Page 279 of 408
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
SeeEngine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for
location of the engine air cleaner/®lter.
When to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter
Inspect the air cleaner/®lter every 15,000 miles
(25 000 km) and replace every 30,000 (50 000 km). If
you are driving in dusty/dirty conditions, inspect the ®lter
at each engine oil change.
How to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter
To inspect the air cleaner/®lter, remove the ®lter from
the vehicle and lightly shake the ®lter to release
loose dust and dirt. If the ®lter remains caked with dirt, a
new ®lter is required.
To inspect or replace the ®lter, do the following:
1. Loosen the air duct
clamp, which is located
at the mass air¯ow
sensor end of the
air duct.
2. Disconnect the air duct from the mass
air¯ow sensor.
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3. Unhook both of the engine air cleaner/®lter cover
latches.
4. Move the cover out of the way.5. Take out the engine air cleaner/®lter and remove
any loose debris that may be found lying in
the base.
6. Install a new air ®lter element. See
Normal
Maintenance Replacement Parts on page 5-101for
the proper type.
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Follow these steps to reinstall the engine air
cleaner/®lter assembly:
1. Slide the cover into the slots in the bottom of
the base.
2. Close the cover and make sure that both latches
are secure and fully engaged.
3. Reinstall the clean air duct over the mass air¯ow
sensor. Make sure that the duct is secure around
the entire outer edge of the sensor.
4. Tighten the air duct clamp.
{CAUTION:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner/®lter
off can cause you or others to be burned. The
air cleaner not only cleans the air, it helps to
stop ¯ame if the engine back®res. If it is not
there and the engine back®res, you could be
burned. Do not drive with it off, and be
careful working on the engine with the air
cleaner/®lter off.
Notice:If the air cleaner/®lter is off, a back®re can
cause a damaging engine ®re. And, dirt can easily get
into your engine, which will damage it. Always have
the air cleaner/®lter in place when you're driving.
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle ¯uid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the ¯uid and ®lter every 50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
·In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches 90É F (32É C) or higher.
·In hilly or mountainous terrain.
·When doing frequent trailer towing.
·Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the ¯uid and ®lter do not require change until
the message CHANGE TRANS FLUID appears on
the Driver Information Center.
See
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on
page 6-4.
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How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at the dealership service
department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
Notice:Too much or too little ¯uid can damage
your transaxle. Too much can mean that some of the
¯uid could come out and fall on hot engine or
exhaust system parts, starting a ®re. Too little ¯uid
could cause the transaxle to overheat. Be sure
to get an accurate reading if you check your
transaxle ¯uid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
¯uid level if you have been driving:
·When outside temperatures are above 90ÉF (32ÉC).
·At high speed for quite a while.
·In heavy traffic ± especially in hot weather.
·While pulling a trailer.To get the right reading, the ¯uid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180É F to 200É F
(82É C to 93É C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above
50É F (10É C). If it's colder than 50ÉF (10ÉC), you may
have to drive longer.
Checking the Fluid Level
Prepare your vehicle as follows:
·Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine
running.
·With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK (P).
·With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in PARK (P).
·Let the engine run at idle for three to ®ve minutes.
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Then, without shutting off the engine, follow these steps:
The transaxle ¯uid cap is
located next to the radiator
hose and below the
engine air cleaner/®lter
assembly in the engine
compartment on the
driver's side of the vehicle.
See
Engine Compartment
Overview on page 5-12
for more information
on location.
1. After removing the engine air cleaner/®lter assembly
to reach the transaxle ¯uid cap, turn the cap
counterclockwise to remove. Pull out the dipstick
and wipe it with a clean rag or paper towel.
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and
then pull it back out again.3. Check both sides of the dipstick, and read the
lower level. The ¯uid level must be in the
cross-hatched area.
4. If the ¯uid level is in the acceptable range, push the
dipstick back in all the way and turn the handle
clockwise. Reinstall the engine air cleaner/®lter
assembly.
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How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transaxle ¯uid to use. SeePart D:
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-15.
If the ¯uid level is low, add only enough of the proper
¯uid to bring the level into the cross-hatched area on the
dipstick.
1. Pull out the dipstick.
2. Using a long-neck funnel, add enough ¯uid at the
dipstick hole to bring it to the proper level.
It doesn't take much ¯uid, generally less than one
pint (0.5 L). Don't over®ll.
Notice:We recommend you use only ¯uid labeled
DEXRONž±III, because ¯uid with that label is
made especially for your automatic transaxle.
Damage caused by ¯uid other than DEXRON
ž±III is
not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
3. After adding ¯uid, recheck the ¯uid level as
described under
How to Check.
4. When the correct ¯uid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way and turn the handle
clockwise. Reinstall the engine air cleaner/®lter
assembly.
How to Reset the Transaxle Fluid
Change Indicator
Once the transaxle ¯uid has been changed, the
transaxle ¯uid change indicator must be reset. Use the
following steps to reset the indicator:
1. Press the INFO button on the Driver Information
Center (DIC) until TRANS FLUID LIFE is displayed.
2. Press and hold the INFO RESET button until 100%
is displayed.
The indicator is now reset. The percentage of transaxle
¯uid life remaining may be checked at any time by
pressing the INFO button several times until the TRANS
FLUID LIFE message appears.
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Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is ®lled with
DEX-COOLžengine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for 5 years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs ®rst, if you add
only DEX-COOL
žextended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, see
Engine Overheating on
page 5-28.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
žcoolant will:
·Give freezing protection down to-34É F (-37É C).
·Give boiling protection up to 265É F (129É C).
·Protect against rust and corrosion.
·Help keep the proper engine temperature.
·Let the warning lights and gages work as they
should.
Notice:When adding coolant, it is important that
you use only DEX-COOLž(silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOLžis added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the engine
coolant will require change sooner -- at 30,000 miles
(50,000 km) or 24 months, whichever occurs ®rst.
Damage caused by the use of coolant other
than DEX-COOL
žis not covered by your new vehicle
warranty.
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What to Use
Use a mixture of one-halfclean, drinkable waterand
one-half DEX-COOLžcoolant which won't damage
aluminum parts. If you use this coolant mixture,
you don't need to add anything else.
{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle's coolant warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you would not get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch ®re and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
žcoolant.
Notice:If you use an improper coolant mixture,
your engine could overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost wouldn't be covered by your
warranty. Too much water in the mixture can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer check your cooling system.
Notice:If you use the proper coolant, you don't
have to add extra inhibitors or additives which claim
to improve the system. These can be harmful.
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