Page 153 of 277
To Open the Hood:Park the vehicle, and set the
parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower lef t corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly. Put your f ingers under the f ront
edge of the hood near the center.
Slide your hand to the lef t until
you f eel the hood latch handle.
Push this handle up to release it.
Lif t up the hood.
If the hood latch handle moves stif f ly,
or if you can open the hood without
lifting the handle, the mechanism
should be cleaned and lubricated.
Push the f uel f ill door closed until
it latches. Screw the fuel fill cap back on
until it clicks at least once. If you
do not properly tighten the cap,
the malf unction indicator lamp
maycomeon(seepage ).You
will also see a ‘‘CHECK FUEL
CAP’’ message on the inf ormation
display.
1. 2.
5.
6.
237
Opening and Closing the Hood
Service Station Procedure
152
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE
LATCH
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Page 164 of 277

........................
Preparing to Drive .164
.......................
Starting the Engine .165
..............
Automatic Transmission .166
Shif t Lever Position ...............................
Indicators .166
.......................................
Shif ting .166
..............
Engine Speed Limiter .168
....................
Shif t Lock Release .169
............................
Auto Idle Stop .171
...........
Auto Idle Stop Indicator .172
...........................................
Parking .173
.............................
Braking System .174
...............
Brake System Design .174
.............
Brake Wear Indicators .174
...........
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) .175
Activating the Anti-lock ................................
Brakes .175
........................
ABS Indicator .175
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) ....................................
System .177
.........
VSA Activation Indicator .177
..............
VSA System Indicator .177
.........................
VSA Of f Switch .178
...........................
Towing a Trailer .179
This section gives you tips on
starting the engine under various
conditions, and how to operate the
automatic transmission. It also
includes important inf ormation on
parking your vehicle, the braking
system, the vehicle stability assist
(VSA) system, and f acts you need if
you are planning to tow a trailer.
Driving
Driving
163
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Page 166 of 277

Apply the parking brake.
In cold weather, turn of f all
electrical accessories to reduce
the drain on the battery.
Make sure the shif t lever is in
Park. Press on the brake pedal.
Turn the ignition key to the
START (III) position. Do not hold
the key in START (III) f or more
than 15 seconds at a time. If the
engine does not start right away,
pause f or at least 10 seconds
bef ore trying again.If the engine does not start within
15 seconds, or starts but stalls
right away, repeat step 4 with the
accelerator pedal pressed halfway
down. If the engine starts, release
pressure on the accelerator pedal
so the engine does not race.
If the engine fails to start, press
the accelerator pedal all the way
downandholdittherewhile
starting to clear flooding. Return
to step 5 if the engine does not
start.In cold weather, conventional starter
is used instead of the IMA system
starter. This is normal.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
77
Starting the Engine
Starting in Cold Weather
Driving
165
T he immobilizer system protects your
vehicle f rom thef t. If an improperly-
coded key (or other device) is used, the
engine’s f uel system is disabled. For
more inf ormation, see page .
The engine is harder to start in cold
weather. Also, the thinner air f ound at
altitudes above 8,000 f eet (2,400
meters) adds to this problem.
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Page 168 of 277

µµ
µ µ
µ
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see on
page .
You must also press the release
button to shift into Park. To avoid
transmission damage, come to a
complete stop bef ore shif ting into
Park. The shif t lever must be in Park
bef ore you can remove the key f rom
the ignition switch. Press the brake
pedal and press the release button to
shif t f rom Park to Reverse. To shif t
from Reverse to Neutral, come to a
completestopandthenshift. This position is similar
to D, except only the first three
gears are selected instead of all f ive.
Use D when towing a trailer in hilly
terrain, or to provide engine braking
when going down a steep hill. D can
also keep the transmission f rom
cycling between third and f ourth
gears in stop-and-go driving.
Use this position f or
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear for the vehicle speed
and acceleration. You may notice the
transmission shif ting up at higher
speeds when the engine is cold. This
helps the engine warm up f aster. Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop brief ly with
the engine idling. Shif t to the Park
position if you need to leave your
vehicle and apply the parking brake.
Press on the brake pedal when you
are moving the shif t lever f rom
Neutral to another gear.
This position
mechanically locks the transmission.
Use Park whenever you are turning
of f or starting the engine. To shif t
outofPark,youmustpressonthe
brake pedal and have your foot off
the accelerator pedal. Press the
release button on the bottom of the
shif t lever to move it.
169
3 3
CONT INUED
Automatic Transmission
Shif t L ock ReleaseReverse (R) Drive (D )
Drive (D) Neutral (N)
Park (P)
3
Driving
167
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Page 170 of 277
Put a cloth on the edge of the shif t
lock release slot cover next to the
shif t lever. Use a small f lat-tipped
screwdriverorfingernailfileto
remove the cover. Caref ully pry
of f the edge of the cover.Insert the key in the shift lock
release slot.
This allows you to move the shif t
lever out of Park if the normal
method of pushing on the brake
pedal and pressing the release
button does not work.
Remove the key from the ignition
switch. Set the parking brake.
1.
2.
3.4.
CONT INUED
Automatic Transmission
Shif t L ock Release
Driving
169
COVER
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Page 174 of 277

