2-24
Also use this gear to rock your vehicle back and forth
to get out of snow, ice or sand without damaging your
transaxle. See ªIf You're Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or
Snowº in the Index for additional information.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, the engine doesn't
connect with the wheels. To restart when you're already
moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. Also use NEUTRAL (N)
when your vehicle is being towed.
CAUTION:
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is ªracingº (running at high speed)
is dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people
or objects. Don't shift out of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) while your engine is racing.
OVERDRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving.
If you need more power for passing, and you're:
Going less than 35 mph (55 km/h), push the
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
The transaxle will shift down to the next gear and
have more power.
NOTICE:
If your vehicle seems to start up rather slowly, or
if it doesn't seem to shift gears as you accelerate,
something may be wrong with a transaxle system
sensor. If you drive very far that way, your
vehicle can be damaged. So if this happens, have
your vehicle serviced right away. Until then, you
can use SECOND (2) when you are driving less
than 35 mph (55 km/h) and OVERDRIVE (D)
for higher speeds.
2-30 Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist
(URPA)(Option)
Ultrasonic rear parking assist can help you to determine
how close an object is to your rear bumper within a
given area, making parking easier.
The URPA display is located inside the vehicle, above
the rear window. It has three color
-coded lights that can
be seen through the rearview mirror.
How the System Works
Ultrasonic rear parking assist comes on automatically
when the shift lever is moved into REVERSE (R) and
the vehicle speed is less than 3 mph (5 km/h). When the
system comes on, the three lights on the display will
illuminate to let you know that the system is working.
URPA senses how close your vehicle is to an object. The
distance is determined by the four rear sensors located
on the bumper. When shifting into REVERSE (R) and
an object is detected, one of the following will occur:
A chime will sound the first time an object is detected,
if the object is between 20 inches (0.5 m) and 5 feet
(1.5 m) away.
URPA can detect objects 3 inches (7.6 cm) and wider,
and at least 10 inches (2.5 cm) tall, but cannot detect
objects that are above trunk level. In order for the rear
sensors to recognize an object, it must be within
operating range.
2-31
If the URPA system is not functioning properly, the
display will flash red, indicating that there is a problem.
The light will also flash red when you are driving if a
trailer is attached to your vehicle, or if you have a bicycle
or an object hanging out of your trunk. The light will
continue to flash until the trailer or the object is removed
and your vehicle is driven forward at least 15 mph.
It may also flash red if the ultrasonic sensors are not
kept clean. So be sure to keep your rear bumper free of
mud, dirt, snow, ice and slush or the system may not
work properly. If after cleaning the rear bumper and then
driving at least 15 mph, the display continues to flash
red, see your dealer. It may also flash red if your vehicle
is moving in REVERSE (R) at a speed greater than
3 mph (5 km/h). Other conditions that may affect
system performance include things like, the vibrations
from a jackhammer or the compression of airbrakes on
a very large truck.
As always, drivers should use care when backing up
a vehicle. Always look behind you, being sure to
check for other vehicles, obstructions and blind spots.
For cleaning instructions, see ªCleaning Your Vehicleº
in the Index.Parking Over Things That Burn
CAUTION:
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don't park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that
can burn.
2-38
LO or HI: Move the lever up to LO for steady wiping
at a slow speed. Move the lever higher to HI for steady
wiping at a high speed.
INT (DELAY): Move the lever up to the INT position,
then turn the INT ADJ band, which is located on the
lever, to adjust the delay time. The higher you turn
the INT ADJ band, the more frequent the wipers
will operate.
OFF: Lower the lever to its resting position (OFF) to
turn off the wipers.
MIST: Pull the lever down once and release it for a
single wipe cycle. For more cycles, hold the lever down
in the MIST position longer.
To wash the windshield, press the button located at the
tip of the lever.
Be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper blades
before using them. If they're frozen to the windshield,
carefully loosen or thaw them. If the blades do become
damaged, get new blades or blade inserts.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the wiper motor.
A circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools.
Clear away snow or ice to prevent an overload.Rainsense Wipers (If Equipped)
The moisture sensor is mounted on the passenger's
interior side of the windshield behind the rearview
mirror and is used to automatically operate the wipers
by monitoring the amount of moisture that is on
the windshield.
The Rainsense system can be activated by moving
the wiper stalk up to the INT position and turning
the INT ADJ band to one of five sensitivity settings.
