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Page 226 of 277

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 .226
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .227
.............
If the Engine Won’t Start .230
Nothing Happens or theStarter Motor Operates ............................
Very Slowly .230
The Starter Operates ................................
Normally .231
................................
Jump Starting .232
..............
If the Engine Overheats .234
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator .236
..........
Charging System Indicator .237
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp .237
.......................
Readiness Codes .238
...............
Brake System Indicator .239
..................
Closing the Moonroof .240
......................
Emergency Towing .241
..............................................
Fuses .243
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
225
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Check the inf lation pressure of the
compact spare tire every time you
check the other tires. It should be
inf lated to:
Follow these precautions:Never exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
This tire gives a harsher ride and
less traction on some road sur-
f aces. Use greater caution while
driving. Do not mount snow chains on the
compact spare tire.
Do not use the compact spare tire
if you are towing a trailer.
Replace the tire when you can see
the tread wear indicator bars. The
replacement should be the same size
and design tire, mounted on the
same wheel. The spare tire is not
designed to be mounted on a regular
wheel, and the spare wheel is not
designed f or mounting a regular tire.
Use the compact spare tire as a
temporary replacement only. Get
your regular tire repaired or replaced,
and put it back on your vehicle as
soon as you can.
Do not use your compact spare
tire on another vehicle unless it is
thesamemakeandmodel.
Turn of f the VSA system (see
pages and ). Driving with
thecompactsparetiremay
activate the VSA.177 178
Compact Spare Tire
226
INDICATOR LOCATION MARK
TREAD WEAR INDICATOR BAR
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm)
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Page 228 of 277

If you have a f lat tire while driving,
stop in a saf e place to change it.
Drive slowly along the shoulder until
you get to an exit or an area that is
far away from the traffic lanes.Loosen the wheel nuts 1/2 of a
turn with the wheel wrench. Unscrew the wing bolt and take
the spare tire out of its well. Take the tool tray out of the trunk,
and take the tools out of the tool
tray.
Park the vehicle on f irm, level, and
non-slippery ground. Put the
transmission in Park. Apply the
parking brake.
If you are towing a trailer, unhitch
the trailer.
Turn on the hazard warning lights,
and turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK (0) position. Have all
passengers get out of the vehicle
while you change the tire.
The tools are in the trunk. Open
the trunk and raise the trunk f loor
by lif ting up on the back edge.
5. 4.
3. 2. 1.
6.
Changing a Flat Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
227
TOOL TRAY
The vehicle can easily roll off
the jack, seriously injuring
anyone underneath.
Follow the directions for
changing a tire exactly, and
never get under the vehicle
when it is supported only by the
jack.
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Page 229 of 277
Bef ore mounting the spare tire,
wipe any dirt of f the mounting
surface of the wheel and hub with
a clean cloth. Wipe the hub
carefully;itmaybehotfrom
driving.
Remove the wheel nuts and f lat
tire. Place the f lat tire on the
ground with the outside surf ace of
the wheel f acing up. Use the extension and the wheel
nut wrench as shown to raise the
vehicle until the f lat tire is of f the
ground.
Place the jack under the jacking
point nearest the tire you need to
change. Turn the end bracket
clockwise until the top of the jack
contacts the jacking point. Make
sure the jacking point tab is
restinginthejacknotch. 8.
9.
7.
10.
Changing a Flat Tire
228
EXTENSION
BRAKE HUB
WHEEL WRENCH
JACKING POINT
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Page 230 of 277
Tighten the wheel nuts securely in
the same crisscross pattern. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at
the nearest automotive service
f acility.
Tighten the wheel nuts to:
Put on the spare tire. Put the
wheel nuts back on f inger-tight,
then tighten them in a crisscross
pattern with the wheel nut wrench
until the wheel is f irmly against
the hub. Do not try to tighten
them f ully.
Lower the vehicle to the ground,
and remove the jack. Remove the center cap before
storing the f lat tire in the trunk
well.
Place the flat tire face down in the
spare tire well.
Remove the spacer cone f rom the
wing bolt, turn it over, and put it
back on the bolt.
Securetheflattirebyscrewing
the wing bolt back into its hole.
Store the jack and tools in the tool
tray, and place the tool tray back
in the trunk.
11.
12. 13.14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
229
WING BOLT
SPACER CONE
80 lbf·ft (108 N·m , 11 kgf·m)
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Page 231 of 277

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: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.
Store the center cap in the trunk.
Make sure it does not get
scratched or damaged.
Lower the trunk f loor, then close
the trunk lid. 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. You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
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. Seeon page .
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.
Check these things:
232
19.
If the Engine Won’t Start
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting
Changing a Flat Tire, If the Engine Won’t Start
230
Loose items can fly around the
interior in a crash and could
seriously injure the occupants.
Store the wheel, jack, and tools
securely before driving.
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Page 232 of 277

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
areOK,thereisprobably
something wrong with the
electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualif ied technician to
determine the problem (seeon page ).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.
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 ). 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 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 ). If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied mechanic to f ind the
problem. See
on page .
241
232
221 165
77 243
241
Emergency T owing T he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine
Emergency T owing
If theEngineWon’tStart
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
231
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