Headlamps on Reminder
If a door is open, a reminder chime will sound
when your headlamps or parking lamps are
manually turned on and your key is out of the
ignition. To turn off the chime, turn the headlamp
switch to off or AUTO and then back on, or
close and re-open the door. In the AUTO mode,
the headlamps turn off once the ignition is in LOCK
or may remain on until the headlamp delay ends
(if enabled in the DIC). See “Exit Lighting”
underDIC Vehicle Customization on page 259.
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 DRL are required on all
vehicles rst sold in Canada.The DRL system will come on when the following
conditions are met:
The ignition is on
The exterior lamps control is in AUTO
The light sensor determines it is daytime
When the DRL are on, only your DRL lamps will
be on. The taillamps, sidemarker and other
lamps will not be on. The instrument panel back
lighting will not be on either.
When it begins to get dark, the automatic
headlamp system will switch from DRL to the
headlamps.
When you turn the headlamp switch off, the
headlamps will go off.
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Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
Your vehicle has the passenger sensing system.
Your overhead console has a passenger airbag
status indicator.
When the ignition key is turned to RUN or START,
the passenger airbag status indicator will light
ON and OFF, or the symbol for on and off,
for several seconds as a system check. Then,
after several more seconds, the status indicator
will light either ON or OFF, or either the on
or off symbol to let you know the status of the
right front passenger’s frontal airbag.If the word ON or the on symbol is lit on the
passenger airbag status indicator, it means that
the right front passenger’s frontal airbag is enabled
(may in ate).
{CAUTION:
If the on indicator comes on when you have
a rear-facing child restraint installed in the
right front passenger’s seat, it means that
the passenger sensing system has not
turned off the passenger’s frontal airbag.
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can
be seriously injured or killed if the right
front passenger’s airbag in ates. This is
because the back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very close to the
in ating airbag. Do not use a rear-facing
child restraint in the right front passenger’s
seat if the airbag is turned on.
Passenger Airbag
Status Indicator –
United StatesPassenger Airbag
Status Indicator –
Canada
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To change customization preferences, use the
following procedure.
Entering the Feature Settings Menu
1. Turn the ignition on and place the vehicle in
PARK (P).
2. Press the customization button to scroll
through the available customizable options.
Feature Settings Menu Items
The following are customization features that allow
you to program settings to the vehicle:
DISPLAY IN ENGLISH
This feature will only display if a language other
than English has been set. This feature allows
you to change the language in which the DIC
messages appear to English.
Press the customization button until the
PRESS
VTO DISPLAY IN ENGLISH screen
appears on the DIC display. Press the set/reset
button once to display all DIC messages in English.
DISPLAY LANGUAGE
This feature allows you to select the language in
which the DIC messages will appear.Press the customization button until the DISPLAY
LANGUAGE screen appears on the DIC display.
Press the set/reset button once to access
the settings for this feature. Then press the
customization button to scroll through the following
settings:
ENGLISH (default):All messages will appear in
English.
DEUTSCH (German):All messages will appear in
German.
ITALIANO (Italian):All messages will appear in
Italian.
FRANCAIS (French):All messages will appear in
French.
ESPANOL (Spanish):All messages will appear
in Spanish.
ARABIC:All messages will appear in Arabic.
NO CHANGE:No change will be made to
this feature. The current setting will remain.
Choose one of the available settings and press
the set/reset button while it is displayed on the DIC
to select it.
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+e−e(Volume):Press the plus or minus
button to increase or to decrease the radio volume.
¨(Seek):Press the seek arrow to go to the
next radio station while in AM, FM, or XM™
(if equipped). Press this button to go to the next
track or chapter while sourced to the CD or
DVD slot. Press the button to go to the next disc
while sourced to a CD or DVD changer, if
multiple discs are loaded.
Radio Reception
You may experience frequency interference and
static during normal radio reception if items
such as cellphone chargers, vehicle convenience
accessories, and external electronic devices
are plugged into the accessory power outlet. If
there is interference or static, unplug the item from
the accessory power outlet.
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for
FM, especially at night. The longer range can cause
station frequencies to interfere with each other. For
better radio reception, most AM radio stations will
boost the power levels during the day, and then
reduce these levels during the night. Static can also
occur when things like storms and power lines
interfere with radio reception. When this happens,
try reducing the treble on your radio.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km).
Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM
signals, causing the sound to fade in and out.
XM™ Satellite Radio Service
XM™ Satellite Radio Service gives digital radio
reception from coast-to-coast in the 48 contiguous
United States, and in Canada. Just as with FM, tall
buildings or hills can interfere with satellite radio
signals, causing the sound to fade in and out. In
addition, traveling or standing under heavy foliage,
bridges, garages, or tunnels may cause loss of the
XM™ signal for a period of time. The radio may
display No Signl to indicate interference.
