GearVehicle speed*1
M1 to M224 km/h (15 mph)
M2 to M3 40 km/h (25 mph)
M3 to M4 65 km/h (40 mph)
M4 to M5 73 km/h (45 mph)
M5 to M6 81 km/h (50 mph)
*1 Always observe local speed limit regulations.
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy traffic or on a steep upgrade, downshift before the
engine starts to overwork. This gives better acceleration when you need more speed.
On a steep downgrade, downshifting helps maintain safe speed and prolongs brake life.
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
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Driving Tips
WA R N I N G
Do not let the vehicle move in a direction
opposite to the direction selected by the
selector lever:
Do not let the vehicle move backward with
the selector lever in a forward position, or
do not let the vehicle move forward with
the selector lever in the reverse position.
Otherwise, the engine may stop, causing
the loss of the power brake and power
steering functions, and make it difficult to
control the vehicle which could result in an
accident.
Passing
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing steep grades, depress
the accelerator fully. The transaxle will
shift to a lower gear, depending on vehicle
speed.
NOTE
The accelerator pedal may initially feel
heavy as it is being depressed, then feel
lighter as it is depressed further. This
change in pedal force aids the engine
control system in determining how much
the accelerator pedal has been
depressed for performing kickdown, and
functions to control whether or not
kickdown should be performed.
While the selector lever is in the M
position and the TCS is turned off,
manual shift mode does not switch to
automatic shift mode even if the
accelerator pedal is completely
depressed. Operate the selector lever.
Climbing steep grades from a stop
To climb a steep grade from a stopped
position:
1. Depress the brake pedal.
2. Shift to D or M1, depending on theload weight and grade steepness.
3. Release the brake pedal while gradually accelerating.
Descending steep grades
When descending a steep grade, shift to
lower gears, depending on load weight and
grade steepness. Descend slowly, using the
brakes only occasionally to prevent them
from overheating.
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
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Lighting Control
▼Headlights
Turn the headlight switch to
turn the headlights and other exterior lights on or off.
When the lights are turned on, the lights-on indi cator light in the instrument cluster turns on.
NOTE
If the light switch is left on, the lights will automatically switch off approximately 30
seconds after switching the ignition off.
The time setting can be changed.
Refer to Personalization Features on page 9-9.
To prevent discharging the battery, do not leave the lights on while th e engine is off unless
safety requires them.
Without auto-light control
Switch Position OFF
Ignition PositionONACC or
OFF ONACC or
OFF ONACC or
OFF
Headlights Off Off Off Off On
On
*2
Daytime running lightsOn*1OffOn*1Off Off Off
Taillights
Parking lights
License plate lights
Side-marker lights Off Off On
On
*2OnOn*2
*1 The lights are turned on while the vehicle is driven.*2 The lights are turned on for the specified period by the auto headlight off function.
When Driving
Switches and Controls
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CAUTION
Do not shade the light sensor by adhering a st icker or a label on the windshield. Otherwise
the light sensor will not operate correctly.
The light sensor also works as a rain sensor for the auto-wiper control. Keep hands and
scrapers clear of the windshield when the wiper lever is in the AUTO position and the
ignition is switched ON as fingers could be pinched or the wipers and wiper blades could be
damaged when the wipers activate automaticall y. If you are going to clean the windshield,
be sure the wipers are turned off completely wh en it is particularly tempting to leave the
engine running. This is particularly important when clearing ice and snow.
NOTE
The headlights and other exterior lights may not turn off immediately even if the
surrounding area becomes well-lit because the light sensor determines that it is night time
if the surrounding area is continuously dark for several minutes such as inside long
tunnels, traffic jams inside tunnels, or in indoor parking lots.
In this case, the lights turn off if the li ght switch is turned to the OFF position.
If the headlight switch and the windshield wiper switch are in AUTO, and the wipers are
operated at low or high speed by the auto wiper control for several seconds, bad weather
conditions are determined and the headlights may be turned on.
The sensitivity of the auto-light control may be changed.
Refer to Personalization Features on page 9-9.
When Driving
Switches and Controls
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(off―intermittent ―low speed―high
speed).
The sensitivity of the rain sensor can be
adjusted by turning the switch on the
wiper lever.
From the center posi tion (normal), rotate
the switch upward for higher sensitivity
(faster response) or ro tate it downward for
less sensitivity (slower response).
Higher sensitivity
Less sensitivitySwitch
Center
position
CAUTION
Do not shade the rain sensor by adhering
a sticker or a label on the windshield.
Otherwise the rain sensor will not
operate correctly.
When the wiper lever is in the AUTO
position and the ignition is switched ON,
the wipers may move automatically in
the following cases:
If the windshield above the rain sensor
is touched or wiped with a cloth.
If the windshield is struck with a hand
or other object from either outside or
inside the vehicle.
Keep hands and scrapers clear of the
windshield when the wiper lever is in the
AUTO position and the ignition is
switched ON as fingers could be pinched
or the wipers and wiper blades damaged
when the wipers activate automatically.
