511
Driving your vehicle
• During cold weather, shifting may be
difficult until the transmission lubricant
is warmed up. This is normal and not
harmful to the transmission.
• If you've come to a complete stop and
it's hard to shift into 1st or R(Reverse),
leave the shift lever at N(Neutral) posi-
tion and release the clutch. Press the
clutch pedal back down, and then shift
into 1st or R(Reverse) gear position.Using the clutch
The clutch should be pressed all the way
to the floor before shifting, then released
slowly. The clutch pedal should always be
fully released whilst driving. Do not rest
your foot on the clutch pedal whilst driv-
ing. This can cause unnecessary wear.
Do not partially engage the clutch to hold
the car on an incline. This causes unnec-
essary wear. Use the foot brake or park-
ing brake to hold the car on an incline. Do
not operate the clutch pedal rapidly and
repeatedly.
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy traf-
fic or whilst driving up steep hills, down-
shift before the engine starts to labour.
Downshifting reduces the chance of
stalling and gives better acceleration
when you again need to increase your
speed. When the vehicle is travelling
down steep hills, downshifting helps
maintain safe speed and prolongs brake
life.
CAUTION
• To avoid premature clutch wear
and damage, do not drive with
your foot resting on the clutch
pedal. Also, don’t use the clutch
to hold the vehicle stopped on an
uphill grade, whilst waiting for a
traffic light, etc.
• Do not use the shift lever as a
handrest during driving, as this
can result in premature wear of
the transmission shift forks.
• To prevent possible damage to
the clutch system, do not start
with the 2nd (second) gear
engaged except when you start
on a slippery road.
WARNING
• Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always set the parking brake fully
and shut the engine off. Then
make sure the transmission is
shifted into 1st gear when the
vehicle is parked on a level or
uphill grade, and shifted into R
(Reverse) on a downhill grade.
Unexpected and sudden vehicle
movement can occur if these pre-
cautions are not followed in the
order identified.
• If your vehicle has a manual
transmission not equipped with a
ignition lock switch, it may move
and cause a serious accident
when starting the engine without
depressing the clutch pedal
whilst the parking brake is
released and the shift lever not in
the N(Neutral) position.
• Do not use the engine brake
(shifting from a high gear to
lower gear) rapidly on slippery
roads. The vehicle may slip caus-
ing an accident.
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Driving your vehicle
12 5
Good driving practices
• Never take the car out of gear and
coast down a hill. This is extremely
hazardous. Always leave the car in
gear.
• Don't "ride" the brakes. This can cause
them to overheat and malfunction.
Instead, when you are driving down a
long hill, shift to a lower gear. When
you do this, engine braking will help
slow the car.
• Slow down before shifting to a lower
gear. This will help avoid over-revving
the engine, which can cause damage.
• Slow down when you encounter cross
winds. This gives you much better con-
trol of your car.
• Be sure the car is completely stopped
before you attempt to shift into reverse.
The transmission can be damaged if
you do not. To shift into reverse,
depress the clutch, move the shift lever
to neutral, wait 3 seconds, then shift to
the reverse position.
• Exercise extreme caution when driving
on a slippery surface. Be especially
careful when braking, accelerating or
shifting gears. On a slippery surface,
an abrupt change in vehicle speed can
cause the drive wheels to lose traction
and the vehicle to go out of control.WARNING
• Always buckle-up! In a collision,
an unbelted occupant is signifi-
cantly more likely to be seriously
injured or killed than a properly
belted occupant.
• Avoid high speeds when corner-
ing or turning.
• Do not make quick steering
wheel movements, such as sharp
lane changes or fast, sharp turns.
• The risk of rollover is greatly
increased if you lose control of
your vehicle at highway speeds.
• Loss of control often occurs if
two or more wheels drop off the
roadway and the driver over-
steers to reenter the roadway.
• In the event your vehicle leaves
the roadway, do not steer sharply.
Instead, slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.
• Never exceed posted speed lim-
its.
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Driving your vehicle
14 5
Automatic transmission operation
The automatic transmission has 5 (or 4)
forward speeds and one reverse speed.
The individual speeds are selected auto-
matically, depending on the position of
the shift lever.
✽NOTICE
The first few shifts on a new vehicle, if
the battery has been disconnected, may
be somewhat abrupt. This is a normal
condition, and the shifting sequence will
adjust after shifts are cycled a few times
by the TCM (Transmission Control
Module) or PCM (Powertrain Control
Module).
For smooth operation, depress the brake
pedal when shifting from N (Neutral) to a
forward or reverse gear.
