
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Normal operating range shows your engine speed during normal driving
conditions. For example, when the needle points
to 2, it means the engine is
running at
2,000 revolutions per minute (rpm). The tachometer needle will
vary all the time that the engine is running.
The red warning range tells you that your engine speed is reaching its upper
limits. Don’t drive very long with the tachometer in the red warning range.
If you have a manual transmission, shift to a higher gear as soon as possible.
If you have an automatic transmission, lift your foot off of the accelerator
pedal. If
you drive for very long with the tachometer in the red danger
range, engine damage will result.
I NOTICE:
Do not operate the engine with the tachometer in the red range,
or engine damage
will occur.
The red danger range tells you that your engine speed is at its upper limits.
You should immediately shift to a higher gear, or lift your
foot off of the
accelerator pedal. If you drive for very long with the tachometer in the red
danger range, engine damage will result.
Warning Lights and Indicators
This part 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 come 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 start the engine 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 this manual’s advice.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You will see this light flash for a few seconds when you turn your ignition
to RUN or START. Then the light should go out. This means the system is
ready.
If the air bag readiness light doesn’t come
on when you start your vehicle,
or stays on, or comes
on when you are driving, your air bag system may not
work properly. Have your vehicle serviced right away.
Brake System Warning Light
-1
BRAKE
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.
Your vehicle also has rear-wheel or four-wheel anti-lock brakes. See
“Anti-Lock Brakes” in the Index. If the warning light comes on, there could
be a brake problem with either your regular or rear-wheel anti-lock brakes,
or both. Have your brake system inspected right away.
This light should come
on briefly 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.)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light (Option)
If your vehicle has four-wheel anti-lock brakes, it will have this yellow
light.
With the anti-lock brake system, this light will come 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Charging System lndicator Light
The red charging
system indicator light
is above your oil
temperature gage on
your instrument
cluster and will come
on briefly when you
turn
on the ignition,
but the engine is
not
running, as a check to
show you it is
working.
It should go
out once the engine is running. If it stays on, or comes on while
you are driving, you may have a problem with the charging system. It could
indicate that
you have problems with a generator drive belt, or another
electrical problem. Have it checked right away. Driving while this light is
on
could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be certain to turn off all
your accessories, such as the radio and air conditioner.
CHECK GAGES lndicator Light
CHECK
GAGES
This amber CHECK
GAGES indicator
light
is above the fuel
gage
on the instrument
cluster and will come
on briefly when you
are starting the engine.
If the light comes on and stays on while you are driving, check your coolant
temperature and engine oil pressure gages
to see if they are in the warning
zones.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Voltmeter Gage
14
9
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 the low warning zone may occur when a large number
of
electrical accessories are operating in the vehicle and the engine is left at an
idle
for an extended period. This condition is normal since the charging
system is not able
to provide full power at engine idle. As engine speeds are
increased, this condition should correct itself as higher engine speeds allow
the charging system to create maximum power.
You can only drive for a short time with the reading
in either warning zone.
If you must drive, turn off all unnecessary accessories.
Readings
in either warning zone indicate a possible problem in the electrical
system. Have the vehicle serviced as soon
as possible.
Center High Mounted Stop Lamp (CHMSL)
Feed Wire
Your vehicle includes a Center High Mounted Stop Lamp (CHMSL) located
above the rear window.
If equipment such as a cap or camper is installed, a wire labeled “Center
High Mounted
Stop Lamp (CHMSL)” feed is provided along the left rear
frame.
This wire should be used to install a CHMSL in the cap or camper.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Braking
Braking action involves perception time and reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal. That’s perception time.
Then you have to bring up your foot and do it. That’s reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But that’s only an average. It
might be less with one driver and as long as two or three seconds or more
with another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination, and eyesight
all play a part.
So do alcohol, drugs and frustration. But even in 3/4 of a
second, a vehicle moving at
60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That
could be a lot of distance in an emergency,
so keeping enough space
between your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly with the surface of the
road (whether it’s pavement or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry,
icy); tire tread; and the condition of your brakes.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in spurts
- heavy
acceleration followed by heavy braking
- rather than keeping pace with
traffic. This is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you do a lot of heavy
braking. If you keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic following
distances, you will eliminate a lot
of unnecessary braking. That means better
braking and longer brake
life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake normally but don’t
pump your brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder to push down. If
your engine stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But you will
use it when you brake. Once the power assist is used up, it may take longer
to stop and the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has an advanced electronic braking system that can help you
keep it under control.
If your vehicle has an anti-lock brake system warning light on the
instrument panel, it has four-wheel anti-lock brakes. Otherwise, it has
rear-wheel anti-lock brakes. When you start a vehicle that has four-wheel
anti-lock brakes and begin to drive away, you may hear a momentary motor
or clicking noise. This is the
ABS system testing itself.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads.
Reconsider before passing
the next vehicle.
0 Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the
brake lamps are
not flashing, it may be slowing down or starting to
turn.
0 If you’re being passed, make it easy for the following driver to get
ahead of
you. Perhaps you can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what happens when the three
control systems (brakes, steering and acceleration) don’t have enough
friction where the tires meet the road to do what
the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying
to steer and constantly seek an
escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid
most skids by taking reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and by
not “overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types
of skids correspond to your vehicle’s three control systems.
In the braking skid your wheels aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering
skid, too much speed or steering
in a curve causes tires to slip and lose
cornering force. And in the acceleration skid too much throttle causes the
driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts
to slide, ease your foot off the accelerator pedal and
quickly steer the way you want the vehicle to
go. If you start steering
quickly enough, your vehicle may straighten
out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction
is reduced when water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is on the road. For safety, you’ll want
to slow down and adjust your
driving
to these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and vehicle control more
limited.
While driving on
a surface with reduced traction, try your best to avoid
sudden steering, acceleration, or braking (including engine braking by
shifting to a lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your vehicle is skidding.
Learn to recognize warning clues
- such as enough water, ice or packed
snow on the road
to make a “mirrored surface” - and slow down when you
have any doubt.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the amount of traffic on
them. You’ll want to watch out for what the other drivers are doing and pay
attention to traffic signals.
Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are going. Get a city map and
plan your trip into an unknown part of the city just
as you would for a
cross-country trip.
0 Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most large cities. You’ll
save time and energy. (See the next part, “Freeway Driving.”)
0 Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light is there because
the corner is busy enough to need it. When a light turns green, and just
before you start to move, check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection
or may be running the red light.
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