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STARTING PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust both
inside and outside mirrors, and fasten your seat belts.WARNING!
²Be sure to turn off the engine and remove the
key from the ignition switch if you want to rest
or sleep in your car. Accidents can be caused by
inadvertently moving the gear selection lever or
by pressing the accelerator pedal. This may
cause excessive heat in the exhaust system, re-
sulting in overheating and vehicle fire which
may cause serious or fatal injuries.
²NEVER
leave children alone in a vehicle. Leaving
children in a vehicle unattended is dangerous for a
number of reasons. A child or others could be
seriously or fatally injured. Don't leave the keys in
the ignition. A child could operate power win-
dows, other controls, or move the vehicle
²Do not leave children or animals inside parked
vehicles in hot weather. Interior heat build up
may cause serious injury or death.
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Automatic Transmission
The gear selector must be in the NEUTRAL or PARK
position before you can start the engine. Depress the
brake pedal before shifting into any driving gear.
Normal Starting (Above 32ÉF / 0ÉC)
1. Do not depress the accelerator.
2. Turn and hold the ignition key in the START position
and release when engine starts.
3. If engine does not start after 3 seconds, depress the
accelerator lightly (while still cranking the engine).
4. If engine does not start after 15 seconds, turn the
ignition key off.
5. Wait 10 to 15 seconds, and repeat steps1Ð5.
NOTE: This vehicle is equipped with a transmission
shift interlocking system. The brake pedal must be
depressed to shift out of Park (P).
Extremely Cold Weather Starting (Below220ÉF /
±29ÉC)
Follow the same instructions in the ªNormal Startingº
procedure.
To insure reliable starting at these temperatures, use of an
externally powered electric engine block heater (available
from your dealer) is recommended.
High Altitude Starting (Above 4,000 ft. / 1 219 m)
Follow the same instructions in the ªNormal Startingº
procedure.
To insure reliable starting at these temperatures, use of an
externally powered electric engine block heater (available
from your dealer) is recommended.
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If Engine Fails To Start
If the engine fails to start after you have followed the
ªNormal Startingº procedure, it may be flooded. Push
the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and hold it
there while cranking the engine. This should clear any
excess fuel in case the engine is flooded.
CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter, do not crank the
engine for more than 15 seconds at a time. Wait 10 to
15 seconds before trying again.
WARNING!
Never pour fuel or other flammable liquid into the
throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to start
the vehicle. This could result in flash fire causing
serious personal injury.
WARNING!
Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get it
started. Vehicles equipped with an automatic trans-
mission cannot be started this way. Unburned fuel
could enter the catalytic converter and once the
engine has started, ignite and damage the converter
and vehicle. If the vehicle has a discharged battery,
booster cables may be used to obtain a start from a
booster battery or the battery in another vehicle. This
type of start can be dangerous if done improperly.
See section 6 of this manual for the proper jump
starting procedures and follow them carefully.
If the engine has been flooded, it may start to run, but not
have enough power to continue running when the key is
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released. If this occurs, continue cranking with the accel-
erator pedal pushed all the way to the floor. Release the
accelerator pedal and the key once the engine is running
smoothly.
If the engine shows no sign of starting after two 15
second periods of cranking with the accelerator pedal
held to the floor, the ªNormal Startingº procedure should
be repeated.
After Starting
The idle speed will automatically decrease as the engine
warms up.
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER Ð IF EQUIPPED
The engine block heater warms engine coolant and
permits quicker starts in cold weather. Connect the cord
to a standard 110-115 volt AC electrical outlet with a
grounded, three-wire extension cord.The engine block heater cord is routed under the hood on
the driver side of the vehicle. It has a removable cap that
is located on the driver side of the Integrated Power
Module.
WARNING!
Remember to disconnect the cord before driving.
Damage to the 110-115 volt electrical cord could cause
electrocution.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
The electronically controlled transmission provides a
precise shift schedule. The transmission electronics are
self-calibrating; therefore, the first few shifts on a new
vehicle, may be somewhat abrupt. This is a normal
condition, and precision shifts will develop within a few
hundred miles.
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Automatic Transmission Ignition Interlock System
This system prevents the key from being removed unless
the shift lever is in PARK. It also prevents shifting out of
PARK unless the key is in the ACCESSORY or ON
position.
NOTE:If a malfunction occurs, the system will trap the
key in the ignition cylinder to warn you that this safety
feature is inoperable. The engine can be started and
stopped but the key cannot be removed until you obtain
service.
