Page 30 of 299

Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) - AirbagThis vehicle has airbags for the driver and passenger as a
supplement to the seat belt restraint systems. The driver's
airbag is mounted in the steering wheel. The passenger
frontal airbag is mounted in the instrument panel, under
a cover marked SRS/AIRBAG.
These airbags inflate in higher speed frontal impacts.
They work with the instrument panel inflatable knee
blockers and the seat belts to provide improved protec-
tion for the driver and passenger.
The vehicle is also equipped with side airbags, located in
the driver and passenger doors. Side airbags also work
with seat belts to improve occupant protection.
NOTE:The front driver airbag is certified to the Federal
regulations that allow less forceful deployment. The front
driver airbag has a multi stage inflator design. This may
allow the airbag to have different rates of inflation that
are based on collision severity and occupant size. Also,
the front passenger airbag is certified to the Federal
regulations that define Occupant Classification (Refer to
ªOccupant Classification Systemº in this section). Their
covers are also labeled SRS/AIRBAG.
30 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 33 of 299

WARNING!
After installing a child safety seat or booster seat on
the passenger seat, do not adjust the back rest for-
ward. This could cause a higher load being perceived
by the OCS system which in turn could lead to the
passenger airbag being turned on. Failure to follow
this warning could result in serious or fatal injury. It
is always recommended to turn off the passenger
front air bags using the passenger front airbags
on/off switch located at the right end of the instru-
ment panel when the passenger is:
²an infant (less than 1 year old),
²a child, age 1 to 12,
²an adult with a medical condition which makes
passenger airbags inflation (deployment) a greater
risk for the passenger than the risk of hitting the
dashboard (instrument panel) or windshield in a
crash.
The on/off switch is accessible by opening the pas-
senger door.
WARNING!
²Relying on the airbags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The airbags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions the airbags won't deploy at all.
Always wear your seat belts even though you have
airbags.
²Being too close to the steering wheel or instrument
panel during airbag deployment could cause seri-
ous injury.
²Airbags need room to inflate. Sit back, comfort-
ably extending your arms to reach the steering
wheel or instrument panel.
²The side airbags also need room to inflate. Do not
lean against the door. Sit upright in the center of
the seat.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 33
2
Page 35 of 299

WARNING!
Ignoring the AIRBAG light in your instrument panel
could mean you won't have the airbags to protect you
in a collision. If the light does not come on, stays on
after you start the vehicle, or if it comes on as you
drive, have the airbag system checked right away.
WARNING!
Do not put anything on or around the airbag covers
or attempt to manually open them. You may damage
the airbags and you could be injured because the
airbags are not there to protect you. These protective
covers are designed to open only when the airbags
are inflated.
²TheDriver and Passenger Airbag/Inflator Unitsare
located in the center of the steering wheel and the right
side of the instrument panel. When the ORC detects a
collision requiring the airbags, it signals the inflator
units. A large quantity of nontoxic gas is generated to
inflate the front airbags. Different airbag inflation rates
may be possible based on collision severity and occu-
pant size. The steering wheel hub trim cover and the
upper right side of the instrument panel separate and
fold out of the way as the bags inflate to their full size.
The bags fully inflate in about 50±70 milliseconds. This
is about half of the time it takes to blink your eyes. The
bags then quickly deflate while helping to restrain the
driver and front passenger. The driver 's front airbag
gas is vented through vent holes in the sides of the
airbag. The passenger 's front airbag gas is vented
through vent holes in the sides of the airbag. In this
way the airbags do not interfere with your control of
the vehicle.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 35
2
Page 81 of 299
Backrest Tilt
²
Turn handwheel 2 forward or backward to adjust the
backrest tilt to your desired position which allows
your arms to slightly bend when holding the steering
wheel.
Head Restraint Height
WARNING!
For your protection, drive only with properly posi-
tioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint to support the back of the head
approximately at ear level.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat head
restraints. Head restraints are intended to help re-
duce injuries during and accident.
²Adjust the height of the head restraints by pulling
them upwards manually.
²For a lower position, press release button 1 and push
down on the head restraints manually.
Adjust to a comfortable seating position that still allows
you to reach the accelerator and brake pedal safely. The
position should be as far to the rear as possible, consistent
with ability to properly operate controls.
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 81
3
Page 88 of 299

CAUTION!
Standing lamps are intended for short term use when
parking. If these lights are left on for a long period of
time, your car's battery may drain, causing a possible
starting problem. Assure that the headlamp switch is
in the OFF position when leaving the vehicle.
MULTIFUNCTION CONTROL LEVERTurn Signals
Move the multifunction control lever up to activate the
right turn signal; move the lever down to activate the left
turn signal. An arrow on the inside of the speedometer
will flash to indicate operation.
To signal minor directional changes, such as changing
lanes, move the control lever just to the point of resis-
tance, and hold it there.
To operate the turn signals continuously, move the con-
trol lever up or down past the point of resistance. The
operation is automatically canceled when the steering
wheel is turned to a large enough degree.
If one of the turn signal lights fail, the turn signal
indicator system flashes and sounds at a faster than
normal rate. If an indicator fails to light when the control
lever is moved, it may mean that the fuse or indicator
bulb is defective.
88 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
Page 90 of 299
Passing Light
You can signal another vehicle with your headlights by
lightly pulling the multifunction control lever toward the
steering wheel. This will cause the headlights to turn on
at high beam and remain on until the control lever is
released.
Windshield Wipers And Washer
The wipers and washer are operated by a switch in the
multifunction control lever. Turn the end of the lever to
select desired wiper speed: off, intermittent, normal, or
fast.
NOTE:Wiper speed is altered when the vehicle is
stopped with the wipers on. If the speed setting is
intermittent, the wipers will stop wiping when the ve-
hicle comes to a complete stop. If the wiper speed setting
is normal, the wipers will change to intermittent wiping
when the vehicle comes to a complete stop.
90 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
Page 92 of 299
TELESCOPING STEERING COLUMN
Unlock the steering column by pulling out the handle
located directly below the column. The indicator light
located in the instrument cluster will come on. To
lengthen or shorten the steering column, pull out or push
in the steering wheel. Lock the steering column in
position by pushing the handle in until it engages. The
indicator light in the instrument cluster will go out.WARNING!
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving. The
telescoping adjustment must be locked while driv-
ing. Adjusting the steering wheel while driving, or
driving without the telescoping adjustment locked
could cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
NOTE:If the indicator light in the instrument cluster
does not go out after starting the engine, the telescoping
column is not locked properly. Do not drive the vehicle
until you have properly locked the steering column.
92 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
Page 100 of 299
The ESP enhances directional control and reduces driving
wheel spin of the vehicle under various driving condi-
tions.
The ESP system corrects for over/understeering of the
vehicle by applying brakes to the appropriate wheel.
Engine torque is also limited. The ESP warning light,
located in the instrument cluster, starts to flash as soon as
the tires lose traction and the wheels begin to spin.To improve the vehicle's traction when driving with
snow chains, or starting off in deep snow, sand or gravel,
switch off the ESP system by pressing the upper half of
the ESP switch.
With the ESP system switched off, the engine torque
reduction feature is cancelled. Therefore, the enhanced
vehicle stability offered by ESP is unavailable. ESP al-
ways operates under braking, even with the switch in the
OFF position. If one drive wheel loses traction and begins
to spin, the brake is applied by the ESP system until the
100 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE