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To release the parking brake:
Hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the
lever, located just
above the parking
brake pedal, marked
RELEASE to release
the parking brake.
If the ignition is on when the parking brake is released, the brake system
warning light will
go off.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause your rear brakes to
overheat. You may have to replace them, and you could also
damage other parts
of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill: See “Towing a
Trailer” in the Index. That section shows what to do first to keep the trailer
from moving.
Torque Lock
The parking brake should be set first whenever you leave the driver’s seat.
If you are parked on a hill and the transmission is placed in “P’ (Park)
before the parking brake is set, the weight
of the vehicle may put too much
force on the parking pawl in the transmission. It may be difficult to pull the
selector lever out
of “P” (Park). This is called “torque lock.” To prevent this,
the parking brake should be set
BEFORE moving the gear selector to “P”
(Park).
When preparing to move a vehicle parked on a hill, the selector lever should
be moved out
of “P” (Park) BEFORE releasing the parking brake. Even
when on level surfaces, its a good idea to set the parking brake first before
shifting the transmission from
“P” (Park).
If torque lock does occur, you may have to have another vehicle nudge your
vehicle uphill a
little to take some of the pressure off the transmission while
you pull the selector lever
out of “P’ (Park).
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Tachometer
4
If you have a
tachometer,
it displays
the engine speed in
revolutions per minute
(rpm).
I NOTICE:
Do not operate the engine with the tachometer in the red area,
your engine
or other parts could be damaged.
Damage to your engine
or vehicle caused by operating the
engine in the red area isn't covered by your vehicle warranty.\
Warning Lights andl Indicators
This section describes the warning lights and gages that may be on your
vehicle. The pictures will help you locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something
is wrong before it
becomes serious enough to cause
an expensive repair or replacement.
Paying attention to your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights
go on when there may be or is a problem with one of your
vehicle's functions.
As you will see in the details on the next few pages,
some warning lights come on briefly when you turn the ignition key
just to
let you know they're working. If you are familiar with this section, you
should not be alarmed when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem with one of your
vehicle's functions. Often gages and warning lights work together
to let you
know when there's
a problem with your vehicle.
When one
of the warning lights comes on and stays on when you are
driving,
or when one of the gages shows there may be a problem, check the
section that tells you what to
do about it. Please follow the manual's advice.
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Waiting to do repairs can be costly - and even dangerous. So please get to
know your warning lights and gages. They’re a big help.
Brake System Warning Light
The red brake system
warning light is
located at the bottom
right corner of the
instrument cluster
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into two parts. If one part
isn’t working, the other part can still work and stop you. For
good braking,
though, you need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake problem. Have your
brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on as you start the vehicle. If it doesn’t come on
then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the road and stop
carefully. You may notice that the pedal is harder to push. Or, the pedal may
go closer to the floor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have
the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your Vehicle” in the Index.)
The brake system warning light will also come on when you set your
parking brake, and it will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release fully.
If it stays on after your parking brake is fully released, it means you have a
brake problem.
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Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
The orange anti-lock
brake system warning light is located near
the top right corner
of
the instrument cluster
mi
With anti-lock, this light will go on when you start your engine and may
stay
on for several seconds. That’s normal. If the light doesn’t come on,
have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
If the light stays on, or comes on when you’re driving, your vehicle needs
service.
If the regular brake system warning light isn’t on, you still have
brakes, but you don’t have anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake system
warning light is also
on, you don’t have anti-lock brakes and there’s a
problem with your regular brakes. See “Brake System Warning Light’’
earlier in this part.
Water in Fuel Light
The red Water in Fuel
light, if
you have one,
is located near the
middle right edge of
the instrument cluster,
just below the turn
signal and lane change
indicator.
This light will come on
to warn you if there is water in the diesel fuel
system.
For more information on how this light works, see “Diesel Fuel
Requirements and Fuel System”
in the Index.
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Low Coolant Warning Light
The orange Low
Coolant Warning
light, if
you have one,
is located in the upper
left corner of the
instrument cluster.
If
you have a diesel engine, you have a low coolant light. If this light comes
on anytime the engine is running, your system is low on coolant and the
engine may overheat. See “Engine Coolant”
in the Index and have your
vehicle serviced
as soon as you can.
Charging System Warning Light
The red Charging
System Warning light
is located at the upper
right corner of the
instrument cluster.
The Charging System Warning light should come on briefly when you turn
on the ignition, before starting the engine, as a check to show you it is
working. After the engine starts, the light should go out. If it stays on or
comes
on while you are driving, you may have a problem with your
charging system. It could indicate a problem with the alternator drive belt,
or
some other charging system problem. Have it checked right away.
Driving while this light is on could drain your battery.
If
you must drive a short distance with this light on, it helps to turn off all
your accessories, such
as the radio and air conditioner.
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This light will come on briefly when you are starting the engine. If the light
comes
on and stays on while you are driving, it could indicate a problem
with your vehicle. It could be a problem with your oil pressure, coolant
temperature, or some other problem. Check your various gages to see
if they
are
in the warning zones. If they are, have your vehicle serviced right away.
Daytime Running Lights (DRL) Indicator Light
(Canada Only)
The green Daytime
Running Lights
(DRL) Indicator light,
if you have one,
is
located near the upper
center of the
instrument cluster.
If your vehicle was first sold, when new,
in Canada, you will have this green
light on the instrument panel. It will light whenever the Daytime Running
Lights are on.
For more details about DRL, see “Headlights and Vehicle
Lighting” in this section.
Shift Indicator Light
The orange SHIFT
Indicator light, if you
have one, is located
near the upper left
corner
of the
instrument cluster.
This light, with the word
SHIFT and the upshift arrow, is used on some
models with manual transmissions. Depending
on your particular model,
your vehicle may not have this light. The SHIFT indicator light will help
you get the best fuel economy. See “Shift Light” or “Shift Speeds-
Vehicles Without Shift Light”
in this section for more information.
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A reading in the low pressure zone may be caused by a dangerously low oil
level or other problem causing low oil pressure. Check your oil as soon as
possible.
I NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil problems can be
costly and
is not covered by your warranty.
Voltmeter
Standard Cluster Tachometer Cluster
14
When your engine is not running, but the ignition is on (in the RUN
Position), this gage shows your battery’s state of charge in DC volts. When
the engine is running, the gage shows the condition
of the charging system.
Readings between the
low and high warning zones indicate the normal
operating range.
Readings
in either warning zone indicate a possible problem in the electrical
system.
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You can only drive for a short time with the reading in either warning zone.
If you must drive, turn off all unnecessary accessories, and have the vehicle
serviced as soon as possible.
Center High Mount Stop Lamp (CHMSL)
If items are loaded on the roof of the vehicle, as in a luggage carrier, care
should be taken not to block or damage the CHMSL unit.
Convenience Net
If you have a convenience net, it is stored in a pouch attached to the spare
tire.
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