4-19
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge of the road and even
people walking.
It's wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment in
good shape and keep your windshield washer tank
filled with washer fluid. Replace your windshield wiper
inserts when they show signs of streaking or missing
areas on the windshield, or when strips of rubber start
to separate from the inserts.Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems, too.
The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles.
But if you can't, try to slow down before you hit them.
CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won't work
as well in a quick stop and may cause pulling to
one side. You could lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the water.
This can happen if the road is wet enough and you're
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
4-39 When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Be sure the parking brake has released.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you're
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule booklet
for more on this. Things that are especially important
in trailer operation are automatic transaxle fluid
(don't overfill), engine oil, drive belt, cooling system
and brake system. If you're trailering, it's a good idea
to review this information before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. See ªEngine Overheatingº
in the Index.
5-7
8. Now connect the black
negative (
-) cable to
the good battery's
negative (
-) terminal.
Don't let the other end
of the negative (
-) cable
touch anything until the
next step. The other
end of the negative (
-)
cable doesn't go to the
dead battery.
Your vehicle has a
remote negative (
-)
terminal, marked
ªGND (
-)º located
near the power
steering fluid reservoir.
Attach the cable to
the remote negative
terminal provided.If the SECURITY light flashes, wait until the light
stops flashing before starting the engine.
9. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and
run the engine for a while.
10. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
If it won't start after a few tries, it probably
needs service.
11. Remove the cables in reverse order (as shown in the
following procedure) to prevent electrical shorting.
Take care that they don't touch each other or any
other metal. Return the red positive (+) remote
terminal cover to its original position.
5-17
4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off,
start the engine and let it run until you can feel the
upper radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the
engine cooling fans.
By this time, the coolant level inside the coolant
surge tank may be lower. If the level is lower, add
more of the proper mixture to the coolant surge tank
until the level reaches at or above the fill mark at the
forward edge of the surge tank.
5. Then replace the pressure cap. Be sure the pressure
cap is hand
-tight.Start the engine and allow it to warm up. If the CHECK
COOLANT LEVEL message does not appear on the
Driver Information Center, coolant is at the proper fill
level. If a CHECK COOLANT LEVEL message does
appear, repeat Steps 1 to 3 and reinstall the pressure cap
or see your dealer.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It's unusual for a tire to ªblow outº while you're driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it's much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a ªblowout,º here are a
few tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you'd use in
a skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from
the accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop
-- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
6-40
If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the headlamp
aim may be affected. Aim adjustment to the low beam
may be necessary if it is difficult to see lane markers
(for horizontal aim), or if oncoming drivers flash their
high beams at you (for vertical aim). If you believe
your headlamps need to be re
-aimed, we recommend
that you take your vehicle to your dealer for service.
However, it is possible for you to re
-aim your
headlamps as described in the following procedure.
NOTICE:
To make sure your headlamps are aimed
properly, read all the instructions before
beginning. Failure to follow these instructions
could cause damage to headlamp parts.
The vehicle should be properly prepared as follows:
The vehicle should be placed so the headlamps are
25 ft. (7.6 m) from a light colored wall or other
flat surface.
The vehicle must have all four tires on a perfectly
level surface which is level all the way to the wall or
other flat surface.
The vehicle should be placed so it is perpendicular
to the wall or other flat surface.
The vehicle should not have any snow, ice or mud
attached to it.
The vehicle should be fully assembled and all other
work stopped while headlamp aiming is being done.
The vehicle should be normally loaded with a full
tank of fuel and one person or 160 lbs. (75 kg) on
the driver's seat.
Tires should be properly inflated.
Start the vehicle and rock it to level the suspension.
Headlamp aiming is done with the vehicle low beam
lamps. The high beam lamps will be correctly aimed
if the low beam lamps are aimed properly.
6-50
By pressing the INFO button, the DIC screen will show
which tire(s) has the low or high pressure condition.
