is released and
the shift lever not in the N
(neutral) position.
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Driving your vehicle
For smooth operation, depress thebrake pedal and the lock release but-ton when shifting from P (Parking) toa forward or reverse gear. Transaxle ranges
The indicator in the instrument clus-
ter displays the shift lever position
when the ignition switch is in the ON
position.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into P (Park). This
position locks the transaxle and pre-
vents the drive wheels from rotating.
WARNING
- Automatic
transaxle
Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for
people, especially children,
before shifting the shift lever
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 transaxle, do not acceleratethe engine in R (Reverse) orany forward gear position withthe brakes on.
When stopped on an incline, do not hold the vehicle withthe engine power. Use theservice brake or the parkingbrake.
Do not shift from N (Neutral) or P (Park) into D (Drive), or R(Reverse) when the engine isabove idle speed.
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.
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Driving your vehicle
Up (+) : Push the lever forward onceto shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards once to shift down one
gear.✽ ✽NOTICE• In sports mode, the driver must
execute upshifts in accordance
with road conditions, taking care
to keep the engine speed below the
red zone.
• In sports mode, only the 6 forward gears can be selected. To reverse
or park the vehicle, move the shift
lever to the R (Reverse) or P
(Park) position as required.
• In sports mode, downshifts are made automatically when the
vehicle slows down. When the
vehicle stops, 1st gear is automati-
cally selected.
• In sports mode, when the engine rpm approaches the red zone shift
points are varied to upshift auto-
matically. (Continued)(Continued)
• To maintain the required levels of
vehicle performance and safety,
the system may not execute cer-
tain gearshifts when the shift lever
is operated.
• When driving on a slippery road, push the shift lever forward into
the +(up) position. This causes the
transaxle to shift into the 2nd gear
which is better for smooth driving
on a slippery road. Push the shift
lever to the -(down) side to shift
back to the 1st gear.
Shift lock system (if equipped)For your safety, the automatic
transaxle has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transaxle
from P (Park) into R (Reverse)
unless the brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transaxle from P (Park)
into R (Reverse):
1.Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2.Start the engine or turn the ignition
switch to the ON position.
3.Move the shift lever.
If the brake pedal is repeatedly
depressed and released with the
shift lever in the P (Park) position, a
chattering noise near the shift lever
may be heard. It is a normal condi-
tion.
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