Page 154 of 293

Bef ore you begin driving your
vehicle, you should know what
gasoline to use and how to check the
levels of important f luids. You also
need to know how to properly store
luggage or packages. The
inf ormation in this section will help
you. If you plan to add any
accessories to your vehicle, please
read the information in this section
first..............................
Break-in Period .154
.................
Fuel Recommendation . 154
.........
Service Station Procedures . 156
....................................
Ref ueling .156
Opening and Closing the .......................................
Hood .157
...................................
Oil Check .159
.............
Engine Coolant Check . 160
...............................
Fuel Economy .161
........
Improving Fuel Economy . 161
...
Accessories and Modif ications . 162
................................
Accessories .162
...........
Modif ying Your Vehicle . 163
.
Additional Safety Precautions . 163
.............................
Carrying Cargo .164
................................
Load Limits .165
Carrying Cargo in the Trunk .................
or on a Roof Rack . 166
Carrying Items in the .....
Passenger Compartment . 166
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving
153
Page 155 of 293

Help assure your vehicle’s f uture
reliability and perf ormance by paying
extra attention to how you drive
during the f irst 600 miles (1,000 km).
During this period:Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid
acceleration.
Do not change the oil until the
scheduled maintenance time.
Avoidhardbrakingforthefirst
200 miles (300 km).
Do not tow a trailer.
You should also f ollow these
recommendations with an
overhauled or exchanged engine, or
when the brakes are replaced. In addition, in order to maintain good
perf ormance, f uel economy, and
emissions control, we strongly
recommend, in areas where it is
available, the use of gasoline that
does NOT contain manganese-based
f uel additives such as MMT.
You may hear a knocking noise from
the engine if you drive the vehicle at
low engine speed (below about 1,000
rpm) in a higher gear. To stop this,
raise the engine speed by shif ting to
a lower gear. Your vehicle is designed to operate
on unleaded gasoline with a pump
octane number of 87 or higher. Use
of a lower octane gasoline can cause
a persistent, heavy, metallic rapping
noise that can lead to engine damage. We recommend using quality
gasolines containing detergent
additives that help prevent fuel
system and engine deposits.
Use of gasoline with these additives
may adversely af f ect perf ormance,
and cause the malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel to
come on. If this happens, contact
your dealer f or service.
For vehicles with manual transmission
Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation
Break-in Period
Fuel Recommendation
154
Page 156 of 293
Some gasoline today is blended with
oxygenates such as ethanol or
MTBE. Your vehicle is designed to
operate on oxygenated gasoline
containing up to 10 % ethanol by
volume and up to 15 % MTBE by
volume. Do not use gasoline
containing methanol.If you notice any undesirable
operating symptoms, try another
service station or switch to another
brand of gasoline.
For f urther important f uel-related
inf ormation, please ref er to your
.
Fuel Recommendation
Quick Start Guide
Bef ore Driving
155
Page 157 of 293

Remove the f uel f ill cap slowly.
You may hear a hissing sound as
pressure inside the tank escapes.
The fuel fill cap is attached to the
f uel f iller with a tether. Put the
attachment on the fuel fill cap into
the slit on the f uel f ill door.
Stop f illing the tank af ter the f uel
nozzle automatically clicks of f . Do
not try to ‘‘top of f ’’ the tank. Leave
some room f or the f uel to expand
with temperature changes.
Park with the driver’s side closest
to the gas pump.
To open the f uel f ill door, push
down on the lever located to the
lef t of the driver’s seat. even though the tank is not f ull,
there may be a problem with your
vehicle’s fuel vapor recovery
system. The system helps keep
f uel vapors f rom going into the
atmosphere. Try f illing at another
pump. If this does not f ix the
problem, consult your dealer.
3.
4.
1.
2.
If the f uel nozzle keeps clicking of f
Ref ueling
156
FUEL FILL CAP
Push
TETHER
Gasoline is highly flammable
and explosive. You can be
burned or seriously injured
when handling fuel.Stop the engine, and keep
heat, sparks, and flame away.
Handle fuel only outdoors.
Wipe up spills immediately.
Service Station Procedures
Page 158 of 293
To Open the Hood:
Park the vehicle, and set the
parking brake. Pull the hood
release handle located under the
lower left corner of the dashboard.
The hood will pop up slightly. Put
your fingers under the front
edge of the hood near the center.
Slide your hand to the left until
you feel the hood latch handle.
Push this handle up to release it.
Li ft up the hood.
If the hood latch handle moves stiffly,
or if you can open the hood without
lifting the handle, the mechanism
should be cleaned and lubricated.
Push
the fuel fill door closed until
it latches.
Screw
the fuel fill cap back on
until it clicks at least once. If you
do not properly tighten the cap,
the malf unction indicator lamp
maycomeon(seepage ).You
will also see a ‘‘CHECK FUEL
CAP’’ message on the inf ormation
display.
1. 2.
5.
6.
254
CONT INUED
Opening and Closing the Hood
Bef ore Driving
157
HOOD RELEASE HANDLE
LATCH
Service Station Procedures
Page 162 of 293
Always drive in the highest gear
possible.
Try to maintain a constant speed.
Everytimeyouslowdownand
speed up, your vehic le uses extra
fuel. Use cruise control when
appropriate.
Combine several short trips into
one.
The air conditioning puts an extra
load on the engine which makes it
usemorefuel.Usethefresh-air
ventilation when possible.
Always
maintain your vehicle
according to the maintenance
messages displayed on the
inf ormation display. See on page
.
Drive moderately. Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering,
and hard braking use more f uel. The build-up of snow or mud on
your vehicle’s underside adds
weight and rolling resistance.
Frequent cleaning helps your f uel
mileage and reduces the chance of
corrosion. an underinf lated tire
causes more ‘‘rolling resistance,’’
which uses more f uel. 198
For example,
Improving Fuel Economy
Owner’s
Maintenance Checks
Fuel Economy
Bef ore Driving
161
Page 199 of 293

