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If your vehicle is sitting out on a hot day and you have it
set on AUTO, the air will first flow out the floor outlets
for a few seconds. This is normal. This is to remove hot
air from the air outlets. As the air is cooled, the airflow
will move through the air conditioning outlets.
To avoid blowing cold air in cold weather, the system
will start at reduced fan speeds until warm air is
available. The length of reduction depends on the
outside air temperature, engine coolant temperature or
the time since the engine was last started. As the coolant
warms up, the blower fan speed will gradually increase
and air will flow from the heater outlets, with some
airflow to the windshield to prevent fogging under most
normal conditions. If you select defrost mode or a
manual fan speed, this function will be skipped.
If you leave your vehicle, the system will remember the
control setting the next time you start your engine,
except for recirculation and defrost. Each ignition cycle
cancels recirculation. Defrost will change to automatic
operation when the ignition is shut off and then turned
back on.Manual Operation
You may manually adjust the air delivery mode, fan
speed, air input and compressor operation using the
following controls.
DEFROST (FRONT): Press this button to quickly
remove fog or frost from the windshield. This setting
sends most of the airflow to the windshield with only a
small amount to the floor outlets.
RECIRCULATION: Press this button to limit
the amount of fresh air entering your vehicle. This is
helpful when you are trying to cool the air quickly or
limit odors entering your vehicle. In the AUTO mode,
the system will use recirculation as necessary to cool the
air. Pressing the recirculation button will change the
operation to a manual mode and the air will recirculate
non
-stop. Press this button again to turn off the
recirculation feature. If you notice the windows fogging,
press the recirculation button to exit the recirculation
mode. Recirculation is not available in the defrost mode.
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A/C: Press this button to turn the air conditioning
compressor on and off. When you press the button, an
A/C OFF message appears on the climate control panel's
display. Press the button again and the air conditioner
will return to automatic control. The system will cool
and dehumidify the air inside the vehicle. In the
automatic mode, the air conditioning compressor only
operates when the system determines it is needed. The
A/C OFF function is not available in the defrost mode.
MODE: Press this button (the right or left arrow) to
deliver air through the floor, instrument panel or
windshield outlets. The climate control system will stay
in the selected mode until the MODE button, the
DEFROST button or the AUTO button is pressed again.
Press the left or right arrow to cycle through the
following available modes.
UPPER: This setting directs airflow through the
middle instrument panel outlets. Your vehicle is
equipped with a driver's side lap cooler which will also
come on when the upper vents are being used.
BI-LEVEL: This setting directs air into your
vehicle in two ways. Cool air is directed to the upper
portion of your body through the four instrument panel
outlets while warmed air is directed to the floor.
DEFOG: This setting directs air to the floor
outlets and toward the windshield.
HEATER: This setting directs warmed air
through the floor outlets. Some warm air is diverted to
the windshield to minimize fogging.
FAN: The button with the fan symbol adjusts the
fan speed. Press the up arrow to increase fan speed and
the down arrow to decrease fan speed. Press the AUTO
button to set the fan speed for automatic operation.
If it is cold outside, the blower may not run in the
maximum high fan speed right away. The system checks
the temperature of the engine coolant to assure it is
warm enough to provide heat. When the engine coolant
is warm, the controller allows the fan to gradually
increase to a higher speed. This prevents cold air from
blowing into the passenger's compartment. Selecting a
manual fan speed will override this feature.
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Towing Your Vehicle
CAUTION:
To help avoid serious personal injury to you
or others:
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
being towed.
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
fully secured.
Never get under your vehicle after it has
been lifted by the tow truck.
Always secure the vehicle on each side with
separate safety chains when towing it.
Use only the correct hooks.
NOTICE:
Use the proper towing equipment to avoid
damage to the bumper, fascia or fog lamp areas
of the vehicle.
With current trends in automotive styles and design, it is
essential that the correct towing equipment is used to
tow a vehicle. Your vehicle can be towed with wheel
-lift
or car
-carrier equipment.
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your vehicle towed. See ªRoadside
Assistanceº in the Index.
Engine Overheating
You will find an ENGINE COOLANT HOT, IDLE
ENGINE message or an ENGINE OVERHEATED,
STOP ENGINE message on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). There is also an engine temperature
warning light and/or gage on the instrument panel.
See ªEngine Coolant Temperature Warning Lightº
or ªEngine Coolant Temperature Gageº in the Index.
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5-9 Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
Should an overheated engine condition exist and the
message ENGINE OVERHEATED, STOP ENGINE is
displayed, an overheat protection mode which alternates
firing groups of cylinders helps prevent engine damage.
In this mode, you will notice a loss in power and engine
performance. This operating mode allows your vehicle
to be driven to a safe place in an emergency; you may
drive up to 50 miles (80 km). Towing a trailer in the
overheat protection mode should be avoided.
NOTICE:
After driving in the overheated engine protection
operating mode, to avoid engine damage, allow
the engine to cool before attempting any repair.
The engine oil will be severely degraded. Repair
the cause of coolant loss, change the oil and reset
the oil life indicator. See ªEngine Oilº in
the Index.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
CAUTION:
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear steam coming
CAUTION: (Continued)
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CAUTION: (Continued)
from it. Just turn it off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there is no sign of steam or coolant before you
open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire. You or
others could be badly burned. Stop your engine if
it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the
engine is cool.
NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. See ªOverheated
Engine Protection Operating Modeº in the Index.
If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get an engine overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high
-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or so:
1. Dial temperature control to the highest heat setting
and open the windows, as necessary.
2. If you're in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE ()
or DRIVE (D).
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If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes.
If the warning doesn't come back on, you can
drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there's still no sign of steam, idle the engine for three
minutes while you're parked. If you still have the
warning, turn off the engine and get everyone out of the
vehicle until it cools down. Also, see ªOverheated
Engine Protection Operating Modeº listed previously in
this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.Cooling System
When you decide it's safe to lift the hood, here's what
you'll see:
A. Coolant Surge Tank with Pressure Cap
B. Electric Engine Cooling Fans
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CAUTION:
An electric engine cooling fan under the hood can
start up even when the engine is not running and
can injure you. Keep hands, clothing and tools
away from any underhood electric fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant surge tank is boiling,
don't do anything else until it cools down.
A low coolant level should be indicated by a CHECK
COOLANT LEVEL message on the Driver Information
Center. If it is, you may have a leak in the radiator
hoses, heater hoses, radiator, water pump or somewhere
else in the cooling system.
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CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don't touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
Don't run the engine if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn't covered by your warranty.
See ªOverheated Engine Protection Operating
Modeº in the Index.
NOTICE:
When adding coolant, it is important that you use
only DEX
-COOL (silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL is added to the
system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the
engine coolant will require change sooner
-- at
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs first. Damage caused by the use
of coolant other than DEX
-COOL is not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check to
see if the electric engine cooling fans are running. If the
engine is overheating, both fans should be running. If
they aren't, your vehicle needs service.