Using Adaptive Cruise Control on Hills
and When Towing a Trailer
How well Adaptive Cruise Control will work on hills
and when towing a trailer depends on your vehicle’s
speed, vehicle load, traffic conditions and the
steepness of the hills. It may not detect a vehicle
in your lane while driving on hills. When going up
steep hills, you may want to use the accelerator
pedal to maintain your vehicle’s speed. When going
downhill, especially when towing a trailer, you may
want to brake to keep your speed down. Applying
the brake disengages the system. You may choose
not to use Adaptive Cruise Control on steep hills,
especially when towing a trailer.
Disengaging Adaptive Cruise Control
To turn off the system, apply the brake pedal,
press the cancel button, or press the Adaptive
Cruise Control button.
Erasing Set Speed Memory
When you press the Adaptive Cruise Control
button or turn the ignition off, the set speed
memory is erased.
Other Messages
There are three additional messages that may
appear on the DIC. They are SERVICE RADAR
CRUISE, RADAR CRUISE NOT READY and
CLEAN RADAR. These messages will appear
to indicate a problem with the Adaptive Cruise
Control. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 246for more information.
Cleaning the System
The radar can become blocked by snow, ice, or
dirt. If so, you may need to turn off the engine and
clean the lens. Remember, do not use Adaptive
Cruise Control in icy conditions, or when visibility
is low, such as in fog, rain or snow.
The emblem/lens is located in the center of
the grille.
To clean the emblem/lens, wipe the surface with a
soft cloth. After cleaning the emblem/lens, try to
engage the Adaptive Cruise Control. If you
are unable to do so, see your dealer.
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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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Airbag Readiness Light
There is an airbag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows the airbag symbol. The system
checks the airbag’s electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. The system check includes the
airbag sensors, the airbag modules, the wiring and
the diagnostic module. For more information on the
airbag system, seeAirbag System on page 70.
This light will come on
when you start your
vehicle, and it will ash
for a few seconds.
Then the light should
go out. This means
the system is ready.
If the airbag readiness light stays on after you
start the vehicle or comes on when you are driving,
your airbag system may not work properly.
Have your vehicle serviced right away.{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light stays on after
you start your vehicle, it means the airbag
system may not be working properly. The
airbags in your vehicle may not in ate in
a crash, or they could even in ate without
a crash. To help avoid injury to yourself
or others, have your vehicle serviced right
away if the airbag readiness light stays on
after you start your vehicle.
The airbag readiness light should ash for a
few seconds when you turn the vehicle on. If the
light does not come on then, have it xed so it
will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
If there is a problem with the airbag system in
your vehicle, the SERVICE AIR BAG message will
appear on the DIC display. SeeDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 246andSafety Belt
Pretensioners on page 41for more information.
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{CAUTION:
Even though the passenger sensing
system is designed to turn off the
passenger’s frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag if the
system detects a rear-facing child restraint,
no system is fail-safe, and no one can
guarantee that an airbag will not deploy
under some unusual circumstance, even
though it is turned off. We recommend that
rear-facing child restraints be secured in
the rear seat, even if the airbag is off.
If the word OFF or the off symbol is lit on the airbag
status indicator, it means that the passenger
sensing system has turned off the right front
passenger’s frontal airbag and seat-mounted side
impact airbag. SeePassenger Sensing System on
page 81for more on this, including important safety
information.If, after several seconds, all status indicator lights
remain on, or if there are no lights at all, there
may be a problem with the lights or the passenger
sensing system. See your dealer for service.
{CAUTION:
If the off indicator and the airbag
readiness light ever come on together,
it means that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. If this ever
happens, have the vehicle serviced
promptly, because an adult-size person
sitting in the right front passenger seat
may not have the protection of the
airbags. SeeAirbag Readiness Light
on page 226.
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