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on lock/unlock feature. To make your selection, press
and release the FUNCTION SELECT button until ªONº
or ªOFFº appears.
ªFlash Lights with Remote Key Lockº
When ON is selected, the front and rear turn signals will
flash when the doors are locked or unlocked with the
remote keyless entry transmitter. This feature may be
selected with or without the sound horn on lock feature
selected. To make your selection, press and release the
FUNCTION SELECT button until ªONº or ªOFFº ap-
pears.
ªHeadlights On with Wipersº (Available with Auto
Headlights Only)
When ON is selected, and the headlight switch is in the
AUTO position, the headlights will turn on approxi-
mately 10 seconds after the wipers are turned on. The
headlights will also turn off when the wipers are turned
off if they were turned on by this feature. To make your
selection, press and release the FUNCTION SELECT
button until ªONº or ªOFFº appears.
NOTE:Turning the headlights on during the daytime
causes the instrument panel lights to dim. To increase the
brightness, refer to ªLightsº in Section 3 of this manual.
ªDelay Turning Headlights Offº
When this feature is selected, the driver can choose to
have the headlights remain on for 0, 30, 60, or 90 seconds
when exiting the vehicle. To make your selection, press
and release the FUNCTION SELECT button until ª0,º
ª30,º ª60,º or ª90º appears.
ªTurn Headlights On with Remote Key Unlockº
When this feature is selected, the headlights will activate
and remain on for up to 90 seconds when the doors are
unlocked with the remote keyless entry transmitter. To
make your selection, press and release the FUNCTION
SELECT button until ªOFF,º ª30 sec.,º ª60 sec.,º or ª90
sec.º appears.
ªDelay Power Off to Accessories Until Exitº
When this feature is selected, the power window
switches, radio, hands±free system (if equipped), DVD
video system (if equipped), power sunroof (if equipped),
and power outlets will remain active for up to 60 minutes
after the ignition switch is turned off. Opening a vehicle
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 153
4
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STARTING PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust the
inside and outside mirrors, fasten your seat belt, and if
present, instruct all other occupants to buckle their seat
belts.WARNING!
²Never 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.
²Do not leave animals or children inside parked
vehicles in hot weather; interior heat build up
may cause serious injury or death.
²Be sure to turn off the engine if you want to rest or
sleep in your car. Accidents can be caused by
inadvertently moving the gear selection lever or
by pressing the accelerator pedal. This may cause
excessive heat in the exhaust system, resulting in
overheating and vehicle fire, which may cause
serious or fatal injuries.
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Automatic Transmission
The gear selector must be in the NEUTRAL or PARK
position before you can start the engine. Apply the brakes
before shifting into any driving gear.
Normal Starting
Normal Starting of either a cold or a warm engine is
obtained without pumping or depressing the accelerator
pedal. Turn the key to the ªSTARTº position and release
when the engine starts. If the engine has not started
within 3 seconds, slightly depress the accelerator pedal
while continuing to crank. If the engine fails to start
within 15 seconds, turn the key to the ªLOCKº position,
wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat the normal starting
procedure.
Extremely Cold Weather (below220ÉF or229ÉC)
To insure reliable starting at these temperatures, use of an
externally powered electric engine block heater (available
from your dealer) is recommended.
If Engine Fails To Start
If the engine fails to start after you have followed the
ªNORMAL STARTINGº procedure, it may be flooded.
Push the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and
hold it there while cranking the engine. This should clear
any excess fuel in case the engine is flooded.
CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter, do not crank the
engine for more than 15 seconds at a time. Wait 10 to
15 seconds before trying again.
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WARNING!
²Never pour fuel or other flammable liquid into
the throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to
start the vehicle. This could result in flash fire
causing serious personal injury.
²Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get
it started. Vehicles equipped with an automatic
transmission cannot be started this way. Un-
burned fuel could enter the catalytic converter and
once the engine has started, ignite and damage the
converter and vehicle. If the vehicle has a dis-
charged battery, booster cables may be used to
obtain a start from a booster battery or the battery
in another vehicle. This type of start can be
dangerous if done improperly. See section 6 of
this manual for the proper jump-starting proce-
dures and follow them carefully.
