Page 40 of 385

1-29
CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an air
bag, the bag might not inflate properly or it
might force the object into that person. The path
of an inflating air bag must be kept clear. Don't
put anything between an occupant and an air
bag, and don't attach or put anything on the
steering wheel hub or on or near any other air
bag covering and don't let seat covers block the
inflation path of a side impact air bag.
When should an air bag inflate?
The driver's and right front passenger's frontal air bags
are designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal or
near
-frontal crashes. The frontal air bags are designed to
inflate only if the impact speed is above the system's
designed ªthreshold level.º If your vehicle goes straight
into a wall that doesn't move or deform, the threshold
level is about 9 to 15 mph (14 to 24 km/h). The
threshold level can vary, however, with specific vehicle
design, so that it can be somewhat above or below thisrange. If your vehicle strikes something that will move
or deform, such as a parked car, the threshold level will
be higher. The driver's and right front passenger's
frontal air bags are not designed to inflate in rollovers,
side impacts, or rear impacts, because inflation would
not help the occupant.
The side impact air bags are designed to inflate in
moderate to severe side crashes. A side impact air bag
will inflate if the crash severity is above the system's
designed ªthreshold level.º The threshold level can vary
with specific vehicle design. Side impact air bags are not
designed to inflate in frontal or near
-frontal impacts,
rollovers or rear impacts, because inflation would not
help the occupant. A side impact air bag will only
deploy on the side of the vehicle that is struck.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air
bag should have inflated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were. For
frontal air bags, inflation is determined by the angle of
the impact and how quickly the vehicle slows down in
frontal and near
-frontal impacts. For side impact air
bags, inflation is determined by the location and severity
of the impact.
Page 42 of 385

1-31
CAUTION:
When an air bag inflates, there is dust in the air.
This dust could cause breathing problems for
people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe to do so.
If you have breathing problems but can't get out
of the vehicle after an air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or a door.
Your vehicle has a feature that will automatically unlock
the doors and turn the interior lamps on when the air
bags inflate (if battery power is available). You can lock
the doors again and turn the interior lamps off by using
the door lock and interior lamp controls.In many crashes severe enough to inflate an air bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
right front passenger air bag.
Air bags are designed to inflate only once. After an
air bag inflates, you'll need some new parts for your
air bag system. If you don't get them, the air bag
system won't be there to help protect you in another
crash. A new system will include air bag modules
and possibly other parts. The service manual for your
vehicle covers the need to replace other parts.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and
diagnostic module, which records information about
the frontal air bag system. The module records
information about the readiness of the system, when
the system commands air bag inflation and driver's
safety belt usage at deployment or in a
near
-deployment crash. Some modules also record
speed, engine rpm, brake and throttle data.
Let only qualified technicians work on your air bag
systems. Improper service can mean that an air bag
system won't work properly. See your dealer
for service.
Page 46 of 385
1-35
1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don't let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt across
you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt go back
slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt across you
more slowly.
2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the
latch plate and keep pulling until you can buckle it.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, see ªSafety Belt
Extenderº at the end of this section. Make sure the
release button on the buckle is positioned so you
would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if
you ever had to.
Page 48 of 385
1-37
The safety belt locks if there's a sudden stop or a crash,
or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
The rear outboard seating positions may have a shoulder
belt tightness adjustment feature. You can tell if your
vehicle has this feature by following the steps below. If
you can add a small amount of slack, your vehicle has
this feature.
If the shoulder belt seems too tight:
1. Sit well back in the seat.
2. Pull the shoulder belt all the way out of the retractor.
3. Let belt go back all the way.
4. Now you can add a small amount of slack. Lean
forward slightly, then sit back. If you've added more
than 1 inch (25 mm) of slack, pull the shoulder belt
out as you did before and start again.
If you move around in the vehicle enough or if you pull
out the shoulder belt, the belt will become tight again. If
this happens, you can reset it.
Page 65 of 385
1-54
5. Pull the rest of the lap belt all the way out of the
retractor to set the lock.6. To tighten the belt, feed the lap belt back into the
retractor while you push down on the child restraint.
You may find it helpful to use your knee to push
down on the child restraint as you tighten the belt.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
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.
Page 70 of 385

2-
2-1
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 Keys
2
-4 Door Locks
2
-7 Remote Keyless Entry System
2
-12 Trunk
2
-15 Theft
2
-16 Theft-Deterrent System
2
-18 PASS-Key III
2
-20 New Vehicle ªBreak-Inº
2
-20 Ignition Positions
2
-22 Starting Your Engine
2
-24 Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
2
-25 Automatic Transaxle Operation
2
-30 Parking Brake
2
-32 Shifting Into PARK (P)
2
-35 Shifting Out of PARK (P)
2
-36 Parking Over Things That Burn
2
-37 Engine Exhaust
2
-37 Running Your Engine While You're Parked
2
-38 Windows2
-39 Tilt Wheel and Telescopic Column
2
-40 Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
2
-46 Exterior Lamps
2
-51 Interior Lamps
2
-53 Mirrors
2
-57 Storage Compartments
2
-60 Rear Power Sunshade (If Equipped)
2
-61 Cellular Telephone (Option)
2
-62 Sunroof (Option)
2
-63 HomeLink Transmitter
2
-68 The Instrument Panel -- Your
Information System
2
-73 Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
2
-87 Driver Information Center (DIC)
2
-102 Night Vision System (Option)
2
-106 Navigation (Option)
2
-107 Ultrasonic Rear Parking
Assist (URPA) (Option)
Page 72 of 385
2-3
Master Key Valet Key
There is a master key that works all of the lock cylinders
(driver's door, trunk, ignition and glove box).
There is also a VALET key which only operates the
driver's door and the ignition.Both the master and VALET key have a transponder
embedded into the key for security and vehicle theft
deterrence. The keys also come with a bar code tag.
Keep the bar code tag in a safe place. If you lose your
key, you will be able to have a new one made using the
bar code tag. The replacement key must have a vehicle
theft deterrent system transponder embedded in it.
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 keys inside. You may even have to damage
your vehicle to get in. So be sure you have
extra keys.
Page 73 of 385
2-4
Door Locks
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 ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside, use either of the keys or the remote
keyless entry transmitter.
With the theft
-deterrent system, you must unlock the
doors with the key or remote keyless entry transmitter to
avoid setting off the alarm.
Push down on the manual
lock button to lock the door
from the inside. To unlock
the door, pull up on
the button.