Please pay close attention to the information in this
section. It tells you how to use your restraint system
properly to keep you and your passengers as safe as
possible.
WARNING!
In a collision, you and your passengers can suffer
much greater injuries if you are not properly buck-
led up. You can strike the interior of your vehicle or
other occupants, or you can be thrown out of the
vehicle. Always be sure you and others in your
vehicle are buckled up properly.
Buckle up even though you are an excellent driver, even
on short trips. Someone on the road may be a poor driver
and cause a collision that includes you. This can happen
far away from home or on your street.
Research has shown that seat belts save lives. They also
can reduce the seriousness of injuries in a collision. Some
of the worst injuries happen when people are thrown
from the vehicle. Seat belts provide protection from that,and they reduce the risk of injury caused by striking the
inside of the vehicle.Everyonein a motor vehicle needs
to be buckled up all the time.
Lap/Shoulder Belts
Each seating position is equipped with a combined
lap/shoulder belt system.
The belt webbing retractor will lock only during very
sudden stops or impacts. This feature allows the shoulder
part of the belt to move freely with you under normal
conditions. But, in a collision, the belt will lock and
reduce the risk of your striking the inside of the vehicle or
being thrown out. The seat belts are also equipped with
emergency tensioning retractors. These tensioning retrac-
tors are located in each belt’s inertia reel and become
operationally ready with the key in the ignition switch
turned to the ACC or ON/RUN positions. The emer-
gency tensioning retractors are designed to activate dur-
ing frontal and rear impacts. They remove slack from the
belts in such a way that the seat belts fit more snugly
against the body, restricting its forward movement as
much as possible.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 23
2
WARNING!
•A belt that is buckled into the wrong buckle will
not protect you properly. The lap portion could
ride too high on your body, possibly causing
internal injuries. Always buckle your belt into the
buckle nearest you.
•A belt that is too loose will not protect you as well.
In a sudden stop you could move too far forward,
increasing the possibility of injury. Wear your seat
belt snugly.
•A belt that is worn under your arm is very
dangerous. Your body could strike the inside
surfaces of the vehicle in a collision, increasing
head and neck injury. A belt worn under the arm
can cause internal injuries. Ribs aren’t as strong as
shoulder bones. Wear the belt over your shoulder
so that your strongest bones will take the force in
a collision.
•A shoulder belt placed behind you will not pro-
tect you from injury during a collision. You are
more likely to hit your head in a collision if you
do not wear your shoulder belt. The lap and
shoulder belt are meant to be used together.
WARNING!
•A lap belt worn too high can increase the risk of
internal injury in a collision. The belt forces won’t
be at the strong hip and pelvic bones, but across
your abdomen. Always wear the lap belt as low as
possible and keep it snug.
•A twisted belt can’t do its job as well. In a
collision it could even cut into you. Be sure the
belt is straight. If you can’t straighten a belt in
your vehicle, take it to an authorized dealer and
have it fixed.
WARNING!
Seat belt systems must always be replaced after an
impact severe enough to fire the emergency locking
retractors. If there is any question about the condi-
tion of your seat belt system, take the vehicle to an
authorized dealer for an inspection.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 27
2
•The restraint must be appropriate for your child’s
weight and height. Check the label on the restraint for
weight and height limits.
•Carefully follow the instructions that come with the
restraint. If you install the restraint improperly, it may
not work when you need it.
•Buckle the child into the seat according to the seat
manufacturer’s directions.
•When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in the
vehicle with the seat belt or remove it from the vehicle.
Do not leave it loose in the vehicle. In a sudden stop or
collision, it could strike the occupants and cause
serious personal injury.
NOTE:For additional information refer to
www.seatcheck.org or call 1–866–SEATCHECK.
Older Children and Child Restraints
Children who weigh more than 20 lbs. (9 kg) and who are
older than one year can ride forward-facing in the
vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and convertible child
seats used in the forward-facing direction are for children
who weigh 20 to 40 lbs. (9 to 18 kg) and who are olderthan one year. These child seats are also held in the
vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt or the LATCH child
restraint anchorage system. (See LATCH - Child Seat
Anchorage System section.)
The belt-positioning booster seat is for children weighing
more than 40 lbs. (18 kg), but who are still too small to fit
the vehicle’s seat belts properly. If the child cannot sit
with knees bent over the vehicle’s seat cushion while the
child’s back is against the seat back, they should use a
belt-positioning booster seat. The child and belt-
positioning booster seat are held in the vehicle by the
lap/shoulder belt.
Children Too Large For Booster Seats
Children who are large enough to wear the shoulder belt
comfortably, and whose legs are long enough to bend
over the front of the seat when their back is against the
seat back, should use the lap/shoulder belt.
•Make sure that the child is upright in the seat.
•The lap portion should be low on the hips and as snug
as possible.
42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
CAUTION!
To avoid possible damage to the tonneau cover and
convertible top, do not allow the convertible top to
remain in the suspended position. After approxi-
mately 10 minutes in the suspended position, the
hydraulic pressure will be released which will allow
the top and the tonneau cover to lower. The convert-
ible top switch can be pressed to cancel this opera-
tion.
