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{CAUTION:
Children can be seriously injured or
strangled if a shoulder belt is wrapped
around their neck and the safety belt
continues to tighten. Secure any unused
safety belts behind the child restraint so
children cannot reach them. Pull the
shoulder belt all the way out of the
retractor to set the lock, if your vehicle
has one, after the child restraint has
been installed. Be sure to follow the
instructions of the child restraint
manufacturer.Notice:Contact between the child restraint or
the LATCH attachment parts and the vehicle’s
safety belt assembly may cause damage to
these parts. Make sure when securing unused
safety belts behind the child restraint that
there is no contact between the child restraint
or the LATCH attachment parts and the
vehicle’s safety belt assembly.
Folding an empty rear seat with the safety
belts secured may cause damage to the safety
belt or the seat. When removing the child
restraint, always remember to return the safety
belts to their normal, stowed position before
folding the rear seat.
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What Makes an Airbag In ate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag
sensing system detects that the vehicle is
in a crash. The sensing system triggers a release
of gas from the in ator, which in ates the
airbag. The in ator, airbag, and related hardware
are all part of the airbag modules inside the
steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front
of the right front passenger. For vehicles with
roof-mounted side impact airbags, there are also
airbag modules in the ceiling of the vehicle,
near the side windows.
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal
collisions, even belted occupants can contact
the steering wheel or the instrument panel.
In moderate to severe side collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the inside of the vehicle.Airbags supplement the protection provided by
safety belts. Airbags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper
body, stopping the occupant more gradually.
But the frontal airbags would not help you in many
types of collisions, including rollovers, rear
impacts, and many side impacts, primarily because
an occupant’s motion is not toward the airbag.
Side impact airbags would not help you in many
types of collisions, including many frontal or
near frontal collisions, rollovers, and rear impacts.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything
more than a supplement to safety belts, and then
only in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal
collisions for the driver’s and right front
passenger’s frontal airbags, and only in moderate
to severe side collisions for vehicles with side
impact airbags.
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{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. See
Airbag Readiness Light on page 181for
more on this, including important safety
information.Aftermarket equipment, such as seat covers, can
affect how well the passenger sensing system
operates. 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 93for more information about
modi cations that can affect how the system
operates.
{CAUTION:
Stowing of articles under the passenger’s
seat or between the passenger’s seat
cushion and seatback may interfere with
the proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
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Tailgate
You can open the tailgate by pulling up on the
outside handle while pulling the tailgate down.
When you put the tailgate back up, be sure
it latches securely.
You can lock the tailgate using your ignition key.
Turn the key counterclockwise to lock the tailgate.
Turn the key clockwise to unlock the tailgate.
Removing the Tailgate
Follow these steps if you want to remove the
tailgate:
1. With the tailgate fully open, lift up slightly on
the entire tailgate assembly.
2. Remove the
retaining cables from
both sides of the
tailgate by pulling the
clips away from the
bolt heads while
pushing the cable
bracket forward.
When the larger part
of the hole on the
bracket is over the
bolt, slide the
bracket off of
the bolt.
3. With the tailgate partially down, lift up on the
passenger’s side and pull the tailgate toward
you, then move the tailgate to the right to
release the driver’s side. You can then remove
the entire tailgate assembly.
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Page 115 of 492
Starting and Operating
Your Vehicle
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice:Your vehicle does not need an
elaborate break-in. But it will perform better in
the long run if you follow these guidelines:
Keep your speed at 55 mph (88 km/h)
or less for the rst 500 miles (805 km).
Do not drive at any one constant speed,
fast or slow, for the rst 500 miles
(805 km). Do not make full-throttle starts.
Avoid downshifting to brake, or slow,
the vehicle.
Avoid making hard stops for the rst
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this
time your new brake linings are not yet
broken in. Hard stops with new linings
can mean premature wear and earlier
replacement. Follow this breaking-in
guideline every time you get new brake
linings.
Do not tow a trailer during break-in.
