
A thick layer of additional material such as a
blanket, or aftermarket equipment such as seat
covers heaters or massagers, located between the
seat cushion and the child restraint or small
occupant, can affect how the passenger sensing
system operates. Remove any additional material
from the seat cushion before reinstalling/securing
the child restraint or small occupant.
If the off symbol is still not lit, secure the child in
the child restraint in a rear seat position in
the vehicle and check with your dealer.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the
vehicle’s safety belt and let it go back all the way.
The safety belt will move freely again and be
ready to work for an adult or larger child
passenger.Airbag System
Your vehicle has the following airbags:
•A frontal airbag for the driver.
•A frontal airbag for the right front passenger.
Your vehicle may have the following airbags:
•A seat-mounted side impact airbag for
the driver.
•A seat-mounted side impact airbag for the
right front passenger.
If your vehicle has seat-mounted side impact
airbags for the driver and the right front passenger,
the words AIR BAG will appear on the airbag
covering on the side of the seatback closest to
the door.
Airbags are designed to supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Even though today’s
airbags are also designed to help reduce the risk
of injury from the force of an inflating bag, all
airbags must inflate very quickly to do their job.
66

{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light in the
instrument panel cluster ever comes on
and stays on, 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’s
seat may not have the protection of the
frontal airbag and side airbag (if equipped).
SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 164
for more on this, including important safety
information.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 or small occupant. You may want
to consider not using seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment if your vehicle has the
passenger sensing system. SeeAdding Equipment
to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on page 83for
more information about modifications that can
affect how the system operates.
81

Keys.............................................................. 89
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System.......... 91
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation.................................... 92
Doors and Locks.......................................... 95
Door Locks................................................. 95
Central Door Unlocking System................... 96
Power Door Locks....................................... 96
Door Ajar Reminder.................................... 97
Rear Door Security Locks........................... 97
Lockout Protection....................................... 98
Liftgate........................................................ 99
Windows...................................................... 100
Manual Windows....................................... 100
Power Windows........................................ 101
Sun Visors................................................ 102
Theft-Deterrent Systems............................. 103
Theft-Deterrent System.............................. 103Starting and Operating Your Vehicle......... 105
New Vehicle Break-In................................ 105
Ignition Positions....................................... 106
Starting the Engine.................................... 107
Engine Coolant Heater.............................. 109
Automatic Transaxle Operation.................. 110
Manual Transaxle Operation...................... 114
Parking Brake........................................... 116
Shifting Into Park (P)
(Automatic Transaxle)............................ 117
Shifting Out of Park (P)
(Automatic Transaxle)............................ 118
Parking Your Vehicle
(Manual Transaxle)................................ 119
Parking Over Things That Burn................. 120
Engine Exhaust......................................... 121
Running the Engine While Parked............. 122
Section 2 Features and Controls
87

Engine Coolant Heater
Your vehicle may have an engine coolant heater.
In very cold weather, 0°F (−18°C) or colder,
the engine coolant heater can help. You will get
easier starting and better fuel economy during
engine warm-up. Usually, the coolant heater
should be plugged in a minimum of four hours
prior to starting your vehicle. At temperatures
above 32°F (0°C), use of the coolant heater is
not required.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical
cord. The cord is located on the driver
side of the engine compartment, behind the
battery.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC
outlet.
{CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded
outlet could cause an electrical shock.
Also, the wrong kind of extension cord
could overheat and cause a re. You
could be seriously injured. Plug the cord
into a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt AC outlet. If the cord will not
reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug
and store the cord as it was before to keep it
away from moving engine parts. If you do
not, it could be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater
plugged in? The answer depends on the outside
temperature, the kind of oil you have, and some
other things. Instead of trying to list everything here,
we ask that you contact your dealer in the area
where you will be parking your vehicle. The dealer
can give you the best advice for that particular area.
109

Front Heated Windshield
Your vehicle may have a heated front windshield
which can be used with defog and defrost.
This feature will only work when the ignition is
turned to ON.
The front heated windshield uses a heated
element to remove fog or frost from the bottom of
the windshield.
<(Rear):Press this button to heat the front
windshield. The button is located below the audio
system. An indicator light in the button will
come on to let you know that the feature is
activated. The front windshield heater will turn off
about ten minutes after the button is pressed.
It can also be turned off by pressing the button
again or by turning off the engine. See “Rear
Window and Outside Mirror Defogger” later in this
section for more information on this button.
Rear Window and Outside Mirror
Defogger
Your vehicle may have a rear window and outside
mirror defogger. This feature will only work
when the ignition is turned to ON.
The rear window defogger uses a warming grid to
remove fog or frost from the rear window.
Before using this feature, clear as much snow
from the rear window as possible.
<(Rear):Press this button to turn the rear
window and outside mirror defogger on or off.
An indicator light in the button will come on to let
your know that the rear window defogger is
activated.
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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
will need to spin the wheels, but you do not
want to spin your 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 transaxle 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 transaxle back and forth, you can destroy
the transaxle. SeeRocking Your Vehicle to
Get It Out on page 236.
For information about using tire chains on your
vehicle, seeTire Chains on page 323.
235

Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is filled with
DEX-COOL®engine coolant. This coolant is
designed to remain in your vehicle for five years
or 150,000 miles (240 000 km), whichever
occurs first, if you add only DEX-COOL
®extended
life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and
how to add coolant when it is low. If you have
a problem with engine overheating, seeEngine
Overheating on page 271.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
®coolant will:
•Give freezing protection down to
−34°F (−37°C).
•Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C).
•Protect against rust and corrosion.
•Help keep the proper engine temperature.
•Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.Notice:Using coolant other than DEX-COOL
®
may cause premature engine, heater core,
or radiator corrosion. In addition, the engine
coolant may require changing sooner, at
the rst maintenance service after each
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs rst. Any repairs would not
be covered by your warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free) coolant in your
vehicle.
What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean, drinkable water
and one-half DEX-COOL®coolant which will
not damage aluminum parts. If you use this coolant
mixture, you do not need to add anything else.
268

{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can
boil before the proper coolant mixture will.
Your vehicle’s coolant warning system is
set for the proper coolant mixture. With
plain water or the wrong mixture, your
engine could get too hot but you would
not get the overheat warning. Your engine
could catch re and you or others could
be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.Notice:If you use an improper coolant
mixture, your engine could overheat and be
badly damaged. The repair cost would not be
covered by your warranty. Too much water
in the mixture can freeze and crack the engine,
radiator, heater core, and other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a
year, have your dealer check your cooling system.
Notice:If you use extra inhibitors and/or
additives in your vehicle’s cooling system,
you could damage your vehicle. Use only the
proper mixture of the engine coolant listed
in this manual for the cooling system.
SeePart D: Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 382for more information.
269