If the engine is flooded, it may start to run, but not have
enough power to continue running when the key is
released. If this occurs, continue cranking up to 15
seconds with the accelerator pedal pushed all the way to
the floor. Release the accelerator pedal and the key once
the engine is running smoothly. Do not overspeed the
engine.
If the engine shows no sign of starting after two 15-
second periods of cranking with the accelerator pedal
held to the floor, the ªNORMAL STARTINGº procedure
should be repeated.
After Starting
The idle speed is controlled automatically and it will
decrease as the engine warms up.
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WARNING!
It is dangerous to shift the selector lever out of ªPº or
ªNº if the engine speed is higher than idle speed. If
your foot is not firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in re-
verse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when
the engine is idling normally and when your right
foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
Automatic Transmission Ð General Information
The automatic transmission selects individual gears au-
tomatically, dependent upon:
²Altitude
²Vehicle Loading
²Driving Style
²Selector lever position
²Accelerator position
²Vehicle speedThe gear shifting process is continuously adapted, de-
pendent on the driving style, the driving situation and
the road characteristics.
NOTE:
²
After selecting any driving position, wait a moment to
allow the gear to engage fully before accelerating,
especially when the engine is cold.
²If there is a need to restart the engine, be sure to cycle
the key to the LOCK position before restarting. Trans-
mission engagement may be delayed up to 10 seconds
after restart if the key is not cycled to the LOCK
position first.
²The electronically controlled transmission provides a
precise shift schedule. The transmission electronics are
self-calibrating. Therefore, the first few shifts on a new
vehicle may be somewhat abrupt or soft until after the
break-in period. This is a normal condition, and pre-
cision shifts will develop within a few shift cycles.
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The selector lever is automatically locked while in the P
(Park) position. To move the selector lever out of the P
(Park) position, the brake pedal must be firmly depressed
before the shift lock will release.
Shift the selector lever to the desired position only when
the engine is idling normally and the brake pedal is
applied. Do not release the brake until ready to drive. The
vehicle may otherwise accelerate quickly when the selec-
tor lever is in D (Drive) or R (Reverse) position.WARNING!
Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in and near the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running. Before exiting a vehicle, you should always
shift the vehicle into P (Park), remove the key from
the ignition, and apply the parking brake. Once the
key is removed from the ignition, the transmission
selector lever is locked in the P (Park) position,
securing the vehicle against unwanted movement.
Furthermore, you should never leave children unat-
tended inside a vehicle.
Over Temperature Mode
The transmission electronics constantly monitor the
transmission oil temperature. If the transmission exceeds
normal operating temperature, the transmission will
change the way it shifts to help control the condition.
This may result in a slightly different feeling or response
during normal operation in D (Drive) position. After the
transmission cools down, it will return to normal opera-
tion.
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Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System
This vehicle is equipped with a brake transmission shift
interlock system (BTSI) that holds the selector lever in the
P (Park) position when the ignition switch is in the LOCK
position. To move the gear selector lever out of the P
(Park) position, the ignition switch must be turned to the
ON position, and the brake pedal must be depressed.For electrical system malfunctions, there is an override
for the interlock system. In order to override this system
the key must be in the ignition with the switch in the
ACC or ON positions. Remove the rubber storage tray
from the bin located to the right of the shifter lever. The
override can be activated by pressing the pink-colored
tab, which can be accessed through a hole inside the bin.
While the override is pressed, the shifter can be moved
out of the park position without pressing the brake. After
operation, return the rubber storage tray to its original
position.
Brake Interlock Override
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The foot operated parking brake is positioned below the
lower left corner of the instrument panel. To apply the
parking brake, push the parking brake pedal down and
then remove your foot from the pedal. To release the
parking brake, push down on the parking brake pedal
and then release.
The brake light in the instrument cluster will turn on
when the parking brake is applied and the ignition
switch is on.NOTE:This light only shows that the parking brake is
applied. It does not show the degree of brake application.
WARNING!
²Never 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.
²Be sure the parking brake is fully disengaged
before driving: failure to do so can lead to brake
failure, and an accident.
Parking Brake
218 STARTING AND OPERATING