Always use the parking brake when
you park your vehicle. Make sure
the parking brake is set f irmly, or
your vehicle may roll if it is parked
on an incline.
Set the parking brake bef ore you put
the transmission in Park. This keeps
the vehicle from moving and putting
pressure on the parking mechanism
in the transmission.If the vehicle is f acing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the
curb.
If the vehicle is f acing downhill,
turn the front wheels toward the
curb.
Make sure the parking brake is
f ully released bef ore driving away.
Driving with the parking brake
partially set can overheat or
damage the rear brakes.
Make sure the moonroof and the
windows are closed.
Check the indicator on the
instrument panel to verif y that the
security system is set. Lockthedoorswiththekeyorthe
remote transmitter. Place any packages, valuables, etc.,
in the trunk or take them with you. Turn of f the lights.
Never park over dry leaves, tall
grass, or other f lammable
materials. The hot three way
catalytic converter could cause
these materials to catch on fire.
Parking T ips
Parking
Driving
173
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Page 176 of 277

The anti-lock brake system (ABS)
helps prevent the brakes f rom
locking up, and helps you retain
steering control by pumping the
brakes rapidly, much f aster than a
person can do it.
The ABS also balances the f ront-to-
rear braking distribution according
to vehicle loading.
this def eats the purpose of the ABS.
Let the ABS work f or you by always
keeping f irm, steady pressure on the
brake pedal as you steer away from
the hazard. This is sometimes
ref erred to as ‘‘stomp and steer.’’If this indicator comes on, the anti-
lock f unction of the braking system
has shut down. The brakes still work
like a conventional system, but
without anti-lock. You should have
your dealer inspect your vehicle as
soon as possible.
If the ABS indicator and the brake
system indicator come on together,
and the parking brake is f ully
released, the front-to-rear braking
distribution system may also be shut
down.
You will f eel a pulsation in the brake
pedal when the ABS activates, and
you may hear some noise. This is
normal: it is the ABS rapidly
pumpingthebrakes.Ondry
pavement, you will need to press on
thebrakepedalveryhardbeforethe
ABS activates. However, you may
feel the ABS activate immediately if
you are trying to stop on snow or ice.
You should never pump the brake pedal;
CONT INUED
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)
Activating the Anti-lock Brakes ABS Indicator
Driving
175
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Page 185 of 277

Maketurnsmoreslowlyandwider
than normal. The trailer tracks a
smaller arc than your vehicle, and it
canhitorrunoversomethingthe
vehicle misses. Allow more time and
distance f or braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the
trailer to jackknif e or turn over.
When climbing hills, closely watch
your temperature gauge. If it nears
the red (Hot) mark, turn the air
conditioning of f , reduce speed and, if
necessary, pull to the side of the
road to let the engine cool.Always drive slowly and have
someone guide you when backing up.
Grip the of the steering
wheel; then turn the wheel to the lef t
to get the trailer to move to the lef t,
andturnthewheelrighttomovethe
trailer to the right.
Follow all normal precautions when
parking, including f irmly setting the
parking brake and putting the
transmission in Park. Also, place
wheel chocks at each of the trailer’s
tires.
Crosswinds and air turbulence
caused by passing trucks can disrupt
your steering and cause the trailer to
sway. When being passed by a large
vehicle, keep a constant speed, and
steer straight ahead. Do not try to
make quick steering or braking
corrections. When driving down hills, reduce
your speed, and shif t down to second
gear. Do not ‘‘ride’’ the brakes, and
remember, it will take longer to slow
downandstopwhentowingatrailer.
If you must stop when f acing uphill,
use the f oot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the vehicle in
placebypressingontheaccelerator,
as this can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.
bottom
Making T urns and Braking
Driving on Hills Handling Crosswinds and Buf f et ingBacking Up
Parking
Towing a Trailer
184
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