If you are going to clean the windshield,
be sure the wipers are turned off
completely (when it is most likely that the
engine is left running) this is particularly
important when clearing ice and snow.
NOTE
Switching the auto-wiper lever from the
OFF to the AUTO position while driving
activates the windshield wipers once,
after which they ope rate according to
the rainfall amount.
The auto-wiper control may not operate
when the rain sensor temperature is
about
-10 °C (14 °F) or lower, or
about 85 °C (185 °F) or higher.
If the windshield is coated with water
repellent, the rain sensor may not be
able to sense the amount of rainfall
correctly and the auto-wiper control
may not operate properly.
When Driving
Switches and Controls
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Brake System
▼Foot Brake
This vehicle has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
use.
Should power-assist fail, you can stop by
applying greater force than normal to the
brake pedal. But the distance required to
stop will be greater than usual.
WA R N I N G
Do not coast with the engine stalled or
turned
off,
find a safe place to stop:
Coasting with the engi ne stalled or turned
off is dangerous. Braking will require more
effort, and the brake's power-assist could
be depleted if you pump the brake. This will
cause longer stopping distances or even an
accident.
Shift to a lower gear when going down
steep hills:
Driving with your foot continuously on the
brake pedal or steadily applying the brakes
for long distances is dangerous. This causes
overheated brakes, resulting in longer
stopping distances or even total brake
failure. This could cause loss of vehicle
control and a serious accident. Avoid
continuous application of the brakes.
Dry off brakes that have become wet by
driving slowly, releasing the accelerator
pedal and lightly applying the brakes
several times until the brake performance
returns to normal:
Driving with wet brakes is dangerous.
Increased stopping distance or the vehicle
pulling to one side when braking could
result in a serious accident. Light braking
will indicate whether the brakes have been
affected.
CAUTION
Do not drive with your foot held on the
brake pedal. Doing so could result in the
following:
The brake parts will wear out more
quickly.
The brakes can overheat and adversely
affect brake performance.
Always depress the brake pedal with the
right foot. Applying the brakes with the
unaccustomed left foot could slow your
reaction time to an emergency situation
resulting in insufficient braking
operation.
Wear shoes appropriate for driving in
order to avoid your shoe contacting the
brake pedal when depressing the
accelerator pedal.
When Driving
Brake
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The parking brake is applied and the brake
system warning light and the EPB switch
indicator light turn on.
Refer to If a Warning Light Turns On or
Flashes on page 7-28.
When releasing the parking brake
The parking brake can be released while
the ignition is switched ON or the engine
is running. When the parking brake is
released, the brake system warning light
and the EPB switch indicator light turn
off.
Parking brake manual release
Firmly depress the brake pedal and press
the EPB switch.
If the EPB switch is pressed without
depressing the brake pedal, the display in
the instrument cluster notifies the driver
that the brake is not depressed.
(Type A/B instrument cluster)
A message is displayed on the
multi-information display in the
instrument cluster.
Refer to Message Indicated in
Multi-information Display on page 7-45.
(Type C instrument cluster)
The brake pedal operation demand
indicator light in the instrument cluster
turns on.
Parking brake automatic release
If the accelerator pedal is depressed with
the parking brake applied and all of the
following conditions met, the parking
brake is released automatically.
The engine is running.
The driver's door is closed.
The driver's seat belt is fastened.
Selector lever is in the D, M, or R
position
NOTE
If something such as the driver's foot
contacts the accelerator pedal with the
engine running and the parking brake
applied, the parking brake may be
released automatically. If you do not
intend to drive immediately, shift the
selector lever to the P or N position.
When Driving
Brake
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▼To Tu r n O n A U T O H O L D S y s t e m
Press the AUTOHOLD
switch and when
the AUTOHOLD standby indicator light
turns on, the AUTOHOLD function turns
on.
AUTOHOLD standby
indicator light
NOTE
When all of the following conditions are
met, the AUTOHOLD standby indicator
light turns on when the AUTOHOLD
switch is pressed and the AUTOHOLD
function turns on.
The ignition is switched ON (engine is
running).
The driver's seat belt is fastened.
The driver's door is closed.
There is no problem with the
AUTOHOLD function.
To operate AUTOHOLD and hold the
brakes
1. Depress the brake pedal and bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. The AUTOHOLD active indicatorlight in the instrument cluster turns on
and the brakes are held.
3. The vehicle is held in its stoppedposition even with the brake pedal
released.
NOTE
When all of the following conditions are
met, the AUTOHOLD operates and the
brakes are held.
The ignition is swit ched ON (engine is
running).
The vehicle is stopped.
The brake pedal is being depressed.
The AUTOHOLD active indicator light
turns on.
The accelerator pedal is not depressed.
The driver's seat belt is fastened.
The driver's door is closed.
There is no problem with the
AUTOHOLD function.
The parking brake is released.
There is no problem with the Electric
Parking Brake (EPB) function.
The selector lever is in a position other
than R position or the vehicle tilts
forward with the selector lever in the R
position.
To release AUTOHOLD and start
driving the vehicle
If you do any of the following actions to
resume driving the vehicle, the brakes
release automatically and the
When Driving
Brake
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