2-29
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (): 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 AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE () for higher speeds.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE ().
Here are examples for using THIRD (3) instead of
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE ():
When driving on hilly, winding roads.
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.
2-42 Rainsense II Wipers
The moisture sensor is mounted on the interior side
of the windshield below 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.
The Rainsense system can be activated by moving
the wiper stalk up to the INT position and turning
the INT ADJ band to one of the five sensitivity levels.
The bottom INT ADJ position is the lowest sensitivity
setting, level one. This allows more rain or snow to
collect on the windshield between wipes. Turning the
INT ADJ band away from you to the higher sensitivity
levels allows less rain or snow to collect on the
windshield between wipes.The top position is the highest sensitivity setting,
level five. A single wipe will occur each time you turn
the INT ADJ band 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
changing the wiper control 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.
2-50
This message informs the driver that turning on the
exterior lamps is recommended (it's become dark enough
outside to require the headlamps and/or other exterior
lamps). Turning on the Twilight Sentinel or turning the
exterior lamp control to the headlamp position will
remove the HEADLAMPS SUGGESTED message.
Light Sensor
The light sensor for the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
and the Twilight Sentinel is located on the driver's side
of the front defogger grille. If you cover the sensor, it will read ªdarkº and the
exterior lamps or the HEADLAMPS SUGGESTED
message will be on whenever the ignition is on.
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver
If the manual parking lamps or headlamps have been
left on, the exterior lamps will turn off approximately
ten minutes after the ignition is turned to OFF.
This protects against draining the battery in case you
have accidentally left the headlamps or parking lamps
on. The battery saver does not work if the headlamps
are turned on after the ignition switch is turned to OFF.
If you need to leave the lamps on for more than
10 minutes, use the exterior lamp control to turn the
lamps back on. To delay the lamps from turning off,
see ªTwilight Sentinelº in the Index.
2-52 Illuminated Entry
The illuminated entry system turns on the courtesy
lamps and the backlighting to the door switches and to
the exterior lamp control 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.
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
instrument panel brightness knob counterclockwise
to dim and clockwise to brighten lighting.
Reading Lamps
The front reading lamps are located in the overhead
console. These lamps and the interior courtesy lamps
come on when a door is opened and it is dark outside.
The rear reading lamps will not come on when a front
door is opened.
The rear courtesy lamps are located on the rear headliner
above the rear seat outboard positions. When a rear door
is opened, both the front and rear reading lamps come
on with the courtesy lamps.
Press the button near each lamp to turn it on and 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's 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 revolutions per minute (rpm)
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, the climate control fan at high
speeds, heated seats and engine cooling fans.
2-76
When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about it. Please follow this manual's advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
-- and even
dangerous. So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They're a big help.
Your vehicle also has a Driver Information Center (DIC)
that works along with the warning lights and gages.
See ªDriver Information Center (DIC)º in the Index
for more information.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to ON or START, a chime will
come on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay on
for about 70 seconds.
If the driver's belt is
already buckled, the light
will come on briefly, but the
chime will not sound.
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 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.
2-92
CHANGE BRAKE PADS - 125: This message is used
to notify you that the brake pads may have worn down.
A sensor is connected to the brake pads and is triggered
when they wear to a certain point. Have the front and
rear brakes serviced by your dealer as soon as possible.
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: 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 grades. 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 sensed 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.
2-95
HEADLAMPS SUGGESTED - 23: If it's dark enough
outside and the headlamps and Twilight Sentinel
controls are off, this message will display on the DIC.
This message informs the driver that turning on the
exterior lamps is recommended even though the DRL
are still illuminated. It has become dark enough outside
to require the headlamps and/or other exterior lamps.
This message will also appear if the optional
Rainsense wiping feature is on and the Twilight
Sentinel is off.
ICE POSSIBLE
- 13: This message appears when
the outside air temperature is cold enough to create
icy road conditions.
LEFT REAR DOOR AJAR
- 142: The left rear door
is open or ajar when this message appears. The ignition
must be in ON and the transaxle not in PARK (P) for
this message to display. A chime will sound if the
vehicle's speed is greater than 3 mph (5 km/h).
OIL PRESSURE LOW STOP ENGINE
- 35: If this
message appears while the engine is running, stop the
engine and do not operate it until the cause of low oil
pressure is corrected. Severe damage to the engine can
result. A multiple chime will sound when this message
is displayed.PASSENGER DOOR AJAR
- 141: The passenger's
door is open or ajar when this message appears.
The ignition must be in ON and the transaxle not in
PARK (P) for this message to display. A chime
will sound if the vehicle's speed is greater than
3 mph (5 km/h).
RIGHT REAR DOOR AJAR
- 143: The right
rear door is open or ajar when this message appears.
The ignition must be in ON and the transaxle not in
PARK (P) for this message to display. A chime
will sound if the vehicle's speed is greater than
3 mph (5 km/h).
SERVICE AC SYSTEM
- 14: This message
appears when the electronic sensors that control the air
conditioning and heating systems are no longer working.
Have the climate control system serviced if you notice a
drop in heating and air conditioning efficiency.
SERVICE AIR BAG
- 83: There is a problem with
the supplemental inflatable restraint (air bag) system
when this message appears. Let only a qualified
technician work on your vehicle. Have your vehicle
serviced by your dealership immediately.
2-111 Comfort Controls and Radio
System Personalization
These features allow both drivers to personalize their
own climate control settings as well as their radio
settings. For more information, see ªClimate Control
Personalizationº and ªRadio Personalizationº in
the Index.
The outside temperature is always available for display
if it has been selected for a DIC display when your
vehicle is running unless an overriding DIC message
appears. You can change the temperature from
Fahrenheit to Celsius by pressing the ENG/MET
(English/metric) button on the instrument panel.
For more information on the DIC, see ªDIC Messagesº
in the Index.
The electronic sensor can be affected by road or engine
heat during idling, slow driving or when the engine is
first started after a short trip. To ensure proper automatic
climate control operation, the outside air temperature
display may not update as quickly as expected. This is to allow the air surrounding the outside
temperature sensor to be as close to the actual
outside conditions as possible. This is determined
by how much time has elapsed since the vehicle has
been turned off and by vehicle speed.
Continuous Variable Road Sensing
Suspension (CVRSS) -- STS Only
The CVRSS automatically adjusts the ride of your
vehicle. Automatic ride control is achieved through a
computer used to control and monitor the suspension
system. The controller receives input from various
sensors to determine the proper system response.
If the controller detects a problem within the system,
the DIC will display a SERVICE SUSPENSION SYS
message. If this message appears, have your vehicle
serviced at your dealership.