The condition of your vehicle and
your driving habits are the two most
important things that affect the fuel
mileage you get.
Always maintain your vehicle accord-
ing to the maintenance schedule.
This will keep it in top operating
condition.A cold engine uses more f uel than a
warm engine. It is not necessary to
‘‘warm-up’’ a cold engine by letting it
idle f or a long time. You can drive
away in about a minute, no matter
how cold it is outside. The engine
will warm up f aster, and you get
better f uel economy. To cut down on
the number of ‘‘cold starts,’’ try to
combine several short trips into one.
You can improve f uel economy by
driving moderately. Rapid acceler-
ation, abrupt cornering, and hard
braking use more f uel.
Always drive in the highest gear that
allows the engine to run and acceler-
ate smoothly.
Depending on traf f ic conditions, try
to maintain a constant speed. Every
time you slow down and speed up,
your vehicle uses extra f uel. Use the
cruise control, when appropriate, to
increase f uel economy.
The air conditioning puts an extra
load on the engine which makes it
usemorefuel.Turnoff theA/Cto
cut down on air conditioning use.
Use the f low-through ventilation
when the outside air temperature is
moderate.
In winter, the build-up of snow on
your vehicle’s underside adds weight
and rolling resistance. Frequent
cleaning helps your f uel mileage and
reduces the chance of corrosion. An important part of that mainte-
nance is the (see page ). For
example, an underinf lated tire
causes more ‘‘rolling resistance,’’
which uses f uel. It also wears out
f aster, so check the tire pressure at
least monthly. 281
Vehicle Condition
Driving Habits
Owner Maintenance
Checks
Bef ore Driving
Fuel Economy
222
µµAlways drive
slower than you would in dry
weather. It takes your vehicle longer
to react, even in conditions that may
seem just barely damp. Apply
smooth, even pressure to all the
controls. Abrupt steering wheel
movements or sudden, hard appli-
cation of the brakes can cause loss of
control in wet weather. Be extra
cautious f or the f irst f ew miles
(kilometers) of driving while you
adjust to the change in driving
conditions. This is especially true in
snow. A person can f orget some
snow-driving techniques during the
summer months. Practice is needed
to relearn those skills.
Exercise extra caution when driving
in rain af ter a long dry spell. Af ter
months of dry weather, the f irst
rains bring oil to the surf ace of the
roadway, making it slippery.
Rain, f og, and snow conditions re-
quire a dif f erent driving technique
because of reduced traction and
visibility. Keep your vehicle well-
maintained and exercise greater
caution when you need to drive in
bad weather. The cruise control
should not be used in these condi-
tions. Being able to see
clearly in all directions and being
visible to other drivers are important
in all weather conditions. This is
more dif f icult in bad weather. To be
seen more clearly during daylight
hours, turn on your headlights.
Inspect your windshield wipers and
washers f requently. Keep the wind-
shield washer reservoir f ull of the
proper f luid. Have the windshield
wiper blades replaced if they start to
streak the windshield or leave parts
unwiped. Use the def rosters and air
conditioning to keep the windows
f rom f ogging up on the inside (see
page ). 125
CONT INUED
Driving T echnique Visibility
Driving in Bad Weather
Driving245
This indicator should come on when
the ignition switch is ON (II), and go
out af ter the engine starts. If it
comes on brightly when the engine
is running, it indicates that the
charging system has stopped
charging the battery.By eliminating as much of the
electrical load as possible, you can
drive several miles (kilometers)
before the battery is too discharged
to keep the engine running. Drive to
a service station or garage where
you can get technical assistance.
Immediately turn of f all electrical
accessories:radio,heater,A/C,
climate control, rear def ogger, cruise
control, etc. Try not to use other
electrically-operated controls such as
the power windows. Keep the engine
running and take extra care not to
stall it. Starting the engine will
discharge the battery rapidly.
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
Charging System Indicator
348
CHARGING SYSTEM INDICATOR
ÎÎ
Î
µ
µ µ
Î
Î
Amps.
No. Circuits Protected
No. Amps.