WARNING- Automatic
transmission
• Always check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for peo-
ple, especially children, before
shifting a car 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 fully and
shut the engine off. Unexpected
and sudden vehicle movement
can occur if these precautions
are not followed in the order iden-
tified.
• Do not use the engine brake
(shifting from a high gear to
lower gear) rapidly on slippery
roads.
The vehicle may slip causing an
accident.
CAUTION
• To avoid damage to your trans-
mission, do not accelerate the
engine in R (Reverse) or any for-
ward gear position with the
brakes on.
• When stopped on an incline, do
not hold the vehicle stationary
with engine power. Use the serv-
ice brake or the parking brake.
• Do not shift from N (Neutral) or P
(Park) into D (Drive), or R
(Reverse) when the engine is
above idle speed.
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Driving your vehicle
16 5
D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving posi-
tion. The transmission will automatically
shift through a 5 (or 4)-gear sequence,
providing the best fuel economy and
power.
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing grades, depress the
accelerator fully, at which time the trans-
mission will automatically downshift to
the next lower gear.
✽NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into D (Drive).
2 (Second Gear, if equipped)
Use 2 (Second Gear) for more power
when climbing hills and for increased
braking when going down hills. This posi-
tion also helps reduce wheel spin on slip-
pery surfaces. When the shift lever is
placed in 2 (Second Gear), the transmis-
sion will automatically shift from first to
second gear.
L (Low, if equipped)
Move the shift lever to this position in
hard pulling situations and for climbing
steep grades.
O/D (Over Drive) system
(if equipped)
Pressing the O/D system button cancels
and engages the overdrive system.
When the O/D system is cancelled, the
O/D OFF indicator illuminates and the
transmission gear range is limited to 1st
through 3rd.
OTQ057007R
CAUTION
Do not exceed the recommended
maximum speeds in 2 (Second
Gear) or L (Low). Operating the
vehicle at speeds above the maxi-
mum recommended, for 2 (Second
Gear) or L (Low) may cause exces-
sive heat to develop which could
result in damage to or failure of the
automatic transmission.
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517
Driving your vehicle
The transmission will not shift to 4th gear
until the O/D system button is pressed
again to release the switch.
When driving down a sloping road with
the transmission in O/D (4th), you can
decrease the vehicle speed without using
the brakes by pressing the O/D button.
When the ignition is switched OFF, O/D
OFF mode is automatically cancelled.
O/D OFF Indicator
This indicator light illuminates in the
instrument panel when the O/D mode is
cancelled.Sports mode (if equipped)
Whether the vehicle is stationary or in
motion, sports mode is selected by push-
ing the shift lever from the D (Drive) posi-
tion into the manual gate. To return to D
(Drive) range operation, push the shift
lever back into the main gate.
In sports mode, moving the shift lever
backwards and forwards will allow you to
make gearshifts rapidly. In contrast to a
manual transmission, the sports mode
allows gearshifts with the accelerator
pedal depressed.
Up (+) : Push the lever forward once to
shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards once
to shift down one gear.
✽NOTICE
• In sports mode, the driver must exe-
cute upshifts in accordance with road
conditions, taking care to keep the
engine speed below the red zone.
• In sports mode, only the 5 forward
gears can be selected. To reverse or
park the vehicle, move the shift lever
to the R (Reverse) or P (Park) position
as required.
• In sports mode, downshifts are made
automatically when the vehicle slows
down. When the vehicle stops, 1st gear
is automatically selected.
• In sports mode, when the engine rpm
approaches the red zone shift points
are varied to upshift automatically.
• To maintain the required levels of
vehicle performance and safety, the
system may not execute certain
gearshifts when the shift lever is oper-
ated.
• When driving on a slippery road,
push the shift lever forward into the
+(up) position. This causes the trans-
mission to shift into the 2nd gear
which is better for smooth driving on
a slippery road. Push the shift lever to
the -(down) side to shift back to the 1st
gear.
OTQ057007R-1 + (UP)
- (DOWN)
Sports mode
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Driving your vehicle
18 5
Good driving practices
• Never move the gear shift lever from P
(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other posi-
tion with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
• Never move the gear shift lever into P
(Park) when the vehicle is in motion.
• Be sure the car is completely stopped
before you attempt to shift into R
(Reverse).
• Never take the car out of gear and
coast down a hill. This may be
extremely hazardous. Always leave the
car in gear when moving.
• Do not "ride" the brakes. This can
cause them to overheat and malfunc-
tion. Instead, when you are driving
down a long hill, shift to a lower gear.
