HONDA CR-Z 2014 1.G Owners Manual

180
Driving
When Driving
Starting the Engine
1.Make sure the parking brake is applied.
2. Check that the shift lever is in
(P, then
depress the brake pedal.
u Although it is possible to start the vehicle
in
(N, it is safer to start it in (P.
2. Check that the shift lever is in
(N. Then
depress the brake pedal with your right
foot, and the clutch pedal with your left
foot.
u The clutch pedal must be fully depressed
to start the engine.
1Starting the Engine
Keep your foot firmly on the brake pedal when
starting the engine.
The engine is harder to st art in cold weather and in
thinner air found at altitudes above 8,000 feet (2,400
meters).
When starting the engine in cold weather, turn off all
electrical accessories such as the lights, climate
control system, and rear de fogger in order to reduce
battery drain.
If the exhaust system sounds abnormal or you can
smell exhaust gas inside the vehicle, have your vehicle
checked by a dealer. There may be a problem with
the engine or exhaust system.
If you live in a region where winter is extremely cold,
an engine block heater will improve starting and
warming of the engine. If temperatures consistently
below -22°F (-30°C) are expected, the coolant
mixture should be charged to a higher concentration
to prevent freezing. Cons ult a dealer for details.
Brake PedalAutomatic transmission (CVT) models
Clutch Pedal
Brake PedalManual transmission models

Continued181
uuWhen Driving uStarting the Engine
Driving
3. Turn the ignition switch to START (e
without depressing the accelerator pedal.
1. Keeping your right foot on the brake pedal, release the parking brake. Check that
the parking brake and brake system indicator has gone off.
2 Parking Brake P. 210
2.Put the shift lever in (D. Select (R when reversing.
3. Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the accelerator pedal to pull
away.
1 Starting the Engine
Do not hold the key in START
(e for more than 15
seconds.
•If the engine does not start right away, wait for at
least 10 seconds before trying again.
•If the engine starts, but then immediately stops,
wait at least 10 seconds before repeating step 3
while gently depressing the accelerator pedal.
Release the accelerator pedal once the engine
starts.
The immobilizer system pr otects your vehicle from
theft. If an improperly c oded device is used, the
engine's fuel system is disabled 2 Immobilizer System P. 107
■Starting to Drive
Automatic transmission (CVT) models

uuWhen Driving uStarting the Engine
182
Driving
■Creep aid system
With the shift lever in
(D or (N, this feature applies brake pressure briefly as you
release the brake pedal to prevent th e vehicle from moving unexpectedly.
■Hill start assist system
Hill start assist keeps the brake engaged br iefly to help prevent the vehicle from
rolling on inclines as you move your fo ot from the brake pedal to the accelerator.
Depress the clutch pedal, and shift to
(1 when facing uphill, or (R when facing
downhill, then release the brake pedal.
Move the shift lever to
(D when facing uphill, or (R when facing downhill, then
release the brake pedal.
Automatic transmission (CVT) models
Manual transmission models
Automatic transmission (CVT) models
1 Hill start assist system
Hill start assist may not prevent the vehicle from
rolling downhill on a very st eep or slippery slope, and
does not operate on small inclines.
Hill start assist is not a replacement for the parking
brake.

183
uuWhen Driving uPrecautions While Driving
Continued
Driving
Precautions While Driving
Avoid driving in deep water and on flooded roads. This can damage the engine and
driveline, and cause electrical component failure.
■In Rain1Precautions While Driving
NOTICE
Do not operate the shift lever while pressing the
accelerator pedal. You could damage the
transmission.
NOTICE
If you repeatedly turn the steering wheel at an
extremely low speed, or hold the steering wheel on
the full left or right position for a while, the electric
power steering (EPS) system heats up. The system
goes into a protective mode, and limits its
performance. The steering wheel becomes harder
and harder to operate. Once the system cools down,
the EPS system is restored. Repeated operation under
these conditions can eventually damage the system.
If the ignition switch is turned to ACCESSORY
( q or
LOCK
( 0 while driving, the e ngine will shut down
and all steering and brake pow er assist functions will
stop, making it difficult to control the vehicle.
Do not put the shift lever in
( N, as you will lose
engine braking (and acce leration) performance.
During the first 600 miles (1,000 km) of operation,
avoid sudden acceleration or full throttle operation so
as to not damage the engine or powertrain.
Avoid hard braking for the first 200 miles (300 km).
You should also follow this when the brake pads are
replaced.

uuWhen Driving uAutomatic Transmission (CVT)
184
Driving
If there is a strong impact with something under the vehicle, stop in a safe location.
Check the underside of the vehicle for damage or any fluid leaks.
Automatic Transmission (CVT)
The engine runs at higher idle speed and creeping increases.
Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed when stopped.
Quickly depressing the accelerator pedal while driving uphill may cause the
transmission to drop to a lower ratio, unexpectedly increasing vehicle speed.
Depress the accelerator pedal carefully, es pecially on slippery roads and curves.
■Other Precautions
■Creeping
■Kickdown
1Precautions While Driving
NOTICE
Following can damage the under spoiler:•Parking the vehicle by a parking block
•Parallel pa rking along the road shoulder
•Driving towards the bottom of a hill•Driving up or down to a different surface level
(such as a road shoulder)
•Driving on a rutted or bumpy road•Driving on a road with potholes

