Fill the f uel tank.
Change the engine oil and f ilter.Block the rear wheels.
If the vehicle is to be stored f or a
longer period, it should be
supported on jackstands so the
tires are of f the ground.
Wash and dry the exterior
completely.
Cleantheinterior.Makesurethe
carpeting, floor mats, etc., are
completely dry.
If you need to park your vehicle f or
an extended period (more than 1
month), there are several things you
should do to prepare it f or storage.
Proper preparation helps prevent
deterioration and makes it easier to
get your vehicle back on the road. If
possible, store your vehicle indoors. Leave one window open slightly (if
the vehicle is being stored
indoors).Cover the vehicle with a
‘‘breathable’’ cover, one made
f rom a porous material such as
cotton. Non-porous materials, such
as plastic sheeting, trap moisture,
which can damage the paint.
To minimize sticking, apply a
silicone spray lubricant to all door
and trunk seals. Also, apply a
vehiclebodywaxtothepainted
surfaces that mate with the door
and trunk seals.
Support the f ront wiper blade
arms with a f olded towel or rag so
they do not touch the windshield.
Disconnect the battery. If possible, periodically run the
engine until it reaches f ull
operating temperature (the
cooling f an cycles twice).
Pref erably, do this once a month.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in reverse
(manual) or Park (automatic).
Vehicle Storage
216
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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. 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 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 and terminal connec-
tions (see page ). You can
then try jump starting the vehicle
f rom a booster battery (see page ).
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:
215
225 237
225
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Emergency T owing
Jump Starting
If theEngineWon’tStart
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
223
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Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.
You cannot start your vehicle with an
automatic transmission by pushing
or pulling it.
Open the hood, and check the
physical condition of the battery.
In very cold weather, check the
condition of the electrolyte. If it
seems slushy or f rozen, do not try
jump starting until it thaws.
The numbers in the illustration show
you the order to connect the jumper
cables.
To jump start your vehicle:
Connect one jumper cable to the
positive ( ) terminal on your
battery. Connect the other end to
the positive ( ) terminal on the
booster battery.
Turn of f all the electrical
accessories: heater, A/C (if
equipped), audio system (if
equipped), lights, etc. Put the
transmission in neutral (M/T) or
Park (A/T), and set the parking
brake.
1. 2.
3.
CONT INUED
Jump Starting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
225
BOOSTER
BATTERY
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyonenearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery.If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.
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µIf your vehicle overheats, you should
take immediate action. The only
indication may be the temperature
gauge climbing to or above the red
mark. Or you may see steam or
spray coming f rom under the hood.
Start the vehicle. If the starter
motor still operates slowly, check
that the jumper cables have good
metal-to-metal contact.
Once the 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,
and then from the booster battery.
Keep 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.
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.
If the booster battery is in another
vehicle, have an assistant start
that vehicle and run it at a fast idle. The reading of the vehicle’s
temperature gauge should stay in
the midrange. If it climbs to the red
mark, you should determine the
reason (hot day, driving up a steep
hill, etc.).
7.
6.
4. 5.
Jump Starting, If the Engine Overheats
If the Engine Overheats
226
Driving with the temperature gauge
reading at the red mark can cause
serious damage to your engine.
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Let the vehicle sit f or a minute.
Open the hood, and check the oil
level (see page ). An engine
very low on oil can lose pressure
during cornering and other driving
maneuvers.
If necessary, add oil to bring the
level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page ).
Start the engine, and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If it does not go
out within 10 seconds, turn of f the
engine. There is a mechanical
problem that needs to be repaired
bef ore you can continue driving
(see on page). Immediately turn of f all electrical
accessories. Try not to use other
electrically operated controls such as
the power windows. Keep the engine
running; starting the engine will
discharge the battery rapidly.
Go to a service station or garage
where you can get technical
assistance.
This indicator should never
come on when the engine is
running. If it starts f lashing or stays
on, the oil pressure has dropped very
low or lost pressure. Serious engine
damage is possible, and you should
take immediate action. If the charging system
indicator comes on brightly
when the engine is running, the
battery is not being charged.
Saf ely pull of f the road, and shut
of f the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning lights.
1. 2. 3. 4. 153
191
237
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator
Emergency T owingCharging System Indicator
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator, Charging System Indicator
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
229
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical
damage almost immediately. Turn of f
the engine as soon as you can saf ely get
the vehicle stopped.
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If the indicator comes on repeatedly,
even though it may turn of f as you
continue driving, have the vehicle
checked by your dealer as soon as
possible.
Your vehicle has certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that are part of the on-board
diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. In some states, part of the
emissions testing is to make sure
these codes are set. If they are not
set, the test cannot be completed.If the battery in your vehicle has
been disconnected or gone dead,
these codes are erased. It takes at
least three days of driving under
various conditions to set the codes
again.
To check if they are set, turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position, without starting the engine.
