µ
You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important. Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page ).
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags are
designed to supplement seat belts,
not replace them. So even though
your vehicle is equipped with airbags,
make sure you and your passengers
always wear your seat belts, and
wear them properly (see page ).
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat, not the front seat. Infants and
smallchildrenshouldberestrained
in a child seat. Larger children
should use a booster seat and a lap/
shoulder belt until they can use the
belt properly without a booster seat (see pages ).
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either. While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
15 56
227
38
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt
Control Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Restrain All Children Don’t Drink and Drive Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
8
Î
ÎÎ
Î Î
If equipped.
The U.S. instrument panel is shown. Dif f erences f or the Canadian models are noted in the text.
:
Instrument Panel
Instruments and Controls
61
LIGHTS ON INDICATOR
HIGH BEAM INDICATOR
A/T TEMPERATURE
INDICATOR VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST
SYSTEM (VSA) INDICATOR
MAINTENANCE MINDER
INDICATOR LOW OIL PRESSURE
INDICATORVSA ACTIVATION
INDICATOR
CRUISE CONTROL
INDICATOR TPMS INDICATOR
SIDE AIRBAG OFF
INDICATOR
LOW FUEL INDICATOR
FOG LIGHT INDICATOR
(P.69)
(P.69) (P.
69)
DOOR AND TAILGATE
OPEN MONITOR
TIRE PRESSURE
MONITOR
SEAT BELT REMINDER INDICATOR
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM INDICATOR
(P.67)
(P.68)
(P.64)
VTM-4 INDICATOR (P.68)
FUEL ECONOMY INDICATOR (P.68)
CHARGING SYSTEM
INDICATOR (P.62) (P.62)(P.64)
(P.67) (P.63)
(P.
62)
(P.
63) (P.
65)(P.
66)
(P.
65)
LOW TIRE PRESSURE
INDICATOR (P.
65)
IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM
INDICATOR
(P.
64)
(P.67)
(P.63)
PARKING BRAKE
AND BRAKE
SYSTEM
INDICATOR
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM
INDICATOR
MALFUNCTION
INDICATOR LAMP
(P.62)
BRAKE LAMP
INDICATOR (P.66) (P.63)
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position.
This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition to the ON (II) position.
If it comes on while driving, it
indicates that one or more of your
vehicle’s tires are extremely low on
pressure.
If this happens, pull to the side of the
road when it is saf e, check which tire
has lost the pressure on the Tire
Pressure Monitor, and determine the
cause. If it is because of a f lat tire,
replace the f lat tire with the compact
spare (see page ), and have the
f lat tire repaired as soon as possible.
If two or more tires are underinf lated,
call a prof essional towing service
f or more inf ormation. The appropriate tire indicator will
come on along with the low tire
pressure indicator if a tire is
extremely underinf lated or has
suddenly lost pressure. See
for what to
do if this indicator comes on. If this indicator comes on and stays
on at any other time, or if it does not
come on when you turn the ignition
switch to the ON (II) position, there
is a problem with the TPMS. With
this indicator on, the low tire
pressure indicator and the tire
pressure monitor will not come on
when a tire loses pressure. Take the
vehicle to your dealer to have the
system checked.
266
205 Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (T PMS) Indicator
Low Tire Pressure
Indicator T ire Pressure Monitor
Low
T ire Pressure Indicator
Instrument Panel Indicators
Instruments and Controls
65
(see page 278). Ref er to page
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 VTM-4system (4WD
models only), the VSA system, the
tire pressure monitoring system, and
f acts you need if you are planning to
tow a trailer. ........................
Driving Guidelines .198
.......................
Starting the Engine .199
..............
Automatic Transmission . 200
..............................
VTM-4 System .204
Tire Pressure Monitoring ........................
System (TPMS) .205
..................................
Parking Tips .207
.............................
Braking System .208
...............
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) . 209
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) ........................................
System .211
.........................
VSA Of f Switch .212
...........................
Towing a Trailer .213
......................
Trailer Driving Tips .220
Of f -Highway Driving ..................................
Guidelines .223
Driving
Driving
197
Your vehicle has a higher ground
clearance that allows you to travel
over bumps, obstacles, and rough
terrain. It also provides good
visibility so you can anticipate
problems earlier.
Because your vehicle rides higher
of f the ground, it has a high center
of gravity that can cause it to roll
over if you make abrupt turns. Utility
vehicles have a signif icantly higher
roll over rate than other types of
vehicles.
To prevent rollovers or loss of
control:Take corners at slower speeds
than you would with a passenger
vehicle.
Avoid sharp turns and abrupt
maneuvers whenever possible. Make sure the doors and the
tailgate are securely closed and
locked. Check the steering wheel
adjustment (see page ). Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ). Check the seat adjustment (see
page ). Check that any items you may be
carrying are stored properly or
f astened down securely.
Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice.
Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments bef ore you drive
your vehicle. Do not carry heavy cargo on the
roof . Do not modif y your vehicle in any
way that would raise the center of
gravity.
