
Illuminated entry
The interior lamps illuminate when the remote entry system is used to
unlock the door(s).
The system automatically turns off after 25 seconds or when the ignition
is turned to the ON or ACC position. The dome lamp control (if
equipped) mustnotbe set to the OFF position for the illuminated entry
system to operate.
The inside lights will not turn off if:
•they have been turned on with the dimmer control, or
•any door is open.
The battery saver will shut off the interior lamps 10 minutes after the
ignition has been turned to the OFF position.
Smart unlocking feature
The smart unlocking feature prevents you from locking yourself out of
the vehicle by unlocking the doors if the key is in the ignition and the
driver’s door is open/ajar when the vehicle doors were locked using the
power lock/unlock control.
The smart unlocking feature operates independent of the position of the
ignition.
Autolocking feature
The autolocking feature locks all vehicle doors when the following
conditions are met:
•All doors, including the liftgate, are closed.
•The brake is pressed while the ignition is in the RUN position.
•The transmission is in either a forward or reverse gear.
•The vehicle has a speed of 8 km/h (5 mph) or greater.
This feature relocks all doors if any door is opened, the brake is pressed
after all doors are closed again and the vehicle has a speed of 8 km/h (5
mph) or greater.
Deactivating/activating the autolock feature
The autolock feature may be deactivated/activated by selecting the
autolock function (accessed by pressing the SETUP control). Press the
RESET control to turn the autolock function ON or OFF. Refer to
Message centerin theDriver controlschapter for additional
information.
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•Front and rear seats
All safety restraints in the vehicle are combination lapand shoulder
belts. All of the passenger combination lap and shoulder belts have two
types of locking modes described below:
Vehicle sensitive mode
This is the normal retractor mode, which allows free shoulder belt length
adjustment to your movements and locking in response to vehicle
movement. For example, if the driver brakes suddenly or turns a corner
sharply, or the vehicle receives an impact of approximately 8 km/h (5
mph) or more, the combination safety belts will lock to help reduce
forward movement of the driver and passengers.
Automatic locking mode
In this mode, the shoulder belt is pre-locked. The belt will still retract to
remove any slack in the shoulder belt.
The automatic locking mode is not available on the driver safety belt.
When to use the automatic locking mode
•Anytimea child safety seat (except a booster) is installed in the
vehicle. Children 12 years old and under should be properly restrained
in the rear seat whenever possible. Refer toSafety restraints for
childrenorSafety seats for childrenlater in this chapter.
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135

Reasons given... Consider...
“I have an air bag” Air bags offer greater protection when
used with safety belts. Frontal airbags
are not designed to inflate in rear and
side crashes or rollovers.
“I’d rather be thrown clear” Not a good idea.Peoplewho are
ejected are 40 times more likely
to DIE.Safety belts helpprevent
ejection, WE CAN’T “PICK OUR
CRASH”.
Do not sit on topof a buckled safety belt to avoid the Belt
Minder chime. Sitting on the safety belt will increase the risk of
injury in an accident. To disable (one-time) or deactivate the Belt
Minder feature please follow the directions stated below.
One time disable
Any time the safety belt is buckled and then unbuckled during an
ignition ON cycle, BeltMinder will be disabled for that ignition cycle only.
Deactivating/activating the BeltMinder feature
Read steps1-9thoroughly before proceeding with the
deactivation/activation programming procedure.
The BeltMinder feature can be deactivated/activated by performing the
following procedure:
Before following the procedure, make sure that:
•The parking brake is set
•The gearshift is in P (Park) (automatic transmission)
•The ignition switch is in the OFF position
•All vehicle doors are closed
•The driver’s safety belt is unbuckled
•The parklamps/headlamps are in OFF position (If vehicle is equipped
with Autolamps, this will not affect the procedure.)
To reduce the risk of injury, do not deactivate/activate the Belt
Minder feature while driving the vehicle.
Seating and Safety Restraints
141

If you smell exhaust fumes inside your vehicle, have your dealer
inspect your vehicle immediately. Do not drive if you smell
exhaust fumes.
Important safety precautions
A computer system controls the engine’s idle revolutions per minute
(RPM). When the engine starts, the idle RPM runs higher than normal in
order to warm the engine. If the engine idle speed does not slow down
automatically, have the vehicle checked.
Before starting the vehicle:
1. Make sure all vehicle occupants have buckled their safety belts. For
more information on safety belts and their proper usage, refer to the
Seating and safety restraintschapter.
2. Make sure vehicle accessories are off.
•Make sure the parking brake is
set.
•Make sure the gearshift lever is in
P (Park).
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3. If the temperature is below -12° C (10° F) and the engine does not
start in 15 seconds on the first try, turn the key OFF and wait 10
seconds and try again. If the engine does not start in two attempts, press
the accelerator pedal all the way to floor and hold. Turn the key to
START position.
4. When the engine starts, release the key, then release the accelerator
pedal gradually as the engine speeds up.
5. After idling for a few seconds, apply the brake, shift into gear and
drive.
Using the engine block heater (if equipped)
An engine block heater warms the engine coolant which aids in starting
and heater/defroster performance. Use of an engine block heater is
strongly recommended if you live in a region where temperatures reach
-23° C (-10° F) or below. For best results, plug the heater in at least
three hours before starting the vehicle. The heater can be plugged in the
night before starting the vehicle.
To prevent electrical shock, do not use your heater with
ungrounded electrical systems or two-pronged (cheater)
adapters.
Guarding against exhaust fumes
Carbon monoxide is present in exhaust fumes. Take precautions to avoid
its dangerous effects.
If you smell exhaust fumes inside your vehicle, have your dealer
inspect your vehicle immediately. Do not drive if you smell
exhaust fumes.
Important ventilating information
If the engine is idling while the vehicle is stopped for a long period of
time, open the windows at least 2.5 cm (one inch) or adjust the heating
or air conditioning to bring in fresh air.
BRAKES
Your service brakes are self-adjusting. Refer to the scheduled
maintenance guide for scheduled maintenance.
Occasional brake noise is normal and often does not indicate a
performance concern with the vehicle’s brake system. In normal
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167

