53
Driving your vehicle
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outside mir-
ror(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 sec-
tion 7, “Maintenance”.
Before starting
• Close and lock all doors.
• Position the seat so that all controls 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 famil-
iar with your vehicle and its equipment.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING
Driving while distracted can result
in a loss of vehicle control, that
may lead to an accident, severe
personal injury, and death. The dri-
ver’s primary responsibility is in
the safe and legal operation of a
vehicle, and use of any handheld
devices, other equipment, or vehi-
cle systems which take the driver’s
eyes, attention and focus away
from the safe operation of a vehicle
or which are not permissible by law
should never be used during oper-
ation of the vehicle.
WARNING
All passengers must be properly
belted whenever the vehicle is mov-
ing. Refer to “Seat belts” in section
3 for more information on their
proper use.
Driving your vehicle
6 5
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 prevent battery
discharge.
START
Turn the ignition switch to the START posi-
tion to start the engine. The engine will
crank until you release the key; then it
returns to the ON position. The brake warn-
ing lamp can be checked in this position.
Starting the engine
1. Make sure the parking brake is
applied.
2.Manual Transaxle- Depress the
clutch pedal fully and shift the
transaxle into Neutral. Keep the clutch
pedal and brake pedal depressed
while turning the ignition switch to the
start position. The starter will not oper-
ate if the clutch pedal is not fully
depressed.
Automatic transaxle / Ecoshift dual
clutch transmission- Place the
transaxle shift lever in P (Park).
Depress the brake pedal fully.
You can also start the engine when
the shift lever is in the N (Neutral)
position.
WARNING- Ignition switch
• Never turn the ignition switch to
LOCK or ACC while the vehicle is
moving. This would result in loss
of directional control and braking
function, which could cause an
accident.
• Before leaving the driver's seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is engaged in 1st gear for the
manual transaxle or P (Park) for
Ecoshift dual clutch transmis-
sion, set the parking brake fully
and shut the engine off.
Unexpected and sudden vehicle
movement may occur if these
precautions are not taken.
• Never reach for the ignition
switch, or any other controls
through the steering wheel while
the vehicle is in motion. The pres-
ence of your hand or arm in this
area could cause a loss of vehicle
control, an accident and serious
bodily injury or death.
• Do not place any movable objects
around the driver’s seat as they
may move while driving, interfere
with the driver and lead to an
accident.WARNING
Always wear appropriate shoes
when operating your vehicle.
Unsuitable shoes (high heels, ski
boots,etc.) may interfere with your
ability to use the brake, accelerator
pedal, and clutch (if equipped).
Driving your vehicle
8 5
Illuminated engine start/stop but-
ton (if equipped)
Whenever the front door is opened, the
engine start/stop button will illuminate for
your convenience. The light will go off
immediately when the engine start/stop
button is turned on or go off after about
30 seconds when the door is closed.
Engine start/stop button position
OFF
• with manual transaxle
To turn off the engine, stop the vehicle
then press the engine start/stop button
when the engine start/stop button is in
the ON position.
• with Automatic transaxle / Ecoshift dual
clutch transmission
To turn off the engine, press the engine
start/stop button when the engine
start/stop button is in the ON position
and the shift lever in P(Park). When you
press the engine start/stop button with-
out the shift lever in P(Park), the engine
start/stop button does not turn to the
OFF position but to the ACC position.
✽NOTICE
When you turn off the engine, the vehi-
cle should be stopped.
ENGINE START/STOP BUTTON (IF EQUIPPED)
OFS050005
WARNING
In an emergency situation while the
vehicle is moving, you can turn off
the engine and turn the engine
start/stop button to the ACC posi-
tion by pressing the engine
start/stop button for more than 2
seconds or 3 times successively
within 3 seconds. If the vehicle is
moving, you can restart the engine
without pressing the brake pedal by
pressing the engine start/stop but-
ton with the shift lever in N(Neutral).
59
Driving your vehicle
ACC(Accessory)
• with manual transaxle
Press the engine start/stop button when
the button is in the OFF position without
depressing the clutch pedal.
• with Automatic transaxle / Ecoshift dual
clutch transmission
Press the engine start/stop button when
the button is in the OFF position without
depressing the brake pedal.
If you leave the engine start/stop button
in the ACC position for more than 1 hour,
the button is turned off automatically to
prevent the battery from discharging.
ON
• with manual transaxle
Press the engine start/stop button when
the button is in the ACC position without
depressing the clutch pedal.