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have f astened
their seat belts (see page ).
When you start the engine, check
the gauges and indicators in the
instrument panel (see page ).
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure (see page ). 3.
2. 1. 4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
15
92
61
78
87
258
See page f or additional driving of f - highway guidelines. 223
Driving Guidelines
Preparing to Drive
198
The vehicle must be stopped with
the engine running.do
any of the f ollowing: Press the VTM-4 LOCK button.
Move the shift lever to D or D .
Move the shift lever to first (1),
second (2), or reverse (R) gear.
Press the VTM-4 lock button. The
indicator in the button comes on.
To get unstuck, apply light pressure
to the accelerator pedal. Do not spin
the f ront tires f or more than a f ew
seconds. Because of the amount of
torque applied to the rear tires, they
should not spin. This is normal. If
you are not able to move the vehicle,
stop and reverse direction.
The variable torque management
4WD (VTM-4) system automatically
transf ers varying amounts of engine
torque to the rear wheels under
lower traction conditions.
If more traction is needed when your
vehicle is stuck, or is likely to
become stuck, you can use the
VTM-4 lock button to increase
torque to the rear wheels.
Turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK (0) position.
The VTM-4 lock will temporarily
disengage when the vehicle speed
exceeds 18 mph (30 km/h). It will
automatically engage again as the
speed slows below 18 mph (30
km/h). The indicator in the button
will remain on.
1.
2.
3.
3
4WD models onlyTo Engage the VTM-4 Lock To Disengage the VTM-4 Lock,
VTM-
4System
204
Do not use the VTM-4 LOCK button on
dry, paved roads. Driving on dry,
paved roads with VTM-4 Lock ON may
damage the rear dif f erential when
making a turn. Strange noise and
vibration can also result. Do not continually spin the f ront tires
of your vehicle. Continuously spinning
the f ront tires can cause transmission
or rear dif f erential damage.
Your vehicle is equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that turns on every time you start the
engine and monitors the pressure in
your tires while driving.
Each tire has its own pressure
sensor. If the air pressure of a tire
becomes signif icantly low, the
sensor in that tire immediately sends
a signal that causes the low tire
pressure indicator and the
appropriate tire on the tire pressure
monitor to come on.Each tire, including the spare, should
be checked monthly when cold and
set to the recommended inf lation
pressure as specif ied in the vehicle
placard and this owner’s manual (see
page ).
Although your tire pressure is
monitored, you must manually check
thetirepressuresmonthly.
If you think you can saf ely drive a
short distance to a service station,
proceed slowly, and inf late the tire to
the recommended pressure shown
on the driver’s doorjamb.
When the tire pressure monitoring
system warning indicator is on, one
or more of your tires is signif icantly
under-inf lated. You should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible,
and inflate them to the proper
pressureasindicatedonthevehicle’s
tire inf ormation placard.
Driving on a signif icantly under-
inf lated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inf lation also reduces f uel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may
af f ect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability.
If the tire is f lat, or if the tire
pressure is too low to continue
driving, replace the tire with the
compact spare tire. 289
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Low Tire Pressure
Indicator
Driving
205
The appropriate tire indicator and
low tire pressure indicator comes on
if a tire becomes signif icantly
underinf lated. Seeon page .
This indicator comes on and stays on
if there is a problem with the tire
pressure monitoring system.
If you see this message, the system
is of f and is not monitoring the tire
pressures. Have the system checked
by your dealer as soon as possible.
If you have a f lat tire, the low tire
pressure and tire monitor indicators
will come on. Replace the indicated
flat tire with the compact spare tire
(see page ). Each wheel is equipped with a tire
pressure sensor mounted inside the
tire behind the valve stem. You must
use TPMS specif ic wheels. It is
recommended that you always have
your tires serviced by your dealer or
qualif ied technician.
After you replace the flat tire, the
low tire pressure indicator stays on.
This is normal; the system is not
monitoring the spare tire pressure.
Manually check the spare tire
pressure to be sure it is correct.
Never use a puncture-repairing agent
in a f lat tire. If used, you will have to
replace the tire pressure sensor.
Havetheflattirerepairedbyyour
dealer as soon as possible.
266 205
As required by the FCC:
This device complies with Part 15 of theFCC rules. Operation is subject to thef ollowing two conditions: (1) This devicemay not cause harmf ul interf erence, and(2) this device must accept anyinterf erence received, includinginterf erence that may cause undesiredoperation.
Changes or modif ications not expresslyapproved by the party responsible f orcompliance could void the user’sauthority to operate the equipment.
This device complies with IndustryCanada Standard RSS-210.Operation is subject to the f ollowing twoconditions: (1) this device may not causeinterf erence, and (2) this device mustaccept any interf erence that may causeundesired operation of the device.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Tire Pressure Monitor
Low Tire
Pressure Indicator
Changing a T ire with T PMS Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (T PMS) Indicator
206