Adding Equipment to Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle
Q:If I add a push bumper or a bicycle rack to the
front of my vehicle, will it keep the air bags
from working properly?
A:As long as the push bumper or bicycle rack is
attached to your vehicle so that the vehicle’s
basic structure isn’t changed, it’s not likely to keep
the air bags from working properly in a crash.
Q:Is there anything I might add to the front of the
vehicle that could keep the air bags from
working properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that change your vehicle’s
frame, bumper system, front end sheet metal or
height, they may keep the air bag system
from working properly. Also, the air bag system
may not work properly if you relocate any of the air
bag sensors. If you have any questions about
this, you should contact Customer Assistance
before you modify your vehicle. The phone
numbers and addresses for Customer Assistance
are in Step Two of theCustomer Satisfaction
Procedure on page 7-2.
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Battery Rundown Protection
This feature shuts off the dome, courtesy, vanity,
reading, glove box, cargo and underhood lamps if they
are left on for more than 20 minutes when the ignition
is off. This will keep your battery from running down.
If the battery rundown protection shuts off the interior
lamps, it may be necessary to do one of the following to
return it to normal operation:
•Shut off all lamps and close all doors, or
•turn the ignition key to RUN.
Accessory Power Outlets
Your vehicle may be equipped with an accessory power
outlet.
With accessory power outlets you can plug in auxiliary
electrical equipment such as a cellular telephone or
CB radio.
There may be an accessory power outlet located near
the center of the vehicle on the lower part of the
instrument panel. A small cap must be pulled down to
access an accessory power outlet. When not using
an outlet be sure to cover it with the protective cap.Notice:Leaving electrical equipment on for
extended periods will drain the battery. Always turn
off electrical equipment when not in use and do
not plug in equipment that exceeds the maximum
amperage rating.
Certain electrical accessories may not be compatible
with the accessory power outlet and could result
in blown vehicle or adapter fuses. If you experience a
problem, see your dealer for additional information
on accessory power outlets.
Notice:Adding any electrical equipment to your
vehicle may damage it or keep other components
from working as they should. The repairs would not
be covered by your warranty. Check with your
dealer before adding electrical equipment.
When adding electrical equipment, be sure to follow the
proper installation instructions included with the
equipment.
Notice:Improper use of the power outlet can cause
damage not covered by your warranty. Do not
hang any type of accessory or accessory bracket
from the plug because the power outlets are
designed for accessory power plugs only.
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Low Fuel Warning Light
This light comes on briefly
when you start your
engine.
This light comes on when the fuel tank is low on fuel.
To turn if off, add fuel to the fuel tank. SeeFilling Your
Tank on page 5-7.
Audio System(s)
Notice:Before you add any sound equipment to
your vehicle – like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone or two-way radio – be sure you can
add what you want. If you can, it’s very important to
do it properly. Added sound equipment may
interfere with the operation of your vehicle’s engine,
radio or other systems, and even damage them.
Your vehicle’s systems may interfere with the
operation of sound equipment that has been added
improperly.
So, before adding sound equipment, check with
your dealer and be sure to check federal rules
covering mobile radio and telephone units.
Your audio system has been designed to operate easily
and to give years of listening pleasure. You will get
the most enjoyment out of it if you acquaint yourself with
it first. Figure out which radio you have in your vehicle,
find out what your audio system can do and how to
operate all of its controls to be sure you’re getting the
most out of the advanced engineering that went into it.
Your vehicle has a feature called Retained Accessory
Power (RAP). With RAP, you can play your audio
system even after the ignition is turned off. See
“Retained Accessory Power (RAP)” underIgnition
Positions on page 2-16.
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INFO (Information):If the current station has a
message, the information symbol will appear on the
display. Press this button to see the message. The
message may display the artist, song title, call in phone
numbers, etc.
If the whole message is not displayed, parts of the
message will appear every three seconds. To scroll
through the message at your own speed, press
the INFO button repeatedly. A new group of words will
appear on the display with each press. Once the
complete message has been displayed, the information
symbol will disappear from the display until another
new message is received. The old message can
be displayed by pressing the INFO button. You can
view an old message until a new message is received
or a different station is tuned to.
When a message is not available from a station, NO
INFO will appear on the display.
TRAF (Traffic):If TRAF appears on the display, the
tuned station broadcasts traffic announcements
and when a traffic announcement comes on the tuned
radio station you will hear it.
If the current tuned station does not broadcast traffic
announcements, press the TRAF button and the
radio will seek to a station that does. When the radio
finds a station that broadcasts traffic announcements, itwill stop and TRAF will be displayed. When a traffic
announcement comes on the tuned radio station you will
hear it. If no station is found, NO TRAF will appear on
the display.
If TRAF is on the display you can press the TRAF
button to turn off the traffic announcements.
Your radio will play the traffic announcement even if the
volume is low. Your radio will interrupt the play of a
CD if the last tuned station broadcasts traffic
announcements.
This function does not apply to XM™ Satellite Radio
Service.
Radio Messages
CAL ERR (Calibration Error):Your audio system has
been calibrated for your vehicle from the factory. If
CAL ERR appears on the display it means that your
radio has not been configured properly for your vehicle
and must be returned to the dealer for service.
LOCKED:This message is displayed when the
THEFTLOCK
®system has locked up. You must return
to the dealer for service.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be
corrected, contact your dealer.
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BAND (Alternate Frequency):Alternate frequency
allows the radio to switch to a stronger station with the
same program type. To turn alternate frequency on,
press and hold BAND for two seconds. AF ON will
appear on the display. The radio may switch to stronger
stations.
To turn alternate frequency off, press and hold BAND
again for two seconds. AF OFF will appear on the
display. The radio will not switch to other stations.
RDS Messages
ALERT!:Alert warns of local or national emergencies.
When an alert announcement comes on the current
radio station, ALERT! will appear on the display. You will
hear the announcement, even if the volume is muted
or a cassette tape or CD is playing. If a cassette tape or
CD is playing, play will stop during the announcement.
You will not be able to turn off alert announcements.
ALERT! will not be affected by tests of the emergency
broadcast system. This feature is not supported by
all RDS stations.
INFO (Information):If the current station has a
message, the information symbol will appear on the
display. Press this button to see the message. The
message may display the artist, song title, call in phone
numbers, etc.If the whole message is not displayed, parts of the
message will appear every three seconds. To scroll
through the message at your own speed, press
the INFO button repeatedly. A new group of words will
appear on the display with each press. Once the
complete message has been displayed, the information
symbol will disappear from the display until another
new message is received. The old message can
be displayed by pressing the INFO button. You can
view an old message until a new message is received
or a different station is tuned to.
When a message is not available from a station, NO
INFO will appear on the display.
TRAF (Traffic):If TRAF appears on the display, the
tuned station broadcasts traffic announcements
and when a traffic announcement comes on the tuned
radio station you will hear it.
If the current tuned station does not broadcast traffic
announcements, press the TRAF button and the
radio will seek to a station that does. When the radio
finds a station that broadcasts traffic announcements,
the radio will stop and TRAF will be displayed. When a
traffic announcement comes on the tuned radio
station you will hear it. If no station is found, NO TRAF
will appear on the display.
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INFO (Information):If the current station has a
message, INFO will appear on the display. Press this
button to see the message. The message may display
the artist, song title, call in phone numbers, etc.
If the whole message is not displayed, parts of the
message will appear every three seconds. To scroll
through the message at your own speed, press the INFO
button repeatedly. A new group of words will appear on
the display with each press. Once the complete message
has been displayed, INFO will disappear from the display
until another new message is received. The old message
can be displayed by pressing the INFO button. You can
view an old message until a new message is received or
a different station is tuned to.
TRAF (Traffic):If TRAF appears on the display, the
tuned station broadcasts traffic announcements.
To receive the traffic announcement from the tuned
station, press this button. Brackets will be displayed
around TRAF and when a traffic announcement comes
on the tuned radio station you will hear it.
If the current tuned station does not broadcast traffic
announcements, press the TRAF button and the
radio will seek to a station that does. When the radio
finds a station that broadcasts traffic announcements,
the radio will stop and brackets will be displayed around
TRAF. When a traffic announcement comes on the
tuned radio station you will hear it. If no station is found,
NO TRAFFIC will appear on the display.If the brackets are on the display and TRAF is not, you
can then press the TRAF button to remove the
brackets or use the TUNE knob or the SEEK arrows to
go to a station that supports traffic announcements.
If no station is found, NO TRAFFIC will appear on the
display.
Your radio will play the traffic announcements if the
volume is low. Your radio will interrupt the play of a CD
if the last tuned station broadcasts traffic
announcements and the brackets are displayed.
This function does not apply to XM™ Satellite Radio
Service.
Radio Messages
CAL ERR (Calibration Error):This message is
displayed when the radio has not been calibrated
properly for the vehicle. You must return to the dealer
for service.
LOCKED:This message is displayed when the
THEFTLOCK
®system has locked up. You must return
to the dealer for service.
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Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive
defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. SeeSafety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page 1-8.
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to
be careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what
they might do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following
distance. It is the best defensive driving maneuver, in
both city and rural driving. You never know when
the vehicle in front of you is going to brake or turn
suddenly.
Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on
the driving task. Anything that distracts from the driving
task — such as concentrating on a cellular telephone call,
reading, or reaching for something on the floor — makesproper defensive driving more difficult and can even
cause a collision, with resulting injury. Ask a passenger to
help do things like this, or pull off the road in a safe place
to do them yourself. These simple defensive driving
techniques could save your life.Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy. It is the number one contributor
to the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive
a vehicle:
•Judgment
•Muscular Coordination
•Vision
•Attentiveness.
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was
drinking and driving. In recent years, more than
16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been
associated with the use of alcohol, with more than
300,000 people injured.
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Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and
you are going fast enough. When your vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can if your
tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in
one or more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is
standing on the road. If you can see reflections
from trees, telephone poles or other vehicles, and
raindrops “dimple” the water’s surface, there could be
hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just is not a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning.
The best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
Notice:If you drive too quickly through deep
puddles or standing water, water can come in
through your engine’s air intake and badly damage
your engine. Never drive through water that is
slightly lower than the underbody of your vehicle. If
you can not avoid deep puddles or standing
water, drive through them very slowly.
Driving Through Flowing Water
{CAUTION:
Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces.
If you try to drive through owing water, as you
might at a low water crossing, your vehicle can
be carried away. As little as six inches of
owing water can carry away a smaller vehicle.
If this happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not ignore police
warning signs, and otherwise be very cautious
about trying to drive through owing water.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
•Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you
pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear
room ahead, and be prepared to have your
view restricted by road spray.
•Have good tires with proper tread depth. SeeTires
on page 5-61.
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