Wiper Activated Headlamps
This feature activates the headlamps and parking
lamps after the windshield wipers are turned
on and have completed eight wipe cycles within
four minutes.
When the ignition is turned to OFF, the
wiper-activated headlamps immediately turn off.
The wiper-activated headlamps also turn off if the
windshield wipers are turned off.
Headlamps on Reminder
A warning chime will sound if the exterior lamp
control is left on in either the headlamp or parking
lamp position and the driver’s door is opened
with the ignition off.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier
for others to see the front of your vehicle during
the day. DRL can be helpful in many different
driving conditions, but they can be especially
helpful in the short periods after dawn and before
sunset. Fully functional daytime running lamps
are required on all vehicles rst sold in Canada.
The DRL system will make the turn signal lamps
come on when the following conditions are met:
It is still daylight and the ignition is on.
The exterior lamp control is in the off position.
The transaxle is not in PARK (P)
(United States only).
The light sensor is covered or not detecting
light. See “Sensors” underDual Climate Control
System on page 210.
When DRL are on, no other exterior lamps such as
the parking lamps, taillamps, etc. will be on when
the DRL are being used. Your instrument panel will
not be lit up either.
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When automatic lighting is on and it is dark enough
outside, the turn signal lamps will turn off and
normal low-beam headlamp operation will occur.
When automatic lighting is on and it is bright
enough outside, the regular lamps will go off, and
the DRL will take over. If you start your vehicle
in a dark garage, the automatic headlamp system
will come on immediately. Once you leave the
garage, it will take approximately one minute for
the automatic headlamp system to change to DRL
if there is light outside. During that delay, your
instrument panel cluster may not be as bright as
usual. Make sure your instrument panel brightness
knob is in the full bright position. SeeInstrument
Panel Brightness on page 199.
Turning on automatic lighting or the headlamps
will deactivate the DRL. If the parking lamps or the
fog lamps were turned on instead, the DRL will
still deactivate.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off at night,
turn off automatic lighting and shift the transaxle
into PARK (P). Placing your vehicle in PARK (P)
disables the DRL. The DRL will stay off until you
shift out of PARK (P).To drive your vehicle with the DRL off, turn off
automatic lighting and manually turn on the parking
lamps or fog lamps (if equipped).
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the
regular headlamp system when you need it.
Fog Lamps
Use the fog lamps for better vision in foggy or
misty conditions.
-(Fog Lamps):The fog lamps button is
located on the exterior lamps control. The exterior
lamps control is located on the instrument panel
to the left of the steering column.
The ignition must be on for the fog lamps to work.
Press the exterior lamps button to turn the
fog lamps on or off. A light will come on in the
instrument panel cluster when the fog lamps
are in use.
When the headlamps are changed to high-beam,
the fog lamps will turn off. The fog lamps come
back on again when the high-beam headlamps
are turned off.
Some localities have laws that require the
headlamps to be on along with the fog lamps.
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Cornering Lamps
The cornering lamps come on when the
headlamps or parking lamps are on and you
signal a turn with the multifunction lever.
They provide more light for cornering.
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver
If the manual parking lamps or headlamps have
been left on, the exterior lamps will turn off
approximately 10 minutes after the ignition is
turned to OFF. This protects against draining
the battery in case you have accidentally left the
headlamps or parking lamps on. The battery saver
does not work if the headlamps are turned on
after the ignition switch is turned to OFF.
If you need to leave the lamps on for more than
10 minutes, use the exterior lamp control to
turn the lamps back on.
Instrument Panel Brightness
D(Instrument Panel Brightness):This feature
controls the brightness of the instrument panel
lights.
The button for this control is located below the
exterior lamps control.
Push the button in and release to extend the button.
Turn the button clockwise for brightness of the
instrument panel lights and counter clockwise to
turn the brightness down.
Courtesy Lamps
The courtesy lamps are located on the headliner
above the rear seat. These lamps come on by
turning the instrument panel brightness knob fully
clockwise or when any door is opened and it is
dark outside. Puddle lamps are located on
the bottom of the front and rear door trim.
Professional vehicles have an additional dome
lamp and also opera lamps.
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Entry Lighting
This feature turns on the courtesy lamps and the
backlighting to the door switches and to the exterior
lamp control when a door is opened or if you press
the remote keyless entry transmitter unlock button.
If activated due to the transmitter, the lighting will
remain active for about 40 seconds. Since the entry
lighting system uses the light sensor, it must be
dark outside in order for the courtesy lamps to turn
on. The courtesy lamps turn off approximately
25 seconds after the last door is closed. They will
dim to off if the ignition key is turned to RUN, or
immediately deactivate if the power locks are
activated.
Parade Dimming
This feature prohibits dimming of the digital
displays and backlighting during daylight hours
when the key is in the ignition and the headlamps
are on. This feature is fully automatic. When
the light sensor reads darkness outside and the
parking lamps are active, the digital displays
can be adjusted by turning the instrument panel
brightness knob counterclockwise to dim and
clockwise to brighten lighting.
Reading Lamps
The reading lamps are located on the overhead
console on the headliner and in the rear door
opening. These lamps come on automatically
when any door is opened and it is dark outside.
For manual operation, press the button to
turn them on. Press it again to turn them off.
