2-90
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady,
see ªIf the Light Is On Steadyº following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see ªIf the Light
Is On Steadyº following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. See ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has been
left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel
cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed
should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine
may not run as efficiently as designed since small
amounts of air are sucked into the fuel line causing a
misfire. The system can detect this. Adding fuel should
correct this condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap
properly. See ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index.
It will take a few driving trips to turn the light off.
3-4
With the automatic setting, the air conditioning
compressor automatically cycles when needed to cool
the air. In cold weather, when the system senses the need
for heat, the airflow will be directed out the floor
outlets. As the interior temperature approaches a desired
setting, the blower speed will decrease. To maintain
interior comfort, the airflow may move to the instrument
panel air outlets and floor outlets (bi
-level mode). On
bright sunny days in cold weather, the airflow may come
out of the air conditioning outlets (AC mode) to
maintain comfort and prevent stuffiness.
If your vehicle is sitting out on a hot day and you have it
set on AUTO, the air will first flow out the floor air
outlets for a few seconds. That is normal. This is to
expel hot air from the air outlets. As the air is cooled,
the airflow will move through the air conditioning
outlets. If you start your vehicle with the fan setting on
HI, it will skip the air conditioning purge.
To avoid blowing cold air in cold weather, the system
will delay turning on the fan until warm air is available.
The length of delay depends on the outside air
temperature, engine coolant temperature or the time
since the engine was last started. As the coolant warms
up, the blower fan speed will gradually increase and
air will flow from the heater outlets, with some airflow
to the windshield to prevent fogging under most
normal conditions.If you leave your vehicle, the system will remember the
control setting the next time you start your engine,
except for recirculation and defrost. Each ignition cycle
cancels recirculation, whereas, FRONT DEFROST will
change to automatic operation when the ignition is shut
off and then turned back on.
Manual Operation
You may manually adjust the air delivery mode or
fan speed.
AC: This setting directs airflow through the four
instrument panel outlets.
BI-LEVEL: This setting directs air into your
vehicle in two ways. Cool air is directed to the upper
portion of your body through the four instrument panel
outlets while warmed air is directed to the floor.
HEATER/DEFROST: This setting directs air to
the floor outlets and toward the windshield.
HEATER: This setting directs warmed air
through the floor outlets. Some warm air is diverted to
the windshield to minimize fogging.
3-44 Radio Personalization with Home and Away
Feature (If Equipped)
If DRIVER 1 (HOME or AWAY) PRESETS or
DRIVER 2 (HOME or AWAY) PRESETS appears in the
display when the radio is first turned on, your vehicle is
equipped with this feature.
With this feature, your vehicle will recall the latest radio
settings as adjusted the last time your vehicle was
operated. This feature allows two different drivers to
store and recall their own radio settings. The settings
recalled by the radio are determined by which RKE
transmitter (ª1º or ª2º) was used to enter the vehicle.
The number on the back of the RKE transmitter
corresponds to driver 1 or to driver 2. The radio settings
will automatically adjust to where they were last set by
the identified driver. The settings can also be recalled by
briefly pressing the MEMORY seat buttons 1 or 2
located on the driver's door.
Your radio can store home and away presets. Home and
away presets allow you to use one set of preset radio
settings in the area where you live, and another set when
you go out of town. That way, you will not need to
reprogram your presets every time you travel. With the
radio off and the clock displayed, use FF and RW to
select home or away presets. To select the away presets,
press and hold FF for five counts until you hear a beep.The next time the radio comes on, the away presets will
be active. To select the home presets, press and hold RW
for five counts until you hear a beep. The next time the
radio comes on, the home presets will be active.
When battery power is removed and later applied, you
will not have to reset your home radio presets because
the radio remembers them. However, you will have to
reset your away radio presets.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK is designed to discourage theft of your
radio. Your vehicle has a ªbuilt
-inº theft-deterrent
feature on each radio that is automatic
-- there is no
programming required. The radio in your vehicle cannot
be used in any other vehicle. When the radio was
originally installed in your vehicle at the factory, it
stored the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Each
time the ignition is turned on, the VIN is verified. If the
vehicle's VIN does not match the VIN stored in the
radio, THEFTLOCK will be activated and the audio
system will not play. If the radio is removed from your
vehicle, the original VIN in the radio can be used to
trace the radio back to your vehicle.
4-
4-1
Section 4 Your Driving and the Road
Here you'll find information about driving on different kinds of roads and in varying weather conditions.
We've also included many other useful tips on driving.
4
-2 Defensive Driving
4
-3 Drunken Driving
4
-6 Control of a Vehicle
4
-6 Braking
4
-9 Traction Control System
4
-10 Steering
4
-13 Off-Road Recovery
4
-13 Passing
4
-15 Loss of Control
4
-16 Driving at Night4
-18 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
4
-21 City Driving
4
-22 Freeway Driving
4
-23 Before Leaving on a Long Trip
4
-24 Highway Hypnosis
4
-24 Hill and Mountain Roads
4
-26 Winter Driving
4
-30 Recreational Vehicle Towing
4
-30 Loading Your Vehicle
4
-32 Towing a Trailer
4-30
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or so until help comes.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with all
four wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be
towed, see ªTowing Your Vehicleº in the Index.
NOTICE:
Towing your vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground will damage drivetrain components.
Loading Your Vehicle
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry. The Tire
-Loading Information label
found on the rear edge of the driver's side rear door tells
you the proper size, speed rating and recommended
inflation pressures for the tires on your vehicle. It also
gives you important information about the number of
people that can be in your vehicle and the total weight
that your vehicle can carry. This weight is called the
Vehicle Capacity Weight and includes the weight of
all occupants, cargo and all options not installed in
the factory.
4-32
If you put things inside your vehicle -- like suitcases,
tools, packages or anything else
-- they will go as fast as
the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn quickly, or
if there is a crash, they'll keep going.
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 of your vehicle. In a
trunk, put them as far forward as you can.
Try to spread the weight evenly.
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.
Electronic Level Control
This feature keeps the rear of your vehicle level as the
load changes. It's automatic
-- you don't need to
adjust anything.
Towing a Trailer
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.
4-33
Your vehicle can tow a trailer if it is equipped with the
proper trailer towing equipment. To identify what the
vehicle trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you
should read the information in ªWeight of the Trailerº
that appears later in this section. But trailering is
different than just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in handling, durability
and fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes
correct equipment, and it has to be used properly.
That's the reason for this part. In it are many
time
-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many of these are important for your safety and that
of your passengers. So please read this section carefully
before you pull a trailer.
Load
-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle,
wheel assemblies and tires are forced to work harder
against the drag of the added weight. The engine is
required to operate at relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat. What's more, the
trailer adds considerably to wind resistance, increasing
the pulling requirements.
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points:
There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal, not only where you live but
also where you'll be driving. A good source for
this information can be state or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control if your trailer will
weigh 2,000 lbs. (900 kg) or less. You should always
use a sway control if your trailer will weigh more
than 2,000 lbs. (900 kg). You can ask a hitch
dealer about sway controls.
Don't tow a trailer at all during the first 1,000 miles
(1 600 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don't drive over 50 mph (80 km/h) and
don't make starts at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at
the heavier loads.
Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a trailer.
Don't drive faster than the maximum posted speed
for trailers, or no more than 55 mph (90 km/h),
to save wear on your vehicle's parts.
4-35 Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important
weight to measure because it affects the total or gross
weight of your vehicle. The Gross Vehicle Weight
(GVW) includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any
cargo you may carry in it, and the people who will be
riding in the vehicle. And if you tow a trailer, you must
add the tongue load to the GVW because your vehicle
will be carrying that weight, too. See ªLoading Your
Vehicleº in the Index for more information about your
vehicle's maximum load capacity.
If you're using a weight-carrying hitch, the trailer
tongue (A) should weigh 10 percent of the total loaded
trailer weight (B). If you have a weight
-distributing
hitch, the trailer tongue (A) should weigh 12 percent
of the total loaded trailer weight (B).
After you've loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and
then the tongue, separately, to see if the weights are
proper. If they aren't, you may be able to get them
right simply by moving some items around in the trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle's Tires
Be sure your vehicle's tires are inflated to the upper
limit for cold tires. You'll find these numbers on the
Tire
-Loading Information label at the rear edge of the
driver's side rear door or see ªLoading Your Vehicleº
in the Index. Then be sure you don't go over the
GVW limit for your vehicle, including the weight of
the trailer tongue.