Driving your vehicle
Before driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3• Before entering the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
• Before starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Ignition switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4• Key ignition switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
• Engine Start/Stop button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Manual transaxle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17• Manual transaxle operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
• Good driving practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Automatic transaxle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21• Automatic transaxle operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
• Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
• Good driving practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Braking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29• Power brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
• Disc brakes wear indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
• Rear drum brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
• Parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
• Anti-lock Brake System (ABS). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
• Electronic Stability Control (ESC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
• Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
• Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
• Good braking practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Driving assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42• Rear view camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
• Rear parking assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
• Parking assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-46
Cruise control system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-50
Special driving conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-55
• Hazardous driving conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-55
• Rocking the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-55
• Smooth cornering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-56
• Driving at night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-56
• Driving in the rain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-57
• Driving in flooded areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-58
Winter driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-58• Snow or icy conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-58
• Use high quality ethylene glycol coolant . . . . . . . . . . 5-60
• Check battery and cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-60
• Change to "winter weight" oil if necessary . . . . . . . 5-60
• Check spark plugs and ignition system. . . . . . . . . . . 5-60
• To keep locks from freezing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-61
• Use approved window washer anti-freeze in system 5-61
• Don't let your parking brake freeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-61
• Don't let ice and snow accumulate underneath . . . . 5-61
• Carry emergency equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-61
• Don't place foreign objects or materials in
the engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-61
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-62• If you decide to pull a trailer? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-62
• Trailer towing equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-66
• Driving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-67
• Maintenance when towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-70
Vehicle weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-72• Overloading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-72
5
Before entering the vehicle
• Be sure all windows, outside mir-
ror(s), and outside lights are clean
and unobstructed.
• Remove frost, snow, or ice.
• Visually check the tyres for uneven
wear and damage.
• Check under the vehicle for any
sign of leaks.
• Be sure there are no obstacles
behind you if you intend to reverse.
Before starting
• Make sure the bonnet, boot, and
the doors are securely closed and
locked.
• Adjust the position of the seat and
steering wheel.
• Adjust the inside and outside
rearview mirrors.
• Verify all the lights work.
• Fasten your seat belt. Check that
all passengers have fastened their
seat belts.
• Check the gauges and indicators in
the instrument panel and the mes-
sages on the instrument cluster
when the ignition switch is in the
ON position.
• Check that any items you are car-
rying are stored properly or fas-
tened down securely.
BEFORE DRIVING
53
Driving your vehicle
WARNING
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS
INJURY or DEATH, take the fol-
lowing precautions:
• ALWAYS wear your seat belt.
All passengers must be prop-
erly restrained whenever the
vehicle is moving. For more
information, refer to “Seat
Belts” in chapter 3.
• Always drive defensively.
Assume other drivers or
pedestrians may be careless
and make mistakes.
• Stay focused on the task of
driving. Driver distraction can
cause accidents.
• Leave plenty of space
between you and the vehicle
in front of you.
Key ignition switch
Whenever the front door is opened,
the ignition switch will illuminate, pro-
vided the ignition 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 (if
equipped).
55
Driving your vehicle
OTF050001
OUN036002 ACCON
START LOCK
PUSH
WARNING
• NEVER turn the ignition
switch to the LOCK or ACC
position whilst the vehicle is
in motion except in an emer-
gency. This will result in the
engine turning off and loss of
power assist for the steering
and brake systems. This may
lead to loss of directional con-
trol and braking function,
which could cause an acci-
dent.
(Continued)
(Continued)
• Before leaving the driver’s
seat, always make sure the
shift lever is in 1st gear (for
manual transaxle vehicles) or
P (Park, for automatic
transaxle vehicles), apply the
parking brake and turn igni-
tion switch to the LOCK posi-
tion.
Unexpected vehicle move-
ment may occur if these pre-
cautions are not followed.
Driving your vehicle
6 5
Key ignition switch positions
Switch
PositionActionNotes
LOCK
To turn the ignition switch to the LOCK position, push the key in
slightly at the ACC position and turn the key towards the LOCK
position.
The ignition key can be removed in the LOCK position.The steering wheel locks to protect the vehi-
cle from theft. (if equipped)
ACC
Electrical accessories are usable.The steering wheel unlocks.