operation, automotive brake systems may emit occasional or intermittent
squeal or groan noises when the brakes are applied. Such noises are
usually heard during the first few brake applications in the morning;
however, they may be heard at any time while braking and can be
aggravated by environmental conditions such as cold, heat, moisture,
road dust, salt or mud. If a “metal-to-metal,” “continuous grinding” or
“continuous squeal” sound is present while braking, the brake linings
may be worn-out and should be inspected by a qualified service
technician.
If you are driving down a long or steephill, shift to a lower gear.
Do not apply your brakes continuously, as they may overheat
and become less effective.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
On ABS-equipped vehicles, a noise from the hydraulic pump motor and
pulsation in the pedal may be observed during ABS braking events. Pedal
pulsation coupled with noise while braking under panic conditions or on
loose gravel, bumps, wet or snowy roads is normal and indicates proper
functioning of the vehicle’s anti-lock brake system. The ABS performs a
self-check after you start the engine and begin to drive away. A brief
mechanical noise may be heard during this test. This is normal. If a
malfunction is found, the ABS warning light will come on. If the vehicle
has continuous vibration or shudder in the steering wheel while braking,
the vehicle should be inspected by a qualified service technician.
The ABS operates by detecting the onset of wheel lockup during brake
applications and compensates for this tendency. The wheels are
prevented from locking even when the brakes are firmly applied.
Using ABS
•In an emergency or when maximum efficiency from the four-wheel
ABS is required, apply continuous force on the brake. The four wheel
ABS will be activated immediately, thus allowing you to retain steering
control of your vehicle and, providing there is sufficient space, will
enable you to avoid obstacles and bring the vehicle to a controlled
stop.
•The anti-lock system does not always reduce stopping distance.
Always leave enough room between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front of you to stop.
•We recommend that you familiarize yourself with this braking
technique. However, avoid taking any unnecessary risks.
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Brake Assist (if equipped)
The Brake Assist system provides full braking force during panic braking
situations. It detects a rapid application of the brake pedal and
maximizes the amount of brake booster assist, helping the driver to
achieve maximum braking pressure. Once a panic brake application is
detected, the system will remain activated as long as the brake pedal is
depressed. The system is deactivated by releasing the brake pedal.
When the system activates, the brake pedal will travel with very little
effort; this is normal.
ABS warning lamp
ABS
TheABSwarning lampin the instrument cluster momentarily illuminates
when the ignition is turned to the ON position. If the light does not
illuminate momentarily at start up, remains on or continues to flash, the
ABS needs to be serviced.
With the ABS light on, the anti-lock
brake system is disabled and normal
braking is still effective unless the
brake warning light also remains
illuminated with parking brake
released. (If your brake warning lampilluminates, have your vehicle
serviced immediately.)
Parking brake
Apply the parking brake whenever
the vehicle is parked. To set the
parking brake, press the parking
brake pedal down until the pedal
stops.
The BRAKE warning lampin the
instrument cluster illuminates and
remains illuminated (when the
ignition is turned ON) until the
parking brake is released.
P!
BRAKE
!
BRAKE
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Always set the parking brake fully and make sure that the
gearshift is securely latched in P (Park).
The parking brake is not recommended to stop a moving vehicle.
However, if the normal brakes fail, the parking brake can be used to stop
your vehicle in an emergency. Since the parking brake applies only the
rear brakes, the vehicle’s stopping distance will increase greatly and the
handling of your vehicle will be adversely affected.
Pull the release lever to release the
brake. Driving with the parking
brake on will cause the brakes to
wear out quickly and reduce fuel
economy.
ADVANCETRACSTABILITY ENHANCEMENT SYSTEM
(IF EQUIPPED)
The AdvanceTracsystem provides a stability enhancement feature as
well as a traction enhancement feature. It helps your vehicle maintain
traction, when driving on slippery and/or hilly road surfaces, by detecting
and controlling wheel spin. Excessive wheel spin is controlled by
momentarily reducing engine power and rapidly applying the anti-lock
brakes. The system is a driver aid which makes your vehicle easier to
handle primarily on snow and ice-covered roads.
If your vehicle should become stuck in deepsnow or mud, try switching
the AdvanceTracsystem off by pressing the AdvanceTracbutton.
This will allow your tires to “dig” for traction.
If the AdvanceTracsystem is activated and deactivated excessively in a
short period of time, the brake portion of the system will shut down to
allow the brakes to cool down. A limited AdvanceTracfunction using
only engine power reduction will still help control the wheels from
over-spinning. When the brakes have cooled down, the system will again
function normally. Anti-lock braking is not affected by this condition and
will function normally during the cool-down period.
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