Highway hazards
No matter how carefully you drive there’s always the possibility that you
may eventually have a flat tire on the highway. Drive slowly to the
closest safe area out of traffic. This may further damage the flat tire, but
your safety is more important.
If you feel a sudden vibration or ride disturbance while driving, or you
suspect your tire or vehicle has been damaged, immediately reduce your
speed. Drive with caution until you can safely pull off the road. Stop and
inspect the tires for damage. If a tire is under-inflated or damaged,
deflate it, remove wheel and replace it with your spare tire and wheel. If
you cannot detect a cause, have the vehicle towed to the nearest repair
facility or tire dealer to have the vehicle inspected.
Tire and wheel alignment
A bad jolt from hitting a curb or pothole can cause the front end of your
vehicle to become misaligned or cause damage to your tires. If your
vehicle seems to pull to one side when you’re driving, the wheels may be
out of alignment. Have an authorized dealer check the wheel alignment
periodically.
Wheel misalignment in the front or the rear can cause uneven and rapid
treadwear of your tires and should be corrected by an authorized dealer.
Front wheel drive (FWD) vehicles and those with an independent rear
suspension (if equipped) may require alignment of all four wheels.
The tires should also be balanced periodically. An unbalanced tire and
wheel assembly may result in irregular tire wear.
Tire rotation
Rotating your tires at the recommended interval (as indicated in the
scheduled maintenance informationthat comes with your vehicle) will
help your tires wear more evenly, providing better tire performance and
longer tire life. Unless otherwise specified, rotate the tires approximately
every 5,000 miles (8,000 km).
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•Front Wheel Drive (FWD)/ All
Wheel Drive vehicles (front tires
at top of diagram)
Sometimes irregular tire wear can be corrected by rotating the tires.
Note:If your tires show uneven wear ask an authorized dealer to check
for and correct any wheel misalignment, tire imbalance or mechanical
problem involved before tire rotation.
Note:Your vehicle may be equipped with a dissimilar spare tire/wheel. A
dissimilar spare tire/wheel is defined as a spare tire and/or wheel that is
different in brand, size or appearance from the road tires and wheels. If
you have a dissimilar spare tire/wheel it is intended for temporary use
only and should not be used in a tire rotation.
Note:After having your tires rotated, inflation pressure must be checked
and adjusted to the vehicle requirements.
INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE TIRE SIDEWALL
Both U.S. and Canada Federal regulations require tire manufacturers to
place standardized information on the sidewall of all tires. This
information identifies and describes the fundamental characteristics of
the tire and also provides a U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number for
safety standard certification and in case of a recall.
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Keep a record for at least one month and record the type of driving (city
or highway). This will provide an accurate estimate of the vehicle’s fuel
economy under current driving conditions. Additionally, keeping records
during summer and winter will show how temperature impacts fuel
economy. In general, lower temperatures give lower fuel economy.
Driving style — good driving and fuel economy habits
Give consideration to the lists that follow and you may be able to change
a number of variables and improve your fuel economy.
Habits
•Smooth, moderate operation can yield up to 10% savings in fuel.
•Steady speeds without stopping will usually give the best fuel
economy.
•Idling for long periods of time (greater than one minute) may waste
fuel.
•Anticipate stopping; slowing down may eliminate the need to stop.
•Sudden or hard accelerations may reduce fuel economy.
•Slow down gradually.
•Driving at reasonable speeds (traveling at 55 mph [88 km/h] uses 15%
less fuel than traveling at 65 mph [105 km/h]).
•Revving the engine before turning it off may reduce fuel economy.
•Using the air conditioner or defroster may reduce fuel economy.
•You may want to turn off the speed control in hilly terrain if
unnecessary shifting between the top gears occurs. Unnecessary
shifting of this type could result in reduced fuel economy.
•Warming up a vehicle on cold mornings is not required and may
reduce fuel economy.
•Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driving may reduce fuel
economy.
•Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go driving.
Maintenance
•Keep tires properly inflated and use only recommended size.
•Operating a vehicle with the wheels out of alignment will reduce fuel
economy.
•Use recommended engine oil. Refer toMaintenance product
specifications and capacitiesin this chapter.
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Maintenance and Specifications
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opening the trunk .....................88
opening the windows ...............87
panic alarm ...............................88
replacement/additional
transmitters ...............................90
replacing the batteries .............89
Roadside assistance ..................187
S
Safety Belt Maintenance ..........115
Safety belts (see Safety
restraints) ..........107, 110, 112–115
Safety Canopy ...........................130
Safety defects, reporting ..........214
Safety
restraints ...........107, 110, 112–115
BeltMinder............................116
extension assembly ................115
for adults .........................112–114
for children .............................136
Occupant Classification
Sensor ......................................108
safety belt maintenance .........115
warning light and chime ........116
Safety seats for children ..........140
Safety Compliance
Certification Label ....................257
Satellite Radio Information ........24
Seat belts
(see Safety restraints) .............107
Seats ..........................................100
child safety seats ....................140
climate control ........................104
front seats ...............................100
heated ........................................29
memory seat .............................88SecuriLock passive anti-theft
system ..........................................94
Servicing your vehicle ..............222
Side air curtain .........................133
Spark plugs,
specifications .....................252, 256
Specification chart,
lubricants ...................................253
Speed control ..............................58
Starting your vehicle ........170–172
jump starting ..........................202
Steering
speed sensitive .......................177
Steering wheel
controls ......................................61
tilting .........................................52
T
Tilt steering wheel ......................52
Tires ...........................148–149, 195
alignment ................................156
care ..........................................152
changing ..........................195, 198
checking the pressure ............152
inflating ...................................150
label .........................................162
replacing ..................................154
rotating ....................................156
safety practices .......................155
sidewall information ...............157
snow tires and chains ............163
spare tire .................................196
terminology .............................149
tire grades ...............................149
treadwear ........................148, 153
Towing .......................................168
recreational towing .................168
trailer towing ..........................168
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