U.S. Vehicles:Youshouldcheckthefollowing
items at the specified intervals. If
you are unsure of how to perform
any check, turn to the appropriate
page listed. Lights Check the operation of
the h
eadlights, parking lights,
taillights, high-mount brake light,
and licen se plate lights monthly.
See p age .
Engine coolant level Check the
radiator reserve tank every time
you fill the fuel tank. See p age .
Engine oil level Check every
time you fill the fuel tank. See
page .
Automatic transmission Check
the fluid level monthly. S
ee page
.
Brakes Check the fluid level
monthly. See page .
Tires Check the tire pressure
monthly. Examine the tread for
wear and foreign objects. See page
.
According to state and federal
regulations, f ailure to perf orm
maintenance on the items marked
with will not void your emissions
warranties. However, all
maintenance services should be
perf ormed in accordance with the
intervals indicated by the odometer/
trip meter display.
159
160
215 218
211
228
Maintenance, replacement, or
repair of emissions control
devices and systems may be done
by any automotive repair
establishment or individual using
parts that are ‘‘certif ied’’ to EPA
standards.
Owner’s Maintenance Checks
Maintenance Minder
198
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Maintenance Minder
199
Maintenance Main Items
Replace engine oil
Replace engine oil and oil filter
Inspect front and rear brakes
Check parking brake adjustment
Inspect these items:
Tie rod ends, steering gear box, and boots
Su spension components
Driveshaft boots
Brake hoses and lines (including ABS)
All fluid levels and condition of fluids
Exhaust system
Fuel lines and connections Maintenance
Sub Items
Rotate tires
Replace air cleaner element
Replace dust and pollen filter
Inspect drive belt
Replace transmission fluid
Replace spark plugs
Replace timing belt and inspect water pump
(V6 engine only)
Inspect valve clearance
Replace engine coolant
:
A
B
Symbol
1
2
3
4
5
Symbol1
1
If
the message ‘‘SERVICE OIL’’ does not appear more than 12 months after
the display is rese t, change the engine oil every year.
See information on maintenance and emissions warranty in the first column
on page .
Inspect idle speed every 160,000 miles (256,000 km). Independent of the maintenance minder display, replace the brake fluid
every 3 years.
Adjust the valves during services A, B, 1, 2, or 3 only if they are noisy.
NOTE: 1:
198
If you drive in dusty conditions, replace every 15,000
miles (24,000 km).
If you drive primarily in urban areas that have high
concentrations of soot in the air from industry and from
diesel-powered vehicles, replace every 15,000 miles
(24,000 km).
Driving in mountainous areas at very low vehicle speeds
or trailer towing results in higher transmission and
transfer temperatures. This requires transmission and
transfer fluid changes more frequently than
recommended by the Maintenance Minder. If you
regularly drive your vehicle under these conditions, have
the transmission and transfer fluid changed at 60,000
miles (100,000 km), then every 30,000 miles (48,000 km)
(For A/T only:)
If you drive regularly in very high temperatures (over
110°F, 43°C), or in very low temperatures (under 20°F,29°C), replace every 60,000 miles (U.S.)/100,000 km
(Canada).
Maintenance Minder
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