5-149
Driving your vehicle
5
If you believe your brakes may bewet, apply them lightly while driv-
ing until normal braking operation
returns.
Hydroplaning
If the road is wet enough and you are
going fast enough, your vehicle may
have little or no contact with the road
surface and actually ride on the
water. The best advice is SLOW
DOWN when the road is wet.
The risk of hydroplaning increas-
es as the depth of tire tread
decreases, refer to "Tire Tread" in
chapter 7.
Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no
higher than the bottom of the wheel
hub. Drive through any water slowly.
Allow adequate stopping distance
because brake performance may be
reduced.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them sev-
eral times while the vehicle is moving
slowly.
Highway driving
Tires
Adjust the tire inflation, as specified.
Under-inflation may overheat or
damage the tires.
Do not install worn-out or damaged
tires, which may reduce traction or
fail the braking operation.
Information
Never over-inflate your tires above the
maximum inflation pressure, as speci-
fied on your tires.
Fuel, engine coolant and engineoil
Driving at higher speeds on the high-
way consumes more fuel and is less
efficient than driving at a slower,
more moderate speed. Maintain a
moderate speed in order to conserve
fuel when driving on the highway.
Be sure to check both the engine
coolant level and the engine oil
before driving.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may
overheat the engine.
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5-151
Driving your vehicle
5
The severe weather conditions of
winter quickly wear out tires and
cause other problems. To minimize
winter driving problems, you should
take the following suggestions:
Information
Information for Snow Tires and Tire
Chains in the national language
(Bulgarian, Hungarian, Icelandic,
Polish) is provided in the Appendix.
Snow or icy conditions
You need to keep sufficient distance
between your vehicle and the vehicle
in front of you.
Apply the brakes gently. Speeding,
rapid acceleration, sudden brake
applications, and sharp turns are
potentially very hazardous practices.
During deceleration, use engine
braking to the fullest extent. Sudden
brake applications on snowy or icy
roads may cause skids to occur.
To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it
may be necessary to use snow tires
or to install tire chains on your tires.
Always carry emergency equipment.
Some of the items you may want to
carry include tire chains, tow straps
or chains, a flashlight, emergency
flares, sand, a shovel, jumper cables,
a window scraper, gloves, ground
cloth, coveralls, a blanket, etc.
Snow tires
If you mount snow tires on your vehi-
cle, make sure to use radial tires of
the same size and load range as the
original tires. Mount snow tires on all
four wheels to balance your vehicle’s
handling in all weather conditions.
The traction provided by snow tires
on dry roads may not be as high as
your vehicle's original equipment
tires. Check with the tire dealer for
maximum speed recommendations.
Information
Do not install studded tires without first
checking local and municipal regula-
tions for possible restrictions against
their use.
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Snow tires should be equivalent
in size and type to the vehicle's
standard tires. Otherwise, the
safety and handling of your vehi-
cle may be adversely affected.
WARNING
5-155
Driving your vehicle
5
Do not let your parking brake
freeze
Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged
position. This is most likely to hap-
pen when there is an accumulation
of snow or ice around or near the
rear brakes or if the brakes are wet.
When there is the risk that your park-
ing brake may freeze, temporarily
apply it with the shift lever in P
(Park). Also, block the rear wheels in
advance, so the vehicle may not roll.
Then, release the parking brake.Do not let ice and snow accumu-
late underneath
Under some conditions, snow and
ice can build up under the fenders
and interfere with the steering. When
driving in such conditions during the
severe winter, you should check
underneath the vehicle on a regular
basis, so that moving the front
wheels and the steering components
is unblocked.
Carry emergency equipment
In accordance with weather condi-
tions, you should carry appropriate
emergency equipment, while driving.
Some of the items you may want to
carry include tire chains, tow straps
or chains, flashlight, emergency
flares, sand, shovel, jumper cables,
window scraper, gloves, ground
cloth, coveralls, blanket, etc.Do not place objects or materials
in the engine compartment
Putting objects or materials in the
engine compartment may cause an
engine failure or combustion,
because those may block the engine
cooling. Such damage will not be
covered by the manufacturer’s war-
ranty.
5-161
Driving your vehicle
5
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a brak-
ing system, make sure it conforms
your country’s regulations and that it
is properly installed and operating
correctly.
If your trailer weighs more than the
maximum trailer weight without trail-
er brakes loaded, then it needs its
own brakes and they must be ade-
quate. Be sure to read and follow the
instructions for the trailer brakes so
you’ll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly. Be sure not
to tap into your vehicle's brake sys-
tem.
Driving with a trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting
out for the open road, you must get
to know your trailer. Acquaint your-
self with the feel of handling and
braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that
the vehicle you are driving is now
longer and not nearly as responsive
as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer
hitch and platform, safety chains,
electrical connector(s), lights, tires
and brakes.
During your trip, occasionally check
to be sure that the load is secure,
and that the lights and trailer brakes
are still working.
Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations
that require heavy braking and sud-
den turns.
Passing
You will need more passing distance
up ahead when you’re towing a trail-
er. And, because of the increased
vehicle length, you’ll need to go
much farther beyond the passed
vehicle before you can return to your
lane.
Do not use a trailer with its own
brakes unless you are absolute-
ly certain that you have proper-
ly set up the brake system. This
is not a task for amateurs. Use
an experienced, competent trail-
er shop for this work.
WARNING
6-3
What to do in an emergency
If you have a flat tire while
driving
If a tire goes flat while you are driving:
Take your foot off the acceleratorpedal and let the vehicle slow
down while driving straight ahead.
Do not apply the brakes immedi-
ately or attempt to pull off the road
as this may cause loss of vehicle
control resulting in an accident.
