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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 an electronic frontal
sensor, which helps the sensing system distinguish
between a moderate frontal impact and a more
severe frontal impact. Your vehicle is also 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. The module also
records 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.
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DRIVE (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 DRIVE (D) for
higher speeds.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than DRIVE (D).
Here are examples for using THIRD (3) instead
of DRIVE (D).
When driving on hilly, winding roads.
When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears.
When going down a steep hill.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power.
You can use SECOND (2) on hills. It can help control
your speed as you go down steep mountain roads, but
then you would also want to use your brakes off and on.
NOTICE:
Don't shift into SECOND (2) unless you are
going slower than 65 mph (105 km/h), or you
can damage your engine.
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DELAY: Turn the band to one of the DELAY positions
to set the wiper speed for a long or a short delay
between wipes. The closer you move it to LO, the
shorter the delay.
OFF: Turn the band to OFF to turn off the wipers.
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.RainsenseII Wipers (If Equipped)
The moisture sensor is mounted on the interior side of
the windshield behind the rearview mirror and is used to
automatically operate the wipers by monitoring the
amount of moisture build
-up on the windshield. Wipes
occur as needed to clear the windshield depending on
driving conditions and the sensitivity setting. In light
rain or snow, fewer wipes will occur. In heavy rain or
snow, wipes will occur more frequently. The Rainsense
wipers operate in a delay mode as well as a continuous
low or high speed as needed. If the system is left on
for long periods of time, occasional wipes may occur
without any moisture on the windshield. This is normal
and indicates that the Rainsense system is activated.
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The Rainsense system can be activated by turning the
wiper band to one of the five sensitivity levels indicated
on the wiper stalk. The position closest to OFF is the
lowest sensitivity setting, level one. This allows more
rain or snow to collect on the windshield between wipes.
Turning the wiper band away from you to higher
sensitivity levels increases the sensitivity of the system
and frequency of wipes. The highest sensitivity setting,
level five is closest to LO. A single wipe will occur each
time you turn the wiper stalk to a higher sensitivity level
to indicate that the sensitivity level has been increased.
NOTICE:
The wipers must be turned off when going
through a car wash to avoid damage.
The MIST and ªwashº cycles operate as normal and are
not affected by the Rainsense function. The Rainsense
system can be overridden at any time by manually
turning the wiper band 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.
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Light Sensor
The light sensor for the DRL and the Twilight Sentinel
is located in the center of the front defogger grille.
If you cover the sensor, it will read ªdarkº and the
lamps or the HEADLAMPS SUGGESTED message
will be on whenever the ignition is on.
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver
If the headlamp or manual parking lamp control
has been left on, the exterior lamps will turn off
approximately 10 minutes after the ignition is turned
to OFF. This protects draining the battery in case you
have accidentally left the headlamps or parking lamps
on. If you need to purposely leave the lamps on for
more than 10 minutes with the ignition in OFF or
ACCESSORY, turn the manual control knob off and
then back on. To delay the lamps from turning off,
see ªTwilight Sentinelº in the Index.
If the headlamp switch is turned on after the ignition key
is moved to either OFF or ACCESSORY, the lamps will
not time out.
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Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel
Intensity/Brightness Control
The displays automatically dim when it becomes dark
outside and your lights are on. The displays automatically
brighten when it becomes light outside. Backlighting
will only remain active as long as the parking lamps
are on and it is dark outside. The brightness of the
backlighting can be adjusted by using the instrument
panel brightness control.
The button is located to
the right of the Twilight
Sentinel control. Push the
button in to release it to
the outward position.
Turn the button counterclockwise to dim and clockwise
to brighten the lighting. Push the button in to return it to
the original storage position.
Courtesy Lamps
The courtesy lamps are located on the headliner above
the rear seat. These lamps come on by turning the
instrument panel brightness control fully clockwise or
when any door is opened and it is dark outside. Puddle
lamps are located on the bottom of the front and rear
door trim.
Illuminated Entry
The illuminated entry system turns on the courtesy
lamps and the backlighting to the door switches and
to the lamp control knob when a door is opened or if
you press the remote keyless entry transmitter unlock
button. If activated due to the transmitter, the lighting
will remain active for about 40 seconds. Since the
illuminated entry system uses the light sensor, it must be
dark outside in order for the courtesy lamps to turn on.
The courtesy lamps turn off approximately 25 seconds
after the last door is closed. They will dim to off if the
ignition key is placed in ON, or immediately deactivate
if the power locks are activated.
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Parade Dimming
This feature prohibits dimming of the digital displays
and backlighting during daylight hours when the key is
in the ignition and the headlamps are on. This feature
operates with the light sensor for the Twilight Sentinel
and is fully automatic. When the light sensor reads
darkness outside and the parking lamps are active,
the digital displays can be adjusted by turning the lamp
control knob counterclockwise to dim and clockwise to
brighten lighting.
Reading Lamps
The reading lamps are located on the overhead console
on the headliner and in the rear door opening. These
lamps come on automatically when any door is opened
and it is dark outside. For manual operation, press the
button to turn them on. Press it again to turn them 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 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 RPM (revolutions per minute) 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.
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Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows AIR BAG or the air bag symbol.
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 Analog Cluster
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.