Your vehicle’s exhaust contains
carbon monoxide gas. You should
have no problem with carbon
monoxide entering the vehicle in
normal driving if you maintain your
vehicle properly.High levels of carbon monoxide can
collect rapidly in enclosed areas,
such as a garage. Do not run the
engine with the garage door closed.
Even with the door open, run the
engine only long enough to move the
vehicle out of the garage.With the tailgate open, air flow can
pull exhaust gas into your vehicle’s
interior and create a hazardous
condition. If you must drive with the
tailgate open, open all the windows
and set the heating and cooling
system/climate control system as
shown below.
If you must sit in your parked vehicle
with the engine running, even in an
unconf ined area, adjust the heating
and cooling system/climate control
system as f ollows:
Select the f resh air mode.
Select the mode.
Turn the f an on high speed.
Set the temperature control to a
comfortable setting.
Have the exhaust system inspected
f or leaks whenever:
The vehicle is raised f or an oil
change.
You notice a change in the sound
of the exhaust.
The vehicle was in an accident
that may have damaged the
underside. 1.
2.
3.
4.
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
57
Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause
unconsciousness and even kill
you.
Avoid any enclosed areas or
activities that expose you to
carbon monoxide.
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)
The instrument panel has many
indicators to give you important
inf ormation about your vehicle.See page .
The engine can be severely damaged
if this indicator f lashes or stays on
when the engine is running. For
more information, see page .
If this indicator comes on when the
engine is running, the battery is not
being charged. For more inf ormation,
see page .
This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. It reminds you and your
passengers to f asten your seat belts.
A beeper also sounds if you and your
f ront passenger have not f astened
your seat belts.
If you turn the ignition switch to the
ON (II) position bef ore f astening
your seat belts, the beeper sounds,
and the indicator f lashes. If you do
not fasten your seat belts before the
beeper stops, the indicator stops
f lashing but remains on. If either of you do not f asten your
seat belt while driving, the beeper
will sound and the indicator will f lash
again at regular intervals. For more
inf ormation, see page .
If you continue driving without
f astening your seat belt, the beeper
sounds and the indicator f lashes
again at regular intervals. If your f ront passenger does not
f asten their seat belt, the indicator
comes on about 6 seconds af ter the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
(II) position.
21 277
276
276
Seat Belt Reminder
Indicator
Malf unction Indicator
Lamp
L ow Oil Pressure
Indicator
Charging System
Indicator
Instrument Panel Indicators
62
If your f uel cap is loose or missing, a
‘‘CHECK FUEL CAP’’ message
appears in the inf ormation display
af ter you start the engine. Turn the
engine of f and conf irm the f uel cap is
installed. If it is, loosen the cap, then
retighten it until it clicks at least
once. When you restart the engine,
the message appears again. Toscroll
to another message, press the
select/reset knob. If the system still detects a loose or
missing f uel f ill cap, the malf unction
indicator lamp (MIL) comes on.
Turn the engine of f , and check or
retighten the f uel f ill cap until it
clicks at least once. The MIL goes
out after several days of normal
driving once the cap is tightened or
replaced. If it does not go out, have
your dealer inspect the vehicle. For
more information, see page .
The inf ormation display in the
instrument panel shows you the
engine oil lif e and maintenance
service items when the ignition
switch is in the ON (II) position. This
inf ormation helps to keep you aware
of the periodic maintenance your
vehicle needs f or continued trouble-
f ree driving. Ref er to page f or
more information.
229
277
Gauges
Check Fuel Cap Indicator Maintenance Minder Display
72
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 .186
.................
Fuel Recommendation . 186
.........
Service Station Procedures . 187
....................................
Ref ueling .187
Opening and Closing the .......................................
Hood .188
...................................
Oil Check .189
.............
Engine Coolant Check . 189
...............................
Fuel Economy .190
...
Accessories and Modif ications . 191
.............................
Carrying Cargo .193
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving
185
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. 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. 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 using quality
gasolines containing detergent
additives that help prevent fuel
system and engine deposits.
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, contact
your 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.
Premium f uel is recommended when
towing in certain conditions (see
page ).
For f urther important f uel-related
inf ormation, please ref er to your
.
220
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
Break-in Period
Fuel Recommendation
Quick Start Guide
186
Wait a f ew minutes af ter turning the
engine of f bef ore you check the oil.Remove the dipstick again, and
check the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.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, see
on 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.
Remove the dipstick (orange loop).
Wipe of f the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.
Insert it all the way back into its
tube.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see
on page .
1.
2.
3. 4.
242
234
239
Service Station Procedures
Oil Check
Engine Coolant Check
A dding
Engine Coolant
Owner’s Maintenance
Checks
A dding Engine Oil
Bef ore Driving
189
UPPER MARK
LOWER MARK
MAX
MIN RESERVE TANK
DIPSTICK
Before you leave the pavement, be
sure to do all scheduled maintenance
and service, and inspect your vehicle
f or any problems. Pay special
attention to the condition of the tires,
and check the tire pressures.
After you return to the pavement,
caref ully inspect your vehicle to
make sure there is no damage that
could make driving it unsaf e.
Recheck the condition of the tires
and the tire pressures.
The route presents limits (too steep
or bumpy roads). You have limits
(driving skill and comfort). And your
vehicle has limits (traction, stability,
and power).
Driving of f -highway can be
hazardous if you f ail to recognize
limits and take the proper
precautions.Forbettertractiononallsurfaces,
accelerate slowly and gradually build
up speed. If you try to start too fast
on wet soil, mud, snow, or ice, you
might not have enough traction to
get underway, and you may dig
yourself a hole. Starting with the
shif t lever in second (2) gear will
help you have a smoother start on
snow or ice.
Debris in the road can damage your
suspension or other components.
Because your vehicle has a high
center of gravity, driving over a large
obstacle, or allowing a wheel to drop
into a deep hole can cause your
vehicle to tip or roll over.
If you can’t clearly see all conditions
or obstacles on a slope, walk the
slope bef ore you drive on it. If you
have any doubt whether or not you
can saf ely drive on the slope, don’t
do it. Find another route.
If you are driving up a hill and f ind
that you cannot continue,
. Your vehicle could roll
over. Slowly back down the hill,
f ollowing the same route you took up
the hill.
Keep in mind that you will usually
need more time and distance to
brake to a stop on unpaved surf aces.
Avoid hard braking. Do not ‘‘pump’’
the brakes; let the anti-lock braking
system pump them f or you.
do not try to
turn around
Check Out Your Vehicle
Remember A ccelerating and Braking
A voiding Obstacles
Driving on Slopes
Of f -Highway Driving Guidelines
224