When you do this, engine braking will
help slow the car.
• Slow down before shifting to a lower
gear. Otherwise, the lower gear may
not be engaged.
• Always use the parking brake. Do not
depend on placing the transmission in
P (Park) to keep the car from moving.• Exercise extreme caution when driving
on a slippery surface. Be especially
careful when braking, accelerating or
shifting gears. On a slippery surface,
an abrupt change in vehicle speed can
cause the drive wheels to lose traction
and the vehicle to go out of control.
• Optimum vehicle performance and
economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the accelera-
tor pedal.
WARNING
• Always buckle-up! In a collision,
an unbelted occupant is signifi-
cantly more likely to be seriously
injured or killed than a properly
belted occupant.
• Avoid high speeds when corner-
ing or turning.
• Do not make quick steering
wheel movements, such as sharp
lane changes or fast, sharp turns.
• The risk of rollover is greatly
increased if you lose control of
your vehicle at highway speeds.
(Continued)
(Continued)
• Loss of control often occurs if
two or more wheels drop off the
roadway and the driver over-
steers to reenter the roadway.
• In the event your vehicle leaves
the roadway, do not steer sharply.
Instead, slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.
• Never exceed posted speed lim-
its.
WARNING
If your vehicle becomes stuck in
snow, mud, sand, etc., then you
may attempt to rock the vehicle free
by moving it forward and backward.
Do not attempt this procedure if
people or objects are anywhere
near the vehicle. During the rocking
operation the vehicle may suddenly
move forward of backward as it
becomes unstuck, causing injury
or damage to nearby people or
objects.
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Driving your vehicle
20 5
Power brakes
Your vehicle has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of a stalled
engine or some other reason, you can
still stop your vehicle by applying greater
force to the brake pedal than you nor-
mally would. The stopping distance, how-
ever, will be longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially depleted
each time the brake pedal is applied. Do
not pump the brake pedal when the
power assist has been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when neces-
sary to maintain steering control on slip-
pery surfaces.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING - Brakes
• Do not drive with your foot rest-
ing on the brake pedal. This will
create abnormal high brake tem-
peratures, excessive brake lining
and pad wear, and increased
stopping distances.
• When descending a long or steep
hill, shift to a lower gear and
avoid continuous application of
the brakes. Continuous brake
application will cause the brakes
to overheat and could result in a
temporary loss of braking per-
formance.
• Wet brakes may impair the vehi-
cle’s ability to sefely slow down;
the vehicle may also pull to one
side when the brakes are applied.
Applying the brakes lightly will
indicate whether they have been
affected in this way. Always test
your brakes in this fashion after
driving through deep water. To
dry the brakes, apply them lightly
whilst maintaining a safe forward
speed until brake performance
returns to normal.
(Continued)
(Continued)
• Always, confirm the position of
the brake and accelerator pedal
before driving. If you do not
check the position of the acceler-
ator and brake pedal before driv-
ing, you may depress the acceler-
ator instead of the brake pedal. It
may cause a serious accident.
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521
Driving your vehicle
In the event of brake failure
If service brakes fail to operate whilst the
vehicle is in motion, you can make an
emergency stop with the parking brake.
The stopping distance, however, will be
much greater than normal.
Disc brakes wear indicator
Your vehicle has disc brakes. When your
brake pads are worn and new pads are
required, you will hear a high-pitched
warning sound from your front brakes or
rear brakes (if equipped). You may hear
this sound come and go or it may occur
whenever you depress the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving con-
ditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when you first apply (or lightly
apply) the brakes. This is normal and
does not indicate a problem with your
brakes.
Parking brake
Applying the parking brake
To engage the parking brake, first apply
the foot brake and then without pressing
the release button in, pull the parking
brake lever up as far as possible. In addi-
tion it is recommended that when parking
the vehicle on a gradient, the shift lever
should be positioned in the appropriate
low gear on manual transmission vehi-
cles or in the P (Park) position on auto-
matic transmission vehicles.
WARNING- Parking brake
Applying the parking brake whilst
the vehicle is moving at normal
speeds can cause a sudden loss of
control of the vehicle. If you must
use the parking brake to stop the
vehicle, use great caution in apply-
ing the brake.
WARNING- Brake wear
This brake wear warning sound
means your vehicle needs service.
If you ignore this audible warning,
you will eventually lose braking
performance, which could lead to a
serious accident.
CAUTION
• To avoid costly brake repairs, do
not continue to drive with worn
brake pads.
• Always replace brake pads as
complete front or rear axle sets.
OTQ057008
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