Renault Espace, Driver'S Handbook Manual

Page: 187 / 314

2.75
AUTOMATIC GEARBOX
(3/6)
Driving in automatic mode
With the vehicle at a standstill, engine
running, position P , N or R , depress the
brake pedal and move the selector to
the left then back, and release.
If one of the conditions is not applied,
D flashes for around 5 seconds and
the message “Push brake pedal” is dis-
played on the instrument panel for ap-
proximately 15 seconds.
In most road conditions you will en-
counter, you will not need to touch your
lever again: the gears will change au-
tomatically at the right time and at the
most suitable engine speed because
the automatic system takes into ac-
count the vehicle load and road contour
and adjusts itself to the particular driv-
ing style you have chosen.
Note: With the engine running and
the vehicle travelling between 0 and
6 mph (0 and 10 km/h), position N or
R , it is not necessary to depress the
brake pedal to engage position D . This
is useful during parking manoeuvres
requiring a number of alternate forward
and reverse movements.
Economical driving
When driving, always leave the lever
in position D , keeping the accelerator
pedal lightly depressed to ensure auto-
matic gear changes at a lower engine
speed.
Accelerating and overtaking
Depress the accelerator pedal briskly
and fully (so that it goes beyond the
point of resistance).
It is also possible to change down at
any time for overtaking purposes, by
pushing the selector to position “ - ”.
To select reverse gear
With the vehicle at a standstill, engine
running, position P , N or D , depress the
brake pedal and move the selector to
the left then forwards, and release.
If the brake pedal is not depressed, a
beep will sound, the display of position
R flashes for around 5 seconds in the
grid shown on the instrument panel,
and a message “Push brake pedal” is
displayed for around 15 seconds.
Note: With the engine running, and
the vehicle travelling between 0 and
6 mph (0 and 10 km/h), position N or
D , it is not necessary to depress the
brake pedal to engage R . This is useful
during parking manoeuvres requiring
a number of alternate forward and re-
verse movements.