
Cassette Tape Messages
If an error message appears while trying to play a
cassette tape, it could be for one of the following
reasons:
•TIGHT TAPE:The tape is tight and the player can’t
turn the tape hubs. Remove the tape. Hold the tape
with the open end down and try to turn the right
hub counterclockwise with a pencil. Turn the tape
over and repeat. If the hubs do not turn easily, your
tape may be damaged and should not be used in
the player. Try a new tape to make sure your player
is working properly.
•BROKEN TAPE:The tape is broken. Try a
new tape.
CLEAN PLAYER:If this message appears on the
display, the cassette tape player needs to be cleaned. It
will still play tapes, but you should clean it as soon as
possible to prevent damage to the tapes and player. See
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player on page 3-108.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error can’t
be corrected, contact your dealership. If your radio
displays an error number, write it down and provide it to
your dealership when reporting the problem.
CD Adapter Kits
It is possible to use a portable CD player adapter kit
with your cassette tape player after activating the bypass
feature on your tape player.
To activate the bypass feature, use the following steps:
1. Turn the ignition on.
2. Turn the radio off.
3. Insert the adapter into the cassette slot.
4. Press and hold the CD TAPE button until READY is
displayed.
The override feature will remain active until the eject
button is pressed.
Playing a Compact Disc
Insert a disc partway into the slot, label side up. The
player will pull it in. The disc should begin playing. If you
want to insert a CD while the ignition or the radio is
off,first press the eject button or DISP.
If you turn off the ignition or radio with a disc in the
player, it will stay in the player. When you turn on the
ignition or system, the disc will start playing where
it stopped, if it was the last selected audio source.
If an error appears on the display, see“Compact Disc
Errors”later in this section.
3-80
2003 - Rendezvous OM

AUTO VOL (Automatic Volume):Your system has a
feature called automatic volume. With this feature,
your audio system adjusts automatically to make up for
road and wind noise as you drive.
Set the volume at the desired level. Press this button to
select MIN, MED or MAX. Each higher setting will
allow for more volume compensation at faster vehicle
speeds. Then, as you drive, automatic volume increases
the volume, as necessary, to overcome noise at any
speed. The volume level should always sound the same
to you as you drive. If you don’t want to use automatic
volume, select OFF.
RCL (Recall):Push this knob to switch the display
between the radio station frequency and the time.
Pushing this knob with the ignition off will display
the time.
For XM™(USA only, if equipped), pressing this button
while in XM™mode to retrieve various pieces of
information related to the current song or channel.
By pressing and releasing the RCL button, you may
retrieve four different categories of information:
Artist, Song Title, Category or PTY, Channel
Number/Channel Name.
To change the default on the display, push the knob
until you see the display you want, then hold the knob
until the displayflashes. The selected display will
now be the default.Finding a Station
BAND:Press this button to switch between AM, FM1,
FM2, or XM1, XM2 (USA only, if equipped). The
display will show your selection.
TUNE:Turn this knob to select radio stations.
sSEEKt:Press the right or the left arrow to go to
the next or to the previous station and stay there.
The radio will seek only to stations that are in the
selected band and only to those with a strong signal.
sSCANt:Press and hold either SCAN arrow
for two seconds until SC appears on the display and
you hear a beep. The radio will go to a station, play for
a few seconds, then go on to the next station. Press
either SCAN arrow again to stop scanning.
To scan preset stations, press and hold either SCAN
arrow for more than four seconds. PRESET SCAN will
appear on the display. You will hear a double beep.
The radio will go to a preset station stored on your
pushbuttons, play for a few seconds, then go on to the
next preset station. Press either SCAN arrow again
to stop scanning presets.
The radio will scan only to stations that are in the
selected band and only to those with a strong signal.
3-83
2003 - Rendezvous OM

