Page 291 of 425

Driving your vehicle
54 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
kilometres (miles) you can get from a litre
(gallon) of fuel. To operate your vehicle
as economically as possible, use the fol-
lowing driving suggestions to help save
money in both fuel and repairs:
• Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moder-
ate rate. Don't take off abruptly or
make full-throttle shifts and maintain a
steady cruising speed. Don't race
between stoplights. Try to adjust your
speed to that of the other traffic so you
don't have to change speeds unneces-
sarily. Avoid heavy traffic whenever
possible. 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 car uses.
Driving at a moderate speed, especial-
ly on the highway, is one of the most
effective ways to reduce fuel consump-
tion.• Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This can
increase fuel consumption and also
increase wear on these components.
In addition, driving with your foot rest-
ing 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 tyres. Keep them
inflated to the recommended pressure.
Incorrect inflation, either too much or
too little, results in unnecessary tyre
wear as well as increased fuel con-
sumption. Check the tyre pressures at
least once a month.
• Be sure that the wheels are aligned
correctly. Improper alignment can
result from hitting kerbs or driving too
fast over irregular surfaces. Poor align-
ment causes faster tyre wear and may
also result in other problems as well as
increased fuel consumption.• Keep your car in good condition. For
better fuel economy and reduced
maintenance costs, maintain your car
in accordance with the maintenance
schedule in section 7. If you drive your
car in severe conditions, more frequent
maintenance is required (see section 7
for details).
• Keep your car clean. For maximum
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 car. This extra
weight can result in increased fuel con-
sumption and also contribute to corro-
sion.
• Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary
weight in your car. 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
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77
Maintenance
• Check parking brake.
• Check for fluid leaks under your vehicle
(water dripping from the air condition-
ing system during or after use is nor-
mal).
At least monthly:
• Check coolant level in the engine
coolant reservoir.
• Check the operation of all exterior
lights, including the stoplights, turn sig-
nals and hazard warning flashers.
• Check the inflation pressures of all
tyres including the spare.
At least twice a year
(i.e., every Spring and Autumn):
• Check radiator, heater and air condi-
tioning hoses for leaks or damage.
• Check windscreen washer spray and
wiper operation. Clean wiper blades
with clean cloth dampened with wash-
er fluid.
• Check headlight alignment.
• Check muffler, exhaust pipes, shields
and clamps.
• Check the lap/shoulder belts for wear
and function.
• Check for worn tyres and loose wheel
nuts.
At least once a year:
• Clean body and door drain holes.
• Lubricate door hinges and checks, and
bonnet hinges.
• Lubricate door and bonnet locks and
latches.
• Lubricate door rubber weatherstrips.
• Check the air conditioning system.
• Inspect and lubricate automatic
transaxle/Continuously Variable
Transaxle/Dual clutch transmission
linkage and controls.
• Clean battery and terminals.
• Check the brake (and clutch) fluid
level.
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747
Maintenance
Disc brake pads should be inspected
for wear whenever tyres are rotated.
✽NOTICE
Rotate radial tyres that have an
asymmetric tread pattern only from
front to rear and not from right to
left.
Wheel alignment and tyre balance
The wheels on your vehicle were
aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tyre
life and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to
have your wheels aligned again.
However, if you notice unusual tyre
wear or your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the alignment may need
to be reset.
If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
S2BLA790
S2BLA790A
CBGQ0707A
Without a spare tyre With a full-size spare tyre (if equipped)
Directional tyres (if equipped)WARNING
• Do not use the compact spare
tyre for tyre rotation.
• Do not mix bias ply and radial
ply tyres under any circum-
stances. This may cause
unusual handling characteris-
tics that could result in death,
severe injury, or property
damage.
CAUTION
Improper wheel weights can
damage your vehicle's alu-
minum wheels. Use only
approved wheel weights.
Page 377 of 425

749
Maintenance
Wheel replacement
When replacing the metal wheels for
any reason, make sure the new
wheels are equivalent to the original
factory units in diameter, rim width
and offset.Tyre traction
Tyre traction can be reduced if you
drive on worn tyres, tyres that are
improperly inflated or on slippery
road surfaces. Tyres should be
replaced when tread wear indicators
appear. To reduce the possibility of
losing control, slow down whenever
there is rain, snow or ice on the road.
Tyre maintenance
In addition to proper inflation, correct
wheel alignment helps to decrease
tyre wear. If you find a tyre is worn
unevenly, have your dealer check the
wheel alignment.
When you have new tyres installed,
make sure they are balanced. This
will increase vehicle ride comfort and
tyre life. Additionally, a tyre should
always be rebalanced if it is removed
from the wheel.
WARNING
A wheel that is not the correct
size may adversely affect wheel
and bearing life, braking and
stopping abilities, handling
characteristics, ground clear-
ance, body-to-tyre clearance,
snow chain clearance,
speedometer and odometer cal-
ibration, headlight aim and
bumper height.
(Continued)
• The use of any other tyre size
or type may seriously affect
ride, handling, ground clear-
ance, stopping distance, body
to tyre clearance, snow tyre
clearance, and speedometer
reliability.
• It is best to replace all four
tyres at the same time. If that
is not possible, or necessary,
then replace the two front or
two rear tyres as a pair.
Replacing just one tyre can
seriously affect your vehicle’s
handling.
• The ABS works by comparing
the speed of the wheels. Tyre
size can affect wheel speed.
When replacing tyres, all 4
tyres must use the same size
originally supplied with the
vehicle. Using tyres of a dif-
ferent size can cause the ABS
(Anti-lock Brake System) and
ESC (Electronic Stability
Control) (if equipped) to work
irregularly.