Circuits Protected
15 A
10 A
7.5 A
7.5 A 7.5 A15 A
7.5 A
7.5 A 10 A
7.5 A 15 A
30 A
7.5 A
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
On Canadian models Driver’s Power Window
Driver’s Power Seat Reclining
Heated Seat
Driver’s Power Seat Sliding
Not used
Daytime Running Light
Driver’s side Rear Power
Window
Front Passenger’s Power
Window
Front Accessory Socket, Radio
Small Light
Interior Light, Navi
Power Door Lock
Back Up
Not used
Not used
Passenger’s Side Rear Power
Window
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16 20 A
20 A
20 A
20 A
10 A
20 A
20 A
15 A
15 A
10 A
20 A
7.5 A
20 A
Fuel Pump
SRS
Heater Control, A/C Clutch
Relay, Cooling Fan Relay
Power Mirror, VTM-4
Daytime Running Light
ECU(PCM),CruiseControl
OPDS, Rear Wiper
ACC Relay
Back-up Lights, Instrument
Lights
Turn Signals
IG Coil
Front Wiper
Starter Signal
1 : Canadian models
1
Fuses
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed357
Driver’s Side INTERIOR FUSE BOX Passenger’s Side
Front Front
:
Make sure the gas tank is nearly,
but not completely, f ull (around
3/4).
Make sure the vehicle has been
parked with the engine of f f or 8
hours or more.
Make sure the ambient
temperature is between 20° and
95°F.
Without touching the accelerator
pedal, start the engine and let it
idle f or 20 seconds.Keep the vehicle in Park.
Increase the engine speed to 2,000
rpm and hold it there until the
temperature gauge rises to at least
1/4of thescale(approximately3
minutes).
If you take your vehicle f or a state
emissions test shortly af ter the
battery has been disconnected or
gone dead, it may not pass the test.
This is because of certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that must be set in the on-
board diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. These codes are erased
when the battery is disconnected,
and set again only after several days
of driving under a variety of
conditions.
If the testing f acility determines that
the readiness codes are not set, you
will be requested to return at a later
date to complete the test. If you must
get the vehicle re-tested within the
next two or three days, you can
condition the vehicle for re-testing
by doing the f ollowing. Select a nearby lightly traveled
major highway where you can
maintain a speed of 50 to 60 mph
(80to97km/h)foratleast20
minutes. Drive on the highway in
D. Do not use the cruise control.
When traffic allows, drive for 90
seconds without moving the
accelerator pedal. (Vehicle speed
may vary slightly; this is okay.) If
you cannot do this f or a
continuous 90 seconds because of
traf f ic conditions, drive f or at least
30 seconds, then repeat it two
more times (for a total of 90
seconds).
T echnical Inf ormation
T esting of Readiness Codes
St at e Emissions T est ing
371
Î
................................
Cancel Button .209
............................
Capacities Chart .362
.............
Carbon Monoxide Hazard . 56
.............................
Carrying Cargo .225
Cassette Player ............................................
Care .181
...................
Operation . 149,160,178
..............
CAUTION, Explanation of . ii
..................
CD Changer . 145,165,184
......................
CD Player .143, 163,182
........................
Certif ication Label .360
............................................
Chains .315
Change Oil ........................................
How to .285
.............................
When to .274, 276
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .335
............
Changing Engine Coolant . 289
...
Charging System Indicator . 62,348
............
Checklist, Bef ore Driving . 231
..................
Childproof Door Locks . 87
.....................................
Child Saf ety .21
.......................................
Child Seats .21
..........
Tether Anchorage Points . 42
....................
Cleaner Element, Air . 297Cleaning
....................
Aluminum Wheels .327
...................................
Carpeting .328
......................................
Exterior .326
.........................................
Fabric .329
.......................................
Interior .328
.......................................
Leather .329
...................................
Seat Belts .329
...........................................
Vinyl .329
....................................
Windows .330
...............
Climate Control System . 128
......................................
Coat Hook .111
.....................
Code, Audio System .189
........................
CO in the Exhaust .368
........................................
Coin Box .111
............
Cold Weather, Starting in . 232
..............................
Compact Spare .334
...............
Consumer Inf ormation . 374
.............
Controls, Instruments and . 59
Coolant ........................................
Adding .287
....................................
Checking .221
.........................
Proper Solution .287
...................................
Replacing .289
...................
Temperature Gauge . 68
....................
Corrosion Protection .331 Crankcase Emissions Control
........................................
System .368
............
Cruise Control Operation . 207
Customer Relations ................................
Inf ormation .374
................
DANGER, Explanation of . ii
...................................
Dashboard .2, 60
................
Daytime Running Lights . 73
............
Def ects, Reporting Saf ety . 376
................
Def ogger, Rear Window . 77
......
Def rosting the Windows . 125,133
....................................
Dimensions .362
...............
Dimming the Headlights . 72
Dipstick ..........
Automatic Transmission . 293
..................................
Engine Oil .220
..........................
Directional Signals .74
........
Disc Brake Wear Indicators . 241
.....................
Disposal of Used Oil .286
Doors ..............
Locking and Unlocking . 82
....................
Lockout Prevention . 83
......................
Power Door Locks .82
Index
C
D
II