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A new engine may consume some oil during its first few
thousand miles (kilometers) of operation. This should be
considered as a normal part of the break-in and not
interpreted as an indication of difficulty.
SAFETY TIPS
Exhaust Gas
WARNING!
Exhaust gases can injure or kill. They contain carbon
monoxide (CO) which is colorless and odorless.
Breathing it can make you unconscious and can
eventually poison you. To avoid breathing (CO)
follow the safety tips below.
Do not run the engine in a closed garage or in confined
areas any longer than needed to move your vehicle in or
out of the area.If it is necessary to sit in a parked vehicle with the engine
running, adjust your heating or cooling controls to force
outside air into the vehicle. Set the blower at high speed.
WARNING!
If you are required to drive with the deck lid/liftgate
open, make sure that all windows are closed, and the
climate control blower switch is set at high speed.
DO NOT use the recirculation mode.
Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle
Seat Belts
Inspect the belt system periodically, checking for cuts,
frays and loose parts. Damaged parts must be replaced
immediately. Do not disassemble or modify the system.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 113
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Heated Seats Ð If Equipped
WARNING!
Persons who are unable to feel pain to the skin
because of advanced age, chronic illness, diabetes,
spinal cord injury, medication, alcohol use, exhaus-
tion or other physical condition must exercise care
when using the seat heater. It may cause burns even
at low temperatures, especially if used for long
periods of time. Do not place anything on the seat
that insulates against heat, such as a blanket or
cushion. This may cause the seat heater to overheat.
This feature heats the front driver's and passenger's
seats. The control for the heater is located on the instru-
ment panel, below the radio. After turning on the igni-
tion, you may choose OFF, HIGH, or LOW heat settings.
An indicator on the switch shows which setting has been
chosen.
Pressing the switch once will select high-level
heating. Pressing the switch a second time will
select low-level heating. Pressing the switch a
third time will shut the heating elements off.
Heated Seat Switches
166 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
Page 167 of 467
When high-temperature heating is selected, the heaters
provide a boosted heat level during the first four minutes
of operation after heating is activated. The heat output
then drops to the normal high-temperature level. If
high-level heating is selected, the system will automati-
cally switch to the low level after about 30 minutes of
continuous operation. At that time, the number of illu-
minated LEDs changes from two to one, indicating the
change. Operation on the low setting also turns off
automatically after about 30 minutes of continuous op-
eration.
NOTE:Once a heat setting is selected, heat will be felt
within 2 to 3 minutes.Folding Rear Seat (Sedan)
To provide additional storage area, each rear seatback can
be folded forward. Push and hold the buttons shown in
the picture to fold down either or both seatbacks.
Folding Rear Seat Button
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 167
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Page 203 of 467
It will accept a cigar lighter unit, which is part of the
optional Smokers Package. To preserve the heating ele-
ment of the cigar lighter unit, do not hold the lighter in
the heating position. As a child safety precaution, this
outlet is powered by the ignition switch, only when the
switch is in the9ON9or9ACCESSORY9positions.There are two optional power outlets. One is in the center
console/armrest lower storage bin.
This outlet is powered directly by the battery, regardless of
the ignition switch position. All accessories connected to
this outlet should be removed or turned off when the
vehicle is not in use, to protect the battery against discharge.
Front Power Outlet
Center Console Power Outlet
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 203
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Window Fogging
Vehicle side windows tend to fog on the inside in mild
rainy or humid weather. To clear the windows, use the
A/C, PANEL and blower controls. Direct the panel
outlets toward the side windows. Do not use recirculate
without A/C for long periods as fogging may occur.
Interior fogging on the windshield can be quickly re-
moved by using the defrost position.
If the fogging problem persists, clean the inside window
surfaces. The cause of undue fogging may be dirt collect-
ing on the inside surface of the glass
NOTE:In cold weather, the use of the recirculate
position will cause windows to fog on the inside because
of moisture build up inside the vehicle. For maximum
defogging, use the Outside Air position.
Summer Operation
Air conditioned vehicles must be protected with a high-
quality antifreeze coolant to provide proper corrosion
protection and to raise the boiling point of the coolant for
protection against overheating. A 50% concentration is
recommended.
Outside Air Intake
When operating the system during the winter months,
make sure the air intake, directly in front of the wind-
shield, is free of ice, slush, snow or other obstructions
such as leaves. Leaves collected in the air-intake plenum
may reduce air flow and plug the plenum water drains.
The blower air will heat faster in cold weather if you use
only a low blower speed for the first few minutes of
vehicle operation.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 275
4
Page 280 of 467

STARTING PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust both
inside and outside mirrors, and fasten your seat belts.
WARNING!
Never leave children alone in a vehicle. Leaving
children in a vehicle unattended is dangerous for a
number of reasons. A child or others could be
seriously or fatally injured. Don't leave the keys in
the ignition. A child could operate power windows,
other controls, or move the vehicle.
WARNING!
Be sure to turn off the engine if you want to rest or
sleep in your car. Accidents can be caused by inad-
vertently moving the gear selection lever or by
pressing the accelerator pedal. This may cause exces-
sive heat in the exhaust system, resulting in over-
heating and vehicle fire which may cause serious or
fatal injuries.
Automatic Transaxle
The gear selector must be in the NEUTRAL or PARK
position before you can start the engine. Apply the brakes
before shifting to any driving gear.
NOTE:You must press the brake pedal before shifting
out of Park.
280 STARTING AND OPERATING
Page 289 of 467

Autostick General Information
²
The transmission will automatically upshift from first
to second gear and from second to third gear when
engine speed reaches about 6300 RPM.
²Downshifts from third to second gear above 74 mph
(119 km/h) and from second to first gear above 41
mph (66 km/h) will be ignored.
²You can start out in first, second, or third gear. Shifting
into fourth gear can occur only after vehicle speed
reaches 15 mph (24 km/h).
²The transmission will automatically downshift to first
gear when coming to a stop.
²Starting out in third gear is helpful in snowy or icy
conditions.
²While in the Autostick mode, Speed Control will only
function in third or fourth gear.Downshifting out of third gear will turn off the speed
control.
²If the system detects powertrain overheating, the
transmission will revert to the automatic shift mode
and remain in that mode until the powertrain cools off.
²If the system detects a problem it will disable the
Autostick mode and the transmission will return to the
automatic mode until the problem is corrected.
STARTING AND OPERATING 289
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The system is always in the ªONº mode unless:
²The TCS OFF switch has been used to turn the system
off;
²There is a Anti-Lock Brake System malfunction;
²There is a Traction Control System malfunction;
²The system has been automatically deactivated to
prevent damage to the brake system due to overheated
brake temperatures.
NOTE:Extended heavy use of Traction Control may
cause the system to deactivate and turn on the TCS
indicator lamp located in the instrument cluster.This is to prevent overheating of the brake system and is
a normal condition. The system will remain disabled for
about 4 minutes until the brakes have cooled. The system
will automatically reactivate and turn off the TCS indi-
cator lamp.
If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, ice, or snow, turn
the Traction Control System Off before attempting to
ªrockº the vehicle free.
STARTING AND OPERATING 301
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