Page 171 of 221

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 .170
....................
Changing a Flat Tire .171
.............
If the Engine Won’t Start .176
................................
Jump Starting .178
..............
If the Engine Overheats .179
.........
Low Oil Pressure Indicator .182
..........
Charging System Indicator .182
.......
Malf unction Indicator Lamp .183
...............
Brake System Indicator .184
.......
Closing the Convertible Top .185
..............................................
Fuses .186
..........
Checking and Replacing .187
..............................
Fuse Locations .189
......................
Emergency Towing .191
..........
If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck .191
Taking Care of the Unexpected
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
169
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Page 173 of 221

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.Thesizedifferencemayalsocause
damage to the rear dif f erential, so do
not mount the compact spare on the
rear. If either rear tire goes f lat,
remove the f ront tire on that same
side, mount the compact spare tire
on the f ront, then mount the f ront
tire on the rear.
Park the vehicle on f irm, level, and
non-slippery ground. Put the
transmission in reverse. Apply the
parking brake.
Turn on the hazard warning lights,
and turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK (0) position. Have your
passenger get out of the vehicle
while you change the tire. Open the trunk. Lif t up the tool
box lid, and take the jack, wheel
wrench, and extension out of the
tool box.
Thecompactsparetireissmaller
than a standard tire, which will affect
the vehicle’s handling. Drive
cautiously when this spare is
mounted on your vehicle. 3.
1.
2.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
171
TOOL BOX LID
JACK
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. Use the jack that came with your
vehicle. If you try to raise another
vehicle with this jack or use another
jack to raise your vehicle, the vehicle or
jack can be damaged.
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Page 175 of 221
Use the extension and the wheel
nut wrench as shown to raise the
vehicle until the f lat tire is of f the
ground.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, then
remove the f lat tire. Handle the
wheel nuts caref ully; they may be
hot from driving. Place the flat tire
on the ground with the outside
surface facing up.
8. 9. 10.
CONT INUED
Changing a Flat Tire
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
173
BRAKE HUB
EXTENSION
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Page 180 of 221

´´
Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions. 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.
To jump start your vehicle:
The numbers in the illustration show
you the order to connect the jumper
cables.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, audio
system, lights, etc. Put the
transmission in neutral, and set
the parking brake.
3.
1.
2.
Jump Starting
178
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyone
nearby.
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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Page 182 of 221

Look f or any obvious coolant leaks,
such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you f ind a leak, it
must be repaired bef ore you
continue driving (seeon page ).
If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn of f the engine.
If you do not see steam or spray,
leave the engine running, and
watch the temperature gauge. If
the high heat is due to overloading,
the engine should start to cool
down almost immediately. If it
does, wait until the temperature
gauge comes down to the midpoint,
then continue driving. If you see steam and/or spray
coming f rom under the hood, turn
of f the engine. Wait until you see
no more signs of steam or spray,
then open the hood. Saf ely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in neutral,
and set the parking brake. Turn
of f the all accessories, and turn on
the hazard warning indicators. If you don’t f ind an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Add coolant
if the level is below the MIN mark
(seeon
page ).
2. 1.
3. 4.
5.
6.
191
146 Emergency
Towing
A dding Engine Coolant
If theEngineOverheats
180
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.
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Page 186 of 221

If the brake system indicator comes
on while driving, the brake f luid level
is probably low. Press lightly on the
brake pedal to see if it f eels normal.
If it does, check the brake f luid level
thenexttimeyoustopataservice
station (see page ).
If the f luid level is low, take your
vehicle to a dealer, and have the
brake system inspected f or leaks or
worn brake pads.However, if the brake pedal does not
f eel normal, you should take
immediate action. A problem in one
part of the system’s dual circuit
design will still give you braking at
two wheels. You will f eel the brake
pedal go down much f arther bef ore
the vehicle begins to slow down, and
you will have to press harder on the
pedal.
Slow down by shif ting to a lower
gear, and pull to the side of the road
when it is saf e. Because of the long
distance needed to stop, it is
hazardous to drive the vehicle. You
should have it towed and repaired as
soon as possible (see
on page ).
If you must drive the vehicle a short
distance in this condition, drive
slowly and caref ully.
The brake system
indicator normally
comes on when
you turn the ignition switch to the
ON (II) position, and as a reminder
to check the parking brake. It will
stay on if you do not f ully release the
parking brake.
151 191Emergency
Towing
Brake System Indicator
184
Canada
U.S.
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Page 188 of 221
The vehicle’s f uses are contained in
threefuseboxes.The primary under-hood f use box is
onthepassenger’ssidenexttothe
battery. To open it, push the two tabs
as shown.The auxiliary f use box is on the
driver’s side, near the brake f luid
reservoir. To open it, push the tab on
each side, and remove the lid.
The interior f use box is underneath
the dashboard on the driver’s side.
To open it, turn the knob.
Fuses
186
INTERIOR UNDER-HOOD
(PRIMARY)
UNDER-HOOD
(AUXILIARY)
KNOB
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Page 206 of 221

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.
Keep the vehicle in Neutral.
Increase the engine speed to 2,000
rpm,andholditthereuntilthe
temperature gauge rises to at least
1/4of thescale(about3minutes).
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
5th.Donotusethecruisecontrol.
When traffic allows, drive for 90
seconds without moving theaccelerator 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.
If the testing f acility determines the
readiness codes are still not set, see
your dealer.
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.
State Emissions T esting
T esting of Readiness Codes
204
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