2-84
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see ªIf
the Light Is On Steadyº following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see ªIf the Light
Is On Steadyº following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. See ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has been
left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel
cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A
few driving trips with the cap properly installed should
turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
2-85
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.
2-87 Cruise Light (If Equipped)
United States Canada
The CRUISE light comes on whenever you set your
cruise control. See ªCruise Controlº in the Index.
Tow/Haul Light
This message is displayed
when the tow/haul mode has
been activated.
For more information, see ªTow/Haul Modeº in
the Index.
Fuel Gage
United States Canada
The fuel gage, when the ignition is on, tells you about
how much fuel you have left in your tank.
The gage will first indicate empty before you
are out of fuel, and you should get more fuel as
soon as possible.
When the fuel tank is low the Low Fuel message will
appear. See ªMessage Centerº in the Index.
2-88
Here are some situations you may experience with
your fuel gage. None of these indicate a problem with
the fuel gage.
At the gas station, the fuel pump shuts off before the
gage reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
fuel gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank.
The gage goes back to empty when you turn off
the ignition.
Message Center
The message center is located on the left side of the
instrument panel cluster. It gives you important safety
and maintenance facts. When you turn the ignition on,
the entire center lights up for just a few seconds. As
needed, the message center will display one of the
following messages. The message center is capable
of alternating among different messages if needed.
Battery
If this message is displayed
when the engine is running,
you may have a problem
with your charging system.
The battery display will also stay on while the key is in
RUN until the engine is started.
If the message stays on after starting the engine it could
indicate a problem with the generator drive belt, or some
other charging system problem. Have it checked right
away. Driving with this message displayed could drain
your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with this message
displayed, it helps to turn off all your accessories, such
as the radio and the air conditioner.
2-91 Low Coolant
This message is displayed
when the cooling system is
low on coolant.
The engine may overheat. See ªEngine Coolantº in the
Index and have your vehicle serviced as soon as you can.
Check Coolant Temp
This message is displayed
when the cooling system
temperature gets hot.
Check the coolant temperature gage and the coolant
level. See ªEngine Coolantº and ªEngine Coolant
Temperature Gageº in the Index. See ªEngine
Overheatingº in the Index for further information.
Engine Overheated
This message is displayed
when the cooling system
temperature gets too hot.
This message will be displayed after the air conditioning
system has automatically turned off for the engine
coolant protection mode. See ªEngine Overheatingº
in the Index for further information.
Reduced Engine Power
This message is displayed
when the cooling system
temperature gets too hot
and the engine further
enters the engine coolant
protection mode.
If your vehicle is equipped with the 8.1L engine, this
light may come on because of an electronic throttle
control system fault. See ªEngine Overheatingº in the
Index for further information.
3-4
(Blend): Airflow is delivered through the floor
outlets, center floor console outlets (if equipped), the
windshield defroster outlets and the side window
defroster outlets. The air conditioning compressor may
run to dehumidify the air to prevent window fogging.
(Defrost):This setting directs most of the
air through the windshield defroster outlets, side
window defroster outlets and some air through the
floor and center floor console outlets (if equipped).
If air from the center floor console is not desired, or
more defroster performance is desired, turn the vents
off at the console. When in defrost mode, the air
conditioning compressor may run to dehumidify
the air and limit window fogging.
Mode Buttons
(Outside Air): Press this button to direct the
system to use outside air.
Pressing the outside air button will cancel the
recirculation button.
(Recirculation): Press this button to limit the
amount of outside air entering the vehicle. This is
helpful when you are trying to limit odors entering the
vehicle or attempting to quickly cool down the interior.
Pressing recirculation will recirculate air continuously.
Recirculation is used when the fan is OFF to limit odors,
outside air and dust from entering your vehicle. All
button lights will go off. The last setting selected will
activate when the blower is turned back on.
Pressing the recirculation button will cancel the outside
air button. To return to normal operation and to prevent
stale air, be sure to return to outside air.
Between floor and blend mode, outside air is forced to
reduce window fogging. If the recirculation button is
pressed, the LED indicator will flash three times
indicating that forced outside air is activated and
recirculation is not available.
3-7
(Defrost): This setting directs most of the air
through the windshield defroster outlets with air flow
also delivered from the side window and floor outlets.
When in defrost mode, the air conditioning compressor
may run to assist in dehumidifying the air and limit
window fogging.
Mode Buttons
(Outside Air): Press this button to force the
system to use outside air. Press is again to close off the
outside air.
Pressing the outside air button will cancel the
recirculation button.
(Recirculation): Press this button to limit the
amount of outside air entering your vehicle. This is
helpful when you are trying to limit odors entering your
vehicle or attempting to quickly cool down the interior.
Recirculation may be selected with the fan control in
OFF to limit odors, outside air and dust from entering
your vehicle.
Pressing the recirculation button will cancel the outside
air button.
A/C (Air Conditioning):Press this button to turn
the air conditioning on and off. The system will cool and
dehumidify the air inside the vehicle when the A/C light
is on. When in AUTO, the A/C is automatically engaged
when necessary.
Air conditioning will be automatically disabled when
the outside air temperature drops below a level at which
air conditioning is ineffective.
Mode Knob
-- Automatic Operation
When the system is set for automatic operation,
sensors will control the air delivery mode. Air will
come primarily from the floor or instrument panel
outlets, with some air directed to the windshield to
prevent fogging.
When the system is in AUTO mode, the air conditioning
light will turn on, and the recirculation and outside air
lights turn off. With the system in full auto control
(both the fan and mode knobs in AUTO), you still have
the ability to override any function. However, continually
overriding the outside air or the A/C compressor will limit
the ability of the system to cool the vehicle quickly.
3-8
If you push a button for a function which is not
available, the light next to that button will flash three
times to alert you that it's not available.
To find your comfort zone, start with the 74F (23C)
setting and allow about 20 minutes for the system to
adjust the temperature if necessary.
With the automatic setting, the air conditioning
compressor automatically cycles when needed to cool
the air. In cold weather, when the system senses the need
for heat, the airflow will be directed out of the floor
outlets. As the interior temperature approaches a desired
setting, the fan speed will decrease. To maintain interior
comfort, the airflow will adjust between the instrument
panel air outlets and floor outlets. On bright sunny days
in cool weather, the airflow may come out of the air
conditioning and floor outlets (bi
-level mode) to
maintain comfort and prevent stuffiness.To avoid blowing cold air in cold weather, the system will
delay turning on the fan until warm air is available. The
length of delay depends on the outside air temperature,
engine coolant temperature or the time since the engine
was last started. As the coolant warms up, the fan speed
will gradually increase and air will flow from the floor
outlets, with some airflow to the windshield to prevent
fogging under most normal conditions.
Be careful not to put anything over the solar sensor
located around the center of the instrument panel.
This sensor is used by the automatic system to
regulate temperature.