To adjust all tone and speaker controls to the middle
position, push and hold the AUDIO knob when no tone
or speaker controls are displayed. The radio will
produce one beep and CENTERED will appear on the
display.
Finding a PTY Station (RDS and XM™)
To select andfind a desired PTY perform the following:
1. Press the P-TYPE button. P-TYPE and the last
selected PTY will be displayed on the screen.
2. Select a category by turning the P-TYPE knob.
3. Once the desired category is displayed, press either
SEEK arrow to select the category and take you to
the category’sfirst station.
4. If you want to go to another station within that
category and the category is displayed, press
either SEEK arrow once. If the category is not
displayed, press either SEEK arrow twice to display
the category and then to go to another station.
5. If PTY times out and is no longer on the display, go
back to Step 1.
If both P-TYPE and TRAF are on, the radio will search
for stations with the selected PTY and traffic
announcements.
To use the PTY interrupt feature, press and hold the
P-TYPE button until you hear a beep on the PTY
you want to interrupt with. When selected, an asteriskwill appear beside that PTY on the display. You may
select multiple interrupts if desired. When you are
listening to a compact disc, the last selected RDS station
will interrupt play if that selected program type format
is broadcast.
SCAN:You can also scan through the channels within
a category by performing the following:
1. Press the P-TYPE button. P-TYPE and the last
selected PTY will be displayed on the screen.
2. Select a category by turning the P-TYPE knob.
3. Once the desired category is displayed, press and
hold either SCAN arrow, and the radio will begin
scanning within your chosen category.
4. Press either SCAN arrow again to stop at a
particular station.
BAND (Alternate Frequency):Alternate frequency
allows the radio to switch to a stronger station with the
same program type. Press and hold BAND for two
seconds to turn alternate frequency on. AF ON
will appear on the display. The radio may switch to
stronger stations. Press and hold BAND again for two
seconds to turn alternate frequency off. AF OFF
will appear on the display. The radio will not switch to
other stations. When you turn the ignition off and then on
again, the alternate frequency feature will automatically
be turned on.
This function does not apply for XM™.
3-85
2003 - Rendezvous OM

XM™Radio Messages (cont’d)
Radio Display
MessageCondition Action Required
Unknown Radio ID not known
(should only be if
hardware failure)If you receive this message when you tune to channel 0,
you may have a receiver fault. Consult with your dealer.
Chk XMRcvr Hardware failure If this message does not clear within a short period of time,
your receiver may have a fault. Consult with your retail
location.
Playing a Compact Disc
If an error appears on the display, see“Compact Disc
Messages”later in this section.
LOAD CD
Z:Press the LOAD side of this button to
load CDs into the compact disc player. This compact
disc player will hold up to six discs.
To insert one disc, do the following:
1. Turn the ignition on.
2. Press and release the LOAD side of the LOAD CD
button.
3. Wait for the light, located to the right of the slot, to
turn green.
4. Load a disc. Insert the disc partway into the slot,
label side up. The player will pull the disc in.When a disc is inserted, the CD symbol will be
displayed. If you select an equalization setting for your
disc, it will be activated each time you play a disc.
If the radio is on or off, the disc will begin to play
automatically.
To insert multiple discs, do the following:
1. Turn the ignition on.
2. Press and hold the LOAD side of the LOAD CD
button for two seconds.
You will hear a beep and the light, located to the
right of the slot, will begin toflash.
3. Once the light stopsflashing and turns green, load
a disc. Insert the disc partway into the slot, label
side up. The player will pull the disc in.
3-89
2003 - Rendezvous OM

If the remote control is to be stored for a long period of
time, remove the batteries and keep them in a cool,
dry place.
Tips and Trouble
Problem Recommended Action
No power. The ignition may not be in
run, accessory or RAP.
The parental control
button might have been
pressed. (The power
indicator light willflash).
Disc will not play. The system might be off.
The parental control
button might have been
pressed. (The power
indicator light willflash).
The system might be in
auxiliary source mode.
Press the SRCE button to
toggle between the DVD
player and the auxiliary
source. The disc is upside
down or is not compatible.
Problem Recommended Action
No sound. The volume on the
headphones could be too
low. Adjust the volume on
the right earpiece on the
cordless headphones. If
the DVD system is being
heard through the vehicle
speakers, adjust the
volume from the radio.
The radio must have the
RSE channel enabled by
using the CD/AUX or the
TAPE/CD button.
The picture is distorted
during fast forward or
reverse.This is normal for this
operation.
The picture does notfill
the screen. There are
black borders on the top
and bottom or on both
sides or it looks
stretched out.Quickly press and release
the display control button
on the remote control or
the DVD player and
choose Display Mode.
Then select Full. This will
fill the screen. If there are
borders on the top and
bottom, the movie may
have been made that way
for a standard screen.
I ejected the disc and
tried to take it out, but it
was pulled back into
the slot.Eject the disc again.
3-102
2003 - Rendezvous OM