185
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Continued
Driving
Shifting
Change the shift position in accordance with your driving needs.
■Shift lever positions
Automatic transmission (CVT) models
1Shifting
You cannot turn the ignition switch to LOCK
(0 and
remove the key unless the shift lever is in
( P.
The vehicle may move forward very slightly even in
(N while the engine is cold.
Depress the brake pe dal firmly and, when necessary,
apply the parking brake.
The engine may cut in and out in
( R or depending on
the road condition, even when the engine speed is
lower than the tachometer’s red zone. This is the
engine’s computer wo rking to protect the
transmission.
Park
Used when parking or starting the engine
Reverse
Used when reversing
Neutral
Used when idling
Drive
Used:
●For normal driving●When temporarily driving in the 7-speed
manual shift mode (when driving in ECON
or NORMAL mode)
●For driving in the 7-speed manual shift
mode (when driving in SPORT mode)
●For driving in L mode
Release Button

uuWhen Driving uShifting
186
Driving
■Shift Lever Operation1Shift Lever Operation
NOTICE
When you change the shift lever from (D to (R and
vice versa, come to a complete stop and keep the
brake pedal depressed.
Operating the shift lever be fore the vehicle has come
to a complete standstill can damage the transmission.
Use the shift lever position indicator to check the
lever position befo re pulling away.
Whichever position the shift lever is in when driving,
a blinking
( D indicator indicates a transmission
problem.
Avoid sudden acceleration and have the transmission
checked by a dealer as soon as possible.
The fuel supply may be cut of f if you drive at engine
speeds in or over the ta chometer red zone (engine
speed limit). If this happe ns, you may experience a
slight jolt.
It may not be possible to operate the shift lever if the
brake pedal is applied while the shift lever release
button is pressed.
Depress the brake pedal first.
READY
Tachometer's
Red Zone
Shift Lever Position Indicator Depress the brake pedal and
press the shift lever release
button to shift.
Shift without pressing the
shift lever release button.
Press the shift lever
release button and
shift. M
(7-Speed Manual Shift Mode) Indicator/
Shift Indicator
P
R
N
D

Continued187
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Driving
Use the paddle shifters to change between 1st and 7th speeds without removing
your hands from the steering wheel. The transmission switches to the 7-speed
manual shift mode when you pull a paddle shifter while driving. This mode is useful
when engine braking is needed.
You can cancel this mode by pressing any of the three driving mode buttons, or
pulling the
(+ paddle shifter for a few seconds.
■When the driving mode is in ECON or NORMAL
The shift mode goes into the 7-speed ma nual shift mode temporarily, and the
number is displayed in the shift indicator.
The 7-speed manual shift mode is canceled automatically if you drive at constant
speed or accelerate, and the number in the shift indicator goes off.
The 7-speed manual shift mode is especial ly useful when reducing the vehicle speed
temporarily before making a turn.
■When the driving mode is in SPORT
The shift mode goes into the 7-speed manual shift mode. The M indicator and the
speed number are displayed in the shift indicator. As the vehicle speed slows down,
the transmission automatically shifts down accordingly. When the vehicle comes to
a stop, it automatically shifts down into 1st.
If the vehicle speed increases and the engi ne speed reaches near the tachometer’s
red zone, the transmission automatically shifts up.
■7-Speed Manual Shift Mode1 7-Speed Manual Shift Mode
To improve fuel economy, the transmission may shift
up to a higher speed than the seventh under certain
circumstances. In this case, the number in the shift
indicator remains as 7.
In the 7-speed manual shif t mode, the transmission
shifts up or down by opera ting either paddle shifter
under the following conditions:
Shift Up: The engine sp eed reaches the lowest
threshold of the higher speed position.
Shift Down: The engine sp eed reaches the highest
threshold of the lower speed position.
When the engine speed reaches near the
tachometer’s red zone, the transmission shifts up
automatically.
When the engine speed reaches the lowest threshold
of the selected speed positi on, the transmission shifts
down automatically.
Operating the paddle shifte rs on slippery surfaces
may cause the tires to lock up. In this case, the 7-
speed manual shift mode is canceled and goes back
to the normal D driving mode.

uuWhen Driving uShifting
188
Driving
■7-Speed Manual Shift Mode Operation
(- Paddle Shifter
(Shift down)( + Paddle Shifter
(Shift up)
Downshifting when
pulling the
( - paddle
shifter (Changes to a
lower speed number) Upshifting when pulling
the (
+ paddle shifter
(Changes to a higher
speed number)
1 7-Speed Manual Shift Mode Operation
Each paddle shift opera tion makes a single speed
change.
To change continuously, re lease the paddle shifter
before pulling it again for the next speed.
Recommended Shift Points
Use this table as a guideline for efficient fuel
economy and effective emission control.
The shift indicator blinks when you cannot shift up or
down. It indicates that your vehicle speed is not in its
allowable shifting range.
Slightly accelerate to shif t up and decelerate to shift
down while the indicator is blinking. Shift Up Normal Acceleration
1 to 215 mph (24 km/h)
2 to 3 25 mph (40 km/h)
3 to 440 mph (64 km/h)
4 to 5 47 mph (76 km/h)
5 to 652 mph (84 km/h)
6 to 7 57 mph (92 km/h)

189
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Driving
To switch to the L mode, pull and hold both paddle shifters ((+ and (-) at the same
time with the shift lever in
(D.
To cancel this mode, pull and hold both paddle shifters again, or press any of the
three driving mode buttons. The L indicator goes off.
■L Mode Operation1L Mode Operation
Use the L mode in the following situations:
•When you want to increa se engine braking to
maximum when in 7-speed manual shift mode
•When going up or down hills•When the IMA battery is low
( L is displayed in the 7-speed
manual shift mode indicator.
Pull both
( + and (- paddle shifters at the same time.