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 264.
Inadvertent Power Battery Saver
This feature is designed to protect your vehicle’s
battery against drainage from the interior
lamps, trunk lamp, glove box lamp, or the garage
door opener. When the ignition is turned off,
the power to these features will automatically turn
off after 10 minutes (three minutes if a new car
has 15 miles (24 km) or less). Power will be
restored for an additional 10 minutes if any door is
opened, the trunk is opened or the courtesy
lamp switch is turned on.
222
Security Light
For information
regarding this light,
seeTheft-Deterrent
System on page 108.
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 217for
more information.
Lights On Reminder
This light comes on
whenever the parking
lamps are on.
SeeHeadlamps on Reminder on page 216for
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 193
andAdaptive Cruise Control on page 197for
more information.
256
Highbeam On Light
This light comes on
whenever the
high-beam headlamps
are on.
See “Intellibeam™ Intelligent High-Beam
Headlamp Control System” underHeadlamps on
page 211andHeadlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer on page 183for more information.
Fuel Gage
The fuel gage shows
approximately how
much fuel is in the tank.
It works only when
the engine is on.If the fuel supply gets low, the Fuel Level Low
message will appear on the DIC and a single
chime will sound. SeeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 264for more information.
Here are a few concerns some owners have had
about the fuel gage. All of these situations are
normal and do not indicate that anything is wrong
with the fuel gage:
At the gas station the gas pump shuts off
before the gage reads full.
The gage may change when you turn, stop
quickly or accelerate quickly.
It takes a little more or less fuel to ll the tank
than the gage indicated. For example, the gage
may have indicated that the tank was half full,
but it actually took a little more or less than half
the tank’s capacity to ll the tank.
257
AUTOMATIC LIGHTS OFF
This message displays when the automatic
headlamps are turned off. SeeHeadlamps on
page 211for more information.
AUTOMATIC LIGHTS ON
This message displays when the automatic
headlamps are turned on. SeeHeadlamps on
page 211for more information.
BATTERY NOT CHARGING SERVICE
CHARGING SYS (System)
This symbol appears
with this message.
This message displays when a problem with the
charging system has been detected. Have your
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
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 DIC by pressing the information button
until you nd BATTERY VOLTS.
265
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.
Competitive Driving
See your warranty book before using your vehicle
for competitive driving.
Notice:If you use your vehicle for competitive
driving, the engine may use more oil than it
would with normal use. Low oil levels can
damage the engine. Be sure to check the oil
level often during competitive driving and keep
the level at or near the upper mark that
shows the proper operating range on the
engine oil dipstick. For information on how to
add oil, seeEngine Oil on page 380.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to
be impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night
vision problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Adjust the inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you cannot see as well, you may need
to slow down and keep more space between
you and other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads.
Your vehicle’s headlamps can light up only so
much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe
place and rest.
333
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime.
But as we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old driver may require at least twice as
much light to see the same thing at night as a
20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your
night vision. For example, if you spend the
day in bright sunshine you are wise to wear
sunglasses. Your eyes will have less trouble
adjusting to night. But if you are driving, do not
wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down on
glare from headlamps, but they also make a
lot of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or
even several seconds, for your eyes to re-adjust
to the dark. When you are faced with severe glare,
as from a driver who does not lower the high
beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlamps,
slow down a little. Avoid staring directly into
the approaching headlamps.Keep the windshield and all the glass on your
vehicle clean — inside and out. Glare at night is
made much worse by dirt on the glass. Even
the inside of the glass can build up a lm caused
by dust. Dirty glass makes lights dazzle and
ash more than clean glass would, making the
pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that the headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it is easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as the headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your
eyes be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer
from night blindness — the inability to see in dim
light — and are not even aware of it.
334
You will need a well-charged battery to restart the
vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with
your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window
almost all the way to preserve the heat. Start
the engine again and repeat this only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as
little as possible. Preserve the fuel as long as
you can. To help keep warm, you can get out of
the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or so until help comes.
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck,
you need to spin the wheels, but you do not
want to spin the wheels too fast. The method
known as rocking can help you get out when you
are stuck, but you must use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your vehicle’s tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you or
others could be injured. And, the
transmission or other parts of the vehicle
can overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment re or other damage. When
you are stuck, spin the wheels as little as
possible. Do not spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 km/h) as shown on the
speedometer.
Notice:Spinning the wheels can destroy
parts of your vehicle as well as the tires. If you
spin the wheels too fast while shifting the
transmission back and forth, you can destroy
the transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your
vehicle, seeTire Chains on page 447.
348