
The passenger sensing system will turn off the
right front passenger’s frontal airbag under certain
conditions. The driver’s airbags are not part of
the passenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works with
sensors that are part of the right front passenger’s
seat. The sensors are designed to detect the
presence of a properly-seated occupant and
determine if the passenger’s frontal airbag should
be enabled (may in ate) or not.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if
they are restrained in the rear rather than the front
seat. We recommend that child restraints be
secured in a rear seat, including an infant riding in
a rear-facing infant seat, a child riding in a
forward-facing child seat, and an older child riding
in a booster seat.
Your vehicle has a rear seat that will accommodate
a rear-facing child restraint. A label on your sun
visor says, “Never put a rear-facing child seat
in the front.” This is because the risk to the
rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys.
{CAUTION:
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.
Even though the passenger sensing
system is designed to turn off the
passenger’s frontal airbag if the system
detects a rear-facing child restraint, no
system is fail-safe, and no one can
CAUTION: (Continued)
82

CAUTION: (Continued)
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 you need to secure a forward-facing
child restraint in the right front seat,
always move the front passenger seat as
far back as it will go. It is better to secure
the child restraint in a rear seat.The passenger sensing system is designed to turn
off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag if:The right front passenger seat is unoccupied.
The system determines that an infant is
present in a rear-facing infant seat.
The system determines that a small child is
present in a forward-facing child restraint.
The system determines that a small child is
present in a booster seat.
A right front passenger takes his/her weight off
of the seat for a period of time.
The right front passenger seat is occupied by
a smaller person, such as a child who has
outgrown child restraints.
Or, if there is a critical problem with the airbag
system or the passenger sensing system.
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When the passenger sensing system has turned
off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag, the off
indicator will light and stay lit to remind you that
the airbag is off.
If a child restraint has been installed and the on
indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off. Remove
the child restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the
child restraint following the child restraint
manufacturer’s directions and refer toSecuring a
Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position
on page 65.
If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting
the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, check to
make sure that the vehicle’s seatback is not
pressing the child restraint into the seat cushion.
If this happens, slightly recline the vehicle’s
seatback and adjust the seat cushion if possible.
Also make sure the child restraint is not trapped
under the vehicle head restraint. If this happens,
adjust the head restraint.
If the on indicator is still lit, secure the child in the
child restraint in a rear seat position in the
vehicle and check with your dealer.The passenger sensing system is designed to
enable (may in ate) the right front passenger’s
frontal airbag anytime the system senses
that a person of adult size is sitting properly in the
right front passenger’s seat. When the passenger
sensing system has allowed the airbag to be
enabled, the on indicator will light and stay lit to
remind you that the airbag is active.
For some children who have outgrown child
restraints and for very small adults, the passenger
sensing system may or may not turn off the
right front passenger’s frontal airbag, depending
upon the person’s seating posture and body build.
Everyone in your vehicle who has outgrown
child restraints should wear a safety belt
properly — whether or not there is an airbag
for that person.
If a person of adult-size is sitting in the right front
passenger’s seat, but the off indicator is lit, it
could be because that person is not sitting properly
in the seat. If this happens, turn the vehicle off
and ask the person to place the seatback in
the fully upright position, then sit upright in the
seat, centered on the seat cushion, with the
person’s legs comfortably extended.
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A thick layer of additional material, such as a
blanket, or aftermarket equipment such as seat
covers, seat heaters, and seat massagers,
can affect how well the passenger sensing system
operates. Remove any additional material from
the seat cushion before reinstalling or securing the
child restraint and before a small occupant,
including a small adult, sits in the right front
passenger’s seat. You may want to consider not
using seat covers or other aftermarket equipment.SeeAdding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 88for more information about
modi cations that can affect how the system
operates.
{CAUTION:
Stowing of articles under the passenger’s
seat or between the passenger’s seat
cushion and seatback may interfere with
the proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
86

Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add to the front
or sides of the vehicle that could keep the
airbags from working properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that change your
vehicle’s frame, bumper system, height,
front end or side sheet metal, they may keep
the airbag system from working properly.
Also, the airbag system may not work properly
if you relocate any of the airbag sensors. If
you have any questions about this, you should
contact Customer Assistance before you
modify your vehicle. The phone numbers and
addresses for Customer Assistance are in
Step Two of the Customer Satisfaction
Procedure in this manual. SeeCustomer
Satisfaction Procedure on page 488.
Q:Because I have a disability, I have to get
my vehicle modi ed. How can I nd out
whether this will affect my airbag system?
A:Changing or moving any parts of the
front seats, safety belts, the airbag sensing
and diagnostic module, steering wheel,
instrument panel, ceiling headliner, ceiling and
pillar garnish trim, roof-mounted airbag
modules, or airbag wiring can affect the
operation of the airbag system. If you have
questions, call Customer Assistance. The
phone numbers and addresses for Customer
Assistance are in Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in this manual.
SeeCustomer Satisfaction Procedure on
page 488.
88

Keys.............................................................. 93
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System.......... 94
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation................................................. 96
Doors and Locks........................................ 100
Door Locks................................................ 100
Central Door Unlocking System................. 101
Power Door Locks..................................... 101
Delayed Locking........................................ 102
Programmable Automatic Door Locks........ 102
Rear Door Security Locks......................... 103
Lockout Protection..................................... 104
Power Liftgate........................................... 104
Windows...................................................... 108
Power Windows........................................ 109
Sun Visors................................................ 112Theft-Deterrent Systems............................. 112
Theft-Deterrent System.............................. 112
PASS-Key
®III+......................................... 114
PASS-Key®III+ Operation......................... 114
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle......... 116
New Vehicle Break-In................................ 116
Ignition Positions....................................... 117
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)............. 118
Starting the Engine.................................... 119
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal.......... 120
Engine Coolant Heater.............................. 121
Automatic Transmission Operation............. 122
Tow/Haul Mode......................................... 126
Parking Brake........................................... 127
Shifting Into Park (P) ................................. 129
Shifting Out of Park (P)............................. 131
Parking Over Things That Burn................. 131
Engine Exhaust......................................... 132
Running the Engine While Parked............. 133
Section 2 Features and Controls
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Rear Door Security Locks
Your vehicle has rear door security locks that
prevent passengers from opening the rear doors
on your vehicle from the inside.
The rear door security
locks are located on
the inside edge of each
rear door. You must
open the rear doors to
access them.
To use these locks, do the following:
1. Insert your key into the slot next to the rear
door security lock label and turn it to engage
the lock.
2. Close the door.
3. Repeat the steps for the other rear door.The rear doors on your vehicle cannot be opened
from the inside when this feature is in use.
When you want to open a rear door when the
security lock is on, do the following:
1. Unlock the door using the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter, the front door power
lock switch or by lifting the rear door
manual lock.
2. Then open the door from the outside.
To cancel the rear door security lock, do the
following:
1. Unlock the door and open it from the outside.
2. Insert your key into the slot next to the
rear door security lock label and turn it
to disengage the lock.
3. Repeat the steps for the other lock.
The rear door locks will now work normally.
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Sun Visors
Swing down the primary visor to block out glare.
It can also be detached from the center mount and
moved to the side to block glare from that
direction.
The driver’s sunshade may also have buttons for
a built-in garage door opener. SeeUniversal
Home Remote System (With Three Round LED)
on page 143orUniversal Home Remote
System (With One Triangular LED) on page 143
for more information.
Lighted Visor Vanity Mirror
Pull the visor down and lift the cover. The light will
automatically come on. The light will go out when
you close the cover.
Theft-Deterrent Systems
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some
cities. Although your vehicle has a number of
theft-deterrent features, we know that nothing we
put on it can make it impossible to steal.
Theft-Deterrent System
The security light is
located on the
instrument panel cluster.
If the ignition is off and a door is open, the
security light will ash, reminding you to arm the
theft-deterrent system.
To arm the system, do the following:
1. Lock the door using the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter or the power door
lock switch.
2. Close all the doors. The security light will
illuminate. It should go off within approximately
30 seconds.
If a door or a liftgate is opened without a key or a
RKE transmitter, the horn will sound and the
lamps will ash for up to 30 seconds.
112