
Automatic transmission opera-
tion
The automatic transmission has 8
forward speed levels and 1 reverse
speed level. Vehicle speed is auto-
matically selected, depending on the
shift lever position.
Information
A new vehicle may experience some-
what abrupt movement during the
first few shifts.
Always depress the brake pedalwhen moving the shift lever from N(Neutral) to a forward or reverse gear.
To avoid damage to your trans- mission, do not depress the
accelerator, when the shift lever
is in R (Reverse) or any forward
gear positions, and when the
brake is set.
(Continued)(Continued)
When a vehicle stops on a
slope, do not stop the vehicle
with the engine power.
Set the service brake or the
parking brake.
Do not shift from N(Neutral)/P(Park) to
D(Drive)/R(Reverse), when the
engine runs faster than the idle
speed.
Transmission ranges
The shift lever position is displayed
on the instrument cluster, when the
Engine Start/Stop button is ON.
P (Park)
Always completely stop the vehicle
before moving the shift lever to P
(Park). This locks the transmission
and prevents the drive wheels from
rotating.
NOTICE
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5-12
Driving your vehicle
- Automatic transmission
Always take a look around your vehicle for any passers-
by, especially children, before
moving the shift lever to D
(Drive) or R (Reverse).
Before leaving the driver’s seat, always make sure the
shift lever is in P (Park). Then,
fully set the parking brake and
turn the engine OFF.
Unexpected and sudden vehi-
cle movement may occur
when these precautions are
not taken.
WARNING
Moving the shift lever to P(Park), while driving, locks the
drive wheels, possibly result-
ing in your loss of vehicle
control.
Do not set the shift lever in P (Park) instead of setting the
parking brake. Always make
sure the shift lever is latched
in P(Park) position, and the
parking brake is fully set.
Never leave a child unattend- ed in a vehicle.
WARNING

(Continued)
• In sports mode, the transmissionwill automatically downshift, when
it slows down. When the vehicle
stops, the transmission automatical-
ly selects the 1st gear.
• In sports mode, the transmission will automatically upshift, when the
engine rpm approaches toward the
red zone.
• Even though the driver moves the shift lever to a +(up) or -(down)
position, the transmission may not
make the manually-requested gear
change, if the requested gear is out
of the allowable engine RPM range.
• When driving on a slippery road, set the shift lever in the 2nd gear, which
is better for smooth acceleration on
a slippery road.Shift lock system
For your safety, the automatic trans-
mission has a shift lock system to
prevent the transmission shifting
from P(Park) to R (Reverse), unless
the brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transmission from
P(Park) into R(Reverse):
1. Depress the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or turn the Engine Start/Stop button ON.
3. Move the shift lever.
When the brake pedal is repeatedly
depressed and released with the
shift lever in P(Park), you may expe-
rience chattering noises near the
shift lever. This is a normal condition.
5-14
Driving your vehicle
Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while moving
the shift lever out of P (Park) to
another position to avoid inad-
vertent movement of the vehi-
cle. This may injure persons in
or around the car.
WARNING

Shift-lock override
When the shift lever cannot be
moved from P(Park)/N(Neutral) to R
(Reverse), while depressing the
brake pedal, keep depressing the
brake, and do the followings:
1.Carefully remove the cover (1) ofthe shift-lock access hole.
2.Insert a screwdriver into the access hole and press it.
3.Move the shift lever.
4.Immediately have your vehicle inspected by an authorized
EQUUS dealer.
Good driving practices
Never move the shift lever fromP(Park)/N(Neutral) to any other
position, while depressing the
accelerator.
Never move the gearshift to P (Park), when the vehicle is in
motion.
Make sure to completely stop the vehicle before moving the shift
lever to R(Reverse)/D(Drive).
Never disengage the gear, while driving down on a slope. This may
be extremely hazardous. Always
engage the gear while driving.
Do not "ride" the brakes. This may cause overheating and malfunc-
tion. Instead, when you drive down
a long slope, slow the vehicle
down, set in Sports Mode, and shift
to a lower gear. Those will help the
engine brake slow the vehicle
down.
Slow down before shifting to a lower gear in sports mode.
Otherwise, the lower gear may not
be engaged.
Always set the parking brake. Do not depend on the shift gear in P
(Park) to prevent the vehicle from
moving.
Exercise extreme caution when driving on a slippery surface. Be
careful especially when braking,
accelerating or shifting gears. On a
slippery surface, an abrupt change
in vehicle speed may cause the
drive wheels to lose traction and
the vehicle to go out of control.
Optimum vehicle performance and fuel economy are obtained by
smoothly depressing and releasing
the accelerator.
5-15
Driving your vehicle05
OVI055011N

Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
The ABS continuously monitors the
wheel speed. When the wheels are
about to be locked, the ABS system
repeatedly modulates the hydraulic
brake pressure to the wheels.When you depress brake pedals in
conditions, which may lock the
wheels, you may hear a snapping
sound or feel like that from the
brakes. This is normal and indicates
your ABS is active.
In order to obtain the maximum ben-
efit from your ABS in an emergency
situation, do not attempt to modulate
your brake pressure or to pump your
brakes. Press your brake pedal as
hard, as possible, or as the situation
allows, in order for the ABS to control
the power delivery to the brakes.
Information
A clicking sound may be heard in the
engine compartment, when the engine
is started, and the vehicle begins to
move. These conditions are normal
and indicate that the anti-lock brake
system properly operates.
Even with the anti-lock brake sys-
tem, your vehicle still requires a
safe braking distance. Always
maintain a safe distance from the
vehicle in front of you.
Always slow down the speed when cornering. The anti-lock brake sys-
tem cannot prevent accidents
resulted from an excessively high
speed.
On loose or uneven road surfaces, operation of the anti-lock brake
system may result in a longer brak-
ing distance than the one of a vehi-
cle equipped with a conventional
brake system.
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5-26
Driving your vehicle
ABS (or ESC, Electronic
Stability Control system) can-
not prevent accidents caused
by improper or dangerous driv-
ing maneuvers. Even though
you have more control over the
vehicle with emergency brak-
ing, always maintain a safe dis-
tance between you and objects
ahead. Vehicle speeds should
always be reduced in extreme
rough road conditions. The
braking distance of an ABS(or
ESC)-equipped vehicle may be
longer than the one of a ABS-
unequipped vehicle in the fol-
lowing road conditions. In these
conditions the vehicle should
be driven at a reduced speed:
A road surface is rough, or it is covered with gravel or
snow
Tire chains are installed
The road surface is pitted or uneven.
The safety performance of an
ABS(or ESC)-equipped vehicle
should not be tested by driving
at a high speed or cornering.
This may put you and others in
danger.
WARNING

The ESC system is an electronic
system to help the driver maintain
vehicle control in adverse conditions.
It is not a substitute for safe driving
practices. Various factors, including
speed, road conditions and driver's
steering maneuver, affect the ESC
performance in preventing a loss of
control. It is still driver's responsibility
to drive and corner at a proper speed
and to keep a safe distance. When
depressing the brake under condi-
tions, which may lock the wheels,
you may hear a snapping sound and
feel like that from the brake pedal.
This is normal and indicates your
ESC actively operates.
Information
A clicking sound may be heard from
the engine compartment, when the
engine is started and the vehicle
begins to move. This is normal, indi-
cating that the ESC actively operates.
ESC operation
ESC ON condition
When the Engine Start/Stop button
is turned ON, the ESC and the ESC
OFF indicator lights illuminate for
approximately 3 seconds and goes
off, then the ESC is turned on.
When operating
When the ESC operates,
the ESC indicator will flash.
operates, you can feel a
slight pulsation from the
vehicle. This is because of
the brake control, and
does not indicate a prob-
lem.
mud or driving on a slip-
pery road, the engine rpm
may not be increased
even with the accelerator
deeply depressed. This is
to maintain the stability
and traction and does not
indicate a problem.
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5-29
Driving your vehicle05

Do not slide down (or coast down)the vehicle on a slope out of gear.
This is extremely hazardous. Keep
the vehicle in gear at all times,
depress the brake pedal to slow
down, and then shift to a lower
gear so that engine braking will
help you maintain a safe speed.
Do not "ride" the brake pedal. Resting your foot on the brake
pedal, while driving, is dangerous
because it may result brake over-
heating or lose braking effects. It
also wears out the brake compo-
nents.
If a tire goes flat while driving, gen- tly depress the brake pedal. Keep
the driving direction straight ahead
while slowing down the speed.
When the speed is lowered
enough to be safe, pull off and stop
the vehicle in a safe place.
When your vehicle is equipped with an automatic transmission, do
not let your car creep forward. To
avoid creeping forward, firmly
depress the brake pedal when
stopping the vehicle.
Be careful when parking on a slope. Firmly set the parking brake
and place the shift lever in P(Park).
When parking the vehicle on a
downward slope, steer the front
wheels sideways (into the curbs) to
prevent the vehicle from rolling.
When parking the vehicle on an
upwards, turn the front wheels
sideways (away from the curb) to
prevent the vehicle from rolling.
If there is no curb, or if it is required
by other conditions, block the
wheels with obstacles to keep the
vehicle from rolling. Under some conditions, your park-
ing brake may freeze in the
engaged position. This is most like-
ly to happen, when there is an
accumulation of snow or ice
around or near the rear brakes, or
when the brake is wet. When there
is a risk that the parking brake may
freeze, temporarily depress the
brake pedal while locating the shift
lever(automatic transmission) in
P(Park) and block the rear wheels.
Thus, the vehicle may not roll.
Then, release the parking brake.
Do not hold the vehicle on a slope by depressing the accelerator. This
may overheat the transmission.
Always use the brake pedal or
parking brake.
5-33
Driving your vehicle05

