Driving your vehicle
45
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 inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil,
engine coolant, brake fluid, and
washer fluid should be checked on a
regular basis, with the exact interval
depending on the fluid. Further
details are provided in section 7,
“Maintenance”.
BEFORE DRIVING
CALIFORNIA PROPO-
SITION 65 WARNING
Engine exhaust and a wide vari-
ety of automobile components
and parts, including compo-
nents found in the interior fur-
nishings in a vehicle, contain or
emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause can-
cer and birth defects and repro-
ductive harm. In addition, cer-
tain fluids contained in vehicles
and certain products of compo-
nent wear contain or emit chem-
icals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproduc-
tive harm.
WARNING
Driving while distracted can
result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol, that may lead to an accident,
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 vehi-
cle or which are not permissible
by law should never be used
during operation of the vehicle.
55
Driving your vehicle
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.WARNING
Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for peo-
ple, especially children, before
putting a car into D (Drive) or R
(Reverse).
WARNING -
Driving under the influence
of alcohol or drugs
Drinking and driving is danger-
ous. Impaired driving is the
number one contributor to the
highway death toll each year.
Even a small amount of alcohol
will affect your reflexes, percep-
tions and judgment. Driving
while under the influence of
drugs is as dangerous or more
dangerous than driving drunk.
You are much more likely to
have a serious accident if you
drink or take drugs and drive.
If you are drinking or taking
drugs, don’t drive. Do not ride
with a driver who has been drink-
ing or taking drugs. Choose a
designated driver or call a cab.
WARNING
All passengers must be proper-
ly belted whenever the vehicle
is moving. Refer to “Seat belts”
in section 3 for more informa-
tion on their proper use.
WARNING
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.
When you make a sudden 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, possi-
bly causing an accident. Keep
all things in the vehicle safely
stored.
If you do not focus on driving, it may cause an accident. Be
careful when operating
devices that may disturb driv-
ing such as the audio system
or the heater. It is the respon-
sibility of the driver to always
drive safely.
Driving your vehicle
65
Illuminated ignition switch
(if equipped)
Whenever a front door is opened, the
ignition switch will be illuminated for
your convenience, provided the igni-
tion switch is not in the ON position.
The light will go off immediately
when the ignition switch is turned on
or 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 (if
equipped) and electrical accessories
are operative.
✽ ✽NOTICE
If difficulty is experienced in turn-
ing the ignition switch to the ACC
position, turn the key while turning
the steering 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 if
the engine is not running to preventbattery discharge.
START
Turn 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 lamp
can be checked in this position.
KEY
OUN036001
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
when the button is in the OFF posi-
tion without depressing the brake
pedal.
If you leave the engine start/stop but-
ton in the ACC position for more than
1 hour, the button is turned off auto-
matically to prevent the battery from
discharging.
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
when the button is in the ACC posi-
tion without depressing the brake
pedal.
The warning lights can be checked
before the engine is started. Do not
leave the button in the ON position if
the engine is not running to prevent
the battery from discharging.
START
• 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.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
• If you press the engine start/stop
button without depressing the
clutch pedal on manual transaxle
vehicles or without depressing the
brake pedal on automatic
transaxle vehicles, the engine will
not start and the engine start/stop
button changes as follows:
OFF → →
ACC →
→
ON →
→
OFF
• If you leave the engine start/stop button in the ACC or the ON posi-
tion for a long time, the battery
may be discharged.
531
Driving your vehicle
ESC operation
ESC ON condition
When the ignition is turned ON,ESC and ESC OFF indicator lights
illuminate for approximately 3 sec-
onds, then ESC is turned on.
Press the ESC OFF button for at least half a second after turning the
ignition 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).
When starting the engine, you may hear a slight ticking 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, ESC indicator light
blinks.
tion, you can feel a slight
pulsation in the vehicle.
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.
To cancel ESC operation, press the
ESC OFF button shortly (ESC OFF
indicator light illuminates). At this
state, the engine control function
does not operate. It means the trac-
tion control function does not oper-
ate. Brake control function only oper-
ates.
OGDE045552
Driving your vehicle
42
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
that of the other traffic so you don't
have to change speeds unneces-
sarily. Avoid heavy traffic whenever
possible. Always maintain a safe
distance from other vehicles so
you can avoid unnecessary brak-
ing. 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, especially on the highway,
is one of the most effective ways to
reduce fuel consumption. Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This
can increase fuel consumption and
also increase wear on these com-
ponents. 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 con-
sequences.
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 car in good condition. For
better fuel economy and reduced
maintenance costs, maintain your
car in accordance with the mainte-
nance 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 materi-
als. 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 consumption and
also contribute to corrosion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unneces- sary 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
77
Maintenance
At least monthly:
Check coolant level in the enginecoolant reservoir.
Check the operation of all exterior lights, including the stoplights, turn
signals and hazard warning flash-
ers.
Check the cold inflation pressures of all tires including the spare.
At least twice a year
(i.e., every Spring and Fall):
Check radiator, heater and air con- ditioning hoses for leaks or dam-
age.
Check windshield washer spray and wiper operation. Clean wiper
blades with clean cloth dampened
with washer fluid.
Check headlight alignment.
Check muffler, exhaust pipes, shields and clamps.
Check the lap/shoulder belts for wear and function.
Check for worn tires and loose wheel lug nuts.
At least once a year:
Clean body and door drain holes.
Lubricate door hinges and checks,and hood hinges.
Lubricate door and hood locks and latches.
Lubricate door rubber weather- strips.
Check the air conditioning system.
Inspect and lubricate automatic transaxle linkage and controls.
Clean battery and terminals.
Check the brake fluid level.
Maintenance
42
7
Battery recharging
Your vehicle has a maintenance-free,
calcium-based battery.
If the battery becomes discharged in
a short time (because, for example
the headlights or interior lights were
left on while vehicle was not in use)
jump start the vehicle from another
battery and run the engine at least
20 minutes at idle before driving. Do
not turn off the engine for 30 minutes
total of idle and/or driving as the bat-
tery may not have sufficient recharge
to start.CALIFORNIA PROPO-
SITION 65 WARNING
Battery posts, terminals, and
related accessories contain
lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer, birth
defects and reproductive harm.
Batteries also contain other
chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer.
Wash hands after handling.
CAUTION
When you don’t use the vehi-
cle for a long time in the lowtemperature, remove the bat-tery and store it indoors.
Always charge the battery fully to prevent the batterycase from being damaged inlow temperatures.
If you connect unauthorized electronic devices to the bat-tery, the battery may be dis-charged. Never use unautho-rized devices.
(Continued)
When lifting a plastic-cased battery, excessive pressure
on the case may cause battery
acid to leak, resulting in per-
sonal injury. Lift with a battery
carrier or with your hands on
opposite corners.
Never attempt to recharge the battery when the battery
cables are connected.
The electrical ignition system works with high voltage.
Never touch these compo-
nents with the engine running
or the ignition switched on.
Failure to follow the above
warnings can result in serious
bodily injury or death.