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A booster seat (F, G) is designed for children who
are about 40 to 60 lbs., or even up to 80 lbs.
(18 to 27 kg, or even up to 36 kg), and about
four to eight years of age. A booster seat is
designed to improve the fit of the vehicle's safety
belt system. Booster seats with shields use
lap
-only belts; however, booster seats without
shields use lap
-shoulder belts. Booster seats
can also help a child to see out the window.
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1-50 Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position
Your vehicle has a right front passenger air bag. Never
put a rear
-facing child restraint in this seat. Here's why:
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 Next Generation frontal air bags. This
is because the back of the rear
-facing child
restraint would be very close to the inflating air
bag. Always secure a rear
-facing child restraint
in the rear seat.
Although a rear seat is a safer place, you can secure a
forward
-facing child restraint in the right front seat.
You'll be using the lap
-shoulder belt. See the earlier part
about the top strap if the child restraint has one. Be sure
to follow the instructions that came with the child
restraint. Secure the child in the child restraint when and
as the instructions say.
1. Because your vehicle has a right front passenger air
bag, always move the seat as far back as it will go
before securing a forward
-facing child restraint. (See
ªSeatsº in the Index.)
2. Put the restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle's safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
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4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away from
moving engine parts. If you don't, it could
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where you'll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.Automatic Transaxle Operation
Your vehicle may be equipped with a three-speed
automatic transaxle or a four
-speed automatic transaxle.
The shift lever is located on the console between
the seats.
There are six different positions for the shift lever on the
three
-speed automatic and seven positions for the
four
-speed automatic transaxles. While PARK (P),
REVERSE (R) and NEUTRAL (N) operate identically
for both transaxles, the forward gear positions represent
different gearing and operation. See ªForward Gears
(3
-Speed)º or ªForward-Gears (4-Speed)º later in
this section.
Three-Speed Automatic Transaxle
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Parking Brake
The parking brake lever is located between the
bucket seats.
To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down and
pull up on the parking brake lever. If the ignition is on,
the brake system warning light will come on.To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down.
Pull the parking brake lever up until you can press the
release button. Hold the release button in as you move
the brake lever all the way down.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle.
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7. Store both boot side covers in the trunk.
8. Close the trunk.
9. Raise the rear seatback to the up position. Push the
seat back to make sure it is latched. Ensure that the
rear seatbelts do not become trapped behind the
rear seats.
Raising the Convertible Top
1. Set the parking brake and shift your automatic
transaxle to PARK (P) or your manual transaxle to
NEUTRAL (N).
2. Turn the ignition to RUN.
3. Lower the door windows completely to avoid wear
to the weatherstrips.
4. Push the button in the latch handle and rotate the
handle down.
5. Push the handle forward toward the windshield and
hold it until the convertible top is fully raised, and
the latch pins are all the way in the holes above
the windshield.
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3-5 Heating
On cold days, use FLOOR with the temperature knob all
the way in the red area. The system will bring in outside
air, heat it and send it to the floor ducts.
Your vehicle has heat ducts that are directed toward the
rear seat. Keep the area under the front seats clear of
obstructions so the heated air can reach the rear
seat passengers.
If your vehicle has an engine coolant heater, you can use
it to help your system provide warm air faster when it's
cold outside (0F (
-18C) or lower). An engine coolant
heater warms the coolant your engine and heating
system use to provide heat. See ªEngine Coolant
Heaterº in the Index.
Defogging and Defrosting
Your system has two settings for clearing the front and
side windows. To defrost the windows quickly, use
DEFROST with the temperature knob all the way in the
red area. To warm passengers while keeping the
windows clean, use DEFOG.
To defog the side windows, set the right control to
BI
-LEVEL and the fan control to the highest setting.To defog the side windows while using the air
conditioner, set the right control to BI
-LEVEL, the fan
control to the highest setting, and press the A/C button.
For both systems, aim the side vents toward the side
windows. For increased airflow to the side vents, close
the center vents.
Rear Window Defogger (If Equipped)
The rear window defogger
uses a warming grid to
remove fog from the
rear window.
Press the button to turn the
defogger on. It will turn
itself off after about
10 minutes.
If you turn it on again, the defogger will only run for
about five minutes before turning off. You can also turn
it off by pressing the button again.
Do not attach a temporary vehicle license across the
defogger grid on the rear window.
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NOTICE:
Don't use a razor blade or anything else sharp on
the inside of the rear window. If you do, you
could cut or damage the warming grid, and the
repairs wouldn't be covered by your warranty.
Ventilation System
For mild outside temperatures when little heating or
cooling is needed, use VENT to direct outside air
through your vehicle. Your vehicle also has the
flow
-through ventilation system.
Your vehicle's flow
-through ventilation system supplies
outside air into the vehicle when it is moving. Outside
air will also enter the vehicle when the air conditioning
fan is running.
Ventilation Tips
Keep the hood and front air inlet free of ice, snow or
any other obstruction, such as leaves. The heater and
defroster will work far better, reducing the chance of
fogging the inside of your windows.
When you enter a vehicle in cold weather, adjust the
mode knob to FLOOR and the fan to the highest speed
for a few moments before driving off. This helps clear
the intake ducts of snow and moisture and reduces the
chance of fogging the inside of your windows.
Keep the air path under the front seats clear of objects.
This helps air circulate throughout your vehicle.
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CAUTION:
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike and
injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or in a crash.
Put things in the trunk or rear area of your
vehicle. In a trunk, put them as far forward
as you can. Try to spread the weight evenly.
If you have fold
-down rear seats, you'll
find four anchors on the back wall of your
trunk. You can use these anchors to tie
down lighter loads. They're not strong
enough for heavy things, however, so put
them as far forward as you can in the trunk
or rear area.
Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that some of them are
above the tops of the seats.
Don't leave an unsecured child restraint in
your vehicle.
When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
Don't leave a seat folded down unless you
need to.
Towing a Trailer (Models with
2.4L L4 Engine and 4
-Speed
Automatic Transaxle)
CAUTION:
If you don't use the correct equipment and drive
properly, you can lose control when you pull a trailer.
For example, if the trailer is too heavy, the brakes
may not work well
-- or even at all. You and your
passengers could be seriously injured. You may also
damage your vehicle; the resulting repairs would not
be covered by your warranty. Pull a trailer only if you
have followed all the steps in this section. Ask your
dealer for advice and information about towing a
trailer with your vehicle.
Do not tow a trailer if your vehicle is equipped with a
2.2L L4 (Code 4) engine. You also cannot tow a trailer if
your vehicle is equipped with a manual or a three
-speed
automatic transaxle, or is a convertible model.