BAND:Press this button to switch between AM, FM1,
FM2, or XM1 or XM2 (USA only, if equipped). If the
front passengers are already listening to the radio, the
RSA controller will not switch between the bands
and cannot change the frequency. Press this button to
play a cassette tape or a compact disc when listening
to the radio.
wSEEKx:While listening to the radio, press the up
or the down arrow to tune to the next or the previous
station and stay there. The SEEK button is inactive if the
front radio is in use.
While listening to a cassette tape, press the up or the
down arrow to hear the next or the previous selection.
The SEEK button is inactive if the tape mode on
the front radio is in use.
While listening to a CD, press the up arrow to hear the
next track on the CD. Press the down arrow to go
back to the start of the current track (if more than eight
seconds have played). The SEEK button is inactive
if the CD mode on the front radio is in use.
To scan stations, press and hold one of the SEEK
arrows until the radio goes into scan mode. The radio
will scan to a station, play for a few seconds, then go on
to the next station. Press SEEK again to stop scanning.
The scan function is inactive if front radio is in use.P.SET PROG (Preset Program):The front passengers
must be listening to something different for each of
these functions to work:
•Press this button to scan through the preset radio
stations set on the pushbuttons on the main radio.
The radio will go to a preset station stored on
your pushbuttons, play for a few seconds, then go
on to the next preset station. Press this button
again to stop scanning presets.
•When a cassette tape is playing, press this button
to go to the other side of the tape.
•When a CD is playing, press this button to
select a disc.
TAPE CD:Press this button to switch between playing
a cassette tape or a compact disc when listening to
the radio. The inactive tape or compact disc will remain
safely inside the radio for future listening.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK®is designed to discourage theft of your
radio. It works by using a secret code to disable all radio
functions whenever battery power is removed and the
radio is placed in a different vehicle. This feature
requires no user input to be activated. It is automatically
armed when it is put into the vehicle for thefirst time.
When the ignition is turned off, the blinking red light
indicates that THEFTLOCK
®is armed.
3-106
2003 - Rendezvous OM

{CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down. They could
get so hot that they wouldn’t work well. You
would then have poor braking or even none
going down a hill. You could crash. Always
have your engine running and your vehicle in
gear when you go downhill.
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down
to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your
engine and transaxle, and you can climb the
hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or
cut across the center of the road. Drive at speeds
that let you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There
could be something in your lane, like a stalled car or
an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that
warn of special problems. Examples are long
grades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks
area or winding roads. Be alert to these and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
4-25
2003 - Rendezvous OM

shortly after you start your vehicle, and periodically as
the system self-adjusts. This is normal. See“Retained
Accessory Power (RAP)”underIgnition Positions
on page 2-19.
The compressor should operate for brief periods of time.
If the sound continues for an extended period of time
(longer than one minute) or occurs many times
within one trip, your vehicle needs service.
Using heavier suspension components to get added
durability might not change your weight ratings. Ask your
dealer to help you load your vehicle the right way.
Towing a Trailer
{CAUTION:
If you don’t use the correct equipment and
drive properly, you can lose control when you
pull a trailer. For example, if the trailer is too
heavy, the brakes may not work well -- or even
at all. You and your passengers could be
seriously injured. Pull a trailer only if you have
followed all the steps in this section. Ask your
dealer for advice and information about towing
a trailer with your vehicle.Notice:Pulling a trailer improperly can damage
your vehicle and result in costly repairs not covered
by your warranty. To pull a trailer correctly, follow
the advice in this part, and see your dealer for
important information about towing a trailer with
your vehicle. Additional rear axle maintenance
is required for a vehicle used to tow a trailer. See
“Scheduled Maintenance Services”in the Index.
Your vehicle can tow a trailer. To identify what the
vehicle trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you should
read the information in“Weight of the Trailer”that
appears later in this section. But trailering is different
than just driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering means
changes in handling, durability and fuel economy.
Successful, safe trailering takes correct equipment, and
it has to be used properly.
That’s the reason for this section. In it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many of these are important for your safety and that of
your passengers. So please read this section carefully
before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle,
wheel assemblies and tires are forced to work harder
against the drag of the added weight. The engine
is required to operate at relatively higher speeds and
under greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s more,
the trailer adds considerably to wind resistance,
increasing the pulling requirements.
4-34
2003 - Rendezvous OM