
The airbags inflate and deflate
rapidly upon activation. After airbag
deployment, it is normal to notice a
smoke-like, powdery residue or
smell the burnt propellant. This may
consist of cornstarch, talcum
powder (to lubricate the bag) or
sodium compounds (e.g., baking
soda) that result from the
combustion process that inflates the
airbag. Small amounts of sodium
hydroxide may be present which
may irritate the skin and eyes, but
none of the residue is toxic.
While the system is designed to help
reduce serious injuries, it may also
cause minor abrasions, swelling or temporary hearing loss. Because
airbags must inflate rapidly and with considerable force, there is the risk
of death or serious injuries such as fractures, facial and eye injuries or
internal injuries, particularly to occupants who are not properly
restrained or are otherwise out of position at the time of airbag
deployment. Thus, it is extremely important that occupants be properly
restrained as far away from the airbag module as possible while
maintaining vehicle control.WARNING: Several airbag system components get hot after
inflation. Do not touch them after inflation or you may be
burned.
WARNING: If the air bag has deployed, the air bag will not
function again and must be replaced immediately. If the air bag
is not replaced, the unrepaired area will increase the risk of
injury in a collision.
Determining if the system is operational
The SRS uses readiness lights in the instrument cluster or a tone to
indicate the condition of the system. Refer to the Airbag readiness
section in the Instrumentation chapter. Routine maintenance of the
airbag is not required.
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Seating and Safety Restraints
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the indicator lamp remains lit even after this, then the occupant should
be advised to ride in the back seat.
OccupantPass Airbag Off
Indicator LampPassenger Airbag
Empty seat UnlitDisabled
Small child in child
safety seat or booster Lit
Disabled
Small child with safety
belt buckled or
unbuckled Lit
Disabled
Adult UnlitEnabled
After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on safety belts, it’s
very important that they continue to sit upright, with their back against
the seatback, with their feet comfortably extended on the floor while the
vehicle is still in motion. Sitting improperly can increase the chance of
injury in a crash event. For example, if an occupant slouches, lies down,
turns sideways, sits forward, leans forward or sideways, or puts one or
both feet up, the chance of injury during a crash is greatly increased.
WARNING: Sitting improperly out of position or with the seat
back reclined too far can take off weight from the seat cushion
and affect the decision of the front passenger sensing system,
resulting in serious injury or death in a crash.
Always sit upright against your seatback, with your feet on the
floor.
In case there is a problem with the
passenger sensing system, the
airbag readiness lamp in the
instrument cluster will stay lit. Do
NOT attempt to repair or service the system; take your vehicle
immediately to the dealer. WARNING: The front passenger airbag is not designed to offer
protection to an occupant in the center seating position.
WARNING: An out of position front center occupant could
affect the decision of the front passenger sensing system.
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USA (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
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Refer to the following chart for information regarding the
factory-equipped trailer tow connector:
Trailer tow connector
ColorFunction Comment
1. Dark Green Trailer right-hand turn signal Circuit activated when brake
pedal is depressed or when
ignition is on and right-hand
turn signal is applied.
2. Yellow Trailer left-hand turn signal Circuit activated when brake
pedal is depressed or when
ignition is on and left-hand
turn signal is applied.
3. Tan/White Tail lamp Relay controlled circuit
activated when the park
lamps/headlamps are on.
4. White Ground Matching vehicle circuit
returns to battery’s negative
ground.
Driving while you tow
When towing a trailer:
•
Keep your speed no faster than 70 mph (112 km/h) during the first 500
miles (800 km) of towing a trailer, and don’t make full throttle starts.
• Turn off the speed control. The speed control may shut off
automatically when you are towing on long, steep grades.
• Consult your local motor vehicle speed regulations for towing a trailer.
• To eliminate excessive shifting, use a lower gear. This will also assist
in transmission cooling. (For additional information, refer to the
Driving with a 5–speed automatic transmission section in the
Driving chapter.)
•
Under extreme conditions with large frontal trailers, high outside
temperatures and highway speeds, the coolant gauge may indicate
higher than normal coolant temperatures. If this occurs, reduce speed
until the coolant temperature returns to the normal range. Refer to
Engine coolant temperature gauge in theInstrument Cluster chapter.
•Anticipate stops and brake gradually.
• Do not exceed the GCWR rating or transmission damage may occur.
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Tires, Wheels and Loading
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If starting a vehicle with a manual
transmission:1. Make sure the parking brake is set.
2. Push the clutch pedal to the floor.
3. Turn the key to 4 (ON) without turning the key to 5 (START).
If there is difficulty in turning the key, firmly rotate the steering wheel
left and right until the key turns freely. This condition may occur when:
• front wheels are turned
• front wheel is against the curb
• steering wheel is turned when getting in or out of the vehicle
Some warning lights will briefly illuminate. See Warning lights and
chimes in theInstrument Cluster chapter for more information
regarding the warning lights.
Starting the engine
Note: Whenever you start your vehicle, release the key as soon as the
engine starts. Excessive cranking could damage the starter.
1
2
34
5
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Driving
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WARNING: To reduce the risk of electrical shock, do not use
your heater with ungrounded electrical systems or two-pronged
(cheater) adapters.
