Page 368 of 599

5-24
Driving your vehicle
The system changes from manual mode to automatic mode when
- the vehicle speed is lower than 3mph (5 km/h),
- you depress the accelerator pedal for more than 5 seconds,
- you pull the [+] paddle shifter for more than 1 second, or
- you move the shift lever from D (Drive) to S (Sport) or manual
shift mode (+, -) and then back to
D (Drive).
Information
If the [+] and [-] paddle shifters are
pulled at the same time, gear shift may
not occur.
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.
i
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.
WARNING
Page 444 of 599

5-100
Driving your vehicle
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving elements
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud and sand, take the
bellow suggestions:
Drive cautiously and keep a longerbraking distance.
Avoid abrupt braking or steering.
When your vehicle is stuck in snow, mud, or sand, use second gear.
Accelerate slowly to avoid unnec-
essary wheel spin.
Put sand, rock salt, tyre chains or other non-slip materials under the
wheels to provide additional trac-
tion whilst the vehicle becomes
stuck in ice, snow, or mud.
Rocking the vehicle
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle
to free it from snow, sand, or mud,
first turn the steering wheel right and
left to clear the area around your
front wheels. Then, shift back and
forth between R (Reverse) and a for-
ward gear.
Try to avoid spinning the wheels, and
do not race the engine.
To prevent transmission wear, wait
until the wheels stop spinning before
shifting gears. Release the accelera-
tor pedal whilst shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal whilst
the transmission is in gear. Slowly
spinning the wheels in forward and
reverse directions causes a rocking
motion that may free the vehicle.
S SP
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Downshifting with an automatic
transmission whilst driving on
slippery surfaces can cause an
accident. The sudden change in
tyre speed could cause the
tyres to skid. Be careful when
downshifting on slippery sur-
faces.
WARNING
If the vehicle is stuck and
excessive wheel spin occurs,
the temperature in the tyres can
increase very quickly. If the
tyres become damaged, a tyre
blow out or tyre explosion can
occur. This condition is danger-
ous - you and others may be
injured. Do not attempt this pro-
cedure if people or objects are
anywhere near the vehicle.
If you attempt to free the vehi-
cle, the vehicle can overheat
quickly, possibly causing an
engine compartment fire or
other damage. Try to avoid spin-
ning the wheels as much as
possible to prevent overheating
of either the tyres or the engine.
DO NOT allow the vehicle to
spin the wheels above 35 mph
(56 km/h).
WARNING
Page 460 of 599

5-116
Maintenance when towing a
trailer
Your vehicle will need service more
often when you regularly pull a trail-
er. Important items to pay particular
attention to include engine oil, auto-
matic transmission fluid, axle lubri-
cant and cooling system fluid. Brake
condition is another important item to
frequently check. If you’re trailering,
it’s a good idea to review these items
before you start your trip. Don’t forget
to also maintain your trailer and tow-
bar. Follow the maintenance sched-
ule that accompanied your trailer and
check it periodically. Preferably, con-
duct the check at the start of each
day’s driving. Most importantly, all
hitch nuts and bolts should be tight.To prevent vehicle damage:
Due to higher load during trailer
usage, overheating might occur
on hot days or during uphill driv-
ing. If the coolant gauge indi-
cates over-heating, switch off
the air conditioner and stop the
vehicle in a safe area to cool
down the engine.
Do not switch off the engine whilst the coolant gauge indi-
cates over-heating.
(Keep the engine idle to cool
down the engine)
When towing check automatic transmission fluid more fre-
quently.
If your vehicle is not equipped with an air conditioner, you
should install a condenser fan
to improve engine performance
when towing a trailer.
NOTICE
Driving your vehicle