The bottom INT ADJ position is the lowest sensitivity
setting. This allows more water to collect on the
windshield between wipes. Turning the INT ADJ band
to the other INT ADJ settings increases the sensitivity
of the system and the frequency of wipes. A single wipe
will occur each time you turn the INT ADJ band to a
higher sensitivity setting. An initial wipe will occur
when you turn the ignition on, while the wiper switch
is in the INT position, as a reminder that Rainsense is
active. The windshield wipers also remain in a ªhigh
parkº position, even when the ignition is turned off.
2-39
The Rainsense wipers operate in a delay mode as well
as a continuous low or high speed depending on the
amount of moisture and the sensitivity setting. The
MIST and ªwashº cycles operate as normal and are
not affected by the Rainsense function.
NOTICE:
The wipers must be turned off when going
through a car wash to avoid damage.
It is important to note that the Rainsense wiping feature
(INT ADJ) can be overridden at any time by manually
changing the wiper control to LO or HI speed.
NOTICE:
Do not place stickers or other items on the
exterior glass surface directly in front of the
moisture sensor. Doing this could cause the
moisture sensor to malfunction.
Windshield Washer
The windshield washer has both a ªdemandº mode and
a ªprogrammedº mode, depending on the amount of
windshield washer fluid you need.
CAUTION:
In freezing weather, don't use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
To spray washer fluid on the windshield in the programmed
mode, press and release the button on the tip of the lever.
The washer will provide a measured amount of fluid to
the windshield and the wiper will either stop or return to
your original wiping speed. To spray washer fluid on the
windshield in the demand mode, press and hold the button
until you have enough fluid, and the wipers will either stop
or return to your original wiping speed.
CHECK WASHER FLUID will be displayed on the DIC
when the washer fluid reaches a low level.
2-47
Light Sensor
The light sensor for the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
and the Twilight Sentinel is located on the driver's side
of the front defogger grille. If you cover the sensor,
it will read ªdarkº and the lamps will come on.
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver
If the manual parking lamps or headlamps have been
left on, the exterior lamps will turn off approximately
ten minutes after the ignition is turned to OFF. This
protects against draining the battery in case you have
accidentally left the headlamps or parking lamps on.
The battery saver does not work if the headlamps are
turned on after the ignition switch is turned to OFF.
If you need to leave the lamps on for more than
10 minutes, use the exterior lamps control knob to
turn the lamps back on. To delay the lamps from
turning off, see ªTwilight Sentinelº in the Index.
2-49 Illuminated Entry
The illuminated entry system turns on the courtesy
lamps and the backlighting to the driver's door switches
and to the ignition key when a door is opened or if you
press the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
unlock button. The illuminated entry system works with
the light sensor and it must be dark outside in order
for the courtesy lamps or backlighting to turn on. The
courtesy lamps turn off approximately 25 seconds after
the last door is closed or after the ignition key is turned
to RUN or if the RKE transmitter lock button is pressed.
The courtesy lamps turn off approximately 40 seconds
after the doors are unlocked with the RKE transmitter
if no door is opened.
Parade Dimming
This feature prohibits the dimming of the instrument
panel lights during daylight while the parking lamps are
on. This feature works with the light sensor and is fully
automatic. When the light sensor reads darkness outside,
the instrument panel lights can be adjusted by following
the steps under ªInstrument Panel Intensity/Brightness
Control.º Backlighting to the instrument panel will
also turn on.
Reading Lamps
The reading lamps are located in the roof. These lamps
and the interior courtesy lamps come on when any door
is opened and it is dark outside. The rear lamps come on
when a rear door is opened. Press the button near the
lamps to turn them on and off.
If the reading lamps are left on, they automatically shut
off 10 minutes after the ignition has been turned off.
Battery Load Management
The battery load management feature is designed to
monitor the vehicle's electrical load and determine when
the battery is in a heavy discharge condition. During
times of high electrical loading, the engine may idle
at a higher revolutions per minute (rpm) setting than
normal to make sure the battery charges. High electrical
loads may occur when several of the following are on:
headlamps, high beams, fog lamps, rear window
defogger, high blower fan, heated seats and engine
cooling fans.
2-70 Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows AIR BAG (United States) or the air
bag symbol (Canada). 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 modules, the
wiring and the crash sensing and diagnostic module. For
more information on the air bag system, see ªAir Bagº
in the Index.
United States Canada
This light will come on when you start your vehicle, 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
vehicle or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you
start your vehicle, it means the air bag system
may not be working properly. The air bags in
your vehicle may not inflate in a crash, or they
could even inflate without a crash. To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have your vehicle
serviced right away if the air bag readiness light
stays on after you start your vehicle.
The air bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to ON. If the
light doesn't come on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.