To minimize sticking, apply a
silicone spray lubricant to all door
and trunk seals. Also, apply a
vehicle body wax to the painted
surfaces that mate with the door
and trunk seals.
Cover the vehicle with a
‘‘breathable’’ cover, one made
f rom a porous material such as
cotton. Non-porous materials, such
as plastic sheeting, trap moisture,
which can damage the paint.
Leave the parking brake off. Put
the transmission in reverse
(manual) or Park (automatic).
Block the rear wheels.
If the vehicle is to be stored f or a
longer period, it should be
supported on jackstands so the
tires are of f the ground.
Leave one window open slightly (if
the vehicle is being stored
indoors).
Disconnect the battery.
Support the f ront wiper blade
arms with a f olded towel or rag so
they do not touch the windshield.
If you need to park your vehicle f or
an extended period (more than 1
month), there are several things you
should do to prepare it f or storage.
Proper preparation helps prevent
deterioration and makes it easier to
get your vehicle back on the road. If
possible, store your vehicle indoors.
Fill the f uel tank.
Change the engine oil and f ilter.
Wash and dry the exterior
completely.
Cleantheinterior.Makesurethe
carpeting, floor mats, etc., are
completely dry. If possible, periodically run the
engine until it reaches f ull
operating temperature (the
cooling f an cycles on and of f
twice). Pref erably, do this once a
month.
Vehicle Storage
262
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Store the jack in its holder. Turn
the jack’s end bracket to lock it in
place. Replace the cover. Store the
tools.
Lower the trunk f loor, then close
the trunk lid.Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start f alls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position:
When you turn the ignition switch to
the START (III) position, you do not
hear the normal noise of the engine
trying to start. You may hear a
clicking sound, a series of clicks, or
nothing at all.
Check these things:
You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
f aster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run.
Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. Turn on the
headlights, and check their
brightness. If the headlights are
very dim or do not come on at all,
the battery is discharged. Seeon page .
Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual transmission,
the clutch pedal must be pushed
all the way to the f loor or the
starter will not operate. With an
automatic transmission, it must be
in Park or neutral.
Store the center cap in the trunk.
Make sure it does not get
scratched or damaged.
20.
21. 22.
272
If the Engine Won’t Start Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
Jump Starting
Changing a Flat T ire, If the Engine Won’t Start
270
Loose items can fly around the
interior in a crash and could
seriously injure the occupants.
Store the wheel, jack, and tools
securely before driving.
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If youfindnothingwrong,youwill
need a qualif ied technician to f ind
the problem. Seeon page .
There may be an electrical
problem, such as no power to the
f uel pump. Check all the f uses
(see page ).
Do you have f uel? Check the f uel
gauge; the low f uel indicator may
not be working.
Are you using a properly coded
key? An improperly coded key will
cause the immobilizer system
indicator in the instrument panel
to blink rapidly (see page ).
In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even f aster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to the START (III)
position, but the engine does not run.
Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Ref er to on page .
Turn the ignition switch to the
START (III) position. If the
headlights do not dim, check the
condition of the f uses. If the f uses
areOK,thereisprobably
something wrong with the
electrical circuit for the ignition
switch or starter motor. You will
need a qualif ied technician to
determine the problem. See
on page .
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is
discharged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of the
battery and terminal connections
(see page ). You can then try
jump starting the vehicle from a
booster battery (see page ). 59
199
280 285
285
272
260
If theEngineWon’tStart
Emergency
Towing
T he Starter Operates Normally
Starting the
Engine
Emergency T owing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
271
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Although this seems like a simple
procedure, you should take several
precautions.
You cannot start your vehicle with an
automatic transmission by pushing
or pulling it.To jump start your vehicle:
The numbers in the illustrations
show you the order to connect the
jumper cables.
Turn of f all the electrical acces-
sories: heater, A/C, climate
control, stereo system, lights, etc.
Put the transmission in Neutral
(M/T) or Park (A/T), and set the
parking brake.
Open the hood, and check the
physical condition of the battery.
In very cold weather, check the
condition of the electrolyte. If it
seems slushy or f rozen, do not try
jump starting until it thaws.
1. 2.
Jump Starting
272
4-cylinder models
BOOSTER
BATTERY
A battery can explode if you do
not follow the correct procedure,
seriously injuring anyonenearby.
Keep all sparks, open flames,
and smoking materials away
from the battery. If a battery sits in extreme cold, the
electrolyte inside can f reeze.
Attempting to jump start with a f rozen
battery can cause it to rupture.
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µ
´
´ Start the vehicle. If the starter
motor still operates slowly, check
that the jumper cables have good
metal-to-metal contact.
If the booster battery is in another
vehicle, have an assistant start
that vehicle and run it at a fast idle.
Connect the second jumper cable
to the negative ( ) terminal on
the booster battery. Connect the
other end to the grounding strap
as shown. Do not connect this
jumper cable to any other part of
the engine.
