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Takin
g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
Thi s sectio n cover s th e more -
commo n problem s tha t motorist s
experienc e wit h thei r vehicles . I t
give s yo u informatio n abou t ho w to
safel y evaluat e th e proble m an d wha t
t o d o to correc t it . I f th e proble m ha s
strande d yo u o n th e sid e o f th e road ,
yo u ma y b e abl e to ge t goin g again .
I f not , yo u wil l als o fin d instruction s
o n gettin g you r vehicl e towed .
Changin
g a Fla t Tir e .................... . 26 6
I f You r Engin e Won' t Start.......... . 27 5
Nothin g Happen s o r th e Starte r
Moto r Operate s Ver y
Slowly..................................... 275
Th e Starte r Operate s
Normally................................ . 27 6
Jum p Starting................................ . 27 7
I f You r Engin e Overheats............ . 27 9
Low Oil Pressur e Indicato r ......... . 28 1
Chargin g Syste m Indicator.......... . 28 2
Malfunctio n Indicato r Lam p ....... . 28 3
Brak e Syste m Indicator............... . 28 4
Fuses.............................................. . 28 5
Checkin g an d Replacing.......... . 28 6
Emergenc y Towing...................... . 29 0
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
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I
f You r Engin e Won' t Star t
Diagnosin g wh y you r engin e won' t
star t fall s int o tw o areas , dependin g
o n wha t yo u hea r whe n yo u tur n th e
ke y t o STAR T (III) : Yo
u hea r nothing , o r almos t
nothing . Th e engine' s starte r
moto r doe s no t operat e a t all , o r
operate s ver y slowly . Yo
u ca n hea r th e starte r moto r
operatin g normally , o r th e starte r
moto r sound s lik e it i s spinnin g
faste r tha n normal , bu t th e engin e
doe s no t star t u p an d run . Nothin
g Happen s o r th e Starte r
Moto r Operate s Ver y Slowl y
Whe n yo u tur n th e ignitio n switc h t o
STAR T (III) , yo u d o no t hea r th e
norma l nois e o f th e engin e tryin g to
start . Yo u ma y hea r a clickin g soun d
or serie s of clicks , or nothin g at all .
Chec k thes e things : Chec
k th e transmissio n interlock .
I f yo u hav e a manua l transmission ,
th e clutc h peda l mus t b e pushe d
al l th e wa y t o th e floo r o r th e
starte r wil l no t operate . Wit h a n
automati c transmission , i t mus t b e
i n Par k o r Neutral . Tur
n th e ignitio n switc h t o O N (II) .
Tur n o n th e headlight s an d chec k
thei r brightness . I f th e headlight s
ar e ver y di m o r don' t ligh t a t all ,
th e batter y is discharged . Se e
Jum p Startin g o n pag e 27 7.
Tur
n th e ignitio n switc h t o STAR T
(III) . I f th e headlight s d o no t dim ,
chec k th e conditio n o f th e fuses . I f
th e fuse s ar e OK , ther e is proba -
bl y somethin g wron g wit h th e
electrica l circui t fo r th e ignitio n
switc h o r starte r motor . Yo u wil l
nee d a qualifie d technicia n to
determin e th e problem . (Se e
Emergenc y Towin g o n pag e 29 0.)
CONTINUED
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
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I
f You r Engin e Won' t Star t
I f th e headlight s di m noticeabl y o r
g o ou t whe n yo u tr y t o star t th e
engine , eithe r th e batter y is dis -
charge d o r th e connection s ar e
corroded . Chec k th e conditio n o f th e
batter y an d termina l connection s
(se e pag e 229 ). Yo u ca n the n tr y
jum p startin g th e vehicl e fro m a
booste r batter y (se e pag e 27 7). Th
e Starte r Operate s Normall y
I n thi s case , th e starte r motor' s
spee d sound s normal , o r eve n faste r
tha n normal , whe n yo u tur n th e
ignitio n switc h t o STAR T (III) , bu t
th e engin e doe s no t run . Ar
e yo u usin g th e prope r startin g
procedure ? Refe r t o Startin g th e
Engin e o n pag e 16 6. D
o yo u hav e fuel ? Tur n th e
ignitio n switc h t o O N (II ) fo r a
minut e an d watc h th e fue l gauge .
Th e lo w fue l leve l warnin g ligh t
ma y no t b e working , s o yo u wer e
no t reminde d t o fil l th e tank . Ther
e ma y b e a n electrica l
problem , suc h a s n o powe r t o th e
fue l pump . Chec k al l th e fuse s
(se e pag e 286 ).
