Driving on grades

- Before going down a steep hill, slow down and shift into lower gear (if necessary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the engine braking effect and prevent overheating of your vehicle’s brakes. Do not make sudden downshifts.

- When driving uphill in hot weather, the air conditioner may turn off automatically to protect the engine from overheating.

- When driving uphill in hot weather, pay attention to the following indicators because the engine and transmission are relatively prone to overheating.

– Temperature gauge (if equipped)
– Coolant temperature high warning light (if equipped)
– AT OIL TEMP warning light (AT models)
- If any of the following conditions occur, immediately turn off the air conditioner and stop the vehicle in the nearest safe location. Refer to “If you park your vehicle in case of an emergency” and “Engine overheating”.

– Temperature gauge needle approaches the OVERHEAT zone (if equipped). Refer to “Temperature gauge (models with type A combination meter)”.

– Coolant temperature high warning light illuminates (if equipped). Refer to “Coolant temperature low indicator light/Coolant temperature high warning light”.

– AT OIL TEMP warning light illuminates (AT models). Refer to “AT OIL TEMP warning light (AT models)”.

- If your vehicle has an automatic transmission, avoid using the accelerator pedal to stay stationary on an uphill slope instead of using the parking brake or foot brake. That may cause the transmission fluid to overheat.

- If your vehicle has an automatic transmission, place the select lever as follows.

Uphill slopes: “D” position
Downhill slopes: A low-speed gear position to use engine braking

    See also:

    2.5 L turbo models
    Your vehicle is equipped with “summer tires” as original equipment, which are inadequate for driving on slippery roads such as on snow-covered or icy roads. Compared with winter and all-season tir ...

    Auxiliary input jack (if equipped)
    Type A AUX input jack Type B AUX input jack Type C AUX input jack Type D AUX input jack By connecting a commercial audio product to the vehicle, such as a portable audio player, you can hear its s ...

    Preparing to drive
    You should perform the following checks and adjustments every day before you start driving. 1. Check that all windows, mirrors, and lights are clean and unobstructed. 2. Check the appearance and c ...