
5-19
Driving your vehicle
5
To   p r e v e n t   d a m a g e   t o   t h e   e n g i n e ,
clutch and transmission:
•When downshifting from 5thgear
to 4thgear, be careful not to inad-
vertently  push  the  shift  lever
sideways  engaging  the  2ndgear.
A  drastic  downshift  may  cause
the  engine  speed  to  increase  to
the  point  the  tachometer  will
enter  the  red-zone  and  may
cause engine damage.
•Do not downshift more than two
gears  at  a  time  or  downshift  the
gear when the engine is running
at  high  speed  (5,000  RPM  or
higher). Such  downshifting  may
damage  the  engine, clutch  and
the transmission.
Good driving practices 
•Never take the vehicle out of gear
and  coast  down  a  hill. This  is
extremely  dangerous.
•Don't "ride" the brakes.This can
cause the brakes and related parts
to overheat and malfunction.
When  you  are  driving  down  a  long
hill, slow down and shift to a lower
gear. Engine braking will help slow
down the vehicle.
•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 control of your vehicle.
•Be sure the vehicle is completely
stopped  before  you  shift  into  R
(Reverse)  to  prevent  damage  to
the transmission.
•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
may  cause  loss  of  vehicle  control
resulting in an accident.
NOTICE
Do  not  use  the  engine  brake
(shifting  from  a  higher  gear  to
lower  gear)  rapidly  on  slippery
roads. The  vehicle  may  slip
causing an accident.
WA R N I N G     

5-27
Driving your vehicle
5
Parking
Always come to a complete stop and
continue to depress the brake pedal.
Move the shift lever into the P (Park)
position,  apply  the  parking  brake,
and  place  the  ignition  switch  in  the
LOCK/OFF  position. Take  the  Key
with you when exiting the vehicle.
Good driving practices 
•Never move the shift lever from P
(Park)  or  N  (Neutral)  to  any  other
position  with  the  accelerator  pedal
depressed.
•Never move the shift lever into P
(Park)  when  the  vehicle  is  in
motion.
Be  sure  the  vehicle  is  completely
stopped before you attempt to shift
into R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
•Do not move the shift lever to N
(Neutral)  when  driving. Doing  so
may  result  in  an  accident  because
of a loss of engine braking and the
transmission could be damaged.
•Do not drive with your foot resting
on  the  brake  pedal. Even  light,  but
consistent  pedal  pressure  can
result  in  the  brakes  overheating,
brake  wear  and  possibly  even
brake failure.
•Always apply the parking brake
when  leaving  the  vehicle. Do  not
depend  on  placing  the  transmis-
sion in P (Park) to keep the vehicle
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
may  cause  loss  of  vehicle  control
resulting in an accident.
•Optimum vehicle performance and
economy  is  obtained  by  smoothly
depressing  and  releasing  the
accelerator.
When  you  stay  in  the  vehicle
with  the  engine  running, be
careful not to depress the accel-
erator pedal for a long period of
time. The  engine  or  exhaust
system  may  overheat  and  start
a fire.
The  exhaust  gas  and  the
exhaust  system  are  very  hot.
Keep  away  from  the  exhaust
system components.
Do  not  stop  or  park  over  flam-
mable  materials, such  as  dry
grass, paper  or  leaves. They
may ignite and cause a fire.
WA R N I N G     

5-30
Driving your vehicle
Disc brakes wear indicator 
When your brake pads are worn and
new pads are required, you will hear
a  high  pitched  warning  sound  from
your  front  or  rear  brakes. You  may
hear  this  sound  come  and  go  or  it
may  occur  whenever  you  depress
the brake pedal.
Note  that  some  driving  conditions  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.
To   a vo i d   c o s t l y   b r a k e   r e p a i r s , d o
not  continue  to  drive  with  worn
brake pads.
Information 
Always  replace  brake  pads  as  com-
plete front or rear axle sets.
Rear drum brakes 
(if equipped)
Yo u r   r e a r   d r u m   b r a k e s   d o   n o t   h a v e
wear  indicators. Therefore,  have  the
rear  brake  linings  inspected  if  you
hear a rear brake rubbing noise. Also
have  your  rear  brakes  inspected
each time you change or rotate your
tyres  and  when  you  have  the  front
brakes replaced.
Parking  brake
Applying the parking brake
Always  set  the  parking  brake  before
leaving the vehicle, to apply:
Firmly depress the brake pedal.
Pull up the parking brake lever as far
as possible.
i
NOTICE
OAD055008R 

