Starting the vehicle
WARNING
∙ Do not depress the accelerator pedal
while shifting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse), D (Drive) or L (Low) (if
so equipped). Always depress the brake
pedal until shifting is completed. Fail-
ure to do so could cause you to lose
control and have an accident.
∙ Cold engine idle speed is high, so use
caution when shifting into a forward
or reverse gear before the engine has
warmed up.
∙ Do not downshift abruptly on slippery
roads. This may cause a loss of
control.
∙ Never shift to either the P (Park) or R
(Reverse) position while the vehicle is
moving forward and P (Park) or D
(Drive) position while the vehicle is re-
versing. This could cause an accident
or damage the transmission.
∙ Except in an emergency, do not shift
to the N (Neutral) position while driv-
ing. Coasting with the transmission in
the N (Neutral) position may cause se-
rious damage to the transmission.
CAUTION
To avoid possible damage to your ve-
hicle, when stopping the vehicle on an
uphill grade, do not hold the vehicle by
depressing the accelerator pedal. The
foot brake should be used for this
purpose.
1. After starting the engine, fully depress
the foot brake pedal before moving the
shift lever out of the P (Park) position.
2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed
and move the shift lever into a driving
gear.
3. Release the foot brake, then gradually
start the vehicle in motion.
4. Stop the vehicle completely before
moving the shift lever into the P (Park)
position.
The Continuously Variable Transmission
is designed so the foot brake pedal MUST
be depressed before shifting from P
(Park) to any drive position while the ig-
nition switch is in the ON position.
The shift lever cannot be moved out of P
(Park) and into any of the other gear po-
sitions if the ignition switch is placed in
the LOCK, OFF or ACC position or if the
key is removed.
5-18
Starting and driving