See ªInflation
-- Tire Pressureº in the Index for
information regarding correct tire inflation. If a tire is
low, you should stop as soon as possible and check all
your tires for damage. If a tire is flat, see ªIf a Tire
Goes Flatº in the Index.
NOTICE:
Do not use a tire sealant if your vehicle is equipped
with Tire Pressure Monitors. The liquid sealant
can damage the tire pressure monitor sensors.
Once a low or high tire pressure condition is detected,
the TPM system will display the CHECK TIRE
MESSAGE each time the engine is started, until
the tire(s) are set to the correct inflation pressure.
The Tire Loading
-Information Label, which is located
on the rear edge of the driver's door, shows the correct
inflation pressure for the tires on your vehicle.The TPM system also allows the driver to check the
air pressure status of each road tire using the Driver
Information Center (DIC). Each tire's air pressure will
be listed individually, in the following order: LF (left
front or driver's side front tire), RF (right front or
passenger's side front tire), RR (right rear or passenger's
side rear tire) and LR (left rear or driver's side rear tire).
See ªInflation
-- Tire Pressureº in the Index for
information regarding correct tire inflation. Also, see
ªDriver Information Center (DIC)º in the Index for
information on the DIC controls and displays.
If the DIC display doesn't show tire pressures or
the SERVICE TPM SYSTEM message appears,
see your dealer for service. The TPM system may not
work properly while the compact spare tire is installed.
Anytime you replace one or more tires or rotate your
tires, the TPM system will need to be reset. A special
tool is needed to reset the sensor identification codes,
see your dealer for service.
The TPM system can alert you about a low or high tire
pressure condition, but it doesn't replace normal tire
maintenance. See ªTiresº in the Index.
6-66
Electrical System
Add-On Electrical Equipment
NOTICE:
Don't add anything electrical to your vehicle
unless you check with your dealer first. Some
electrical equipment can damage your vehicle
and the damage wouldn't be covered by your
warranty. Some add
-on electrical equipment
can keep other components from working as
they should.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
add anything electrical to your vehicle, see ªServicing
Your Air Bag
-Equipped Vehicleº in the Index.
Headlamp Wiring
The headlamp wiring has an individual fuse. An
electrical overload will cause the lamps to go on and off,
or in some cases to remain off. If this happens, have the
headlamp wiring checked right away.
Windshield Wiper Fuses
A circuit breaker protects the wiper motor. If the wiper
motor overheats due to heavy snow, the wipers will stop
until the motor cools and will then restart.
A MiniFuse
powers the wiper motor. If the MiniFuse
blows, there is an electrical problem. Be sure to have
it fixed.
Power Windows and Other Power Options
Circuit breakers protect the power windows. When the
current load is too heavy, the circuit breaker opens and
closes, protecting the circuit until the problem is fixed or
goes away.
6-75
Replacement Bulbs
Application Number
Headlamps Composite
Inner High Beam 9005 HB3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Outer Low Beam 9006 HB4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Front Turn Signal 2357NA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Stop/Taillamp 3057. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rear Turn Signal 3057. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Capacities and Specifications
The following approximate capacities are given in
English and metric conversions. Please refer to
ªRecommended Fluids and Lubricantsº in the
Maintenance Schedule booklet for more information.
Engine Specifications
Displacement 279 cubic inches (4 565 cc). . . . . . . . .
Type 4.6 L DOHC V8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
VIN Engine Code
SLS Y. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
STS 9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Horsepower
SLS 275 (bhp) @ 5600 rpm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
205 (kW) @ 5600 rpm
STS 300 (bhp) @ 6000 rpm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
224 (kW) @ 6000 rpm
Torque
SLS 300 (lb
-ft) @ 4000 rpm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
407 (N´m) @ 4000 rpm
STS 295 (lb
-ft) @ 4400 rpm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
400 (N´m) @ 4400 rpm
Firing Order 1
-2-7-3-4-5-6-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Thermostat Starts To Open 177
-184F (81-85C) . .