Connect one jumper cable to the
positive ( ) terminal on your
vehicle’s battery. Connect the
other end to the positive ( )
terminal on the booster battery.
6.
5.
4.
3.
CONT INUED
Jump Start ing
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
273
4-cylinder models
BOOSTER
BATTERY
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V6 models
V6 models
Keep the ends of the jumper
cables away from each other and
any metal on the vehicle until
everything is disconnected.
Otherwise, you may cause an
electrical short.If your vehicle overheats, you should
take immediate action. The only
indication may be the temperature
gauge climbing to or above the red
mark. Or you may see steam or
spray coming f rom under the hood.
If you see steam and/or spray
coming f rom under the hood, turn
of f the engine. Wait until you see
no more signs of steam or spray,
then open the hood.
Once the vehicle is running,
disconnect the negative cable f rom
your vehicle, then f rom the
booster battery. Disconnect the
positive cable f rom your vehicle,
and then from the booster battery.
The pointer of your vehicle’s
temperature gauge should stay in
the midrange under most conditions.
If it climbs to the red mark, you
should determine the reason (hot
day, driving up a steep hill, etc.).
Saf ely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in neutral
(M/T) or Park (A/T), and set the
parking brake. Turn of f all
accessories, and turn on the
hazard warning lights.
2.
1.
7.
Jump Starting, If the Engine Overheats
If the Engine Overheats
274
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.
Driving with the temperature gauge
pointer at the red mark can cause
serious damage to the engine.
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This indicator should never come on
when the engine is running. If it
starts flashing or stays on, the oil
pressure has dropped very low or
lost pressure. Serious engine
damage is possible, and you should
take immediate action.Let the vehicle sit f or a minute.
Open the hood, and check the oil
level (see page ). An engine
very low on oil can lose pressure
during cornering and other driving
maneuvers.
If necessary, add oil to bring the
level back to the full mark on the
dipstick (see page ).
Start the engine, and watch the oil
pressure indicator. If it does not go
out within 10 seconds, turn of f the
engine. There is a mechanical
problem that needs to be repaired
bef ore you can continue driving
(see on page
). If the charging system indicator
comes on brightly when the engine
is running, the battery is not being
charged.
Immediately turn of f all electrical
accessories. Try not to use other
electrically operated controls such as
the power windows. Keep the engine
running; starting the engine will
discharge the battery rapidly.
Go to a service station or garage
where you can get technical
assistance.
Saf ely pull of f the road and shut
of f the engine. Turn on the hazard
warning lights.
1. 2. 3. 4. 188
232
285
L ow Oil Pressure
Indicator
Emergency T owing Charging System
Indicator
L ow Oil Pressure Indicator, Charging System Indicator
276
Running the engine with low oil
pressure can cause serious mechanical
damage almost immediately. Turn of f
the engine as soon as you can saf ely get
the vehicle stopped.
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If the indicator comes on
while driving, it means one
of the engine’s emissions control
systems may have a problem. Even
though you may f eel no dif f erence in
your vehicle’s perf ormance, it can
reduce your f uel economy and cause
increased emissions. Continued
operation may cause serious damage.
If your vehicle has an automatic
transmission, the malf unction
indicator lamp may also come on
with the ‘‘D’’ indicator.
If the indicator comes on repeatedly,
even though it may turn of f as you
continue driving, have your vehicle
checked by your dealer as soon as
possible.
If you have recently ref ueled your
vehicle, the indicator coming on
could be due to a loose or missing
f uel f ill cap. You will also see a
‘‘CHECK FUEL CAP’’ message on
the inf ormation display. Tighten the
cap until it clicks at least once (see
page ). Tightening the cap will
not turn the indicator of f
immediately; it takes at least three
days of normal driving. Your vehicle has certain ‘‘readiness
codes’’ that are part of the on-board
diagnostics f or the emissions
systems. In some states, part of the
emissions testing is to make surethese codes are set. If they are not
set, the test cannot be completed.
To check if they are set, turn the
ignition switch to the ON (II)
position without starting the engine.
The malf unction indicator lamp will
come on f or 20 seconds. If it then
goes of f , the readiness codes are set.
If it blinks 5 times, the readiness
codes are not set. If possible, do not
take your vehicle for a state
emissions test until the readiness
codes are set. Ref er to
for more
inf ormation (see page ).
If the battery in your vehicle has
been disconnected or gone dead,
these codes are erased. It can take
several days of driving under various
conditions to set the codes again.
186 300
Malf unct ion Indicat or L amp
Readiness CodesState
Emissions T esting
T aking Care of t he Unexpect ed
277
If you keep driving with the
malf unction indicator lamp on, you can
damage your vehicle’s emissions
controls and the engine. Those repairs
may not be covered by your vehicle’s
warranties.
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