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3-
3-1
Section 3 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
In this section, you'll find out how to operate the comfort control and audio systems offered with your vehicle.
Be sure to read about the particular systems supplied with your vehicle.
3
-2 Comfort Controls
3
-3 Cooling
3
-3 Heating
3
-4 Defogging and Defrosting
3
-4 Rear Window Defogger
3
-5 Ventilation System
3
-6 Audio Systems
3
-6 Setting the Clock for Systems without
Automatic Tone Control
3
-6 Setting the Clock for Systems with
Automatic Tone Control
3
-6AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape Player
3
-9 Monsoon AM-FM Stereo with Cassette
Tape Player and Automatic Tone Control
(If Equipped)3
-15 Monsoon AM-FM Stereo with Compact
Disc Player and Automatic Tone Control
(If Equipped)
3
-19 Trunk-Mounted CD Changer (If Equipped)
3
-22 Theft-Deterrent Feature (If Equipped)
3
-25 Audio Steering Wheel Controls (If Equipped)
3
-26 Understanding Radio Reception
3
-26 Tips About Your Audio System
3
-27 Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
3
-28 Care of Your Compact Discs
3
-28 Care of Your Compact Disc Player
3
-28 Fixed Mast Antenna
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3-25 Audio Steering Wheel Controls (If Equipped)
If your vehicle has this feature, you can control certain
radio and compact disc functions using the buttons on
your steering wheel.
VOLUME: Press the up or down arrow to increase
or decrease volume.
PLAY: Press this button to play a cassette tape or
compact disc when the radio is playing.MUTE: Press this button to silence the system.
Press it again to turn on the sound.
SEEK: Press the up arrow to tune to the next radio
station and the down arrow to tune to the previous radio
station. If a cassette tape or compact disc is playing, the
player will advance with the up arrow and reverse with
the down arrow.
PRESET: Press this button to hear the radio stations
that are set on your pushbuttons. Pressing this button
while playing a tape will cause the tape to change sides.
If it is pressed while playing a CD, the CD random
feature can be turned off and on.
AM-FM: Press this button to select AM, FM1 or
FM2. If a cassette tape or compact disc is playing,
the tape or disc will stop playing and the radio will play.
If this button is pressed with a CD in the CD changer,
the disc will go to the next selection.
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4-8
Here's how anti-lock works. Let's say the road is wet.
You're driving safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out in
front of you.
You slam on the brakes. Here's what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down.
If one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the brakes at each wheel
(with V8 engine) or at each front wheel and at both rear
wheels (with V6 engine).The anti
-lock system can change the brake pressure faster
than any driver could. The computer is programmed to
make the most of available tire and road conditions.
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
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4-9
Remember: Anti-lock doesn't change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you won't have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti
-lock brakes.
Using Anti
-Lock
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti
-lock work for you. You may feel a
slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise, but
this is normal.
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
this light will come on.
See ªLow Traction Lightº
in the Index.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
ASR (Acceleration Slip Regulation)
System (Option)
Your vehicle may have a traction control system called
ASR that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in
slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it
senses that one or both of the rear wheels are spinning
or beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the
system for V8 engines works the rear brakes and for
V8 and V6 engines reduces engine power by closing the
throttle and managing engine spark to limit wheel spin.
This light will come on
when your ASR system is
limiting wheel spin. See
ªLow Traction Lightº in
the Index. You may feel or
hear the system working,
but this is normal.
The ASR system may operate on dry roads under
some conditions, and you may notice a reduction in
acceleration when this happens. This is normal and
doesn't mean there's a problem with your vehicle.
Examples of these conditions include a hard acceleration
in a turn, or an abrupt upshift or downshift.
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4-10
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the ASR
system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will
automatically disengage. When road conditions allow
you to safely use it again, you may re
-engage the
cruise control. (See ªCruise Controlº in the Index.)
When the system is on,
this warning light will
come on to let you know
if there's a problem with
your ASR system. See
ªASR System Warning
Lightº in the Index.
When this warning light is on, the system will not limit
wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
The ASR system automatically comes on whenever
you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin, especially
in slippery road conditions, you should always leave the
system on. But you can turn the ASR system off if you
ever need to. (You should turn the system off if your
vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow.
See ªRocking Your Vehicleº in the Index.)
To turn the system off,
press the ASR button
located on the
instrument panel.
The ASR system warning light will come on and stay
on. If the ASR system is limiting wheel spin when you
press the button, the warning light will come on
-- but
the system won't turn off right away. It will wait until
there's no longer a current need to limit wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time by
pressing the button again. The ASR system warning
light should go off.
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4-11
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer
but it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It's important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the ªdriver lost controlº accidents mentioned
on the news happen on curves. Here's why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there's no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction. If you've ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you'll understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you're
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.Suppose you're steering through a sharp curve. Then you
suddenly accelerate. Both control systems
-- steering
and acceleration
-- have to do their work where the
tires meet the road. Adding the sudden acceleration can
demand too much of those places. You can lose control.
Refer to ªASRº in the Index.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on
the accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want
it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are
based on good weather and road conditions. Under
less favorable conditions you'll want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can ªdriveº through
the curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait
to accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
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4-12 Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly
pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts out from
between parked cars and stops right in front of you.
You can avoid these problems by braking
-- if you
can stop in time. But sometimes you can't; there isn't
room. That's the time for evasive action
-- steering
around the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies
like these. First apply your brakes. (See ªBraking in
Emergenciesº earlier in this section.) It is better to
remove as much speed as you can from a possible
collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left
or right depending on the space available.
An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o'clock positions, you can
turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving
at all times and wear safety belts properly.
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4-13
Off-Road Recovery
You may find that your right wheels have dropped off the
edge of a road onto the shoulder while you're driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement.
You can turn the steering wheel up to one
-quarter turn
until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then
turn your steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two
-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes
back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two
-lane
highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds. A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger
can suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst of all traffic accidents
-- the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
ªDrive ahead.º Look down the road, to the sides
and to crossroads for situations that might affect
your passing patterns. If you have any doubt
whatsoever about making a successful pass, wait
for a better time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and lines.
If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken center
line usually indicates it's all right to pass (providing the
road ahead is clear). Never cross a solid line on your
side of the lane or a double solid line, even if the
road seems empty of approaching traffic.