1-34 Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
Air bags affect how your vehicle should be serviced.
There are parts of the air bag systems in several places
around your vehicle. Your dealer and the service manual
have information about servicing your vehicle and the
air bag systems. To purchase a service manual, see
ªService and Owner Publicationsº in the Index.
CAUTION:
For up to 10 seconds after the ignition key is
turned off and the battery is disconnected, an air
bag can still inflate during improper service. You
can be injured if you are close to an air bag when
it inflates. Avoid yellow connectors. They are
probably part of the air bag systems. Be sure to
follow proper service procedures, and make sure
the person performing work for you is qualified
to do so.
The air bag systems do not need regular maintenance.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners. You'll find
them on the buckle end of the safety belts for the
driver and right front passenger. They help the safety
belts reduce a person's forward movement in a
moderate to severe crash in which the front of the
vehicle hits something.
Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in a crash,
you'll need to get new ones, and probably other new
parts for your safety belt system. See ªReplacing
Restraint System Parts After a Crashº in the Index.
Center Front Passenger Position
1-62
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle's safety belt will fasten around you, you
should use it.
But if a safety belt isn't long enough to fasten, your
dealer will order you an extender. It's free. When you go
in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so the
extender will be long enough for you. The extender will
be just for you, and just for the seat in your vehicle that
you choose. Don't let someone else use it, and use it
only for the seat it is made to fit. To wear it, just attach
it to the regular safety belt.
Checking Your Restraint Systems
Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light
and all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors and
anchorages are working properly. Look for any other
loose or damaged safety belt system parts. If you see
anything that might keep a safety belt system from
doing its job, have it repaired.
Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under impact forces. If a belt is
torn or frayed, get a new one right away.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
If you've had a crash, do you need new belts or LATCH
system parts?
After a very minor collision, nothing may be necessary.
But if the belts were stretched, as they would be if worn
during a more severe crash, then you need new parts.
If the LATCH system was being used during a more
severe crash, you may need new LATCH system parts.
If belts are cut or damaged, replace them. Collision
damage also may mean you will need to have LATCH
system, safety belt or seat parts repaired or replaced.
New parts and repairs may be necessary even if the
belt or LATCH system wasn't being used at the time
of the collision.
If an air bag inflates, you'll need to replace air bag
system parts. See the part on the air bag system earlier
in this section.
If the frontal air bags inflate, you'll also need to replace
the driver's and right front passenger's safety belt
buckle assembly. Be sure to do so. Then the new buckle
assembly will be there to help protect you in a collision.
2-93
NOTICE:
Modifications made to the engine, transaxle,
exhaust, intake or fuel system of your vehicle or
the replacement of the original tires with other
than those of the same Tire Performance Criteria
(TPC) can affect your vehicle's emission controls
and may cause the SERVICE ENGINE SOON or
CHECK ENGINE light to come on.
Modifications to these systems could lead to
costly repairs not covered by your warranty. This
may also result in a failure to pass a required
Emission Inspection/Maintenance test.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn't come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
Light Flashing
-- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service may be required.
Light On Steady
-- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
2-95
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
ªFuelº in the Index. Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start
-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have
or may begin programs to inspect the emission
control equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass
this inspection could prevent you from getting a
vehicle registration.
Here are some things you need to know in order to help
your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the
SERVICE ENGINE SOON or CHECK ENGINE light is
on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on
-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if
you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is designed
to evaluate critical emission control systems during
normal driving. This may take several days of routine
driving. If you have done this and your vehicle still does
not pass the inspection for lack of OBD system
readiness, see your dealer or qualified service center to
prepare the vehicle for inspection.
2-101
AVG MPH (Average Miles per Hour): This
message shows the average speed you have traveled
at since the last time you reset the value. To reset the
value, press the INFO button to display AVG MPH
then press and hold the INFO RESET button until
0.0 AVG MPH is displayed.
TIMER: This feature is like a stopwatch, in that
you can clock the time it takes to get from one point
to another.
To operate, press the INFO button to display
TIMER. Each of the fields for the hours, minutes
and seconds are two numeric digits.
Once TIMER 00:00:00 is displayed, press the
ON/OFF button to start the timing feature. Press
the ON/OFF button again to stop it. If you will be
starting and stopping your vehicle, during a trip for
instance, the TIMER feature will automatically start
timing where it left off when you last stopped.
To reset it, press and hold the INFO RESET button
until the display reads TIMER 00:00:00. Press the
INFO button to exit from the TIMER display.ENGINE OIL LIFE: Press the INFO button to
display ENGINE OIL LIFE, then press and hold the
INFO RESET button until 100% ENGINE OIL
LIFE is displayed. (This only needs to be reset after
you have had the oil changed.)
