When it is dark enough outside, the low-beam
headlamps will turn off and the headlamps
and parking lamps will turn on. The other lamps
that come on with the headlamps will also
come on.
When it is bright enough outside, the headlamps
will go off and the DRL will come on.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the
regular headlamp system when it is needed.
Fog Lamps
-(Fog Lamps):If your vehicle has fog lamps,
the control 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 in the ON position for the fog
lamps to come on.
To turn the fog lamps on, press the exterior lamps
button. A light will come on in the instrument
panel cluster. Press the exterior lamps button
again to turn the fog lamps off.When the headlamps are changed to high-beam,
the fog lamps also go off.
Some localities have laws that require the
headlamps to be on along with the fog lamps.
Instrument Panel Brightness
D(Instrument Panel Brightness):The knob
with this symbol on it is located next to the exterior
lamps control. Push the knob in all the way until
it pops out and then turn the knob clockwise
to brighten or counterclockwise to dim the lights.
Push the knob back in when nished.
Courtesy Lamps
When a door is opened, the courtesy lamps
automatically come on. They make it easy for you
to enter and leave your vehicle. You can also
manually turn these lamps on by fully turning the
instrument panel brightness control clockwise.
The reading lamps, located on the rearview
mirror, can be turned on or off independent of the
automatic courtesy lamps, when the doors
are closed.
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Delayed Exit Lighting
This feature illuminates the interior for a period of
time after the key is removed from the ignition.
The ignition must be off for delayed exit lighting to
work. When the key is removed, interior illumination
will activate and remain on until one of the following
occurs:
The ignition is in ON.
The power door locks are activated.
An illumination period of 20 seconds has
elapsed.
If during the illumination period a door is opened,
the timed illumination period will be canceled
and the interior lamps will remain on because a
door is open.
Parade Dimming
The instrument panel has an added feature called
parade mode. It automatically prohibits the
dimming of the instrument panel displays during
the daylight while the headlamps are on so
that you will still be able to see the displays.
Reading Lamps
The vehicle has reading lamps that also act as the
dome lamp. Press the button to turn them on
and off.
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.
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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 199.
Battery Run-Down Protection
This vehicle has a feature to help prevent the
battery from being drained, if the interior courtesy
lamps, reading/map lamps, visor vanity lamps
or trunk lamp are accidentally left on. If any
of these lamps are left on, they will automatically
turn off after 10 minutes, if the ignition is off.
The lamps will not come back on again until
one of the following occurs:
The ignition is turned on.
The exterior lamps control is turned off, then
on again.
The headlamps will timeout after 10 minutes, if they
are manually turned on before the ignition is off.
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Security Light
For information
regarding this light,
seeTheft-Deterrent
Systems on page 107.
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 163for more
information.
Cruise Control Light
This light comes on
whenever you set the
cruise control.
The light goes out when the cruise control is
turned off. SeeCruise Control on page 157for
more information.
Highbeam On Light
This light comes on
when the high-beam
headlamps are in use.
SeeHeadlamp High/Low-Beam Changer on
page 155for more information.
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AUTOMATIC LIGHT CONTROL OFF
This message displays when the automatic
headlamps are turned off. SeeExterior Lamps on
page 160for more information.
AUTOMATIC LIGHT CONTROL ON
This message displays when the automatic
headlamps are turned on. SeeExterior Lamps on
page 160for 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.
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when service is required
for the vehicle. See your dealer. SeeEngine Oil on
page 310andScheduled Maintenance on
page 408for more information.
Acknowledging the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will not reset the OIL LIFE REMAINING.
That must be done at the OIL LIFE screen
under the vehicle information menu. See “Oil Life”
underDIC Operation and Displays on page 191
andEngine Oil Life System on page 314.
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Entering the Feature Settings Menu
1. Turn the ignition on and place the vehicle in
PARK (P).
To avoid excessive drain on the battery, it is
recommended that the headlamps are
turned off.
2. Press the customization button to enter the
feature settings menu.
If the menu is not available, FEATURE
SETTINGS AVAILABLE IN PARK will display.
Before entering the menu, make sure the
vehicle is in PARK (P).
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 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 to access the settings
for this feature. Then press the customization
button to scroll through the following choices:
ENGLISH (default):All messages will appear in
English.
FRANCAIS:All messages will appear in French.
ESPANOL:All messages will appear in
Spanish.
NO CHANGE:No change will be made to this
feature. The current setting will remain.
Select one of the available choices and press the
set/reset button while it is displayed on the
DIC to select it.
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If you have the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS),
remember: It helps avoid only the braking skid.
If you do not have ABS, then in a braking
skid, where the wheels are no longer rolling,
release enough pressure on the brakes to get
the wheels rolling again. This restores steering
control. Push the brake pedal down steadily
when you have to stop suddenly. As long as the
wheels are rolling, you will have steering control.
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, 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.
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 might 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 might cut down on
glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
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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.Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a
wet road, you cannot stop, accelerate, or turn as
well because your tire-to-road traction is not as
good as on dry roads. And, if your tires do not have
much tread left, you will get even less traction. It is
always wise to go slower and be cautious if rain
starts to fall while you are driving. The surface may
get wet suddenly when your re exes are tuned for
driving on dry pavement.
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