5-33
Driving your vehicle
5
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
ABS  is  an  electronic  braking  system
that  helps  prevent  a  braking  skid.
ABS  allows  the  driver  to  steer  and
brake at the same time.
Using ABS  
To   o b t a i n   t h e   m a x i m u m   b e n e f i t   f r o m
your ABS in an emergency situation,
do  not  attempt  to  modulate  your
brake  pressure  and  do  not  try  to
pump  your  brakes. Depress  your
brake pedal as hard as possible.
When  you  apply  your  brakes  under
conditions  which  may  lock  the
wheels,  you  may  hear  sounds  from
the  brakes,  or  feel  a  corresponding
sensation  in  the  brake  pedal. This  is
normal  and  it  means  your  ABS  is
active.
ABS does not reduce the time or dis-
tance it takes to stop the vehicle.
Always maintain a safe distance from
the vehicle in front of you.
ABS  will  not  prevent  a  skid  that
results  from  sudden  changes  in
direction,  such  as  trying  to  take  a
corner  too  fast  or  making  a  sudden
lane  change. Always  drive  at  a  safe
speed for the road and weather con-
ditions.
(Continued)
•On  roads  where  the  road  sur-
face  is  pitted  or  has  different
surface height.
•Ty r e   ch a i n s   a r e   i n s t a l l e d   o n
your  vehicle.
The  safety  features  of  an  ABS
or ESC equipped vehicle should
not  be  tested  by  high  speed
driving  or  cornering. This  could
endanger  the  safety  of  yourself
or others.
An  Anti-Lock  Braking  System
(ABS)  or  an  Electronic  Stability
Control  (ESC)  system  will  not
prevent  accidents  due  to
improper  or  dangerous  driving
manoeuvres. Even though vehi-
cle  control  is  improved  during
emergency  braking, always
maintain  a  safe  distance
between you and objects ahead
of  you. Vehicle  speeds  should
always  be  reduced  during
extreme road conditions.
The  braking  distance  for  vehi-
cles  equipped  with  ABS  or  ESC
may  be  longer  than  for  those
without  these  systems  in  the
following road conditions.
Drive  your  vehicle  at  reduced
speeds  during  the  following
conditions:
•Rough, gravel  or  snow-cov-
ered roads.
(Continued)
WA R N I N G     

5-43
Driving your vehicle
5
When the ECO mode is activated:
•The acceleration response may be
slightly  reduced  as  the  accelerator
pedal is depressed moderately.
•The air conditioner performance
may be limited.
•The shift pattern of the automatic
transmission may change.
•The engine noise may get louder.
The  above  situations  are  normal
conditions  when  the  ECO  mode  is
activated, to improve fuel efficiency.
Limitation  of  the  ECO  mode  oper-
ation:
If  the  following  conditions  occur
whilst  the  ECO  mode  is  operating,
the  system  operation  is  limited  even
though  there  is  no  change  in  the
ECO indicator.
•When the coolant temperature is
low:
The  system  will  be  limited  until
engine performance becomes nor-
mal.
•When driving up a hill:
The  system  will  be  limited  in  gain-
ing  power  when  driving  uphill
because  engine  torque  is  restrict-
ed.
•When driving the vehicle with the
automatic  transmission  gear  shift
lever in manual shift mode:
The  system  will  be  limited  due  to
the shift location.
•When the accelerator pedal is fully
depressed for a few seconds:
The system will be limited, judging
that the driver wants to speed up.
SPORT mode
SPORT  mode  manages
the  driving  dynamics  by
automatically adjusting the
steering  effort,  and  the
engine  and  transmission  control
logic  for  enhanced  driver  perform-
ance.
•When SPORT mode is selected by
pressing the DRIVE MODE button,
the  SPORT  indicator  (orange
colour) will illuminate.
•Whenever the engine is restarted,
the  Drive  Mode  will  revert  back  to
NORMAL mode. If SPORT mode is
desired,  re-select  SPORT  mode
from the DRIVE MODE button.
•When SPORT mode is activated:
- The  engine  r pm  will  tend  to
remain  raised  over  a  certain
length  of  time  even  after  releas-
ing the accelerator
- Upshifts are delayed when accel-
erating
Information 
In  SPORT mode,  the  fuel  efficiency
may decrease.
i 

7-12
Maintenance
Normal Maintenance Schedule
I:Inspect and if necessary, adjust, correct, clean or replace.
R : Replace or change.
*9:Manual transmission fluid should be changed anytime they have been submerged in water.
Number of months or driving distance, whichever comes first
Months1224364860728496
Km×1,000153045607590105120
Steering gear rack, linkage and bootsIIIIIIII
Driveshaft and bootsIIII
Ty r e   ( p r e s s u r e   &   t r e a d   w e a r )  IIIIIIII
Front  suspension  ball  jointsIIIIIIII
Bolt and nuts on chassis and bodyIIIIIIII
Air conditioner refrigerant (if equipped)IIIIIIII
Air conditioner compressor (if equipped)IIIIIIII
Climate control air filter (if equipped)IIIIIIII
Manual transmission fluid (if equipped) *9II
Automatic  transmission  fluid(if equipped) No check, No service required
Exhaust systemIIII
MAINTENANCE
INTERVALS
MAINTENANCE
ITEM