
5-31
Driving your vehicle
5
Power Brakes
Your vehicle has power-assisted
brakes that adjust automatically
through normal usage.
If the engine is not running or is
turned off while driving, the power
assist for the brakes will not work.
You can still stop your vehicle by
applying greater force to the brake
pedal than typical. The stopping dis-
tance, however, will be longer than
with power brakes.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially
depleted each time the brake pedal
is applied. Do not pump the brake
pedal when the power assist has
been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when
necessary to maintain steering con-
trol on slippery surfaces.
BRAKING SYSTEM
Take the following precautions:
•Do not drive with your foot
resting on the brake pedal.
This will create abnormal high
brake temperatures, exces-
sive brake lining and pad
wear, and increased stopping
distances.
•When descending down a
long or steep hill, move the
gear shift lever to Manual
Shift Mode and manually
downshift to a lower gear in
order to control your speed
without using the brake pedal
excessively. Applying the
brakes continuously will
cause the brakes to overheat
and could result in a tempo-
rary loss of braking perform-
ance.
•Wet brakes may impair the
vehicle's ability to safely slow
down; the vehicle may also
pull to one side when the
brakes are applied. Applying
the brakes lightly will indicate
whether they have been
affected in this way. Always
test your brakes in this fash-
ion after driving through deep
water. To dry the brakes, light-
ly tap the brake pedal to heat
up the brakes while maintain-
ing a safe forward speed until
brake performance returns to
normal. Avoid driving at high
speeds until the brakes func-
tion correctly.WARNING

5-34
Driving your vehicle
• Do not apply the accelerator
pedal while the parking brake is
engaged. If you depress the
accelerator pedal with the park-
ing brake engaged, warning will
sound. Damage to the parking
brake may occur.
• Driving with the parking brake
on can overheat the braking sys-
tem and cause premature wear
or damage to brake parts. Make
sure the parking brake is
released and the Brake Warning
Light is off before driving.Check the Parking
Brake Warning Light
by placing the ignition
switch to the ON posi-
tion (do not start the
engine).
This light will be illuminated when the
parking brake is applied with the igni-
tion switch in the START or ON posi-
tion.
Before driving, be sure the parking
brake is released and the Brake
Warning Light is OFF.
If the Parking Brake Warning Light
remains on after the parking brake is
released while engine is running,
there may be a malfunction in the
brake system. Immediate attention is
necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the
vehicle immediately. If that is not pos-
sible, use extreme caution while
operating the vehicle and only con-
tinue to drive the vehicle until you
can reach a safe location.
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
NOTICE
•Only release the parking
brake when you are seated
inside the vehicle with your
foot firmly on the brake pedal.
An Anti-Lock Braking System
(ABS) or an Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) system will not
prevent accidents due to
improper or dangerous driving
maneuvers. 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 cars
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.
•On roads where the road sur-
face is pitted or has different
surface height.
WARNING

5-45
Driving your vehicle
5
Keep your foot firmly on the brake
pedal when the vehicle is stopped to
prevent the vehicle from rolling for-
ward.• Be cautious when parking on a
hill. Firmly engage the parking
brake and place the shift lever in
the 1
stgear when the vehicle is
parked on a uphill and in R
(Reverse) on a downhill. If your
vehicle is facing downhill, steer
the front wheels to the curb to
help prevent the vehicle from
rolling. If your vehicle is facing
uphill, turn the front wheels
away from the curb to help pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling. If
there is no curb or if the vehicle
has to be kept from rolling due
to conditions block the wheels.• Under some conditions your
parking brake can freeze in the
engaged position. This is most
likely to happen when there is
an accumulation of snow or ice
around or near the rear brakes
or if the brakes are wet. If there
is a risk of brake freezing, apply
the brake temporarily while you
put the shift lever in the 1
stgear
when the vehicle is parked on a
uphill and in R (Reverse) on a
downhill and block the rear
wheels so the vehicle cannot
roll. Then release the parking
brake.
• Do not hold the vehicle on the
incline with the accelerator
pedal. This can cause the trans-
mission to overheat. Always use
the brake pedal or parking
brake.
NOTICE
Brake override system
The system assists safe decel-
eration by reducing the engine
power when the accelerator
pedal is jammed or stuck and
when you continue depressing
the brake pedal.
However, the system is deacti-
vated when ESC is OFF in N
mode. When the system is dis-
abled, the brake distance may
be longer than when the system
is activated.
WARNING

5-53
Driving your vehicle
5
Functional description and
operating conditions
When NGS button is pressed:
• Automatically shifts to the lowest
allowable gear
(Automatic shifting is not per-
formed in manual shift mode)
• Engine overboost operates when
accelerating
• N Grin Shift is available for 20
Seconds
• N Grin Shift can be reused 3 min-
utes later after using the function
for 20 secondsN Grin Shift will turn off during oper-
ation or will not operate when:
• Changing Drive-mode during N
Grin Shift operation
• Engine check light is on
• Transmission high temperature
(overheating) lights on
• Transmission malfunction
• Shift lever is in P/ R/ N
• Using N Grin Shift within 3 minutes
after using the function for 20 sec-
onds•The driver should hold the
responsibility to safely drive
and control the vehicle when
using N Grin Shift.
•Do not attempt dangerous
driving while using N Grin
Shift.
•It is recommended to use after
vehicle break-in and continu-
ous use of N Grin Shift can
overload the vehicle compo-
nents such as transmission,
engine and drive shaft.
CAUTIONOJSN050187
■Activated■Non-operating
OJSN040333/OBU050334N