I f yo u fin d nothin g wrong , yo u wil l
nee d a qualifie d technicia n to fin d
th e problem . Se e Emergenc y
Towin g o n pag e 29 0.
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
Page 289 of 326
Fuse
s
Al l th e electrica l circuit s i n you r
vehicl e hav e fuse s t o protec t the m
fro m a shor t circui t o r overload .
Thes e fuse s ar e locate d in tw o o r
thre e fus e boxes .
Th e under-hoo d fus e bo x i s locate d
i n th e engin e compartment . T o ope n
it , pus h th e ta b a s shown . Th
e interio r fus e bo x i s underneat h
th e dashboar d o n th e driver' s side .
Remov e th e fus e bo x li d b y swingin g
th e li d dow n an d pullin g it straigh t
ou t o f it s hinges . Vehicle
s equippe d wit h AB S hav e a
thir d fus e bo x fo r th e ABS . I t i s i n
th e engin e compartmen t o n th e
passenger' s side .
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
UNDER-HOO
D
TAB
INTERIOR AB
S FUS E BO X
Page 290 of 326

Fuse
s
Checkin g an d Replacin g Fuse s
I f somethin g electrica l i n you r
vehicl e stop s working , th e firs t thin g
yo u shoul d chec k fo r i s a blow n fuse .
Determin e fro m th e char t o n page s
27 1 an d 27 2 , o r th e diagra m on th e
fus e bo x lid , whic h fus e o r fuse s
contro l tha t component . Chec k thos e
fuse s first , bu t chec k al l th e fuse s
befor e decidin g tha t a blow n fus e is
no t th e cause . Replac e an y blow n
fuse s an d chec k th e component' s
operation .
1 . Tur n th e ignitio n switc h to LOC K
(0) . Mak e sur e th e headlight s an d
al l othe r accessorie s ar e off .
2 . Remov e th e cove r fro m th e fus e
box . BLOW
N
3 . Chec k eac h o f th e larg e fuse s in
th e under-hoo d fus e bo x b y
lookin g throug h th e to p a t th e wir e
inside . Removin g thes e fuse s
require s a Phillips-hea d screw -
driver .
FUSEPULLE
R
4 . Chec k th e smalle r fuse s in th e
under-hoo d fus e bo x an d al l th e
fuse s i n th e interio r fus e bo x b y
pullin g ou t eac h fus e wit h th e fus e
pulle r provide d in th e doo r o f th e
interio r fus e box .
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
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Fuse
s
BLOW N
5 . Loo k fo r a burne d wir e insid e th e
fuse . I f i t i s burned , replac e i t wit h
on e o f th e spar e fuse s o f th e sam e
ratin g o r lower . I
f yo u canno t driv e th e vehicl e
withou t fixin g th e problem , an d yo u
d o no t hav e a spar e fuse , tak e a fus e
o f th e sam e ratin g o r a lowe r ratin g
fro m on e o f th e othe r circuits . Mak e
sur e yo u ca n d o withou t tha t circui t
temporaril y (suc h a s th e accessor y
powe r socke t o r radio) .
I f yo u replac e th e blow n fus e wit h a
spar e fus e tha t ha s a lowe r rating , i t
migh t blo w ou t again . Thi s doe s no t
indicat e anythin g wrong . Replac e th e
fus e wit h on e o f th e correc t ratin g a s
soo n a s yo u can .
Replacing
a fuse with one that has a
higher rating greatly increases the
chances of damaging the electrical
system. If you do not have a replace-
ment fuse with the proper rating for the
circuit, install one with a lower rating.
6 . I f th e replacemen t fus e o f th e
sam e ratin g blow s i n a shor t time ,
ther e is probabl y a seriou s
electrica l proble m in you r vehicle .
Leav e th e blow n fus e in tha t
circui t an d hav e you r vehicl e
checke d b y a qualifie d mechanic .
On EX and SE models
I f th e radi o fus e i s removed , th e
audi o syste m wil l disabl e itself . Th e
nex t tim e yo u tur n o n th e radi o yo u
wil l se e "Code " i n th e frequenc y
display . Us e th e Prese t button s t o
ente r th e five-digi t cod e (se e pag e
137 ).
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
CONTINUED
NOTIC
E
Page 292 of 326
Fuse
s
INTERIO R FUS E BO X
* :
Canadia n mode l
Takin g Car e o f th e Unexpecte d
Page 293 of 326
Fuse
s
UNDER-HOO D FUS E BO X
AB S FUS E BO X (Fo r som e types )
Taking Car e o f th e Unexpecte d