BRAKES
Occasional brake noise is normal. If a metal-to-metal, continuous grinding
or continuous squeal sound is present, the brake linings may be worn-out
and should be inspected by an authorized dealer. If the vehicle has
continuous vibration or shudder in the steering wheel while braking, the
vehicle should be inspected by an authorized dealer.
Refer to Brake system warning
light in the Instrument Cluster
chapter for information on the brake
system warning light.
Four-wheel anti-lock brake system (ABS)
This vehicle is equipped with an anti-lock braking system (ABS), a noise
from the hydraulic pump motor and pulsation in the pedal may be
observed during ABS braking events. Pedal pulsation coupled with noise
while braking under panic conditions or on loose gravel, bumps, wet or
snowy roads is normal and indicates proper functioning of the vehicle’s
anti-lock brake system.
NOTE: The ABS performs a self-check after you start the engine and
begin to drive away.
A brief mechanical noise may be heard during this test. This is normal. If
a malfunction is found, the ABS warning light will come on. If the vehicle
has continuous vibration or shudder in the steering wheel while braking,
the vehicle should be inspected by an authorized dealer.
The ABS operates by detecting the
onset of wheel lockup during brake
applications and compensates for
this tendency. The wheels are
prevented from locking even when
the brakes are firmly applied. The
accompanying illustration depicts
the advantage of an ABS equipped
vehicle (on bottom) to a non-ABS
equipped vehicle (on top) during hard braking with loss of front braking
traction.
P!
BRAKE
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Driving
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WARNING: The Anti-Lock system does not decrease the time
necessary to apply the brakes or always reduce stopping
distance. Always leave enough room between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front of you to stop.
Using ABS
When hard braking is required, apply continuous force on the brake
pedal; do not pump the brake pedal since this will reduce the
effectiveness of the ABS and will increase your vehicle’s stopping
distance. The ABS will be activated immediately, allowing you to retain
steering control during hard braking and on slippery surfaces. However,
the ABS does not decrease stopping distance.
ABS warning lamp
The ABS lamp in the instrument
cluster momentarily illuminates
when the ignition is turned on. If
the light does not illuminate during
start up, remains on or flashes, the
ABS may be disabled and may need to be serviced.
Even when the ABS is disabled,
normal braking is still effective. (If
your BRAKE warning lamp
illuminates with the parking brake
released, have your brake system
serviced immediately by an authorized dealer.)
Parking brake
Apply the parking brake whenever
the vehicle is parked. To set the
parking brake, press the parking
brake pedal down until the pedal
stops.
ABS
P!
BRAKE
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Driving
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The BRAKE warning lamp in the
instrument cluster illuminates and
remains illuminated (when the
ignition is turned ON) until the
parking brake is released.WARNING: Always set the parking brake fully and make sure
that the gearshift is securely latched in P (Park) (automatic
transmission) or in 1 (First) (manual transmission).
NOTE: The parking brake is not recommended to stop a moving vehicle.
However, if the normal brakes fail, the parking brake can be used to stop
your vehicle in an emergency. Since the parking brake applies only the
rear brakes, the vehicle’s stopping distance will increase greatly and the
handling of your vehicle will be adversely affected.
Pull the release lever to release the
brake.
Driving with the parking brake
on will cause the brakes to wear
out quickly and reduce fuel
economy.
STEERING
Your vehicle is equipped with power steering. Power steering uses energy
from the engine to decrease the driver’s effort in steering the vehicle.
To prevent damage to the power steering pump:
• Never hold the steering wheel to the extreme right or the extreme left
for more than a few seconds when the engine is running.
• Do not operate the vehicle with the power steering pump fluid level
below the MIN mark on the reservoir.
• Some noise is normal during operation. If the noise is excessive, check
for low power steering pump fluid level before seeking service by your
authorized dealer.P!
BRAKE
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Driving
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•If shifting into 4L (4WD Low), wait for the 4WD LOW light in the
instrument cluster to turn onindicating the shift is complete.
• If shifting out of 4L (4WD Low), wait for the 4WD LOW light in the
instrument cluster to turn offindicating the shift is complete.
Driving off-road with 4WD
Your vehicle is specially equipped for driving on sand, snow, mud and
rough terrain and has operating characteristics that are somewhat
different from conventional vehicles, both on and off the road.
How your vehicle differs from other vehicles
Trucks and utility vehicles can differ from some other vehicles. Your
vehicle may be higher to allow it to travel over rough terrain without
getting hung up or damaging underbody components.
The differences that make your vehicle so versatile also make it handle
differently than an ordinary passenger car.
Maintain steering wheel control at all times, especially in rough terrain.
Since sudden changes in terrain can result in abrupt steering wheel
motion, make sure you grip the steering wheel from the outside. Do not
grip the spokes.
Drive cautiously to avoid vehicle damage from concealed objects such as
rocks and stumps.
You should either know the terrain or examine maps of the area before
driving. Map out your route before driving in the area. To maintain
steering and braking control of your vehicle, you must have all four
wheels on the ground and they must be rolling, not sliding or spinning.
Basic operating principles
• Do not use 4WD on dry, hard surfaced roads. Doing so will produce
excessive noise, increase tire wear and may damage drive components.
4WD modes are only intended for consistently slippery or loose
surfaces.
• Drive slower in strong crosswinds which can affect the normal steering
characteristics of your vehicle.
• Be extremely careful when driving on pavement made slippery by
loose sand, water, gravel, snow or ice.
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Driving
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