When the vehicle has slowed to
such a speed that it is safe to do
so, brake carefully and pull off the
road. Drive off the road as far as
possible and park on firm, level
ground. If you are on a divided
highway, do not park in the median
area between the two traffic lanes. When the vehicle is stopped, press
the hazard warning flasher button,
move the shift lever into P (Park,
for automatic transmission/dual
clutch transmission vehicle) or neu-
tral (for manual transmission vehi-
cle), apply the parking brake, and
place the ignition switch in the
LOCK/OFF position.
Have all passengers get out of the vehicle. Be sure they all get out on
the side of the vehicle that is away
from traffic.
When changing a flat tire, follow the instructions provided later in
this chapter.If the engine doesn't turn over
or turns over slowly
Be sure the shift lever is in N(Neutral) or P (Park) if it is an auto-
matic transmission/dual clutch
transmission vehicle. The engine
starts only when the shift lever is in
N (Neutral) or P (Park).
Check the battery connections to be sure they are clean and tight.
Turn on the interior light. If the light dims or goes out when you operate
the starter, the battery is drained.
Do not push or pull the vehicle to start
it. This could cause damage to your
vehicle. See instructions for "Jump
Starting" provided in this chapter.
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Push or pull starting the vehicle
may cause the catalytic con-
verter to overload which can
lead to damage to the emission
control system.
CAUTION
6-5
What to do in an emergency
To prevent damage to your vehi-
cle:
Only use a 12-volt power supply(battery or jumper system) to
jump start your vehicle.
Do not attempt to jump start your vehicle by push-starting.
Information
An inappropriately disposedbattery can be harmful to the
environment and human
health. Dispose the battery
according to your local law(s)
or regulations.
Jump starting procedure
1. Position the vehicles close enough that the jumper cables will reach,
but do not allow the vehicles to
touch.
2. Avoid fans or any moving parts in the engine compartment at all
times, even when the vehicles are
turned off.
3. Turn off all electrical devices such as radios, lights, air conditioning,
etc. Put the vehicles in P (Park, for
automatic transmission/dual
clutch transmission vehicle) or
neutral (for manual transmission
vehicle), and set the parking
brakes. Turn both vehicles OFF.
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NOTICE
6
(Continued)
When lifting a plastic-cased
battery, excessive pressure
on the case may cause battery
acid to leak. Lift with a battery
carrier or with your hands on
opposite corners.
Do not attempt to jump start
your vehicle if your battery is
frozen.
NEVER attempt to recharge
the battery when the vehicle’s
battery cables are connected
to the battery.
The electrical ignition system
works with high voltage.
NEVER touch these compo-
nents with the engine running
or when the ignition switch is
in the ON position.
Do not allow the (+) and (-)
jumper cables to touch. It may
cause sparks.
The battery may rupture or
explode when you jump start
with a low or frozen battery.
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6-13
What to do in an emergency
6
If you drive the vehicle for about 10
minutes at speeds above 25 km/h
after replacing the low pressure tire
with the spare tire, the below will
happen:
The TPMS malfunction indicatormay blink for approximately 1 minute
and then remain continuously illumi-
nated because the TPMS sensor is
not mounted on the spare wheel. You may not be able identify a low
tire by simply looking at it. Always
use a good quality tire pressure
gauge to measure the tire's inflation
pressure. Please note that a tire that
is hot (from being driven) will have a
higher pressure measurement than a
tire that is cold (from sitting station-
ary for at least 3 hour and driven less
than 1.6 km (1 mile) during that 3
hour period).
Allow the tire to cool before measur-
ing the inflation pressure. Always be
sure the tire is cold before inflating to
the recommended pressure.
A cold tire means the vehicle has
been sitting for 3 hours and driven for
less than 1.6 km (1 mile) in that 3
hour period.
The TPMS cannot alert you to
severe and sudden tire dam-
age caused by external factors
such as nails or road debris.
If you feel any vehicle instabil-
ity, immediately take your foot
off the accelerator, apply the
brakes gradually and with
light force, and slowly move to
a safe position off the road.
WARNING
7-8
Maintenance
Owner maintenance schedule
When you stop for fuel:
Check the engine oil level.
Check coolant level in the enginecoolant reservoir.
Check the windshield washer fluid level.
Check for low or under-inflated tires.
While operating your vehicle:
Note any changes in the sound of the exhaust or any smell of exhaust
fumes in the vehicle.
Check for vibrations in the steering wheel. Notice if there is any
increased steering effort or loose-
ness in the steering wheel, or
change in its straight-ahead position.
Notice if your vehicle constantly turns slightly or “pulls” to one side when
traveling on smooth, level road.
When stopping, listen and check for unusual sounds, pulling to one side,
increased brake pedal travel or
“hard-to-push” brake pedal.
If any slipping or changes in the operation of your transaxle occurs,
check the transaxle fluid level.
Check the automatic transmission/ dual clutch transmission P (Park)
function.
Check the parking brake.
Check for fluid leaks under your vehicle (water dripping from the air
conditioning system during or after
use is normal).
Be careful when checking your
engine coolant level when the
engine is hot. This may result in
coolant being blown out of the
opening and cause serious
burns and other injuries.
WARNING
Diesel Engine
Never manipulate or modify the
injection system while running
the diesel engine or within 30
seconds after turning OFF the
diesel engine. The high-pressure
pump, high-pressure pipes, rail,
and injectors are still subject to
the high pressure right after
stopping the diesel engine.
When the fuel leakage vents out,
it may cause serious body injury.
Any people, who are implement-
ed with the artificial cardiac
pacemaker, should remain away
from the ECU or the wiring har-
ness by at least 30 cm, while run-
ning the diesel engine. The high
currents of the electric engine
control system produce a con-
siderable amount of magnetic
fields.
WARNING