55
Driving your vehicle
Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all con-trols are easily reached.
Buckle your seat belt.
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.
WARNING
- Check surroundings
Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for peo-
ple, especially children, before
putting a vehicle into D (Drive)
or R (Reverse).
WARNING- Fire risk
When you intend to park or stop
the vehicle with the engine on,
be careful not to depress the
accelerator pedal for a long
period of time. It may overheat
the engine or exhaust system
and cause fire.WARNING- Loose
objects
Securely store items in your
vehicle. When you make a sud-
den stop or turn the steering
wheel rapidly, loose objects
may drop on the floor and it
could interfere with the opera-
tion of the foot pedals, possibly
causing an accident.
WARNING- Driving while
intoxicated
Do not drive while intoxicated.
Drinking and driving is danger-
ous. Even a small amount of
alcohol will affect your reflexes,
perceptions and judgment.
Driving while under the influ-
ence of drugs is as dangerous
as or more dangerous than driv-
ing drunk.
Driving your vehicle
65
Illuminated ignition switch
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 position
LOCK
The 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.
If difficulty is experienced turning the
ignition switch to the ACC position,
turn the key while turning the steer-
ing wheel right and left to release the
tension.
ON
The 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 ifthe engine is not running to preventbattery discharge.
KEY POSITIONS (IF EQUIPPED)
OPS053001
OXM059029N
Driving your vehicle
10
5
ACC(Accessory)
• With manual transaxle
Press the engine start/stop button
when the button is in the OFF posi-
tion without depressing the clutch
pedal.
• With automatic transaxle
Press the ENGINE START/STOP
button while it is in the OFF position
without depressing the brake pedal.
If the ENGINE START/STOP button
is in the ACC position for more than
1 hour, the button is turned off auto-
matically to prevent battery dis-
charge.
ON
• With manual transaxle
Press the engine start/stop button
when the button is in the ACC posi-
tion without depressing the clutch
pedal.
• With automatic transaxle
Press the ENGINE START/STOP
button while it is in the ACC position
without depressing the brake pedal.
The warning lights can be checked
before the engine is started. Do not
leave the ENGINE START/STOP
button in the ON position for a long
time. The battery may discharge,
because the engine is not running.
START/RUN
• With manual transaxle
To start the engine, depress the
clutch pedal and brake pedal, then
press the engine start/stop button
with the shift lever in the N (Neutral)
position.
• With automatic transaxle
To start the engine, depress the
brake pedal and press the ENGINE
START/ STOP button with the shift
lever in the P (Park) or the N
(Neutral) position. For your safety,
start the engine with the shift lever in
the P (Park) position.
AmberRedish orangeNot illuminated
Driving your vehicle
30
5
ESC operation
ESC ON condition
When the ignition is turnedON, ESC and ESC OFF
indicator lights illuminate for
approximately 3 seconds,
then ESC is turned on.
ton for at least half a sec-
ond after turning the igni-
tion ON to turn ESC off.
(ESC OFF indicator will
illuminate). To turn the
ESC on, press the ESC
OFF button (ESC OFF
indicator light will go off).
you may hear a slight tick-
ing sound. This is the ESC
performing an automatic
system self-check and does
not indicate a problem. When operating
When the ESC is in opera-
tion, the ESC indicator light
blinks.
Stability Control is operat-
ing properly, you can feel a
slight pulsation in the vehi-
cle. This is only the effect
of brake control and indi-
cates nothing unusual.
mud or driving on a slip-
pery road, pressing the
accelerator pedal may not
cause the engine rpm
(revolutions per minute) to
increase.
ESC operation off
ESC OFF state
This car has 2 kinds of ESC
off states.
If the engine stops when
ESC is off, ESC remains off.
Upon restarting the engine,
the ESC will automatically
turn on again.
-
543
Driving your vehicle
Your vehicle may be equipped with
the ISG system, which reduces fuel
consumption by automatically shut-
ting down the engine, when the vehi-
cle is at a standstill. (For example :
red light, stop sign and traffic jam)
The engine starts automatically as
soon as the starting conditions are
met.
The ISG system is ON whenever the
engine is running.
✽ ✽NOTICE
When the engine automatically
starts by the ISG system, some
warning lights (ABS, ESC, ESC
OFF, EPS or Parking brake warn-
ing light) may turn on for a few sec-
onds.
This happens because of low battery
voltage. It does not mean the system
is malfunctioning.
Auto stop
To stop the engine in idle stop
mode
Stop the vehicle completely by
pressing the brake pedal. You must reach a speed of at least
5 mph (8 km/h) since last idle stop.
