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. See
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 81for 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.
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
Airbags affect how your vehicle should be serviced.
There are parts of the airbag system in several
places around your vehicle. You do not want the
system to in ate while someone is working on your
vehicle. Your dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing your vehicle and the
airbag system. To purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering Information on
page 480.
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Programmable Locking Feature
Following are the two locking modes that can be
programmed:
Mode 1:All doors lock when the transmission is
shifted out of PARK (P).
Mode 2:All doors lock when the vehicle speed is
greater than 8 mph (13 km/h).
The automatic door locks were pre-programmed at
the factory to lock all the doors when the
transmission is shifted into gear. The following
instructions detail how to program your door
locks differently than the factory setting. Choose
one of the two programming options listed
previously before entering the program mode.
To enter the program mode, do the following:
1. Begin with the ignition off. Then pull the turn
signal/multifunction lever toward you and hold
it there while you perform the next step.
2. Turn the key to RUN and LOCK twice. Then,
with the key in LOCK, release the turn
signal/multifunction lever. Once you do this,
you will hear the lock switch lock and
unlock, the horn will chirp twice, and a
30-second program timer will begin.3. You are now ready to program the automatic
door locks. Select one of the two programming
options listed previously, and press the lock
side of the power door lock switch to
cycle through the lock options. You will have
30 seconds to begin programming. If you
exceed the 30-second limit, the locks
will automatically lock and unlock and the
horn will chirp twice to indicate that you have
left the program mode. If this occurs,
repeat the procedure beginning with Step 1 to
re-enter the programming mode.
You can exit the program mode any time by
turning the ignition to RUN. The locks will
automatically lock and unlock and the horn will
chirp twice to indicate that you are leaving
the program mode. If the lock/unlock switches are
not pressed while in the programming mode,
the current auto lock/unlock setting will not
be modi ed.
See your dealer for more information.
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Programmable Unlocking Feature
The following is the list of available programming
options:
Mode 1:Driver’s door unlocks when the
transmission is shifted into PARK (P).
Mode 2:All doors unlock when the transmission
is shifted into PARK (P).
Mode 3:All doors unlock when the key is
removed from the ignition.
Mode 4:No automatic door unlock.
The automatic door locks were pre-programmed at
the factory to unlock all doors once the
transmission is shifted to PARK (P). The following
instructions detail how to program your door
locks differently than the factory setting. Choose
one of the four programming options listed
previously before entering the program mode.
To enter the program mode you need to do the
following:
1. Begin with the ignition off. Then pull the turn
signal/multifunction lever toward you and hold
it there while you perform the next step.2. Turn the key to RUN and LOCK twice. Then,
with the key in LOCK, release the turn
signal/multifunction lever. Once you do this,
you will hear the lock switch lock and
unlock, the horn will chirp twice, and a
30-second program timer will begin.
3. You are now ready to program the automatic
door locks. Select one of the four programming
options listed above, and press the unlock side
of the power door lock switch to cycle through
the unlocking options. You will have
30 seconds to begin programming. If you
exceed the 30-second limit, the locks will
automatically lock and unlock and the horn will
chirp twice to indicate that you have left the
program mode. If this occurs, repeat the
procedure beginning with Step 1 to re-enter the
programming mode.
You can exit the program mode any time by turning
the ignition to RUN. The locks will automatically
lock and unlock and the horn will chirp twice to
indicate that you are leaving the program mode.
If the lock/unlock switches are not pressed while in
the programming mode, the current auto lock/
unlock setting will not be modi ed.
See your dealer for more information.
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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. See
Towing a Trailer on page 305for 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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Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your gear
shift lever.
PARK (P):This position locks the rear wheels.
It is the best position to use when you start the
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
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) on page 117.
If you are pulling a trailer, seeTowing a
Trailer on page 305.
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DRIVE (D):This position is for normal driving.
It 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
the 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 280.
DRIVE (D) can be used when towing a trailer,
carrying a heavy load, driving on steep hills, or for
off-road driving. You may want to shift the
transmission to THIRD (3) or, if necessary, a lower
gear selection if the transmission shifts too often.THIRD (3):This position is also used for normal
driving. 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.
To shift to the THIRD (3) position, you must rst
press the large button on the shift handle.
While the button is pressed, move the shifter in
the THIRD (3) position.
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.
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Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down with your foot and pull up on the
parking brake lever located between the seats.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
on the instrument panel cluster will come on.
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 183.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular
brake pedal down.Pull the parking brake lever up until you can press
in the button at the end of the lever. Hold the
button in as you move the parking brake lever all
the way down.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause
premature wear or damage to brake system
parts. Verify that the parking brake is fully
released and the brake warning light is
off before driving.
If you are towing a trailer and you must park on a
hill, seeTowing a Trailer on page 305.
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