4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
The CRUISE light on the instrument panel will illuminate
when the cruise control is engaged.
Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake. This, of course, shuts
off the cruise control. But you don’t need to reset
it. Once you’re going about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more,
you can move the cruise control switch from ON to
R/A (resume/accelerate) briefly.
You’ll go right back up to your chosen speed and
stay there.
If you hold the switch at R/A, the vehicle will keep going
faster until you release the switch or apply the brake. So
unless you want to go faster, don’t hold the switch at R/A.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
•Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher
speed. Push the SET button at the end of the lever,
then release the button and the accelerator pedal.
You’ll now cruise at the higher speed.
•Move the cruise switch from ON to R/A. Hold it
there until you get up to the speed you want,
and then release the switch. (To increase your
speed in very small amounts, move the switch to
R/A briefly and then release it. Each time you
do this, your vehicle will go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h)
faster.)
The accelerate feature will work whether or not you
have set an initial cruise control speed.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
There are two ways to reduce speed while using cruise
control:
•Push in the SET button at the end of the lever until
you reach the lower speed you want, then release it.
•To slow down in very small amounts, push the SET
button briefly. Each time you do this, you’ll go about
1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower. United States
Canada
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2003 - Rendezvous OM
Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed.
When you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will
slow down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the
hills. When going up steep hills, you may have to step
on the accelerator pedal to maintain your speed.
When going downhill, you may have to brake or shift to
a lower gear to keep your speed down. Of course,
applying the brake takes you out of cruise control. Many
driversfind this to be too much trouble and don’t use
cruise control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
•Step lightly on the brake pedal, or
•move the cruise switch to OFF.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition, your
cruise control set speed memory is erased.
Exterior Lamps
The control on the left side
of the steering column
operates the exterior
lamps.
The exterior lamp control has three positions:
AUTO (Automatic Headlamp Control/Off):Turning
the control to this position will activate the automatic
headlamps when it is dark enough outside and turn off
all lamps and lights during the day except for the
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).
<(Parking Lamps):Turning the control to this
position turns on the parking lamps together with the
following:
•Taillamps
•Instrument Panel Lights
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2003 - Rendezvous OM
5(Headlamps):Turning the control to this position
turns on the headlamps together with the previously
listed lamps and lights.
Lamps on Reminder
If the driver’s door is opened and you turn the ignition to
OFF while leaving the lamps on, you will hear a
warning chime.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the
day. DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the short
periods after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional
daytime running lamps are required on all vehicles
first sold in Canada.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
DRL work, so be sure it isn’t covered. The DRL
system will make your reduced intensity high-beam
headlamps come on in daylight when:
•The ignition is on,
•the exterior lamps control is in AUTO, and
•the shift lever is not in PARK (P).When the DRL are on, only your reduced intensity
high-beam headlamps will be on. Your instrument panel
won’t be lit up.
When it’s dark enough outside, the exterior lamps will
come on automatically. When it’s bright enough outside,
the exterior lamps will go out and the DRL will turn
on. Of course, you may still turn on the headlamps any
time you need to.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Automatic Headlamp System
When the exterior lamps control is turned to AUTO, the
headlamps and parking lamps will come on
automatically when it is dark enough outside.
The lamps will come on automatically if:
•It is dark enough outside,
•the ignition is in ON,
•the parking brake is released, and
•the exterior lamps control is in the AUTO position.
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2003 - Rendezvous OM
Fog Lamps
The fog lamp button is
located on the exterior
lamp control.
Push the FOG PUSH button to turn the fog lamps on.
The FOG light next to the fog lamp button indicates the
fog lamps are on. To turn off the fog lamps, press the
fog lamp button or turn the ignition off.
If you turn on the fog lamps while the DRL are on, the
parking lamps will turn on automatically.
Your fog lamps will go off when you switch to high
beams. When you return to low beam, the fog lamps
will come back on. Using your high beams in fog is not
recommended.
Interior Lamps
Your interior lamps control
is located below the
exterior lamps control.
Instrument Panel Brightness
Press the knob to extend it. Turn the knob to adjust the
instrument panel brightness. Press the knob in when
not in use.
Interior Lamps Control
OFF:Turn the control to this position to turn off the
interior lamps.
DOOR:Turn the control to this position to turn on the
interior lamps while any door is opened and while
the ignition key is removed from the ignition.
ON:Turn the control to this position to turn on the
interior lamps.
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2003 - Rendezvous OM
Headlamp Exit Delay
If your vehicle has headlamp exit delay, it will keep the
headlamps and parking lamps on at night for
30 seconds if:
•The ignition is turned to OFF,
•the exterior lamp control is in the AUTO position,
•LOCK is pressed on the remote keyless entry
transmitter, and
•it is dark enough outside.
After 30 seconds, the headlamps and parking lamps will
turn off.
The lamps will turn off before the 30 seconds if:
•The ignition is turned to ON, or
•the exterior lamp control is turned out of the AUTO
position.
To program the headlamp exit delay feature, see
Vehicle Personalization on page 2-46. If your vehicle is
equipped with the Driver Information Center (DIC),
seeDIC Vehicle Personalization on page 3-57.
Entry Lighting
If your vehicle has entry lighting, the interior of your
vehicle will illuminate for 25 seconds so you can
see inside your vehicle before you enter. To activate
entry lighting, do the following:
•Unlock a door using the key when the interior lamp
control is in the DOOR position, and when the
ignition is in OFF, or
•press UNLOCK on the remote keyless entry
transmitter when the interior lamp control is in the
DOOR position, and when the ignition is in OFF.