5-120
Driving your vehicle
Hazardous Driving Conditions
When hazardous driving elements
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud and sand, take the
below suggestions:
• Drive cautiously and keep a longer
braking 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, tire chains or
other non-slip materials under the
wheels to provide additional trac-
tion while 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 while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal while
the transmission is in gear. Slowly
spinning the wheels in forward and
reverse directions causes a rocking
motion that may free the vehicle.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
If the vehicle is stuck and
excessive wheel spin occurs,
the temperature in the tires can
increase very quickly. If the tires
become damaged, a tire blow
out or tire explosion can occur.
This condition is dangerous -
you and others may be injured.
Do not attempt this procedure if
people or objects are anywhere
near the vehicle.
If you attempt to free the vehicle,
the vehicle can overheat quickly,
possibly causing damage to the
engine and other components.
Try to avoid spinning the wheels
as much as possible to prevent
overheating of either the tires or
the engine. DO NOT allow the
vehicle to spin the wheels above
35 mph (56 km/h).
WARNING

5-121
Driving your vehicle
5
Information
The ESC system must be turned OFF
before rocking the vehicle.
If you are still stuck after rocking
the vehicle a few times, have the
vehicle pulled out by a tow vehicle
to avoid engine overheating, pos-
sible damage to the transmission,
and tire damage. See "Towing" in
chapter 6.
Smooth Cornering
Avoid braking or gear changing in
corners, especially when roads are
wet. Ideally, corners should always
be taken under gentle acceleration.
Driving at Night
Night driving presents more hazards
than driving in the daylight. Here are
some important tips to remember:
• Slow down and keep more dis-
tance between you and other vehi-
cles, as it may be more difficult to
see at night, especially in areas
where there may not be any street
lights.
• Adjust your mirrors to reduce the
glare from other driver's head-
lamps.
• Keep your headlamps clean and
properly aimed. Dirty or improperly
aimed headlamps will make it
much more difficult to see at night.
• Avoid staring directly at the head-
lamps of oncoming vehicles. You
could be temporarily blinded, and it
will take several seconds for your
eyes to readjust to the darkness.
Driving in the Rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous. Here are a few things to
consider when driving in the rain or
on slick pavement:
• Slow down and allow extra follow-
ing distance. A heavy rainfall
makes it harder to see and increas-
es the distance needed to stop
your vehicle.
• Turn OFF your Cruise Control.
• Replace your windshield wiper
blades when they show signs of
streaking or missing areas on the
windshield.
• Tires should be properly main-
tained with at least 2/32nds of an
inch of tread depth. If your tires do
not have enough tread, making a
quick stop on wet pavement can
cause a skid and possibly lead to
an accident.See "Tire
Replacement" in chapter 7.
• Turn on your headlamps to make it
easier for others to see you.
NOTICE
i

5-122
Driving your vehicle
• Driving too fast through large pud-
dles can affect your brakes. If you
must go through puddles, try to
drive through them slowly.
• If you believe your brakes may be
wet, 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
Replacement" 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
adversely affect vehicle handling.
This could lead to sudden tire failure
that may cause loss of vehicle con-
trol resulting in an accident.
Information
Never over-inflate your tires above the
maximum inflation pressure, as speci-
fied on your tires.
Fuel, engine coolant and engine
oil
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.
i

What to do in an emergency
6
Hazard Warning Flasher .......................................6-2
In Case of an Emergency While Driving.............6-2
If the Engine Stalls While Driving .................................6-2
If the Engine Stalls at a Crossroad or Crossing ........6-2
If you Have a Flat Tire While Driving ..........................6-3
If the Engine Will Not Start..................................6-3
If the Engine Doesn't Turn Over
or Turns Over Slowly........................................................6-3
If the Engine Turns Over Normally but
Doesn't Start ......................................................................6-3
Jump Starting ..........................................................6-4
If the Engine Overheats........................................6-6
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).........6-8
Check Tire Pressure .........................................................6-8
Tire Pressure Monitoring System .................................6-9
Low Tire Pressure Telltale ............................................6-10
Low Tire Pressure LCD Display with
Position Indicator ............................................................6-10
TPMS Malfunction Indicator ........................................6-11
Changing a Tire with TPMS..........................................6-12
If You Have a Flat Tire........................................6-14
With Tire Mobility Kit (TMK) ........................................6-14
Towing ...................................................................6-21
Towing Service .................................................................6-21
Dinghy towing ..................................................................6-22
Removable Towing Hook ...............................................6-22
Emergency Towing..........................................................6-23
Tie-down Hook ................................................................6-25