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This section covers the more
common problems that motorists
experience with their vehicles. It
gives you inf ormation about how to
safely evaluate the problem and what
to do to correct it. If the problem has
stranded you on the side of the road,
you may be able to get going again.
If not, you will also f ind instructions
on getting your vehicle towed.......................
Compact Spare Tire .312
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .313
..........
If Your Engine Won’t Start .317
Nothing Happens or theStarter Motor Operates ............................
Very Slowly .317
The Starter Operates ................................
Normally .318
................................
Jump Starting .319
............
If Your Engine Overheats .321
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator .323
..........
Charging System Indicator .324
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp .324
.......................
Readiness Codes .325
...............
Brake System Indicator .326
..................
Closing the Moonroof .327
......................
Emergency Towing .328
..............................................
Fuses .330
Checking and Replacing ......................................
Fuses .330
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
311
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When you turn the ignition switch to
the START (III) position, you do not
hear the normal noise of the engine
trying to start. You may hear a
clicking sound or series of clicks, or
nothing at all.
Check these things:Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed
all the way to the f loor or the
starter will not operate. With an
automatic transmission, it must be
in Park or neutral.
Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. Turn on the
headlights, and check their
brightness. If the headlights are
very dim or do not come on at all,
the battery is discharged. See on page .
Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position:
You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run. Turn the ignition switch to the
START (III) position. If the
headlights do not dim, check the
condition of the f uses. If the f uses
are OK, there is probably something
wrong with the electrical circuit f or
the ignition switch or starter motor.
You will need a qualif ied technician
to determine the problem (see
on page ).
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is dis-
charged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of the
battery connections (see page ).
You can then try jump starting the
vehicle from a booster battery (see
page ).
319 328
319 309
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting Emergency T owing
If theEngineWon’tStart
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
317
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In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position, but the engine does not run.Do you have f uel? Check the f uel
gauge; the low f uel indicator may
not be working.
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. See on page .
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to on page .
Are you using a properly coded
key? An improperly coded key will
cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the instrument panel
to blink rapidly (see page ).
330
328
126
241
If theEngineWon’tStart
T he Starter Operates Normally
Emergency
Towing
Starting the
Engine
318
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µKeep the ends of the jumper
cables away from each other and
any metal on the vehicle until
everything is disconnected.
Otherwise, you may cause an
electrical short. Once your vehicle is running,
disconnect the negative cable f rom
your vehicle, then f rom the
booster battery. Disconnect the
positive cable f rom your vehicle,
then from the booster battery.
If the booster battery is in another
vehicle, have an assistant start
that vehicle and run it at a fast idle.
Start the vehicle. If the starter
motor still operates slowly, check
that the jumper cables have good
metal-to-metal contact.
Connect the second jumper cable
to the negative ( ) terminal on
the booster battery. Connect the
other end to the grounding strap
as shown. Do not connect this
jumper cable to any other part of
the engine. 7.
6. 5.
4.
Jump Starting
320
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