If the reading lamps are left on, they automatically
shut off 10 minutes after the ignition has been
turned off.
Battery Load Management
The battery load management feature is
designed to monitor the vehicle’s electrical
load and determine when the battery is in a
heavy discharge condition. During times of high
electrical loading, the engine may idle at a higher
revolutions per minute (rpm) setting than normal
to make sure the battery charges. High electrical
loads may occur when several of the following are
on: headlamps, high beams, fog lamps, rear
window defogger, the climate control fan at high
speeds, heated seats and engine cooling fans.
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If the battery continues to discharge, even with
the engine idling at a higher rpm setting, some
electrical loads will automatically be reduced. When
this occurs, the rear window defogger may take
slightly longer to clear the glass, the heated seats
may not get as warm as they usually do and the
climate control fan may cut back to a lower speed.
For more battery saving information, see “Battery
Saver Active Message” underDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 246.
Electric Power Management
The vehicle has Electric Power Management (EPM)
that estimates the battery’s temperature
and state of charge. It then adjusts the voltage for
best performance and extended life of the battery.
When the battery’s state of charge is low, the
voltage is raised slightly to quickly put the charge
back in. When the state of charge is high, the
voltage is lowered slightly to prevent overcharging.
If the vehicle has a voltmeter gage or voltage
display on the Driver Information Center (DIC),
you may see the voltage move up or down.
This is normal. If there is a problem, an alert
will be displayed.The battery can be discharged at idle if the
electrical loads are very high. This is true for all
vehicles. This is because the generator (alternator)
may not be spinning fast enough at idle to produce
all the power that is needed for very high electrical
loads.
A high electrical load occurs when several of the
following loads are on: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger, climate control fan at
high speed, heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into accessory
power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive discharge of the
battery. It does this by balancing the generator’s
output and the vehicle’s electrical needs. It can
increase engine idle speed to generate more
power, whenever needed. It can temporarily
reduce the power demands of some accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in steps or levels,
without being noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action, this action
may be noticeable to the driver. If so, a Driver
Information Center (DIC) message might be
displayed, such as Battery Saver Active or Service
Battery Charging System. If this message is
displayed, it is recommended that the driver reduce
the electrical loads as much as possible. SeeDIC
Warnings and Messages on page 246.
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Fog Lamp Light
The fog lamp light will
come on when the fog
lamps are in use.
The light will go out when the fog lamps are
turned off. SeeFog Lamps on page 198for more
information.
Lights On Reminder
This light comes on
whenever the parking
lamps are on.
SeeExterior Lamps on page 193for more
information.
Cruise Control Light
This light comes on
whenever you set your
cruise control.
The light will go out when the cruise control is
turned off. SeeCruise Control on page 176and
Adaptive Cruise Control on page 179for more
information.
Highbeam On Light
This light comes on
when the high-beam
headlamps are in use.
SeeHeadlamp High/Low-Beam Changer on
page 167for more information.
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DIC Warnings and Messages
These messages appear if there is a problem
detected in one of your vehicle’s systems.
You must acknowledge a message to clear it from
the screen for further use. To clear a message,
press the set/reset button.
Be sure to take any message that appears on
the screen seriously and remember that clearing
the message will only make the message
disappear, not the problem.
AUTOMATIC LIGHT CONTROL OFF
This message displays when the automatic
headlamps are turned off. SeeExterior Lamps
on page 193for more information.
AUTOMATIC LIGHT CONTROL ON
This message displays when the automatic
headlamps are turned on. SeeExterior Lamps
on page 193for more information.
BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE
This message displays when the system detects
that the battery voltage is dropping beyond a
reasonable level. The battery saver system starts
reducing certain features of the vehicle that
you may be able to notice. At the point that the
features are disabled, this message is displayed.
It means that the vehicle is trying to save the
charge in the battery.
Turn off all unnecessary accessories to allow the
battery to recharge.
The normal battery voltage range is
11.5 to 15.5 volts. You can monitor battery
voltage on the Driver Information Center (DIC)
by pressing the trip/fuel button until BATTERY
VOLTAGE is displayed.
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Remember: ABS does not change the time you
need to get your foot up to the brake pedal
or always decrease stopping distance. If you get
too close to the vehicle in front of you, you will not
have time to apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always leave enough
room up ahead to stop, even though you
have ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake
pedal down rmly and let anti-lock work for you.
You might hear the anti-lock pump or motor
operate, and feel the brake pedal pulsate, but this
is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With ABS, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you
more than even the very best braking.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle has a traction control system that limits
wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery road
conditions. The system operates only if it senses
that the front wheels are spinning too much or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the
system works the front brakes and reduces engine
power (by closing the throttle and managing engine
spark) to limit wheel spin.
The traction control system and StabiliTrak
®
warning light will ash when the traction control
system is limiting wheel spin. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS) Warning Light on page 232and
StabiliTrak
®Indicator Light on page 232for more
information. You may feel or hear the system
working, but this is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the
traction control system begins to limit wheel spin,
the cruise control will automatically disengage.
When road conditions allow you to safely
use it again, you may re-engage the cruise control.
SeeCruise Control on page 176orAdaptive
Cruise Control on page 179for more information.
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