Conditions of operation
If... Then...
The driver's safety belt is not
buckled before the ignition switch
is turned to the ON position...The safety belt warning light
illuminates 1-2 minutes and the
warning chime sounds 4-8
seconds.
The driver's safety belt is buckled
while the indicator light is
illuminated and the warning chime
is sounding...The safety belt warning light and
warning chime turn off.
The driver's safety belt is buckled
before the ignition switch is turned
to the ON position...The safety belt warning light and
indicator chime remain off.
BeltMinder
The BeltMinder feature is a supplemental warning to the safety belt
warning function. This feature provides additional reminders by
intermittently sounding a chime and illuminating the safety belt warning
lamp in the instrument cluster when the driver's safety belt is unbuckled.
The BeltMinder feature uses information from the passenger occupant
classification sensor to determine if a front seat passenger is present and
therefore potentially in need of a warning. To avoid activating the
BeltMinder feature for objects placed in the front passenger seat,
warnings will only be given to large front seat occupants as determined
by the passenger occupant classification sensor.
Both the driver's and passenger's safety belt usages are monitored and
either may activate the BeltMinder feature. The warnings are the same
for the driver and the front passenger. If the BeltMinder warnings have
expired (warnings for approximately 5 minutes) for one occupant (driver
or front passenger), the other occupant can still activate the BeltMinder
feature.
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If... Then...
The driver's and front passenger's
safety belts are buckled before the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
position or less than 1-2 minutes
have elapsed since the ignition
switch has been turned ON...The BeltMinder feature will not
activate.
The driver's or front passenger's
safety belt is not buckled when the
vehicle has reached at least 5 km/h
(3 mph) and 1-2 minutes have
elapsed since the ignition switch
has been turned to ON...The BeltMinder feature is
activated - the safety belt warning
light illuminates and the warning
chime sounds for 6 seconds every
30 seconds, repeating for
approximately 5 minutes or until
the safety belts are buckled.
The driver's or front passenger's
safety belt becomes unbuckled for
approximately 1 minute while the
vehicle is traveling at least 5 km/h
(3 mph) and more than 1-2
minutes have elapsed since the
ignition switch has been turned to
ON...The BeltMinder feature is
activated - the safety belt warning
light illuminates and the warning
chime sounds for 6 seconds every
30 seconds, repeating for
approximately 5 minutes or until
the safety belts are buckled.
The following are reasons most often given for not wearing safety belts:
(All statistics based on U.S. data)
Reasons given... Consider...
ªCrashes are rare
eventsº36700 crashes occur every day.The more we
drive, the more we are exposed to ªrareº events,
even for good drivers.1 in 4 of us will be
seriously injured in a crash during our
lifetime.
ªI'm not going farº3of4fatal crashes occur within25miles of home.
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100
Reasons given... Consider...
ªBelts are
uncomfortableºWe design our safety belts to enhance comfort. If
you are uncomfortable - try different positions for
the safety belt upper anchorage and seatback
which should be as upright as possible; this can
improve comfort.
ªI was in a hurryºPrime time for an accident.BeltMinder reminds
us to take a few seconds to buckle up.
ªSafety belts don't
workºSafety belts,when used properly,reduce risk of
deathto front seat occupants by45% in cars,
and by60% in light trucks.
ªTraffic is lightºNearly 1 of 2 deaths occur in single-vehicle
crashes,many when no other vehicles are around.
ªBelts wrinkle my
clothesºPossibly, but a serious crash can do much more
than wrinkle your clothes, particularly if you are
unbelted.
ªThe people I'm
with don't wear
beltsºSet the example, teen deaths occur 4 times more
often in vehicles with TWO or MORE people.
Children and younger brothers/sisters imitate
behavior they see.
ªI have an air bagº Air bags offer greater protection when used with
safety belts. Frontal airbags are not designed to
inflate in rear and side crashes or rollovers.
ªI'd rather be
thrown clearºNot a good idea.Peoplewho areejected are 40
times more likely to DIE.Safety belts help
prevent ejection, WE CAN'T ªPICK OUR CRASHº.
Do not sit on top of 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
If at any time the driver/front passenger quickly buckles then unbuckles,
the BeltMinder feature for that seating position is disabled for the
current ignition cycle. The BeltMinder feature will re-enable during the
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101
same ignition cycle if the occupant buckles and remains buckled for
approximately 30 seconds. Confirmation is not given for the one time
disable.
Deactivating/activating the BeltMinder feature
The driver and front passenger BeltMinder are
deactivated/activated independently. When deactivating/activating
one seating position, do not buckle the other position as this will
terminate the process.
Read steps1-4thoroughly before proceeding with the
deactivation/activation programming procedure.