If difficulty is experienced turning the ignition
switch to the ACC position, turn the key
whilst turning the steering wheel right and
left to release tension.
ON
This is the normal key position when the engine has started.
All features and accessories are usable.
The warning lights can be checked when you turn the ignition
switch from ACC to ON.Do not leave the ignition switch in the ON
position when the engine is not running to
prevent the battery from discharging.
STARTTo start the engine, turn the ignition switch to the START position.
The switch returns to the ON position when you let go of the key.The engine will crank until you release the
key.
Driving your vehicle
10 5
Engine Stop/Start button positions
- Vehicle with manual transaxle
Button Position Action Notes
OFF
• To turn off the engine, stop the vehicle and
then press the Engine Start/Stop button.
• The steering wheel locks to protect the
vehicle from theft.If the steering wheel is not locked properly
when you open the driver's door, the warning
chime will sound.
Not illuminated
ACC
• Press the Engine Start/Stop button when
the button is in the OFF position without
pressing the clutch pedal.
• Electrical accessories are usable.
• The steering wheel unlocks.• If you leave the Engine Start/Stop button in
the ACC position for more than one hour, the
battery power will turn off automatically to
prevent the battery from discharging.
• If the steering wheel doesn't unlock properly,
the Engine Start/Stop button will not work.
Press the Engine Start/Stop button whilst
turning the steering wheel right and left to
release tension.
Orange indicator
Driving your vehicle
12 5
Engine Stop/Start button positions
- Vehicle with automatic transaxle
Button Position Action Notes
OFF
To turn off the engine, press the Engine
Start/Stop button with the shift lever in P
(Park).
When you press the Engine Start/Stop but-
ton without the shift lever in P (Park), the
Engine Start/Stop button does not turn to the
OFF position, but turns to the ACC position.
The steering wheel locks to protect the vehi-
cle from theft.If the steering wheel is not locked properly
when you open the driver's door, the warning
chime will sound.
Not illuminated
ACC
Press the Engine Start/Stop button when the
button is in the OFF position without pressing
the brake pedal.
Electrical accessories are usable.
The steering wheel unlocks.• If you leave the Engine Start/Stop button in
the ACC position for more than one hour, the
battery power will turn off automatically to
prevent the battery from discharging.
• If the steering wheel doesn't unlock properly,
the Engine Start/Stop button will not work.
Press the Engine Start/Stop button whilst
turning the steering wheel right and left to
release tension.
Orange indicator
517
Driving your vehicle
Manual transaxle operation
The manual transaxle has 6 forward
gears. The transaxle is fully synchro-
nised in all forward gears so shifting
to either a higher or a lower gear is
easily accomplished.To shift to R (Reverse), make sure
the vehicle has completely stopped,
and then move the shift lever to neu-
tral before moving into R (Reverse).
When you've come to a complete
stop and it's hard to shift into 1st gear
or R (Reverse):
1.Put the shift lever in neutral and
release the clutch pedal.
2.Press the clutch pedal, and then
shift into first or R (Reverse) gear.
✽NOTICE
During cold weather, shifting may
be difficult until the transaxle lubri-
cant has warmed up.
MANUAL TRANSAXLE
OMD050009
The shift lever can be moved without
pressing the button (1).
The button (1) must be pressed
whilst moving the shift lever.
WARNING
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is in 1st gear when the vehicle
is parked on a uphill and in R
(Reverse) on a downhill, set the
parking brake, and place the
ignition switch in the LOCK/OFF
position. Unexpected vehicle
movement may occur if these
precautions are not followed.
Driving your vehicle
22 5
Automatic transaxle operation
The automatic transaxle has six for-
ward speeds and one reverse speed.
The individual speeds are selected
automatically in the D (Drive) posi-
tion.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).
To shift from P (Park), you must
press firmly on the brake pedal and
make sure your foot is off the accel-
erator pedal.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot shift the lever out of P
(Park), see “Shift-Lock Release” on
page 5-25.
The shift lever must be in P (Park)
before turning the engine off.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious
injury or death:
• ALWAYS check the surround-
ing areas near your vehicle for
people, especially children,
before shifting a vehicle 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, and place the ignition
switch in the LOCK/OFF posi-
tion. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur
if these precautions are not
followed.
• Do not use the engine brake
(shifting from a high gear to
lower gear) rapidly on slip-
pery roads. The vehicle may
slip causing an accident.