The malf unction indicator lamp will
come on f or 20 seconds. If it then
goes of f , the readiness codes are set.
If it blinks f ive times, the readiness
codes are not set. If possible, do not
take your vehicle for a state
emissions test until the readiness
codes are set. Ref er to
for more
inf ormation (see page ).
If this indicator comes on
while driving, it means one
of the engine’s emissions control
systems may have a problem. Even
though you may f eel no dif f erence in
your vehicle’s perf ormance, it can
reduce your f uel economy and cause
increased emissions. Continued
operation may cause serious damage.
If you have recently ref ueled your
vehicle, the indicator coming on
could be due to a loose or missing
f uel f ill cap. You will also see a
‘‘CHECK FUEL CAP’’ message on
the inf ormation display. Tighten the
cap until it clicks at least once (see
page ). Tightening the cap will
not turn the indicator of f
immediately; it takes at least three
days of normal driving. 250
152
Malf unct ion Indicat or L amp
State
Emissions T esting
Readiness Codes
230
If you keep driving with the
malf unction indicator lamp on, you can
damage your vehicle’s emissions
controls and engine. Those repairs may
not be covered by your vehicle’s
warranties.
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µµµ
µ µµ µ µµµµµµµµµ
Î ÎÎ
µµµµ
Î ÎÎ
ÎÎ
Specif icat ions
Technical Inf ormation
243
Air Conditioning Fuses
Alignment
Battery Tires
Lights
HFC-134a (R-134a)
14.1 15.9 oz (400 450 g) SP-10
12 V 60 W (HB3)
7°24’1°30’
0°
0.00 in (0.0 mm)
P195/65R15 89H 0.08 in (2.0 mm)
Refrigerant type
Charge quantity
Lubricant oil type
Interior
Under-hood
Toe-in
CamberCaster
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
12 V
8W
5W
21 W
3CP
21 W
21/5 W
21 W
21/5 W
12 V 51 W (HB4)
12 V 2 CP
12 V 8 W
12 V 5 W
Capacity 12 V P205/55R16 89H
Size
Pressure
12 V 45 AH/20 HR 36 AH/5 HR T125/70D15 95M
60 psi (420 kPa , 4.2 kgf/cm
)
32 psi (220 kPa , 2.2 kgf/cm)
30 psi (210 kPa , 2.1 kgf/cm)
See page 236 or the fuse label
attached to the inside of the fuse
box door under the steering
column.
See page 235 or the fuse box
cover.
Headlights
Front turn signal/side marker/
Parking lights
Rear turn signal lights
Stop/Taillights
Rear side marker lights
Back-up lights
Taillights
High-mount brake light
License plate lights
Ceiling light
Spotlights
Trunk light
12 V
12 V38 AH/5 HR
45 AH/20 HR
HighLow
FrontRear
FrontRear
Front
1: LX,EX 1:
2: LX,EXFront/Rear
Spare
Front/Rear
Spare
DX, Canadian DX-G
U.S.
Vehicles
Canada
Vehicles
1 12
12
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If you take your vehicle f or a state
emissions test shortly af ter the
battery has been disconnected or
gone dead, it may not pass the test.
This is because of certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that must be set in the on-
board diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. These codes are erased
when the battery is disconnected,
and set again only after several days
of driving under a variety of
conditions.
If the testing f acility determines that
the readiness codes are not set, you
will be requested to return at a later
date to complete the test. If you must
get the vehicle retested within the
next two or three days, you can
condition the vehicle f or retesting by
doing the f ollowing.Make sure the gas tank is nearly,
but not completely f ull (around
3/4). Without touching the accelerator
pedal, start the engine, and let it
idle f or 20 seconds.
Select a nearby lightly traveled
major highway where you can
maintain a speed of 50 to 60 mph
(80to97km/h)foratleast20
minutes. Drive on the highway in
D (A/T) or 5th (M/T). Do not usethecruisecontrol.Whentraffic
allows, drive f or 90 seconds
without moving the accelerator
pedal. (Vehicle speed may vary
slightly; this is okay.) If you cannot
do this f or a continuous 90
seconds because of traf f ic
conditions, drive f or at least 30
seconds, then repeat it two more
times (for a total of 90 seconds).
Then drive in city/suburban
traffic for at least 10 minutes.
When traffic conditions allow, let
the vehicle coast f or several
seconds without using the
accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal.
Make sure the vehicle has been
parked with the engine of f f or 6
hours or more.
Make sure the ambient
temperature is between 40° and
95°F.
Keep the vehicle in Park
(automatic transmission) or
neutral (manual transmission).
Increase the engine speed to 2,000
rpm,andholditthereuntilthe
temperature gauge rises to at least
1/4of thescale(about3minutes).
If the testing f acility determines the
readiness codes are still not set, see
your dealer.Stop the vehicle, turn of f the
ignition switch, and leave it of f f or
30 minutes.
T esting of Readiness Codes
St at e Emissions T est ing
250
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