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But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC
of 0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving
skills of many people are impaired at a BAC
approaching 0.05 percent, and that the effects are
worse at night. All drivers are impaired at BAC
levels above 0.05 percent. Statistics show that the
chance of being in a collision increases sharply for
drivers who have a BAC of 0.05 percent or above.
A driver with a BAC level of 0.06 percent has
doubled his or her chance of having a collision. At a
BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance of this driver
having a collision is 12 times greater; at a level of
0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater!
The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the
alcohol in one drink. No amount of coffee or
number of cold showers will speed that up.
“I will be careful” is not the right answer. What if
there is an emergency, a need to take sudden
action, as when a child darts into the street? A
person with even a moderate BAC might not be
able to react quickly enough to avoid the collision.There is something else about drinking and driving
that many people do not know. Medical research
shows that alcohol in a person’s system can make
crash injuries worse, especially injuries to the
brain, spinal cord, or heart. This means that when
anyone who has been drinking — driver or
passenger — is in a crash, that person’s chance
of being killed or permanently disabled is
higher than if the person had not been drinking.
{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your re exes, perceptions,
attentiveness, and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount of
alcohol. You can have a serious — or
even fatal — collision if you drive after
drinking. Please do not drink and drive or
ride with a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are with a
group, designate a driver who will not
drink.
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So here are some tips for passing:
Drive ahead. Look down the road, to the sides
and to crossroads for situations that might
affect your passing patterns. If you have any
doubt whatsoever about making a successful
pass, wait for a better time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings
and lines. If you can see a sign up ahead
that might indicate a turn or an intersection,
delay your pass. A broken center line
usually indicates it is all right to pass, providing
the road ahead is clear. Never cross a solid
line on your side of the lane or a double solid
line, even if the road seems empty of
approaching traffic.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you want
to pass while you are awaiting an opportunity.
For one thing, following too closely reduces
your area of vision, especially if you are
following a larger vehicle. Also, you will not
have adequate space if the vehicle ahead
suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is
coming up, start to accelerate but stay in
the right lane and do not get too close.Time your move so you will be increasing
speed as the time comes to move into
the other lane. If the way is clear to pass,
you will have a running start that more than
makes up for the distance you would lose
by dropping back. And if something happens
to cause you to cancel your pass, you
need only slow down and drop back again
and wait for another opportunity.
If other vehicles are lined up to pass a slow
vehicle, wait your turn. But take care that
someone is not trying to pass you as you
pull out to pass the slow vehicle. Remember
to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder,
and start your left lane change signal before
moving out of the right lane to pass. When you
are far enough ahead of the passed vehicle
to see its front in your inside mirror, activate
your right lane change signal and move
back into the right lane. Remember that if your
passenger side outside mirror is convex, the
vehicle you just passed may seem to be
farther away from you than it really is.
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Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a
time on two-lane roads. Reconsider before
passing the next vehicle.
Do not overtake a slowly moving vehicle
too rapidly. Even though the brake lamps
are not ashing, it may be slowing down or
starting to turn.
If you are being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps
you can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems — brakes,
steering, and acceleration — do not have enough
friction where the tires meet the road to do what the
driver has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying
to steer and constantly seek an escape route or
area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking
reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and
by not overdriving those conditions. But skids
are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your
vehicle’s three control systems. In the braking skid,
your wheels are not rolling. In the steering or
cornering skid, too much speed or steering in a
curve causes tires to slip and lose cornering force.
And in the acceleration skid, too much throttle
causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
Remember: Any traction control system helps
avoid only the acceleration skid. If your traction
control system is off, then an acceleration
skid is also best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
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If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off
the accelerator pedal and quickly steer the
way you want the vehicle to go. If you start
steering quickly enough, your vehicle may
straighten out. Always be ready for a second skid
if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow,
ice, gravel, or other material is on the road.
For safety, you will want to slow down and adjust
your driving to these conditions. It is important
to slow down on slippery surfaces because
stopping distance will be longer and vehicle control
more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction,
try your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including reducing vehicle speed by
shifting to a lower gear. Any sudden changes could
cause the tires to slide. You may not realize the
surface is slippery until your vehicle is skidding.
Learn to recognize warning clues — such as
enough water, ice, or packed snow on the road to
make a mirrored surface — and slow down when
you have any doubt.
Remember: Any Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
helps avoid only the braking skid.Off-Road Driving
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have
all-wheel drive. If your vehicle does not have
all-wheel drive or if it has 20-inch tire/wheel
assemblies, you should not drive off-road unless
you are on a level, solid surface. SeeTires
on page 454.
Many of the same design features that help make
your vehicle responsive on paved roads during
poor weather conditions — features like all-wheel
drive — help make it much better suited for
off-road use. Its higher ground clearance also
helps your vehicle step over some off-road
obstacles. But your vehicle does not have features
like special underbody shielding and a transfer
case low gear range, things that are usually
thought necessary for extended or severe off-road
service.
Also, seeBraking on page 326.
Off-road driving can be great fun. But it does have
some de nite hazards. The greatest of these is
the terrain itself.
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