5-12
Driving your vehicle
Using the clutch
The clutch pedal should be
depressed all the way before:
- Starting the engine
The engine will not start without
depressing the clutch pedal.
- Shifting into gear, up shifting to the
next higher gear, or down shifting
to the next lower gear.
When releasing the clutch pedal,
release it slowly. The clutch pedal
should always be fully released while
driving.
To prevent unnecessary wear or
damage to the clutch:
• Do not rest your foot on the
clutch pedal while driving.
• Do not hold the vehicle with the
clutch on an incline, while wait-
ing for the traffic light, etc.
• Always depress the clutch pedal
down fully to prevent noise or
damage.
• Do not depress the clutch pedal
again until it is fully released.
• Do not start with the 2
nd
gear
engaged except when you start
on a slippery road.
• Do not drive with cargo loaded
more than required loading
capacity.
Downshifting
Down shift to a lower gear when
slowing down in heavy traffic or driv-
ing up a steep hill to prevent high
engine loads.
Also, downshifting reduces the
chance of stalling and helps reaccel-
erate the vehicle when you need to
increase your speed.
When the vehicle is going downhill,
downshifting helps maintain safe
speed by providing engine braking
(brake power from the engine) and
results in less wear on the brakes.
NOTICE
