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The best  way  to protect the  fetus is to protect the 
mother.  When 
a safety belt  is  worn properly,  it’s more 
likely that the  fetus 
won’t be hurt in a  crash.  For 
pregnant  women, 
as for  anyone,  the key  to making 
safety belts  effective 
is wearing them properly. 
Right  Front  Passenger  Position 
To learn how to wear the right front passenger’s 
safety belt properly,  see  “Driver  Position”  earlier  in 
this  section. 
The right  front passenger’s safety belt works the same 
way  as the  driver’s  safety belt 
-- except  for  one thing. If 
you  ever  pull the lap portion  of the belt  out all the  way, 
you  will engage 
the child restraint  locking  feature. If 
this happens,  just  let  the belt go back  all the  way  and 
start  again. 
Air  Bag  System 
This  part explains  the air bag  system. 
Your vehicle  may have  a 
“Next Generation’‘ 
reduced-force  frontal air 
bag  for the driver and 
another  “Next Generation” 
reduced-force  frontal air 
bag for  the right front 
passenger.  If 
it does, it will 
say  AIR  BAG 
on the middle 
part 
of the steering wheel. 
Reduced-force  frontal  air 
bags are designed to help 
reduce the risk  of injury from the force  of 
an inflating 
air bag. But even these air bags must inflate  very 
quickly 
if they are to  do their job and comply  with 
federal regulations. 
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I NOTICE: 
If you  damage  the  covering  for  the  driver’s  or  the 
right  front  passenger’s  air  bag,  the  bag  may  not 
work  properly.  You may  have  to  replace  the  air 
bag  module  in the  steering  wheel or  both  the  air 
bag  module  and  the  instrument  panel  for  the  right  front  passenger’s  air  bag. 
Do not  open or 
break  the  air  bag  coverings. 
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle 
Air bags affect how  your vehicle should be serviced. 
There are parts 
of the air bag system in  several places 
around  your vehicle. You don’t want the system to 
inflate while someone is working on  your vehicle.  Your 
dealer and the service manual have information  about 
servicing your vehicle and the air 
bag system. To 
purchase a service  manual,  see “Service and Owner 
Publications” 
in the  Index. 
If your vehicle  ever gets into  a lot of water -- such as 
water  up  to the carpeting or higher -- or if water enters 
your vehicle 
and  soaks the carpet,  the air bag controller 
can be soaked and  ruined. If this  ever  happens, and then 
you  start your vehicle, the damage could make the  air 
bags inflate, even  if there’s no crash. 
You would have  to 
replace the air bags 
as well as the sensors and related 
parts.  If your vehicle is  ever 
in a flood? or if it‘s exposed 
to water that soaks the  carpet,  you can avoid needless 
repair costs 
by turning off the vehicle immediately. 
Don’t 
let anyone start the vehicle, even to  tow it, unless 
the  battery  cables  are  first  disconnected. 
I 
For  up to 10 minutes  after  the  ignition  key  is 
turned  off and  the  battery  is disconnected,  an  air 
bag  can  still  inflate  during  improper  service. You 
can  be  injured  if you  are close  to  an  air  bag  when 
it  inflates.  Avoid 
wires wrapped with yellow  tape 
or  yellow  connectors.  They  are  probably  part  of 
the 
air bag  system.  Be sure  to  follow proper 
service  procedures,  and  make  sure  the  person 
performing  work  for  you 
is qualified  to  do so. 
~~ 
The ail- bag system does not need regular maintenance. 
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’ A CAUTION: 
- 
A child  in a rear-facing  child  restraint  can  be 
seriously  injured  or killed  if the  right  front 
passenger’s  air  bag  inflates,  even  though  your 
vehicle  has  reduced-force  frontal 
air bags.  This  is 
because  the  back  of the  rear-facing  child 
i restraint  would  be very  close  to  the  inflating air 
bag. Be sure  to  turn  off the  air  bag  before  using  a 
rear-facing  child  restraint  in  the  right  front  seat 
position. 
If a forward-facing  child  restraint is 
suitable  for  your  child,  always  move  the 
passenger  seat  as 
far back  as  it will  go. 
To turn  off the right front passenger’s air bag, insert 
your ignition  key into  the switch,  push 
in, and move the 
switch  to 
AIR BAG OFF. 
The AIR BAG OFF light will come on to let you know 
that  the right front passenger’s  air bag  is  off. The  right 
front  passenger’s air  bag 
will remain off until  you  turn it 
back  on  again, and the  AIR BAG OFF light will  stay on 
to remind you that the air bag is off. 
