P(Power):Press this button to turn the RSA on
or off.
Volume:Turn this knob to increase or to
decrease the volume of the wired headphones.
The left knob controls the left headphones and the
right knob controls the right headphones.
SRCE (Source):Press this button to switch
between the radio (AM/FM), XM (if equipped), CD,
and if your vehicle has these features, DVD,
front auxiliary, and rear auxiliary.
©¨(Seek):When listening to FM, AM, or
XM™ (if equipped), press the left seek arrow or
the right seek arrow to go to the previous or to the
next station or channels and stay there. This
function is inactive, with some radios, if the front
seat passengers are listening to the radio.
Press and hold the left seek arrow or right seek
arrow until the display ashes, to tune to an
individual station. The display stops ashing after
the buttons have not been pushed for more
than two seconds. This function is inactive, with
some radios, if the front seat passengers are
listening to the radio.
While listening to a disc, press the right seek
arrow to go to the next track or chapter on the disc.
Press the left seek arrow to go back to the start
of the current track or chapter (if more than
ten seconds have played). This function is inactive,
with some radios, if the front seat passengers
are listening to the disc.
When a DVD video menu is being displayed,
press the left seek arrow or right seek arrow to
perform a cursor up or down on the menu.
Hold the left seek arrow or right seek arrow to
perform a cursor left or right on the menu.
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Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts — heavy acceleration followed by
heavy braking — rather than keeping pace with
traffic. This is a mistake. The brakes might
not have time to cool between hard stops. The
brakes will wear out much faster if you do a lot of
heavy braking. If you keep pace with the traffic
and allow realistic following distances, you
will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That
means better braking and longer brake life.
If your vehicle’s engine ever stops while you are
driving, brake normally but do not pump the
brakes. If you do, the pedal could get harder to
push down. If the engine stops, you will still have
some power brake assist. But you will use it
when you brake. Once the power assist is used
up, it can take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can
affect your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 377.Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Antilock Brake System
(ABS), an advanced electronic braking system that
will help prevent a braking skid.
When you start the engine and begin to drive
away, ABS will check itself. You might hear
a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on, and you might even notice that the
brake pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem
with ABS, this warning
light will stay on.
SeeAntilock Brake
System Warning Light
on page 218.
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Remember: ABS does not change the time you
need to get your foot up to the brake pedal
or always decrease stopping distance. If you get
too close to the vehicle in front of you, you will not
have time to apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always leave enough
room up ahead to stop, even though you
have ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake
pedal down rmly and let antilock work for you.
You might hear the antilock pump or motor
operate, and feel the brake pedal pulsate, but this
is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With ABS, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you
more than even the very best braking.
StabiliTrak®System
Your vehicle has the StabiliTrak®system which
combines antilock brake, traction and stability
control systems and helps the driver maintain
directional control of the vehicle in most driving
conditions.
When you rst start your vehicle and begin to
drive away, the system performs several diagnostic
checks to ensure there are no problems. You
may hear or feel the system working. This
is normal and does not mean there is a problem
with your vehicle. The system should initialize
before the vehicle reaches 20 mph (32 km/h).
In some cases, it may take approximately
two miles of driving before the system initializes.
If the system fails to turn on or activate, the
StabiliTrak
®light along with one of the following
messages will be displayed on the Driver
Information Center (DIC): TRACTION CONTROL
OFF, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL,
SERVICE STABILITRAK. If you see these
conditions, turn the vehicle off, wait 15 seconds,
and then turn it back on again to reset the system.
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Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then
goes back into the right lane again. A simple
maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a
two-lane highway is a potentially dangerous move,
since the passing vehicle occupies the same
lane as oncoming traffic for several seconds. A
miscalculation, an error in judgment, or a
brief surrender to frustration or anger can suddenly
put the passing driver face to face with the
worst of all traffic accidents — the head-on
collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
Drive ahead. Look down the road, to the
sides, and to crossroads for situations
that might affect your passing patterns. If you
have any doubt whatsoever about making
a successful pass, wait for a better time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings,
and lines. If you can see a sign up ahead
that might indicate a turn or an intersection,
delay your pass. A broken center lineusually indicates it is all right to pass, providing
the road ahead is clear. Never cross a solid
line on your side of the lane or a double solid
line, even if the road seems empty of
approaching traffic.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you want
to pass while you are awaiting an opportunity.
