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