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~  ~~  ~~~~  ~  ~ 
~~~~  ~~  ~~~~~~ 
~ ~. , 
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s 
safety belt and  let  it  go back all the  way. The safety belt 
will move freely again and  be ready  to work for an adult 
or  larger child passenger. 
If  your vehicle has air bags, turn on the right  front 
passenger’s  air bag when  you remove the rear-facing 
child restraint. 
To turn the air bag  on again,  insert  your  ignition  key  into  the 
switch,  push  in,  and  move  the  switch  to the 
ON position. 
If the  right  front  passenger’s  air  bag  is  turned 
off, the  person  sitting  there  won’t  have the  extra 
protection  of an 
air bag.  In a crash,  the  air  bag 
wouldn’t  be  able  to  inflate  and  help  protect  the 
person  sitting  there.  Make  sure  the  air  bag  is 
turned  on  unless  you are  using 
a rear-facing  child 
restraint  in  the  right  front  seat  position. 
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Section 2 Features  and Controls 
Here you can learn  about the many  standard and optional  features on your vehicle,  and information  on starting, 
shifting and braking. Also  explained  are the instrument  panel and 
the warning systems that tell you if everything  is 
working properly 
-- and what to do if you  have a problem. 
2-2 
2- 
3 
2-4  2-5 
2-6 
2-9 
2- 
10 
2- 10 
2-1 1 
2-12 
2-  14 
2-15 
2-18 
2-2 
I 
2-25 
2-26 
2-29  Keys 
Tailgate 
Third  Door 
(If Equipped) 
Door Locks 
Keyless Entry System  (If Equipped) 
Theft 
PasslockTM 
New  Vehicle  ”Break-In” 
Ignition Positions 
Starting  Your Gasoline  Engine 
Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)  Automatic Transmission Operation 
Manual Transmission Operation  Four-wheel  Drive 
(If Equipped) 
Parking  Brake 
Shifting  Into  Park 
(P) (Automatic 
Transmission Models 
Only) 
Shifting  Out of Park (P) 
(Automatic  Transmission)  2-29 
2-30 
2-30 
2-3 1 
2-32 
2-32 
2-34 
2-35 
2-4 
1 
2-43 
2-45 
2-5 
1 
2-60 
2-62 
2-64  Parking 
Your Vehicle  (Manual Transmission 
Models 
Only) 
Parking Over Things That Burn 
Engine Exhaust 
Running  Your Engine While  You’re Parked 
(Automatic Transmission) 
Locking Rear Axle (If Equipped) 
Windows 
Tilt Wheel (If Equipped) 
Turn  Signal/Multifunction Lever 
Exterior  Lamps 
Interior Lamps  Mirrors 
Storage  Compartments 
Instrument Panel 
Instrument Panel  Cluster 
Warning Lights, Gages  and Indicators 
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Keys 
Leaving  young  children  in a vehicle  with  the 
ignition  key 
is dangerous for many  reasons. A child 
or  others  could  be  badly  injured  or  even  killed. 
They  could  operate  power  windows 
or other 
controls  or  even  make  the  vehicle 
move. Don't 
leave  the  keys  in 
a vehicle  with  young  children. 
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Your vehicle has  one 
double-sided  key  for the 
ignition  and all door locks. 
If  you  ever  lose  your keys, your dealer will be able to 
assist you with obtaining new ones. Tailgate 
You can  open the tailgate  by lifting up on its handle 
while pulling the tailgate toward you. 
To shut the tailgate, firmly push it away from you  into 
the latch. 
After  you  put  the  tailgate back up,  pull it back toward 
you, 
to be sure that it latches  securely. 
Tailgate Removal 
The tailgate  on your vehicle can be removed to allow for 
different loading situations. Although the tailgate can  be 
removed  without assistance,  you  may want someone  to 
assist  you  with  the removal to avoid possible damage to 
the vehicle. 
NOTICE: 
' Your  vehicle  has a number  of  new  features  that 
can  help  prevent  theft. 
You can  have a lot of 
trouble  getting  into  your  vehicle  if  you  ever  lock 
your  key  inside. 
You may  even  have to damage 
your  vehicle  to get  in. 
So be  sure you have  an 
extra  key. 
~. _~- -- . ~. - ~ 
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Door Locks 
A CAUTION: 
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 cc.ays to lock and unlock your vehicle. 
From the outside. use your key or the Keyless Entry 
System. 
if your \:ellick has this option. 
To lock  the door from  the 
inside, slide 
the lever on 
your door down. 
To unlock the  door.  slide the lever up. 
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