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2-1
Section 2 Features and Controls
Here you can learn about the many standard and optional features on your vehicle, and information on starting,
shifting and braking. Also explained are the instrument panel and the warning systems that tell you if everything is
working properly
-- and what to do if you have a problem.
2
-2 Windows
2
-4 Keys
2
-6 Front Doors
2
-6 Rear Doors
2
-8 Door Locks
2
-10 Keyless Entry System (Option)
2
-13 Sliding Door
2
-16 Rear Hatch/Rear Doors
2
-17 Theft
2
-18 Passlock
2-18 New Vehicle ªBreak-Inº
2
-19 Ignition Positions
2
-20 Starting Your Engine
2
-22 Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
2
-23 Automatic Transmission Operation
2
-26 Parking Brake
2
-27 Shifting Into PARK (P)
2
-30 Shifting Out of PARK (P)
2
-30 Parking Over Things That Burn2
-31 Engine Exhaust
2
-31 Running Your Engine While You're Parked
2
-32 Locking Rear Axle (If Equipped)
2
-32 All-Wheel Drive (Option)
2
-32 Horn
2
-33 Tilt Wheel (If Equipped)
2
-33 Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
2
-40 Exterior Lamps
2
-43 Interior Lamps
2
-45 Mirrors
2
-46 Storage Compartments
2
-55 Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter
2
-56 Sun Visors
2
-56 Accessory Power Outle
2
-57 HomeLink Transmitter (Option)
2
-60 The Instrument Panel - Your
Information System
2
-63 Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
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Mirrors
Inside Day/Night Rearview Mirror
You can adjust the mirror for day or night driving.
Press the tab forward (away from you) for day driving.
Pull the tab back (toward you) for night driving.
Outside Manual Adjust Rearview Mirrors
Adjust your outside rearview mirrors so you can see a
little of the side of your vehicle and the area beside and
behind your vehicle, from a comfortable driving position.
You can fold the mirrors inward before entering a car
wash. Pull the mirrors toward the vehicle. Push the
mirrors back out when finished. After pushing the
mirror out, the adjustment will be maintained.
Power Remote Control Rearview Mirrors
(If Equipped)
To adjust the outside rearview mirror, move the selector
switch in the middle of the control to L for the driver's
side mirror or to R for the passenger's side mirror. Then
use the arrows located on the four
-way control pad to
move the mirror in the desired direction. To make sure
you do not accidentally move a mirror, return the
selector switch to the middle position (off) after
adjusting the mirrors.
2-46 Convex Outside Mirror
Your passenger's side mirror is convex. A convex
mirror's surface is curved so you can see more from
the driver's seat.
CAUTION:
A convex mirror can make things (like other
vehicles) look farther away than they really are.
If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you
could hit a vehicle on your right. Check your
inside mirror or glance over your shoulder
before changing lanes.
Storage Compartments
Your front storage compartment/glove box is at the
center of the engine cover. To open the compartment,
press the two tabs together and pull.
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Sun Visors
To block out glare, you can swing down the visors. You
can also swing them from side to side. Your visors may
have an extension that can be pulled out for additional
glare protection.
Visor Vanity Mirror (If Equipped)
Some visors have mirrors built in, with or without
lamps. Just lift the mirror cover on each visor to turn
the lamps on.
Accessory Power Outlet
You can plug accessory electrical equipment into an
accessory power outlet. Just pull on the outlet cover
to remove it and follow the proper installation
instructions that are included with any electrical
equipment that you install.
The accessory power outlet is located on the passenger's
side of the front storage compartment.
These circuits are protected by a fuse and have
maximum current levels.Certain power accessory plugs may not be compatible to
the power accessory outlet and could result in blown
vehicle or adapter fuses. If you experience a problem,
see your dealer for additional information on the power
accessory plugs.
NOTICE:
When using the accessory power outlets,
maximum electrical load must not exceed
25 amps. Always turn off any electrical
equipment when not in use. Leaving electrical
equipment on for extended periods will drain
your battery.
NOTICE:
Power outlets are designed for accessory plugs
only. Do not hang any type of accessory or
accessory bracket from the plug. Improper use
of the power outlet can cause damage not covered
by your warranty.
4-13
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.
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A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you'll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery until
your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a ªmirrored surfaceº
-- and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti
-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired
-- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
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Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Don't drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you can't see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you're tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A 50
-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20
-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you're
driving, don't wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even
several seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark.
When you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver
who doesn't lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it's easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and
aren't even aware of it.
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Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are the safest
of all roads. But they have their own special rules.
The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same
speed most of the other drivers are driving. Too
-fast or
too
-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic flow. Treat the
left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to
check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to
blend with the flow. Try to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check
your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it's slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn't another vehicle in your
ªblindº spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.