
In very cold weather, 0ÉF (-18ÉC) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You'll get easier starting
and better fuel economy during engine warm-up.
Usually, the coolant heater should be plugged in a
minimum of four hours prior to starting your vehicle. At
temperatures above 32ÉF (0ÉC), use of the coolant
heater is not required.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
The electrical cord is located on the driver's side
of the engine, behind the transaxle dipstick/¯uid ®ll
location (C) and next to the engine.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
{CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the
wrong kind of extension cord could overheat
and cause a ®re. You could be seriously injured.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
Plug the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet. If the cord will
not reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If you don't, it could be
damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead
of trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where you'll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.
2-27

THIRD (3):This position is also used for normal driving,
however, it offers more power and lower fuel economy
than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (
X).
Here are examples for using THIRD (3) instead of
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (
X):
·When driving on hilly, winding roads.
·When going down a steep hill.
SECOND (2):This position gives you more power. You
can use SECOND (2) on hills. It can help control
your speed as you go down steep mountain roads, but
then you would also want to use your brakes off
and on.
Notice:Don't shift into SECOND (2) unless you are
going slower than 65 mph (105 km/h), or you can
damage your engine.
FIRST (1):This position gives you even more power
than SECOND (2). You can use it on very steep hills, or
in deep snow or mud.
If the traction control switch is off, your vehicle will not
go into FIRST (1) gear and the vehicle will accelerate
from stop more slowly. This can help in deep snow
or mud conditions. When the traction control is turned
off, a message will light up on the Driver Information
Center (DIC).
Notice:If your front wheels won't turn, don't try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transaxle. Also,
if you stop when going uphill, don't hold your
vehicle there with only the accelerator pedal. This
could overheat and damage the transaxle. Use your
brakes to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
Performance Shift Display (STS Only)
When your vehicle detects a change in driving
conditions, it will automatically initiate the appropriate
performance shift mode. When this occurs, the
gear display on the instrument panel cluster will change
to indicate that the transaxle has shifted to a different
gear. For example, the gear display on the cluster may
indicate D, 3, 2, or 1 even though the gearshift lever
is still in AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (
X). Once
the performance shift mode ends, the gear display on
the instrument panel cluster will return to normal.
2-30

Reach under the driver's side of the instrument panel
and pull down on the manual release lever, which
is located behind the parking brake pedal. Pull down on
the yellow tab as shown by the arrow in the illustration.
If the parking brake does not release, you should
have your vehicle towed to your dealer for service.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
cause your rear brakes to overheat. You may have
to replace them, and you could also damage
other parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on a hill, see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-35.
Shifting Into Park (P)
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake ®rmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine running, the
vehicle can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure your vehicle will
not move, even when you are on fairly level
ground, use the steps that follow. If you are
pulling a trailer, see ªTowing a Trailerº in
the Index.
2-32

1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot.
2. Move the shift lever
into PARK (P) by
pushing the lever all
the way toward
the front of your vehicle
and then to the left.
3. With your right foot still holding the brake pedal
down, set the parking brake.
4. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
5. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake ®rmly set.
And, if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running, it could overheat and even catch ®re.
You or others could be injured. Do not leave
your vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is ®rmly set before you leave it.
2-33

Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Light
This light tells you that
your engine has
overheated. As a check,
the light should come
on for a few seconds when
you start your engine.
If this light comes on and stays on, you should
stop your vehicle and turn the engine off as soon as
possible. A warning chime should also sound if this light
comes on.
See
Engine Overheating on page 5-28.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer moves into the shaded area, the engine
is too hot.
That reading means the same thing as the warning
light ± the engine coolant has overheated. See
Engine
Overheating on page 5-28.
United StatesCanada
3-46

