2-47
Cruise Control
The buttons to operate cruise control are located on the
steering wheel.
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of
approximately 25 mph (40 km/h) or more without
keeping your foot on the accelerator. This is helpful on
long trips. Cruise control does not work at speeds below
about 25 mph (40 km/h). When cruise control is on, you
will see a CRUISE light on the instrument panel cluster.
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control
shuts off.
CAUTION:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can't drive safely at a steady speed. So,
don't use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don't
use cruise control on slippery roads.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. See ªTraction
Control Systemº in the Index. When road conditions
allow you to safely use it again, you may turn the cruise
control back on.
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Speedometer and Odometer
The speedometer lets you see your speed in both miles
per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour (km/h). The
odometer shows how far your vehicle has been driven,
in either miles (used in the United States) or kilometers
(used in Canada).
You may wonder what happens if a vehicle has to have a
new odometer installed. The new one may read the
correct mileage. This is because your vehicle's computer
has stored the mileage in memory.
Trip Odometer
The trip odometer can record the number of miles or
kilometers traveled for up to two trips.
The trip odometer button is
located to the left of the
steering wheel on the
instrument panel.The two trip modes are indicated by Trip A and Trip B.
In order to change from one mode to the other, press the
A/B portion of the TRIP button.
By pressing the bottom of this button, you can tell how
many miles have been recorded on either Trip A or
Trip B since you last set the odometer back to zero.
Press the RESET part of the button until zeros appear to
reset each trip mode.
If your vehicle is first sold in the United States,
the trip odometer will return to zero after 999.9 miles
(1 609 km). If your vehicle is first sold in Canada, the
trip odometer will return to zero after 1 999.9 km
(1,242 miles). The RESET TRIP A/B button only resets
the trip mode (A or B) that is being displayed. Each trip
mode must be reset individually.
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Auto Exit Steering Wheel (If Equipped)
This feature will move the column to the driver's
previously programmed exit position when the ignition
is turned off and the driver's door is opened.
Programmable Modes
Mode 1: ON
Mode 2: OFFBefore your vehicle was shipped from the factory, it was
programmed to Mode 1. The mode to which the vehicle
was programmed may have been changed since it left
the factory. To determine the mode to which the vehicle
is programmed or to program the vehicle to a different
mode, do the following:
1. Enter FEATURE PROGRAMMING following the
instructions listed previously.
2. Press the down arrow on the INFO button until
AUTO EXIT STRG WHEEL appears on the
DIC display.
3. To turn on the feature, press the ON/OFF button
until ON appears on the DIC display. To turn it
off, press the ON/OFF button until OFF appears
on the display.
The mode you selected is now set. You can either exit
the programming mode by following the instructions
later in this section or program the next feature available
on your vehicle.
3-
3-1
Section 3 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
In this section, you'll find out how to operate the comfort control and audio systems offered with your vehicle.
Be sure to read about the particular systems supplied with your vehicle.
3
-2 Comfort Controls
3
-2 Climate Control Panel
3
-6 Air Conditioning
3
-6 Heating
3
-6 Defogging and Defrosting
3
-7 Rear Window Defogger
3
-9 Ventilation System
3
-10 HVAC Steering Wheel Controls
3
-11 Climate Control Personalization (If Equipped)
3
-12 Audio Systems
3
-12 Setting the Clock
3
-12 AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape and
Compact Disc Player
3
-17 AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape and
Compact Disc Player with Radio Data
Systems (RDS), Digital Signal Processing
(DSP) and XM Satellite Radio Service
(If Equipped)3
-27 Navigation/Radio System (Option)
3
-28 Glovebox-Mounted CD Changer (Option)
3
-30 Radio Personalization with Home and Away
Feature (If Equipped)
3
-31 Theft-Deterrent Feature
3
-32 Audio Steering Wheel Controls
3
-32 Understanding Radio Reception
3
-33 Tips About Your Audio System
3
-34 Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
3
-35 Care of Your Compact Discs
3
-35 Care of Your Compact Disc Player
3
-36 Diversity Antenna System
3
-36 XM Satellite Radio Antenna System
(If Equipped)
4-8
Let's say the road is wet and you're driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here's what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each front wheel and at
both rear wheels.The anti
-lock system can change the brake pressure
faster than any driver could. The computer is
programmed to make the most of available tire and road
conditions. This can help you steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
4-9
Remember: Anti-lock doesn't change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you won't have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti
-lock brakes.
Using Anti
-Lock
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti
-lock work for you. You may hear the
anti
-lock pump or motor operate, and feel the brake
pedal pulsate, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Traction Control System
Your vehicle has a traction control system that limits
wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery road
conditions. The system operates only if it senses that
one or both of the front wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the
system works the front brakes and reduces engine power
to limit wheel spin.
The TRACTION ENGAGED message will display on
the Driver Information Center when the traction control
system is limiting wheel spin. See ªDriver Information
Center Messagesº in the Index. You may feel or hear
the system working, but this is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
reengage the cruise control. See ªCruise Controlº in
the Index.
4-11
The traction control system monitors the front brake
rotor temperature. If the traction control system comes
on while the front brake rotors are hot due to heavy use
of braking or previous traction control, the TRACTION
SUSPENDED message will be displayed
-- but the
system won't turn off right away. It will wait until
there's no longer a current need to limit wheel spin. The
TRACTION READY message should appear when the
brake rotors are no longer hot and the traction control
system will resume normal operation.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Magnetic Speed Variable Assist Steering
System
This system continuously adjusts the effort you feel
when steering at all vehicle speeds. It provides ease
when parking yet a firm, solid feel at highway speeds.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It's important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the ªdriver lost controlº accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here's why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there's no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction. If you've ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you'll understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle
at which the curve is banked, and your speed. While
you're in a curve, speed is the one factor you
can control.
Suppose you're steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control
systems
-- steering and acceleration -- have to do
their work where the tires meet the road. Adding the
sudden acceleration can demand too much of those
places. You can lose control. Refer to ªTraction
Control Systemº in the Index.
4-15
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn't trying to
pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two
-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Don't overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you're being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let's review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don't have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don't give up. Keep trying to
steer and constantly seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking
reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and by
not ªoverdrivingº those conditions. But skids are
always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle's
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren't rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.