The Smart Cruise Control willbe canceled in following situa-tions:
The Smart Cruise Control will be
manually canceled in below situa-
tions:
While driving
- The brake pedal is depressed.
- Pull the lever (to CANCEL) locatedon the steering wheel.
While stopping with operating sys- tem
- Depress the brake pedal and pullthe lever (to CANCEL).
The advanced Smart Cruise Control
turns OFF temporarily when the indi-
cator on the LCD display turns OFF.
The CRUISE indicator continuously
illuminates.
The Smart Cruise Control will be
automatically canceled in below sit-
uations:
The driver's door is opened.
The shift lever is moved to N (Neutral), R (Reverse) or P (Park).
The EPB (electric parking brake) is set.
The vehicle speed is over 120 mph (190 km/h). The vehicle stops on a steep slope.
The ESC, ABS or TCS operates.
The ESC is turned OFF.
The sensor is covered or blocked
with dust or foreign substances.
When the vehicle is stopped for over 5 minutes.
The vehicle stops and goes repeat- edly for a long period of time.
The driver starts driving by depress- ing the accelerator or pressing the
RES+ button when a vehicle far
away in front stops.
The accelerator pedal is continuous- ly depressed for more than 1 minute.
Each of depressing actions will
cancel the Smart Cruise Control
operation. (The SET indicator, the
set speed and the vehicle-to-vehi-
cle distance on the LCD display will
go OFF.)
When the Smart Cruise Control is
automatically canceled, it will not
be resume even by pressing the
RES+ or SET- button. Also, the
EPB (electric parking brake) will be
set upon stopping the vehicle.
When the Smart Cruise Control is
cancelled by other than the above
reasons, we recommend you to
have the system checked by an
authorized EQUUS dealer.
NOTICE
5-41
Driving your vehicle05
OVI055031N

The system may not properlyoperate, when the bumper is
replaced, or when a repair work
is done near the sensor.
The sensing range differs according to the roads width.
When the road is narrow, the
system may detect other vehi-
cles in the next lane.
On the contrary, when the road is wide, the system may not
detect other vehicles.
The system may be turn OFF due to the strong electromagnet-
ic waves.
Non-operating condition
Driver's Attention
The driver must be cautious in the
below situations, because the sys-
tem may not properly operate to
assist the driver.
- The vehicle drives on a curved roador through a tollgate.
- The sensor is polluted with rain, snow, mud, etc.
- The rear bumper, in which the sen- sor is located, is covered or blocked
with a foreign matter such as a
sticker, a bumper guard, a bicycle
stand, etc.
- The rear bumper is damaged, or the sensor is out of the original
default position.
- The vehicle height gets lower or higher due to heavy loading in a
trunk, abnormal tire pressure, etc.
- The vehicle drives in a bad weather such as heavy rain or snow.
- There is a fixed object near the vehicle, such as a guardrail.
- A huge amount of metal sub- stances are near the vehicle, such
as in a construction site.
- A big vehicle is near such as a bus or truck.
- A motorcycle or bicycle is near.
- A flat trailer like vehicle is near.
- When the other vehicle passes by very fast.
- When changing lanes.
- When going down or up a steep road where the height of the lane is differ-
ent.
NOTICE
5-63
Driving your vehicle05
The warning light on the out- side rearview mirror and the
head-up display will illumi-
nate whenever an approach-
ing vehicle behind is detected
by the system.
To avoid an accident, do not
pay too much attention to the
warnings, and do not neglect
to take a look around.
Drive safely even though the vehicle is equipped with the
BSD system. Do not rely sole-
ly on the system. Check the
road conditions before chang-
ing the lanes.
The system may not alert the
driver in some conditions.
Thus, take a look around.
WARNING