SeeTowing a Trailer on page 300for
the trailer towing capabilities of your
vehicle and more information.
Following break-in, engine speed and load
can be gradually increased.
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Ignition Positions
With the key in the
ignition switch, you can
turn to four different
positions.
LOCK (A):This position locks the ignition. It also
locks the transmission on automatic transmission
vehicles. It will locks the steering wheel on
manual transmission vehicles when the key is
removed. It is a theft-deterrent feature. You
will only be able to remove your key when the
ignition is turned to LOCK.
If you have an automatic transmission, the ignition
switch cannot be turned to LOCK unless the
shift lever is in PARK (P).Notice:Using a tool to force the key from the
ignition switch could cause damage or break
the key. Use the correct key and turn the key
only with your hand. Make sure the key is all the
way in. If it is, turn the steering wheel left and
right while you turn the key hard. If none of this
works, then your vehicle needs service.
ACC (ACCESSORY) (B):This is the position in
which you can operate your electrical accessories
or items plugged into the accessory power
outlets. On automatic transmission vehicles,
this position unlocks the ignition. On manual
transmission vehicles, it unlocks the ignition and
steering wheel. Use this position if your vehicle
must be pushed or towed.
ON (C):This is the position that the switch
returns to after you start your engine and release
the switch. The switch stays in ON when the
engine is running. But even when the engine is
not running, you can use ON to operate the
electrical accessories and to display some
instrument panel cluster warning and indicator
lights. The transmission is also unlocked in
this position on automatic transmission vehicles.
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If you need to leave your key in the ignition but not
in LOCK for an extended period, it is recommended
that you disconnect the battery cable from the
battery to prevent discharging your battery.
There are several different positions for your
shift lever.
PARK (P):This position locks your rear wheels.
It is the best position to use when you start your
engine because your vehicle cannot move easily.
{CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake rmly set. Your
vehicle can roll.
Do not leave your vehicle when the engine
is running unless you have to. If you have
left the engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure your vehicle will not
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
move, even when you are on fairly level
ground, always set your parking brake
and move the shift lever to PARK (P).
SeeShifting Into Park (P) (Automatic
Transmission) on page 132. If you are
pulling a trailer, seeTowing a Trailer
on page 300.
Make sure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P)
before starting the engine. Your vehicle has an
automatic transmission shift lock control system.
You must fully apply your regular brakes before
you can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition key
is in ON. If you cannot shift out of PARK (P),
ease pressure on the shift lever by pushing the
shift lever all the way into PARK (P) as you
maintain brake application. Then move the shift
lever into another gear. SeeShifting Out of
Park (P) (Automatic Transmission) on page 134.
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DRIVE (D):This position is for normal driving.
If provides the best fuel economy for your vehicle.
If you need more power for passing, and you are:
Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push
your accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push
the accelerator all the way down.
You will shift down to the next gear and have
more power.
Downshifting the transmission in slippery road
conditions could result in skidding, see “Skidding”
underLoss of Control on page 255Loss of
Control.
THIRD (3):This position is also used for normal
driving. However, it reduces vehicle speed
more than DRIVE (D) without using your brakes.
You might choose THIRD (3) instead of DRIVE (D)
when driving on hilly, winding roads, when
towing a trailer, so there is less shifting between
gears and when going down a steep hill.SECOND (2):This position reduces vehicle speed
even more than THIRD (3) without using your
brakes. You can use SECOND (2) on hills. It can
help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to
use your brakes off and on.
FIRST (1):This position reduces vehicle speed
even more than SECOND (2) without using
your brakes. You can use it on very steep hills, or
in deep snow or mud. If the shift lever is put in
FIRST (1) while the vehicle is moving forward, the
transmission will not shift into rst gear until the
vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the
vehicle in one place on a hill using only
the accelerator pedal may damage the
transmission. The repair will not be covered
by your warranty. If you are stuck, do not
spin the tires. When stopping on a hill, use
the brakes to hold the vehicle in place.
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