Page 150 of 277

Bef ore you begin driving your
vehicle, you should know what
gasoline to use and how to check the
levels of important f luids. You also
need to know how to properly store
luggage or packages. The
inf ormation in this section will help
you. If you plan to add any
accessories to your vehicle, please
read the information in this section
first..............................
Break-in Period .150
.................
Fuel Recommendation .150
.........
Service Station Procedures .151
....................................
Ref ueling .151
Opening and Closing the
.......................................
Hood .152
...................................
Oil Check .153
.............
Engine Coolant Check .154
...............................
Fuel Economy .155
........
Improving Fuel Economy .155
...
Accessories and Modif ications .156
................................
Accessories .156
...........
Modif ying Your Vehicle .157
.
Additional Safety Precautions .157
.............................
Carrying Cargo .158
................................
Load Limits .159
Carrying Cargo in the Trunk
.................
or on a Roof Rack .160
Carrying Cargo in the .....
Passenger Compartment .160
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving
149
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Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
Do not tow a trailer.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. Your vehicle is designed to operate
on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 87 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy metallic rapping
noise that can lead to engine damage.
We recommend quality gasoline
containing detergent additives that
help prevent f uel system and engine
deposits.
In addition, in order to maintain good
perf ormance, f uel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
f uel additives such as MMT.
Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely af f ect perf ormance,
and cause the malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contactyour authorized dealer f or service.
Some gasoline today is blended with
oxygenates such as ethanol or
MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to
operate on oxygenated gasoline
containing up to 10 percent ethanol
by volume and up to 15 percent
MTBE by volume. Do not use
gasoline containing methanol.
If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
For f urther important f uel-related
inf ormation, please ref er to your
.
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
Break-in Period Fuel Recommendation
Quick Start Guide
150
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Page 152 of 277

Remove the f uel f ill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
The fuel fill cap is attached to the
f uel f iller with a tether. Put the
attachment on the fuel fill cap into
the slit on the f uel f ill door.
Stop f illing the tank af ter the f uel
nozzle automatically clicks of f . Do
not try to ‘‘top of f ’’ the tank. Leave
some room f or the f uel to expand
with temperature changes.
Park with the driver’s side closest
to the gas pump.
To open the f uel f ill door, push
down on the lever located to the
lef t of the driver’s seat. even though the tank is not f ull,
there may be a problem with your
vehicle’s fuel vapor recovery
system. The system helps keep
f uel vapors f rom going into the
atmosphere. Try f illing at another
pump. If this does not f ix the
problem, consult your dealer.
3.
4.
1.
2.
If the f uel nozzle keeps clicking of f
CONT INUED
Ref ueling
Service Station Procedure
Bef ore Driving
151
FUEL FILL CAP
Push
TETHER
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.Stop the engine, and keep
heat, sparks, and flames
away.
Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.
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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 154 of 277
Remove the dipstick again, and
check the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see on page .
Insert it all the way back in its hole. Wipe the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel. Remove the dipstick (orange
handle).
Wait a f ew minutes af ter turning the
engine of f bef ore you check the oil.
Lif t the hood up most of the way.
The hydraulic supports will lif t it up
therestof thewayandholditup.
To close the hood, lower the hood to
about a f oot (30 cm) above the
f ender, then f irmly press down on
the f ront edge of the hood. Make
sure it is securely latched. 1.
2.
3.4.
196
A dding Oil
Oil Check
Service Station Procedure
Bef ore Driving
153
DIPSTICK
(orange handle)
UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK
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Page 155 of 277
Look at the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Make sure it is
between the MAX and MIN lines. If
it is below the MIN line, seeon page f or
inf ormation on adding the proper
coolant. Refer to
on page f or inf ormation
about checking other items on your
vehicle.
201 191
Engine Coolant Check
A dding
Engine Coolant Owner’s Maintenance
Checks
Service Station Procedure
154
MAX RESERVE TANK
MIN
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Page 184 of 277

When preparing to tow, and bef ore
driving away, be sure to check the
f ollowing:The vehicle has been properly
serviced, and the tires, brakes,
suspension, cooling system, and
lights are in good operating
condition.
The lights and brakes on your
vehicle and the trailer are working
properly. All items in or on the trailer are
properly secured and cannot shif t
while you drive. Thehitch,safetychains,andany
other attachments are secure. All weights and loads are within
limits (see pages and ). Your vehicle tires and spare are
properly inf lated (see page ),
and the trailer tires and spare are
inflated as recommended by the
trailer maker.
Foryoursafetyandthesafetyof
others,taketimetopracticedriving
maneuvers bef ore heading f or the
open road, and f ollow the guidelines
below. The added weight, length, and
height of a trailer will af f ect your
vehicle’s handling and perf ormance,
so driving with a trailer requires
some special driving skills and
techniques. Drive slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits f or vehicles with trailers.
Use the D position when towing a
trailer on level roads. Do not exceed
55 mph (88 km/h). At higher speeds,
the trailer may sway or affect vehicle
handling.
D is the proper shif t lever position
to use when towing a trailer in hilly
terrain.
179 180 216
3
Pre-T ow Checklist
Driving Saf ely With a T railerT owing Speeds and Gears
Towing a Trailer
Driving
183
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Page 186 of 277

If you have the skills and tools to
perf orm more complex maintenance
tasks on your vehicle, you may want
to purchase the service manual. See
page f or inf ormation on how to
obtain a copy, or see your dealer. This section explains why it is
important to keep your vehicle well
maintained and how to f ollow basic
maintenance saf ety precautions.
This section also includes
instructions on how to read the
maintenance minder messages on
the information display, a
maintenance record, and instructions
for simple maintenance tasks you
may want to take care of yourself.......................
Maintenance Saf ety .186
....................
Maintenance Minder .187
....................
Maintenance Record .193
..............................
Fluid Locations .195
........................
Adding Engine Oil .196
.......
Recommended Engine Oil .196
..............................
Synthetic Oil .197
................
Engine Oil Additives .197
.........
Changing the Oil and Filter .198
....................
Windshield Washers .200
..............................
Engine Coolant .201
.......................
Transmission Fluid .203
....................................
Brake Fluid .204
....................................
Timing Belt .205
.............................................
Lights .206
.......................................
Seat Belts .212
........................
Driver’s Floor Mat .212
.................................
Wiper Blades .213
...............................................
Tires .215
..................
Inf lation Guidelines .215
.
Recommended Tire Pressure .216
..........................
Tire Inspection .217
.....................
Tire Maintenance .217
.............................
Tire Rotation .218
...
Replacing Tires and Wheels .218
......................
Wheels and Tires .219 ..........................
Winter Driving .219
.............................
Snow Tires .219
............................
Tire Chains .220
...................
Checking the Battery .221
.............................
Vehicle Storage .222
267
Maintenance
Maint enance
185
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