CAUTION!
To avoid damage to either the top or the rear win-
dow, check the tonneau cover area at the rear of the
vehicle interior to be sure that it is clear of debris or
other items. Do not use the tonneau cover area for
other storage purposes.
CAUTION!
To fully insure that no damage occurs, be sure that
the vehicle is at a complete stop before attempting to
lower or raise the top.
NOTE:If the top stops during the raising or lowering
procedure, start the engine and continue operation.
1. Make sure the rear cargo compartment divider is
unfolded and secured in the vertical position.
If the divider is in its stowed position, first unfold the
panels towards the rear of the vehicle. Pull up on the
vertical panel using the center cutout shown, and hook
the pins at the top into the brackets mounted to the cargo
compartment trim on each side near the forward edge of
the decklid opening. The pins must be hooked in these
brackets in order for the top to operate.
54 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
Lights-On Reminder
If the headlights or parking lights are left on after the
ignition is turned off, a warning will sound if the driver’s
door is opened.
Daytime Running Lights (Where Applicable)
VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
The low beam headlights, parking lights, side marker
lights, taillights and license plate lights are automatically
switched on whenever the vehicle is started and the
transmission gear selector is in a driving position.
VEHICLES WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION
The low beam headlights, parking lights, side marker
lights, taillights, and license plate lights are automatically
switched on whenever the vehicle is started and the
parking brake is released.
For nighttime driving, the exterior lights switch should
be in the low beam position to permit activation of the
high beam headlights.
Fog Lights (If Equipped)
To operate the fog lights, pull the headlight
switch out one stop, with the parking lights
and/or low beam headlights on. A light to the
lower left of the headlight switch will illumi-
nate when the fog lights are on.
To turn off the fog lights, push the headlight switch in
fully. Selecting high beam headlights will also turn off the
fog lights.
Standing Lights
When the vehicle is parked on the street, the standing
lights (left or right side parking lights) can be turned on,
making your vehicle more visible to passing vehicles.
To operate the standing lights, turn the headlight switch
counterclockwise one stop (right lamps) or two stops (left
lamps) from the OFF position. To turn off the standing
lights, return the headlight switch to the OFF position.
The standing lights cannot be operated when the ignition
switch is in the ON/RUN position.
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 77
3
NOTE:If the indicator light in the instrument cluster
does not go out after starting the engine, the telescoping
column is not locked properly. Do not drive the vehicle
until you have properly locked the steering column.TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR SYSTEM
Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should be
checked monthly when cold and inflated to the inflation
pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than the size indicated
on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire inflation pressure for
those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that illuminates a low tire pressure telltale when on or
more of your tires is significantly under—inflated. Ac-
cordingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illuminates,
you should stop and check your tires as soon as possible,
and inflate them to the proper pressure, Driving on a
significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over-
heat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduced fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may affect
the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 83
3
The spoiler control also incorporates an emergency stop
feature. If, for any reason, spoiler motion needs to be
stopped, pressing either the top or bottom of the switch
will stop the spoiler motion. Once the deployment speed
is reached, however, the spoiler deploys to its full up
position.
The spoiler will deploy as a safety precaution if the ESP
system detects a large difference in wheel speed between
the front and rear wheels. This could occur as a result of
a speed signal malfunction, or could occur if the vehicle
is attempting to accelerate on a low friction surface
causing the rear wheels to spin. The spoiler will remain
deployed and the warning light in the spoiler switch will
blink until the vehicle is restarted. If the spoiler continues
to deploy in this fashion below the normal deployment
speed, see your authorized dealer.Should a malfunction occur that prevents the spoiler
from deploying automatically, a red warning light will
illuminate in the override switch and an audible warning
will sound.
88 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
10. Brake System Warning Light
The dual brake system provides a reserve
braking capability if a failure occurs in a
portion of the hydraulic system.
This light monitors both the brake fluid level and the
parking brake. If the light comes on, it indicates either
that the parking brake is on or there is a low fluid level in
the brake master cylinder. Since this vehicle is equipped
with anti-lock brakes (ABS), the brake light may also
indicate reduced braking performance due to the loss of
electronic brake proportioning. If the parking brake is off
and the light remains on, have the brake system in-
spected as soon as possible.
The warning light should be checked frequently to assure
that it is operating properly. This can be done by turning
the ignition switch to START. The light should come on.
If the red brake light does not come on when the ignition
is turned to the ON/RUN position, have the brake
warning light repaired promptly.
WARNING!
Driving a vehicle with the brake light on is danger-
ous. Part of the brake system may have failed. It will
take longer to stop the vehicle. You could have an
accident. Have the vehicle checked immediately.
NOTE:This light shows only that the parking brake is
on. It does not show the degree of brake application.
The brake warning light will come on if the ABS light is
not functioning and there is an ABS system malfunction.
11. Light Outage Indicator
With the key in the ignition switch turned to
the ON/RUN position, an indicator light
comes on. It should go out when the engine
is running. If the indicator light does not go
out after starting the engine, or if it comes on while
driving, it indicates a failure in the parking light,
taillight, stoplight, low beam headlight, or other exte-
rior lamps.
110 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL