Page 208 of 343

515
Driving your vehicle
Automatic transaxle operation
The automatic transaxle has four forward
speeds and one reverse speed. The indi-
vidual speeds are selected automatically,
in the D (Drive) position.The indicator in the instrument cluster
displays the shift lever position when the
ignition switch is in the ON position.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into P (Park).
To shift from P (Park), you must depress
firmly on the brake pedal and make sure
your foot is off the accelerator pedal.
The shift lever must be in P (Park) before
turning the engine off.
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury
or death:
• ALWAYS check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for peo-
ple, especially children, before
shifting a vehicle 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, and place
the ignition switch in the
LOCK/OFF position. Unexpected
and sudden vehicle movement
can occur if these precautions
are not followed.
WARNING
• Shifting into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion may cause
you to lose control of the vehicle.
• After the vehicle has stopped,
always make sure the shift lever
is in P (Park), apply the parking
brake, and turn the engine off.
• Do not use the P (Park) position
in place of the parking brake.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R
(Reverse); you may damage the
transaxle if you shift into R
(Reverse) while the vehicle is in
motion.
Page 221 of 343

Driving your vehicle
28 5
ESC OFF usage
When driving
The ESC OFF mode should only be used
briefly to help free the vehicle if stuck in
snow or mud by temporarily stopping
operation of the ESC to maintain wheel
torque.
To turn ESC off while driving, press the
ESC OFF button while driving on a flat
road surface.✽NOTICE
Turning the ESC OFF does not affect
ABS or standard brake system opera-
tion.
CAUTION
Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the ESC system to
malfunction. When replacing tires,
make sure they are the same size as
your original tires for this vehicle.
CAUTION
To prevent damage to the transaxle:
• Do not allow wheel(s) of one axle
to spin excessively while the
ESC, ABS, and brake warning
lights are displayed. The repairs
would not be covered by the vehi-
cle warranty. Reduce engine
power and do not spin the
wheel(s) excessively while these
lights are displayed.
• When operating the vehicle on a
dynamometer, ensure the ESC is
turned off (ESC OFF light illumi-
nated).
WARNING
When the ESC is blinking, this indi-
cates the ESC is active:
Drive slowly and NEVER attempt to
accelerate. NEVER press the ESC
OFF button while the ESC indicator
light is blinking or you may lose
control of the vehicle resulting in
an accident.
Page 300 of 343

Maintenance
48 7
S 180 km/h (112 mph)
T 190 km/h (118 mph)
H 210 km/h (130 mph)
V 240 km/h (149 mph)
Z Above 240 km/h (149 mph)
Maximum Speed Speed
Rating
Symbol
Wheel size designation
Wheels are also marked with impor-
tant information that you need if you
ever have to replace one. The follow-
ing explains what the letters and
numbers in the wheel size designa-
tion mean.
Example wheel size designation:
5.0JX14
5.0 - Rim width in inches.
J - Rim contour designation.
14 - Rim diameter in inches.
Tire speed ratings
The chart below lists many of the dif-
ferent speed ratings currently being
used for passenger car tire. The
speed rating is part of the tire size
designation on the sidewall of the
tire. This symbol corresponds to that
tire's designed maximum safe oper-
ating speed.
3. Checking tire life (TIN : Tire
Identification Number)
Any tires that are over 6 years old,
based on the manufacturing date,
(including the spare tire) should be
replaced by new ones. You can find
the manufacturing date on the tire
sidewall (possibly on the inside of the
wheel), displaying the DOT Code.
The DOT Code is a series of num-
bers on a tire consisting of numbers
and English letters. The manufactur-
ing date is designated by the last four
digits (characters) of the DOT code.
DOT : XXXX XXXX OOOO
The front part of the DOT means a
plant code number, tire size and
tread pattern and the last four num-
bers indicate week and year manu-
factured.
For example:
DOT XXXX XXXX 1613 represents
that the tire was produced in the 16th
week of 2013.