Precautions

WARNING

  • Before leaving the driver's seat, always set the parking brake fully and shut the engine off. Then make sure the transmission is shifted into 1st gear when the vehicle is parked on a level or uphill grade, and shifted into R (Reverse) on a downhill grade. Unexpected and sudden vehicle movement can occur if these precautions are not followed in the order identified.

  • Do not use the engine brake (shifting from a high gear to lower gear) rapidly on slippery roads. The vehicle may slip causing an accident.

  • Depress the clutch pedal as far as possible. Be aware not to apply the pedal again before it returns to the normal position. If the pedal is repeatedly depressed before returning to its normal position, the clutch system might be damaged.

  • Do not overload the vehicle. Starting or driving a vehicle in this situation generates too much frictional heat to the clutch disk which might cause damage to the clutch cover and disk.

  • When starting the vehicle or driving backwards, releasing the clutch pedal too soon after shifting the lever might turn off the engine and lead to an accident.

CAUTION

  • When downshifting from 5th gear to 4th gear, caution should be taken not to inadvertently press the shift lever sideways in such a manner that the second gear is engaged. Such a drastic downshift may cause the engine speed to increase to the point that the tachometer will enter the red-zone. Such over-revving of the engine and transmission may possibly cause engine damage.

  • Do not downshift more than 2 gears or downshift the gear when the engine is running at high speed (5,000 rpm or higher). Such downshifting may damage the engine, clutch and the transmission.

  • To avoid premature clutch wear and damage, do not drive with your foot resting on the clutch pedal. Also, don't use the clutch to hold the vehicle stopped on an uphill grade, while waiting for a traffic light, etc.

  • Do not use the shift lever as a handrest during driving, as this can result in premature wear of the transmission shift forks.

  • To prevent possible damage to the clutch system, do not start with the 2nd gear engaged except when you start on a slippery road.

  • When operating the clutch pedal, press the clutch pedal down fully. If you don't press the clutch pedal fully, the clutch may be damaged or noise may occur.