Page 221 of 348

5-12 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. If your air conditioner is on, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you're in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D) or
THIRD (3).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.
Page 223 of 348
5-14
When the engine is cold, the coolant level should be at
or above the FULL COLD mark on the coolant surge
tank. If it isn't, you may have a leak in the radiator
hoses, heater hoses, radiator, water pump or somewhere
else in the cooling system.
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.
Page 224 of 348
5-15
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.
Page 226 of 348
5-17
CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will. Your vehicle's coolant
warning system is set for the proper coolant
mixture. With plain water or the wrong mixture,
your engine could get too hot but you wouldn't
get the overheat warning. Your engine could
catch fire and you or others could be burned.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water
and DEX
-COOL coolant.
NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
So use the recommended coolant.
CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don't spill coolant on a hot engine.
Page 265 of 348

6-23
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is filled with
DEX
-COOL engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for 5 years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs first, if you add only
DEX
-COOL extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem with
engine overheating or if you need to add coolant to your
radiator, see ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX
-COOL coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to
-34F (-37C).
Give boiling protection up to 265F (129C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.
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.
Page 266 of 348

6-24 What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean, drinkable water and
one
-half DEX-COOL coolant which won't damage
aluminum parts. If you use this coolant mixture, you
don't need to add anything else.
CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will. Your vehicle's coolant
warning system is set for the proper coolant
mixture. With plain water or the wrong mixture,
your engine could get too hot but you wouldn't
get the overheat warning. Your engine could
catch fire and you or others could be burned.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water
and DEX
-COOL coolant.
NOTICE:
If you use an improper coolant mixture, your
engine could overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost wouldn't be covered by your
warranty. Too much water in the mixture can
freeze and crack the engine, radiator, heater core
and other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer check your cooling system.
NOTICE:
If you use the proper coolant, you don't have to
add extra inhibitors or additives which claim to
improve the system. These can be harmful.