After 25 seconds, the interior lamps will fade out.
The lamps will turn off before 25 seconds if you:
•Press LOCK on the remote keyless entry
transmitter, or
•press the front of the power door lock switch, or
•turn the ignition to ON.
When any door is opened, entry lighting is cancelled.
The interior lamps will stay on while any door or
the liftgate is open, and fade out when all the doors are
closed.
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2003 - Rendezvous OM
Delayed Lighting
If your vehicle has delayed lighting, it will continue to
illuminate the interior for 25 seconds after all doors have
been closed. The lamps will continue to illuminate when:
•A door is opened then closed,
•the interior lamp control is in the DOOR position, and
•the ignition is in OFF.
After 25 seconds, the interior lamps will fade out.
The lamps will fade out before the 25 seconds if:
•The ignition is turned to ON,
•LOCK is pressed on the remote keyless entry
transmitter, or
•the front of the power door lock switch is pressed.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you can program this feature on or
off. SeeDIC Vehicle Personalization on page 3-57.
Exit Lighting
If your vehicle is equipped with exit lighting, the interior
lamps will come on for about 30 seconds whenever
you remove the key from the ignition if:
•The vehicle is in PARK (P),
•the key is out of the ignition,
•the interior lamp control is in the DOOR position,
and
•all of the doors are closed.
After 30 seconds, the interior lamps will fade out.
The interior lamps will fade out before 30 seconds if:
•The ignition is turned to ON,
•LOCK is pressed on the remote keyless entry
transmitter, or
•the front of the power door lock switch is pressed.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you can program this feature on or
off. SeeDIC Vehicle Personalization on page 3-57.
Perimeter Lighting
If your vehicle has perimeter lighting, it will turn on the
headlamps and parking lamps for 25 seconds when:
•The ignition is turned to OFF,
•the exterior lamp control is in the AUTO position,
•UNLOCK is pressed on the remote keyless
entry transmitter, and
•it is dark enough outside.
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2003 - Rendezvous OM
After 25 seconds, the headlamps and parking lamps will
turn off.
The lamps will turn off before the 25 seconds if:
•The ignition is turned to ON, or
•the exterior lamp control is turned out of the AUTO
position.
To program the perimeter lighting feature, seeRemote
Lock and Unlock Confirmation on page 2-50. If your
vehicle is equipped with the Driver Information Center
(DIC), you can program this feature on or off. See
“Remote Lock Feedback”underDIC Vehicle
Personalization on page 3-57.
Front Reading Lamps
There are two reading lamps located on the rearview
mirror.
To turn either reading lamp on or off, press the button
located next to each lamp.
These lamps will come on each time you open the
doors, if the interior lamp control is in the ON or DOOR
position.
Rear Reading Lamps
There are two reading lamps with coat hooks above the
rear doors.
To turn on or off either reading lamp, press the lens of
the lamp.
Cargo Lamp
The cargo lamp is located in the rear of the vehicle,
above the liftgate opening. It comes on automatically
each time you open the doors, if the interior lamp control
is in the DOOR position.
There are two reading lamps located on the cargo lamp.
To turn either reading lamp on or off, press the button
located next to the lamp.
Battery Run-Down Protection
Your vehicle has a feature to help prevent you from
draining the battery, in case you accidentally leave the
interior or exterior lamps on. If the interior lamps are
left on while the ignition is in OFF, they will automatically
turn off after 10 minutes. If the exterior lamps are left
on while the ignition is in OFF with all doors and
the liftgate closed, they will automatically turn off after
10 minutes.
If your vehicle has less than 14 miles (24 km) on the
odometer, the battery saver will turn off the lamps after
only three minutes.
If the interior lamps are turned off as a result of the
battery saver feature, they may be turned back on by
turning the interior lamp control to OFF and then back to
ON. The battery saver will not turn the interior lamps
off automatically after doing this. They will have to
be turned off manually.
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2003 - Rendezvous OM
Instrument Panel Switchbank
There is an instrument panel switchbank located below
the comfort controls. It contains switches or blanks
that will vary with the options that are on your vehicle.
The switches you may have are:
•Rear Window Wiper/Washer
•Liftgate Release
•Traction Disable
•Park Aid Disable
•Heated Seats (driver’s and passenger’s)
For more information, see each of these features in the
Index.
Head-Up Display (HUD)
{CAUTION:
If the HUD image is too bright, or too high in
your field of view, it may take you more time to
see things you need to see when it’s dark
outside. Be sure to keep the HUD image dim
and placed low in your field of view.If your vehicle has the HUD, it can display the
speedometer reading in English or metric. The current
radio station, CD number and/or track number or
tape may also be displayed and will appear as an image
focused out toward the front of your vehicle.
The HUD is capable of displaying English or French.
SeeDIC Controls and Displays on page 3-55to change
the display from English to metric.
The Head-Up Display also displays the following lights
and messages when they appear on the instrument
panel cluster:
•Turn Signal Indicators
•High-Beam Indicator
•Low-Fuel Warning Message
See each of these features in the Index for more
information.
The Head-Up Display also displays a CHECK GAGES
icon. The following messages could appear on the
instrument panel cluster when CHECK GAGES appears:
•Engine Coolant Temperature Warning
•Low Oil Pressure
•Charging System Indicator
•Low Brake Fluid Warning
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2003 - Rendezvous OM