CHECK WASHER FLUID ± 25:This message means
that your vehicle is low on windshield washer ¯uid.
See
Windshield Washer Fluid on page 5-39.
DRIVER DOOR AJAR ± 140:This message will
display anytime the key is in ON, the transaxle is not in
PARK (P) and the driver's door is open or ajar. A
chime will sound when the vehicle's speed is greater
than 3 mph (4.8 km/h).
DRIVE NO. X (1 OR 2):This message will be displayed
with the key in ON and while entering FEATURE
PROGRAMMING, but only if the vehicle is equipped
with memory seats. The message will show which driver
is activating the personalization feature. It will only
stay on for ®ve seconds. This message can be
customized for you by your dealer.
ENGINE COOLANT HOT, IDLE ENGINE ± 44:This
message will appear when the engine coolant
temperature is over 262ÉF (128ÉC). Stop and allow your
vehicle to idle in PARK (P) until it cools down and the
message is removed. Do not increase engine speed
above a normal idle. If it does not cool down, turn off the
engine and have it serviced before driving it again.
Severe engine damage can result from an overheated
engine. See
Engine Overheating on page 5-28.ENGINE HOT±AC OFF ± 16:This message displays
when the engine coolant becomes hotter than the normal
operating temperature. To avoid added strain on a hot
engine, the air conditioning compressor is automatically
turned off. When the coolant temperature returns to
normal, the A/C operation will automatically resume. You
can continue to drive your vehicle. If this message
continues to appear, have the system repaired as soon
as possible to avoid compressor damage.
ENGINE OVERHEATED, STOP ENGINE ± 42:This
message will appear when the engine has overheated.
Stop and turn the engine off immediately to avoid
severe engine damage. See
Engine Overheating on
page 5-28. A multiple chime will also sound when this
message is displayed.
ENGINE POWER REDUCED ± 41:This message
informs you that the vehicle is reducing engine power
because the transaxle is being placed in gear under
conditions that may cause damage to the vehicle's
engine, transaxle or ability to accelerate.
FUEL LEVEL LOW ± 11:This message serves as a
warning that the fuel level in the tank is critically
low. Stop for fuel soon. A single chime will sound when
this message is displayed.
3-59

TRACTION SUSPENDED ± 56:This message displays
when the traction control system has been temporarily
shut off because your vehicle's brakes have overheated.
This message does not indicate a problem with your
vehicle's traction control system. After a few minutes,
the traction control system will be available again
and the TRACTION READY message will appear.
TRANS HOT IDLE ENGINE ± 112:This message
indicates that the transaxle ¯uid in your vehicle is too
hot. Stop and allow your vehicle to idle until it cools
down or until this message is removed.
TRUNK OPEN ± 24:This message indicates that the
trunk is open when the ignition is on.
TURN SIGNAL ON ± 20:If you drive your vehicle for
more than a mile with a turn signal on, this message will
appear as a reminder to turn off the turn signal. A
multiple chime will sound when this message is
displayed.
VEHICLE OVERSPEED ± 52:This message is
displayed when the vehicle speed exceeds a certain
limit as required by some export countries. A continuous
chime will sound when this message is displayed.Climate Controls and Radio System
Personalization
These features allow both drivers to personalize their
own climate control settings as well as their radio
settings. For more information, see
Climate Controls
Personalization on page 3-36andRadio Personalization
with Home and Away Feature on page 3-102.
The outside temperature is always available for display
if it has been selected for a DIC display when your
vehicle is running unless an overriding DIC message
appears. You can change the temperature from
Fahrenheit to Celsius by pressing the ENG/MET
(English/metric) button on the instrument panel. For
more information on the DIC, see
DIC Warnings
and Messages on page 3-56.
The electronic sensor can be affected by road or engine
heat during idling, slow driving or when the engine is
®rst started after a short trip. To ensure proper automatic
climate control operation, the outside air temperature
display may not update as quickly as expected. This is
to allow the air surrounding the outside temperature
sensor to be as close to the actual outside conditions as
possible. This is determined by how much time has
elapsed since the vehicle has been turned off and by
vehicle speed.
3-63

Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or so until help comes.
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will
need to spin the wheels, but you don't want to spin your
wheels too fast. The method known as ªrockingº can
help you get out when you're stuck, but you must
use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they
can explode, and you or others could be
injured. And, the transaxle or other parts of the
vehicle can overheat. That could cause an
engine compartment ®re or other damage.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
When you are stuck, spin the wheels as little as
possible. Do not spin the wheels above 35 mph
(55 km/h) as shown on the speedometer.
Notice:Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting your transaxle back
and forth, you can destroy your transaxle. See
ªRocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out.º
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see
Tire Chains on page 5-72.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. You should turn
your traction control system off. See
Traction Control
System (TCS) on page 4-9. Then shift back and
forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward gear,
spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release the
accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on the
accelerator pedal when the transaxle is in gear. By
slowly spinning your wheels in the forward and reverse
directions, you will cause a rocking motion that may
free your vehicle. If that doesn't get you out after a few
tries, you may need to be towed out. If you do need
to be towed out, see ªTowing Your Vehicleº following.
4-30