• with Automatic transaxle / Ecoshift dual
clutch transmission
Press the engine start/stop button when
the button is in the ACC position 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 / Ecoshift dual
clutch transmission
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 but-
ton without depressing the clutch
pedal on manual transaxle vehicles or
without depressing the brake pedal on
Automatic transaxle / Ecoshift dual
clutch transmission vehicles, the
engine will not start and the engine
start/stop button changes as follows:
OFF
→ ACC →ON →OFF
Driving your vehicle
14 5
• During cold weather, shifting may be
difficult until the transaxle lubricant is
warmed up. This is normal and not
harmful to the transaxle.
• If you've come to a complete stop and
it's hard to shift into 1st or R (Reverse),
leave the shift lever in the neutral posi-
tion and release the clutch. Depress the
clutch pedal back down, and then shift
into 1st or R (Reverse) gear position.
WARNING
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always set the parking brake fully
and shut the engine off. Then make
sure the transaxle is shifted into 1st
gear when the vehicle is parked on
a level or uphill, and shifted into R
(Reverse) on a downhill.
Unexpected and sudden vehicle
movement can occur if these pre-
cautions are not followed in the
order identified.
CAUTION
• To avoid premature clutch wear
and damage, do not drive with
your foot resting on the clutch
pedal. Also, do not use the clutch
to hold the vehicle stopped on a
hill, while 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 transaxle shift forks.
• When operating the clutch pedal,
press the clutch pedal down fully.
If you don't press the clutch pedal
fully, the clutch may be damaged
or noise may occur.
CAUTION
• When downshifting from fifth gear
to fourth gear, caution should be
taken not to inadvertently press
the shift lever sideways in such a
manner that the second gear is
engaged. Such a drastic down-
shift may cause the engine speed
to increase to the point that the
tachometer will enter the red-
zone. Such over-revving of the
engine and transaxle may possi-
bly cause engine damage.
• Do not downshift more than 2
gears or downshift the gear when
the engine is running at high
speed (5,000 RPM or higher). Such
a downshifting may damage the
engine, clutch and the transaxle.
• When shifting between 5
thand 6th
gear, you should always push the
gear level all the way to the right.
You could otherwise shift unin-
tentionally into 3
rdor 4thgear and
damage the transaxle.
Driving your vehicle
18 5
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.N (Neutral)
The wheels and transaxle are not locked.
The vehicle will roll freely even on the
slightest incline unless the parking brake
or service brakes are applied.
D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving posi-
tion. The transaxle will automatically shift
through a 6-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
transaxle will automatically downshift to
the next lower gear.Sports mode
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.
Up (+) : Push the lever forward once to
shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards once
to shift down one gear.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of
Reverse (R) or Drive (D) to prevent
damage to the transaxle, except as
explained in “Rocking the vehicle”
in this section.
OFS050017 + (UP)
- (DOWN)Sports mode
Driving your vehicle
26 5
Transmission ranges
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into P (Park). This position locks
the transmission and prevents the front
wheels from rotating.R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
N (Neutral)
The wheels and transmission are not
locked. The vehicle will roll freely even on
the slightest incline unless the parking
brake or service brakes are applied.D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving posi-
tion. The transmission will automatically
shift through a 6-gear sequence, provid-
ing 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.
WARNING
• Shifting into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion will cause the
drive wheels to lock which will
cause you to lose control of the
vehicle.
• Do not use the P (Park) position
in place of the parking brake.
Always make sure the shift lever
is latched in the P (Park) position
and set the parking brake fully.
• Never leave a child unattended in
a vehicle.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of
Reverse (R) or Drive (D) to prevent
damage to the transmission, except
as explained in “Rocking the vehi-
cle” in this section.
Driving your vehicle
40 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.
In the event of brake failure
If service brakes fail to operate while 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.
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.
(Continued)
(Continued)
• When descending a long or steep
hill, shift to a lower gear and avoid
continuous application of the
brakes. Continuous brake applica-
tion will cause the brakes to over-
heat and could result in a tempo-
rary loss of braking performance.
• Wet brakes may impair the vehi-
cle’s ability to safely 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
while maintaining a safe forward
speed until brake performance
returns to normal.
• Always, confirm the position of
the brake and accelerator pedal
before driving. If you don't check
the position of the accelerator
and brake pedal before driving,
you may depress the accelerator
instead of the brake pedal. It may
cause a serious accident.
WARNING- Parking brake
Applying the parking brake while
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.