The driver and front passenger BeltMinder features can be
deactivated/activated by performing the following procedure:
Before following the procedure, make sure that:
²The parking brake is set
²The gearshift is in P (Park) (automatic transmission)
²The ignition switch is in the OFF position
²The driver and front passenger safety belts are unbuckled
To reduce the risk of injury, do not deactivate/activate the Belt
Minder feature while driving the vehicle.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the RUN (or ON) position. (DO NOT
START THE ENGINE)
2. Wait until the safety belt warning light turns off. (Approximately 1
minute)
²Step 3 must be completed within 50 seconds after the safety belt
warning light turns off.
3. For the seating position being disabled, buckle then unbuckle the
safety belt 9 times, ending in the unbuckled state. (Step 3 must be
completed within 50 seconds after the safety belt warning light turns
off.)
²After step 3, the restraint system warning light (airbag light) will be
turned on for three seconds.
4. Within 10 seconds of the light turning on, buckle then unbuckle the
safety belt.
²This will disable the BeltMinder feature for that seating position if it is
currently enabled. As confirmation, the restraint system warning light
will flash 4 times per second for 3 seconds.
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If the air bag has deployed,the air bag will not function
again and must be replaced immediately.If the air bag is not
replaced, the unrepaired area will increase the risk of injury in a
collision.
If the safety belt pretensioners deploy in an accident, they will
not function again ( belt will not extract or retract) and must be
replaced immediately. Failure to replace the retractor assemblies will
increase the risk of injury.
Determining if the system is operational
The SRS uses a readiness light in the instrument cluster or a tone to
indicate the condition of the system. Refer toAir bag readinesssection
in theInstrument clusterchapter. Routine maintenance of the air bag is
not required.
A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or more of the following:
²The readiness light will either
flash or stay lit.
²The readiness light will not
illuminate immediately after
ignition is turned on.
²A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem and/or light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the SRS serviced
at your dealership or by a qualified technician immediately. Unless
serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a
collision.
Side air bag system
Do not place objects or mount equipment on or near the air bag
cover on the side of the seatbacks of the front seats or in front
seat areas that may come into contact with a deploying air bag. Failure
to follow these instructions may increase the risk of personal injury in
the event of a collision.
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108
²The readiness light will not illuminate immediately after ignition is
turned on.
²A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem and/or light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the SRS serviced
at your dealership or by a qualified technician immediately. Unless
serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a
collision.
Disposal of air bags and air bag equipped vehicles
(including pretensioners)
See your local dealership or qualified technician. Air bags MUST BE
disposed of by qualified personnel.
SAFETY RESTRAINTS FOR CHILDREN
See the following sections for directions on how to properly use safety
restraints for children. Also seeAir bag supplemental restraint system
(SRS)in this chapter for special instructions about using air bags.
Important child restraint precautions
You are required by law to use safety restraints for children in the U.S.
and Canada. If small children (generally children who are four years old
or younger and who weigh 18 kg [40 lbs] or less) ride in your vehicle,
you must put them in safety seats made especially for children. Check
your local and state or provincial laws for specific requirements
regarding the safety of children in your vehicle. When possible, always
place children under age 12 in the rear seat of your vehicle. Accident
statistics suggest that children are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seating position.
Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap while the
vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the child from
injury in a collision.
Always follow the instructions and warnings that come with any infant or
child restraint you might use.
Children and safety belts
If the child is the proper size, restrain the child in a safety seat.
Children who are too large for child safety seats (as specified by your
child safety seat manufacturer) should always wear safety belts.
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111
STARTING
Positions of the ignition
1. ACCESSORY, allows the electrical
accessories such as the radio to
operate while the engine is not
running.
2. LOCK, locks automatic
transmission gearshift lever and
allows key removal.
3. OFF, shuts off the engine and all
accessories without locking the
steering wheel. This position also allows the automatic transmission shift
lever to be moved from the P (Park) position without the brake pedal
being depressed.
When the key is in the ignition OFF position, the automatic
transmission shift lever can be moved from the P (Park) position
without the brake pedal depressed. To avoid unwanted vehicle
movement, always set the parking brake.
4. ON, all electrical circuits operational. Warning lights illuminated. Key
position when driving.
5. START, cranks the engine. Release the key as soon as the engine
starts.
Preparing to start your vehicle
Engine starting is controlled by the powertrain control system. This
system meets all Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment standard
requirements regulating the impulse electrical field strength of radio
noise.
When starting a fuel-injected engine, avoid pressing the accelerator
before or during starting. Only use the accelerator when you have
difficulty starting the engine. For more information on starting the
vehicle, refer toStarting the enginein this chapter.
Extended idling at high engine speeds can produce very high
temperatures in the engine and exhaust system, creating the risk
of fire or other damage.
3
1
2
5
4
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122
Using ABS
²In 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 full
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.
²The anti-lock system does not reduce stopping distance. Always leave
enough room between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you to
stop.
²We recommend that you familiarize yourself with this braking
technique. However, avoid taking any unnecessary risks.
ABS warning lampABS
TheABSwarning lamp in 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 lamp illuminates, 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.
!
BRAKE
HOOD
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127