
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If this message comes on while you are driving, you
may have a problem with the electrical charging system.
It could indicate that you have a loose or broken 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 message on,
be certain to turn
off your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
TRACTION SYS ACTIVE - : When your traction
control system is limiting wheel spin, the TRACTION
SYS ACTIVE message will be displayed. Slippery road
conditions may exist
if this message is displayed, so
adjust your driving accordingly. The message will stay
on for a few seconds after the traction control system
stops limiting wheel spin.
TRACTION SYSTEM-ON: This message is displayed
when you decide to turn on the TCS by pressing the
switch
on the console. This message will shut off
automatically on its own.
TRACTION SYSTEM-OFF: You will hear a single
quick tone when this message is displayed. This
message comes on and stays on when the TCS button on the console is pressed to turn the system
off. To
acknowledge this message, press
RESET.
SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM - : If the SERVICE
TRACTION
SYS message is displayed when you are
driving, there is a problem with your Traction Control
System and your vehicle is in need
of service. When this
message is displayed, the system will not limit wheel
spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
If you have the optional Active Handling System, the SERVICE ACTIVE
HNDLG message will also be
displayed and the instrument cluster car icon will also be
illuminated. The driver can acknowledge both messages
by pressing the reset button two times which
will also
turn
off the instrument cluster icon. When the service
messages are displayed, the computer controlled systems will not assist the driver in controlling the
vehicle. Have the system repaired as soon as possible.
Adjust your driving accordingly.
2-100

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine HIGH TIRE PRESSURE - (LF, LR, RF, RR): YOU
will hear two chimes when this message is displayed. To
acknowledge the warning, press RESET. After you press
RESET, a message
will reappear and you will hear a
chime every
10 minutes until this condition changes. This
message indicates that the pressure in one of your tires is higher than
42 psi (290 Pa). Next to the HIGH TIRE
PRESSURE message,
you can see either LF (left front),
LR (left rear), RF (right front) or RR (right rear) to
indicate to you which tire is higher than
42 psi (290 Wa).
You can receive more than one tire pressure message at a
time. To read other messages that may have been sent at
the same time, press RESET.
If a tire pressure message
appears
on the DX, stop as soon as you can. Have the tire
pressures checked and set to those shown on your Tire
Loading Information Label. See “Extended
Mobility
Tires” and “Tire Inflation” in the Index.
SERVICE TIRE MON SYS: If this message comes on,
a part on the Tire Pressure Monitor (TPM) is not
working properly. If you drive your vehicle while any of
the four sensors are missing or hoperable, the warning
will come on in approximately
10 minutes. If all four
sensors are missing, the warning will come on in
approximately
15 to 20 minutes. (All the sensors would
be missing, for example, if you put different wheels on
your vehicle without transferring the sensors.) If the
warning comes
on and stays on, there may be a problem
with the TPM. See your dealer.
2-105

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking slud.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You may
hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on, and you may even notice that your brake
pedal moves a little.
This is normal.
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on.
See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” in
the Index.
Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road
is wet.
You’re driving safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out in
front
of you.
You slam on the brakes. Here’s what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each front wheel and at
both rear wheels.
4-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure faster
than any driver could. The computer is programmed to
make the most of available
tire and road conditions.
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease stopping distance.
If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you won’t have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may hear a
motor or clicking noise and feel the brake pedal move
a
little during a stop, but this is normal.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle has a traction control system called TCS
that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in
slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it
senses that the rear wheels are spinning too much or are
beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the
system works the rear brakes and reduces engine power
(by closing the throttle and managing engine spark) to
limit wheel spin.
The TRACTION SYSTEM ACTIVE message will
come on when the TCS system
is limiting wheel spin.
See “TRACTION SYSTEM ACTIVE Message” in the
Index. You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal.
4-8

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If your vehicle is in cruise control when the TCS system
begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will
automatically disengage. When road conditions allow
you to safely use it again, you may re-engage the cruise
control. (See “Cruise Control” in the Index.)
The SERVICE TRACTION
SYSTEM message and the
TCS warning light will
come on to let you know if
there’s
a problem with your
TCS system.
See
“SERVICE TRACTION
SYSTEM Message” in
the Index. The
TCS system automatically comes on whenever you
start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin, especially in
slippery road conditions, you should always leave the
system
on. But you can turn the TCS system off if you
ever need to.
To turn the system
off, press
the button located on the
console.
You can turn the
system ON
or OFF at any
time by pressing the TCS
switch. The DIC will
display the appropriate
message when you push
the button.
f
When this light and the SERVICE TRACTION
SYSTEM message are on, the system will not limit
wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly. Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
4-9

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system
is not functioning, you can steer
but it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction
of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels.
If there’s no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction. If you’ve ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand this.
The traction you can get
in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which
the curve is banked, and your speed. While you’re
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control. Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control
systems
-- steering and acceleration -- have to do
their work where the tires meet the road. Adding the
sudden acceleration can demand too much of those
places.
You can lose control. Refer to “Traction Control
System’’ in the Index.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the
accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the
way you want it
to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before
you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed
so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective than
bralung. For example, you come over a
hill and find a
truck stopped
in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out
fiom nowhere, or a chdd
darts out fiom between parked
cars and stops right
in fiont of you. You can avoid these
problems by braking
-- if you can stop in time. But
sometimes you can’t; there isn’t room. That’s the time \
for
evasive action
-- steering around the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. (See “Braking in
Emergencies” earlier in this section.)
It is better to
remove
as much speed as you can from a possible
collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or
right depending on the space available. An emergency like this requires close
attention and a
quick decision.
If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended
9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn it a full
180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly.
4-11

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Off-Road Recovery
You may find that your right wheels have dropped off the
edge of a road onto the shoulder while you’re driving.
/ /d FewLEFT APPROX.
QUARTERTURN
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy.
Ease off the
accelerator and then,
if there is nothing in the way, steer so
that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You
can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn until the
right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then
turn your
steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes
back into the right lane again.
A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane
highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can
suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst of all traffic accidents
-- the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
0 “Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides and to
crossroads for situations that might affect your passing
patterns.
If you have any doubt whatsoever about
making a successful pass, wait for a better time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and lines.
If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate
a
turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken
center line usually indicates it’s all right to pass
(providing
the road ahead is clear). Never cross a solid
line on your side of the lane or a double solid line,
even
if the road seems empty of approaching traffic.