Page 58 of 386
A CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here a child is sitting in
a seat that has a
lap-shoulder belt, but the shoulder part is behind
the child.
If the child wears the belt in this way, in
a crash the child might slide under the belt. The
belt’s force would then be applied right on the
child’s abdomen. That could cause serious
or
fatal injuries.
Wherever the child sits, the lap portion of the belt should be worn low and snug
on the hips, just touching
the child’s thighs.
This applies belt force to the child’s
pelvic bones in a crash.
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Page 59 of 386

Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you, you
should use it.
But if a safety belt isn’t long enough to fasten, your
dealer will order you an extender. It’s free. When
you go
in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so the
extender will be long enough for you. The extender will
be just for
you, and just for the seat in your vehicle that
you choose. Don’t let someone else use it, and use it
only for the seat it
is made to fit. To wear it, just attach it
to the regular safety belt.
Checking Your Restraint Systems
Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light
and all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors and
anchorages are working properly.
Look for any other
loose or damaged safety belt system parts. If you see
anything that might keep a safety belt system from
doing its job, have it repaired.
Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect
you in a
crash. They can rip apart under impact forces.
If a belt is
torn or frayed, get a new one right away.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
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Page 60 of 386

Replacing Restraint System Parts
After
a Crash
If you’ve had a crash, do you need new belts?
After a very minor collision, nothing may be necessary.
But if the belts were stretched, as they would be if worn
during a more severe crash, then you need new belts.
To help avoid personal
njury, belt assembly must
)e replaced
if this vehicle is
n a collision or if “Replace
3elt” appears below. See
I
3wner’s Manual for more
information.
[ Belt I J
Reprace Remplacer
La Ceinture Prtnled in
If you ever see a label on
the driver’s or the right
front passenger’s safety belt
that says to replace the belt,
be sure to do
so. Then the
new belt will be there
to
help protect you in a
collision.
You would see
this label on the belt near
the door opening.
If belts are cut or damaged, replace them. Collision
damage also may mean
you will need to have safety belt
or seat parts repaired or replaced. New parts and repairs
may be necessary even
if the belt wasn’t being used at
the time of the collision.
If an air bag inflates, you’ll need to replace air bag
system parts. See the part on the air bag system earlier in
this section.
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Page 65 of 386
Door Locks
I
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers
-- especially children -- can easily
open the doors and fall out. When a door is
locked, the inside handle won't open it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked
door when you slow down or stop your vehicle.
This may not be
so obvious: You increase the
chance
of being thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash if the doors aren't locked. Wear safety belts
properly, lock your
doors, and you will be far
better off whenever you drive your vehicle.
There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
You can use
the Keyless Entry System.
You can use your key to unlock your door from
the outside.
You can use your power door lock switch
to unlock your
doors from the inside.
To lock your door from the inside, slide the lever on
your inside door down.
To unlock the door, slide the
lever on your inside door
up. You will see a red area
on the lever.
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Page 123 of 386

1 ing Lights, Gages 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.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a chime will
come on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts, unless the driver’s safety belt
is
already buckled.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay on
for about
20 seconds, then
it will flash for about
55 seconds.
If the driver’s belt is already buckled, neither the chime
nor the light will come on.
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Page 124 of 386

Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows
the air bag symbol. The system
checks the air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you
if there is an electrical problem. The
system check includes
the air bag sensors, the air bag
module, the wiring and the diagnostic module. For more
information
on the air bag system, see “Air Bag” in
the Index.
This light will come on
when you start your engine,
and
it will flash for a few
seconds. Then the light
should go out. This means
the system is ready.
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the
engine or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may
not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
The air bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds when
you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come
on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn
you if there is a problem.
Charging System Indicator Light
The charging system light
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.
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Page 158 of 386

When using a scrubbing action, non-abrasive cleaning
cassette,
it is normal for the cassette to eject because
your unit is equipped with a cut tape detection feature
and
a cleaning cassette may appear as a broken tape. To
prevent the cleaning cassette from being ejected, use the
following steps.
1. Turn the ignition to RUN or ACCESSORY.
2. Turn the radio off.
3. Press and hold the TAPE AUX button for five
seconds. The tape symbol on the display
will flash
for two seconds.
4. Insert the scrubbing action cleaning cassette.
5. Eject the cleaning cassette after the manufacturer’s
recommended cleaning time.
When the cleaning cassette has been ejected, the cut tape
detection feature
is active again. You may
also choose a non-scrubbing action, wet-type
cleaner which uses a cassette
with a fabric belt to clean
the tape head. This type of cleaning cassette will not
eject on its own.
A non-scrubbing action cleaner may
not clean as thoroughly
as the scrubbing type cleaner.
The use of a non-scrubbing action, dry-type cleaning
cassette is not recommended.
After
you clean the player, press and hold EJECT for
five seconds to reset the
CLN indicator. The radio will
display
--- to show the indicator was reset.
Cassettes are subject to wear and the sound quality
may degrade over time. Always make sure the cassette
tape is
in good condition before you have your tape
player serviced.
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Page 161 of 386

Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is:
Drive defensively.
Please start
with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. (See "Safety Belts"
in the Index.) Defensive driving really means
"be ready for anything."
On city streets, rural roads or freeways,
it means
"always expect the unexpected."
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough
following distance.
It's the best defensive driving
maneuver.
in both city and rural driving. You never
know when the vehicle
in front of you is going to brake
or
turn suddenly.
Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate
on
the driving task. Anything that distracts from the driving
task
-- such as concentrating on a cellular telephone
call, reading, or reaching for something on the
floor
-- makes proper defensive driving more difficult
and can even cause a collision, with resulting injury.
Ask a passenger to help do things like this, or pull off
the road
in a safe place to do them yourself. These
simple defensive driving techniques could save
your life.
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