Reset Mode - Electronic Transmission
For electrical system malfunctions there is an override for
the interlock system. In order to override this system the
key must be in the ignition with the switch in the ACC or
ON positions. Pull up and rearward on the shifter bezel
ring.
The override can be activated by pressing the pink-
colored tab, which can be accessed through the lowerright corner of the shifter bezel ring. While the override is
pressed, the shifter can be moved out of the park position
without pressing the brake. After operation return the
shifter bezel ring to its original position.
NOTE:Even if the transmission can be reset, it is
recommended that you visit a dealer at your earliest
Brake Interlock Override
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added precaution, turn the front wheels toward the curb
on a downhill grade and away from the curb on a uphill
grade.
The parking brake should always be applied when the
driver is not in the vehicle.WARNING!
²Always fully apply the parking brake when leav-
ing your vehicle, or it may roll and cause damage
or injury. Also be certain to leave an automatic
transmission in Park, a manual transmission in
Reverse or first gear. Failure to do so may allow the
vehicle to roll and cause damage or injury.
²NEVER leave children alone in a vehicle. Leaving
children in a vehicle unattended is dangerous for a
number of reasons. A child or others could be
seriously or fatally injured. Don't leave the keys in
the ignition. A child could operate power win-
dows, other controls, or move the vehicle
²Be sure the parking brake is fully disengaged
before driving, failure to do so can lead to brake
problems due to excessive heating of the rear
brakes.
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NOTE:The vehicle may need to be driven for up to 10
minutes above 15 mph (25 km/h) to receive this infor-
mation.
The TPMS Telltale Lamp will flash on and off for 75
seconds, and remain on solid when a system fault is
detected. The system fault will also sound a chime. If the
ignition key is cycled, this sequence will repeat, provid-
ing the system fault still exists. The TPMS Telltale Lamp
will turn off when the fault condition no longer exists. A
system fault can occur with any of the following sce-
narios:
1. Jamming due to electronic devices or driving next to
facilities emitting the same radio frequencies as the TPMS
sensors.
2. Installing some form of aftermarket window tinting
that affects radio wave signals.3. Accumulation of excessive snow and/or ice around
the wheels or wheel housings.
4. Using tire chains on the vehicle.
5. Using wheels/tires not equipped with TPMS sensors.
NOTE:Your vehicle is equipped with a compact spare
wheel and tire assembly that does not have a tire pressure
monitoring sensor. Therefore, it will not be monitored by
the TPMS. In the event that the compact spare tire is
swapped with a low pressure road tire, each ignition key
cycle will still show the TPMS Lamp to be ON, and a
chime to sound. Once you repair or replace the original
road tire and reinstall it on the vehicle in place of the
compact spare tire, the TPMS will update automatically,
and the TPMS Lamp will turn OFF as long as no tire
pressure is below the low-pressure warning limit in any
of the four active road tires. The vehicle may need to be
driven for up to 10 minutes above 15 mph (25 km/h) for
the TPMS to receive this information.
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Basic TPMS with EVIC Ð If Equipped
The TPMS uses wireless technology with wheel rim
mounted electronic sensors to monitor tire pressure lev-
els. Sensors, mounted to each wheel as part of the valve
stem, transmit tire pressure readings to the Receiver
Module.
NOTE:It is particularly important, for you to check the
tire pressure in all of your tires regularly and too main-
tain the proper pressure.
The Basic TPMS consists of the following components:
²Receiver Module
²4 Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensors
²Various TPMS Messages, which display in the Elec-
tronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC).
²Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale LampThe TPMS Telltale Lamp will illuminate in the instru-
ment cluster, and an audible chime will be activated
when one or more of the four active road tire pressures
are low. In addition, EVIC will display the number of
tire(s) that are low, followed by the ªTire Low Pressureº
text message. Should this occur, you should stop as soon
as possible, check the inflation pressure of each tire on
you vehicle, and inflate each tire to the vehicle's recom-
mended cold placard pressure value. The system will
automatically update and the TPMS Lamp will extin-
guish one the updated tire pressures have been received.
The vehicle may need to be driven for up to 10 minutes
above 15 mph (25 km/h) for the TPMS to receive this
information.
The TPMS Telltale Lamp will flash on and off for 75
seconds, and remain on solid when a system fault is
detected. The system fault will also sound a chime. In
addition, EVIC will display a ªSERVICE TIRE SYSTEM
SOONº text message. If the ignition key is cycled, this
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