TRANSMISSION FLUID LIFE MONITOR:
Under normal conditions, the rate of deterioration of
the transmission fluid is slow. See ªMaintenance
Scheduleº in the Index for proper fluid and change
intervals. To reset the transmission fluid life, press
the INFO button to display TRANS FLUID LIFE,
then press and hold the INFO RESET button
until 100% TRANS FLUID LIFE is displayed.
(This only needs to be reset after you have had the
fluid changed.)
ON/OFF: Pressing this button turns the Programming
and Personalization Features on and off. (FEATURE
PROGRAMMING must be displayed on the DIC to
begin actual programming.) This button also starts and
stops the timer.
2-104
CHANGE ENGINE OIL - 82: This means that the life
of the engine oil has expired and it should be changed
within 200 miles. See ªEngine Oilº and ªFilter
Recommendationsº in the Index. After an oil change,
the Oil Life Indicator must be reset. See ªOil Life
Indicator, How to Resetº in the Index.
CHANGE TRANS FLUID
- 47: This message will
appear when it is time to replace the transaxle fluid. See
ªMaintenance Scheduleº in the Index for the proper
fluid and change intervals.
CHECK BRAKE FLUID
- 37: This message will
display if the ignition is in ON to inform the driver that
the brake fluid level is low. Have the brake system
serviced by a technician as soon as possible. See ªBrake
System Warning Lightº in the Index.
CHECK COOLANT LEVEL
- 2: This message
will appear when there is a low level of engine coolant.
Have the cooling system serviced by a technician as
soon as possible.CHECK FUEL GAGE
- 50: (Analog Cluster Only)
This message will appear when the fuel supply is less
than 5 gallons (18.9 L) and the display is turned off.
A single chime will also sound when this message
is displayed.
CHECK GAS CAP
- 61: This message will appear if
the gas cap has not been fully tightened. You should
recheck your gas cap to ensure that it's on properly.
CHECK OIL LEVEL
- 36: For correct operation of
the low oil sensing system, your vehicle should be on a
level surface. A false CHECK OIL LEVEL message
may appear if the vehicle is parked on a grade. The oil
level sensing system does not check for actual oil level
if the engine has been off for a short period of time, and
the oil level is never checked while the engine is
running. If the CHECK OIL LEVEL message appears,
and your vehicle has been parked on level ground with
the engine off for at least 30 minutes, the oil level
should be checked by observing the oil dipstick. Prior to
checking the oil level, be sure the engine has been off
for a few minutes and your vehicle is on a level surface.
Then check the dipstick and add oil if necessary.
See ªEngine Oilº in the Index.
2-128
Oil Life Indicator
This feature lets you know when to change the engine
oil. It's based on the engine oil temperatures and your
driving patterns.To see the display, press the INFO button several times until
ENGINE OIL LIFE appears. If you see 99% ENGINE OIL
LIFE, 99 percent of your current oil life remains.
The DIC may display a CHANGE ENGINE OIL
message. Always keep a written record of the mileage and
date when you changed your oil. For more information,
see ªMaintenance Scheduleº in the Index. If you see
CHANGE ENGINE OIL, it means the oil life is gone and
you should change the oil right away. The system doesn't
check how much oil you have, so you'll still have to check
for that. To see how, see ªEngine Oilº in the Index.
When the oil is changed, you'll need to reset the system.
See ªOil Life Indicator, How to Resetº in the Index.
3-10
Ventilation Tips
Keep the hood and front air inlet free of ice, snow or
any other obstruction (such as leaves). The heater
and defroster will work far better, reducing the
chance of fogging the inside of the windows.
Keep the air path under the front seats clear of
objects. This helps circulate air throughout
your vehicle.
Passenger Compartment Air Filter
Passenger compartment air, both outside air and
recirculated air, is routed through a passenger
compartment filter. The filter removes certain
contaminants from the air, including pollen and dust
particles. Reductions in airflow, which may occur more
quickly in dusty areas, indicate that the filter needs to
be replaced early.
The filter should be replaced as part of routine
scheduled maintenance. See ªPassenger Compartment
Air Filterº in the Index for more information on
replacement. See ªMaintenance Scheduleº in the Index
for replacement intervals.
Your vehicle will not be damaged if you choose not to
replace the filter once the old one is removed.HVAC Steering Wheel Controls
(If Equipped)
Some heating and cooling
controls can be adjusted at
the steering wheel. Other
touch controls operate some
audio controls. See ªAudio
Steering Wheel Controlsº in
the Index.
~TEMP! (Temperature): Press the up arrow on the
control to increase the temperature and the down arrow
to decrease temperature manually.
!
~
(Fan): Press the up arrow on the control to
increase the fan speed and the down arrow to decrease
fan speed manually.