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Continuously variable transmission
in the “R” position. Doing so may
result in an unexpected accident
or malfunction.
. Do not shift from the “D” position
into the “R” position or vice versa
until the vehicle has completely
stopped. Such shifting may
cause damage to the transmis-
sion.
. When parking the vehicle, first
securely apply the parking brake
and then place the select lever in
the “P” position. Do not park for a
long time with the select lever in
any other position as doing so
could result in a dead battery.
& Continuously variable trans-
mission features
S07BG06
The continuously variable transmission is
electronically controlled and provides an
infinite number of forward speeds and 1
reverse speed. It also has a manual mode
or an “L” position.
NOTE
. When the engine coolant tempera-
ture is still low, the transmission will
upshift or downshift at higher engine
speeds than when the coolant tempera-
ture is sufficiently high in order to
shorten the warm-up time and improve
driveability. The gearshift timing will
automatically shift to the normal timing
after the engine has warmed up.
. Immediately after transmission fluid
is replaced, you may feel that the
transmission operation is somewhat
unusual. This results from invalidation
of data which the on-board computer
has collected and stored in memory to
allow the transmission to shift at the
most appropriate times for the current
condition of your vehicle. Optimized
shifting will be restored as the vehicle
continues to be driven for a while.
. When driving a CVT model under
continuous heavy load conditions such
as when towing a camper or climbing a
long, steep hill, the engine speed or the
vehicle speed may automatically be
reduced. This is not a malfunction. This
results from the engine control func-
tion maintaining the cooling perfor-
mance of the vehicle. The engine and
vehicle speed will return to a normal
speed when the engine is able to
maintain the optimum cooling perfor-
mance after the heavy load decreases.
Driving under a heavy load must be
performed with extreme care. Do not try
to pass a vehicle in front when driving
on an uphill slope while towing.
. The continuously variable transmis-
sion is a chain type system that pro-
vides superior transmission efficiency
for maximum fuel economy. At times,
depending on varying driving condi-
tions, a chain operating sound may be
heard that is characteristic of this type
of system.