For one thing, following too closely reduces
your area of vision, especially if you are
following a larger vehicle. Also, you will not
have adequate space if the vehicle ahead
suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming
up, start to accelerate but stay in the right
lane and do not get too close. Time your move
so you will be increasing speed as the time
comes to move into the other lane. If the way
is clear to pass, you will have a running
start that more than makes up for the distance
you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel
your pass, you need only slow down and drop
back again and wait for another opportunity.
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A cornering skid is best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you
want the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly
enough, your vehicle may straighten out. Always be
ready for a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow,
ice, gravel, or other material is on the road. For
safety, you want to slow down and adjust your
driving to these conditions. It is important to slow
down on slippery surfaces because stopping
distance is longer and vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction,
try your best to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking, including reducing vehicle
speed by shifting to a lower gear. Any sudden
changes could cause the tires to slide. You might
not realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize
warning clues — such as enough water, ice, or
packed snow on the road to make a mirrored
surface — and slow down when you have
any doubt.
Remember: Any Antilock Brake System (ABS)
helps avoid only the braking skid.Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to
be impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night
vision problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Adjust the inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you cannot see as well, slow down and
keep more space between you and other
vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads.
Your vehicle’s headlamps can light up only so
much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe
place and rest.
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Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On
a wet road, you cannot stop, accelerate, or
turn as well because your vehicle’s tire-to-road
traction is not as good as on dry roads. And, if the
tires do not have much tread left, you get even
less traction.It is always wise to go slower and be cautious if
rain starts to fall while you are driving. The surface
may get wet suddenly when your re exes are
tuned for driving on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even
if the windshield wiper blades are in good
shape, a heavy rain can make it harder to see
road signs and traffic signals, pavement markings,
the edge of the road, and even people walking.
It is wise to keep windshield wiping equipment in
good shape and keep the windshield washer
uid reservoir lled with washer uid. Replace
windshield wiper inserts when they show signs of
streaking or missing areas on the windshield,
or when strips of rubber start to separate from the
inserts.
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Before changing lanes, check the mirrors. Then,
use the turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly
over your shoulder to make sure there is not
another vehicle in your blind spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make sure
you allow a reasonable following distance.
Expect to move slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the
proper lane well in advance. If you miss your
exit, do not, under any circumstances, stop and
back up. Drive on to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite
sharply. The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce
your speed according to the speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any
distance at higher speeds, you might tend to think
you are going slower than you actually are.Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you are ready. Try to be well rested. If
you must start when you are not fresh — such
as after a day’s work — do not plan to make too
many miles that rst part of the journey. Wear
comfortable clothing and shoes you can easily
drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it is ready to go. If it
needs service, have it done before starting out. Of
course, you will nd experienced and able
service experts at dealers/retailers all across North
America. They are ready and willing to help you
if needed.
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Dinghy Towing
If you have a front-wheel-drive vehicle, it can be
dinghy towed from the front. These vehicles
may also be towed by putting the front wheels on
a dolly. See “Dolly Towing” later in this section.
If you have an all-wheel-drive vehicle, it can
be dinghy towed from the front. You can also tow
these vehicles by placing them on a platform
trailer with all four wheels off of the ground. These
vehicles cannot be towed using a dolly.
For vehicles being dinghy towed, the vehicle
should be run at the beginning of each day and at
each RV fuel stop for about ve minutes. This
will ensure proper lubrication of transmission
components. Put the IGN (Ignition) fuse in to start
the vehicle.To tow your vehicle from the front with all four
wheels on the ground:
1. Position the vehicle to tow and then secure it.
2. Turn the ignition to OFF.
3. Set the parking brake.
4. To prevent your battery from draining while
the vehicle is being towed, remove the IGN
(Ignition) fuse from the underhood fuse block.
SeeUnderhood Fuse Block on page 479.
5. Turn the ignition to ACCESSORY.
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