The engine will stop and the green
AUTO STOP indicator ( ) on the
instrument cluster will illuminate.
ISG (IDLE STOP AND GO) SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
OPS053028
OPS053029
■
Type A
■Type B
Driving your vehicle
48
5
Your vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where
you drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how
many miles (kilometers) you can get
from a gallon (liter) of fuel. To operate
your vehicle as economically as pos-
sible, use the following driving sug-
gestions to help save money in both
fuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a
moderate rate. Don't make "jack-
rabbit" starts or full-throttle shifts
and maintain a steady cruising
speed. Don't race between stop-
lights. Try to adjust your speed to
the traffic so you don't have to
change speeds unnecessarily.
Avoid heavy traffic whenever pos-
sible. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from other vehicles so you
can avoid unnecessary braking.
This also reduces brake wear.
Drive at a moderate speed. The faster you drive, the more fuel your
vehicle uses. Driving at a moderate
speed, especially on the highway,
is one of the most effective ways to
reduce fuel consumption. Don't "ride" the brake or clutch
pedal. This can increase fuel con-
sumption and also increase wear
on these components. In addition,
driving with your foot resting on the
brake pedal may cause the brakes
to overheat, which reduces their
effectiveness and may lead to
more serious consequences.
Take care of your tires. Keep them inflated to the recommended pres-
sure. Incorrect inflation, either too
much or too little, results in unnec-
essary tire wear. Check the tire
pressures at least once a month.
Be sure that the wheels are aligned correctly. Improper align-
ment can result from hitting curbs
or driving too fast over irregular
surfaces. Poor alignment causes
faster tire wear and may also result
in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption. Keep your vehicle in good condi-
tion. For better fuel economy and
reduced maintenance costs, main-
tain your vehicle in accordance
with the maintenance schedule in
section 7. If you drive your vehicle
in severe conditions, more frequent
maintenance is required (see sec-
tion 7 for details).
Keep your vehicle clean. For maxi- mum service, your vehicle should
be kept clean and free of corrosive
materials. It is especially important
that mud, dirt, ice, etc. not be
allowed to accumulate on the
underside of the vehicle. This extra
weight can result in increased fuel
consumption and also contribute to
corrosion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unneces- sary weight in your vehicle. Weight
reduces fuel economy.
Don't let the engine idle longer than necessary. If you are waiting
(and not in traffic), turn off your
engine and restart only when
you're ready to go.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION
Driving your vehicle
52
5
The ESC system should be turned
OFF prior to rocking the vehicle.Smooth cornering
Avoid braking or gear changing in
corners, especially when roads are
wet. Ideally, corners should always
be taken under gentle acceleration. If
you follow these suggestions, tire
wear will be held to a minimum.
Driving at night
Because night driving presents more
hazards than driving in the daylight,
here are some important tips to
remember:
Slow down and keep more dis-
tance between you and other vehi-
cles, as it may be more difficult to
see at night, especially in areas
where there may not be any street
lights.
OCM053010OUN056051
WARNING
- Sudden vehicle movement
Do not attempt to rock the vehi-
cle if people or objects are near-
by. The vehicle may suddenly
move forward or backwards as
it becomes unstuck.
553
Driving your vehicle
Adjust your mirrors to reduce theglare from other driver's head-
lights.
Keep your headlights clean and properly aimed. (On vehicles not
equipped with the automatic head-
light aiming feature.) Dirty or
improperly aimed headlights will
make it much more difficult to see
at night.
Avoid staring directly at the head- lights of oncoming vehicles. You
could be temporarily blinded, and it
will take several seconds for your
eyes to readjust to the darkness.Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not
prepared for the slick pavement.
Here are a few things to consider
when driving in the rain:
A heavy rainfall will make it harderto see and will increase the dis-
tance needed to stop your vehicle,
so slow down.
Keep your windshield wiping equipment in good shape. Replace
your windshield wiper blades when
they show signs of streaking or
missing areas on the windshield. If your tires are not in good condi-
tion, making a quick stop on wet
pavement can cause a skid and
possibly lead to an accident. Be
sure your tires are in good shape.
Turn on your headlights to make it easier for others to see you.
Driving too fast through large pud- dles can affect your brakes. If you
must go through puddles, try to
drive through them slowly.
If you believe you may have gotten your brakes wet, apply them lightly
while driving until normal braking
operation returns.
Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no
higher than the bottom of the wheel
hub. Drive through any water slowly.
Allow adequate stopping distance
because brake performance may be
affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them sev-
eral times while the vehicle is moving
slowly.
1VQA3003