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OPTIONAL MESSAGE CENTER (IF EQUIPPED)
With the ignition in the RUN
position, the message center,
located on your instrument cluster,
displays important vehicle
informationthrough a constant
monitor of vehicle systems.Yo u
may select display features on the
message center for a display of
status. The system will also notify
you of potential vehicle problems
with a display of system warnings
followed by an indicator chime.
For improved message center readability, if your vehicle is equipped with
Autolamp control, the message center brightness cannot be adjusted
when parking lamps or headlamps are on in bright daytime ambient
conditions, refer toAutolamp controlin theLightschapter. In lower
ambient light conditions, the message center brightness can be adjusted
using the panel dimmer control when parking lamps or headlamps are
on, refer toPanel dimmer controlin theLightschapter.
Selectable features
Reset
Press this control to select and reset
functions shown in the INFO menu
and SETUP menu.
RESET
SETUP
INFO
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Info menu
This control displays the following
control displays:
•Trip Odometer A or B
•Distance to Empty
•Average Fuel Economy
•Drive Time (Elapsed Travel
Timer)
•Blank (Odometer and compass, if
equipped, off)
Odometer/Trip odometer
Refer toGaugesin theInstrument Clusterchapter.
Distance to empty (DTE)
Selecting this function from the
INFO menu estimates approximately
how far you can drive with the fuel
remaining in your tank under
normal driving conditions.
Remember to turn the ignition off
when refueling to allow this feature to correctly detect the added fuel.
The DTE function will display LOW FUEL LEVEL and sound a tone for
one second when you have approximately 50 miles (80 km) to empty. If
you RESET this warning message, this display and tone will return
within 10 minutes.
DTE is calculated using a running average fuel economy, which is based
on your recent driving history of 500 miles (800 km). This value is not
the same as the average fuel economy display. The running average fuel
economy is reinitialized to a factory default value if the battery is
disconnected.
Average fuel economy (AFE)
Select this function from the INFO
menu to display your average fuel
economy in miles/gallon or
liters/100 km.
RESET
SETUP
INFO
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If you calculate your average fuel economy by dividing miles traveled
since last fill-up by gallons of fuel used (multiply liters used by 100, then
divide by kilometers traveled), your figure may be different than
displayed for the following reasons:
•Your vehicle was not perfectly level during fill-up
•Differences in the automatic shut-off points on the fuel pumps at
service stations
•Variations in top-off procedure from one fill-up to another
•Rounding of the displayed values to the nearest 0.1 gallon (liter)
1. Drive the vehicle at least 5 miles (8 km) with the speed control
system engaged to display a stabilized average.
2. Record the highway fuel economy for future reference.
It is important to press the RESET control after setting the speed
control to get accurate highway fuel economy readings.
Drive timer (Elapsed travel timer)
Select this function from the INFO
menu to display a timer.
To operate the Trip Elapsed Drive
Time perform the following:
1. Press and release RESET in order
to start the timer.
2. Press and release RESET to pause the timer.
3. Press and hold RESET for 2 seconds in order to reset the timer.
Setup menu
Press this control for the following
displays:
•System Check
•Units (English/Metric)
•Autolamp Timer Presets (if
equipped)
•Autolock On/Off (if equipped)
•Compass calibration
•Language
RESET
SETUP
INFO
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•Reset to English (if in another language) (see Note below)
Note:When returning to the
SETUP menu and a non-English
language has been selected, HOLD
RESET FOR ENGLISH will be
displayed to change back to English.
Press and hold the RESET control
to change back to English.
System check
Selecting this function from the
SETUP menu causes the message
center to cycle through each of the
systems being monitored. For each
of the monitored systems, the
message center will indicate either an OK message or a warning message
for three seconds.
Pressing the RESET control cycles the message center through each of
the systems being monitored.
The sequence of the system check report and how it appears in the
message center is as follows:
1. ENGINE HOURS
2. CHARGING SYSTEM
3. AIR FILTER (Diesel engine only)
4. DOOR AJAR
5. BRAKE SYSTEM
6. FUEL LEVEL
Units (English/Metric)
1. Select this function from the
SETUP menu for the current units
to be displayed.
2. Press the RESET control to
change from English to Metric.
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Autolamp timer presets
This feature keeps your headlights on for up to three minutes after the
ignition is switched off.
1. To disable/enable the autolamp
delay feature, select this function
from the SETUP control for the
current display mode.
2. Press the RESET control to select
the new Autolamp delay values of 0, 10, 20, 30, 60, 90, 120 or 180
seconds.
Autolocks
This feature automatically locks all vehicle doors when the vehicle is
shifted into any gear, putting the vehicle in motion.
1. To disable/enable the autolock
feature, select this function from the
SETUP control for the current
display mode.
2. Press the RESET control to turn
the autolocks ON or OFF.
Compass display (if equipped)
The compass heading is displayed as one of N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W and
NW in the message center display.
The compass reading may be affected when you drive near large
buildings, bridges, power lines and powerful broadcast antenna. Magnetic
or metallic objects placed in, on or near the vehicle may also affect
compass accuracy.
Usually, when something affects the compass readings, the compass will
correct itself after a few days of operating your vehicle in normal
conditions. If the compass still appears to be inaccurate, a manual
calibration may be necessary. Refer toCompass zone/calibration
adjustment.
Most geographic areas (zones) have a magnetic north compass point that
varies slightly from the northerly direction on maps. This variation is four
degrees between adjacent zones and will become noticeable as the
vehicle crosses multiple zones. A correct zone setting will eliminate this
error. Refer toCompass zone/calibration adjustment.
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Compass zone/calibration adjustment
1. Determine your magnetic zone by
referring to the zone map.
2. Turn ignition to the RUN position.
3. Start the engine.
4. From the SETUP menu, press
and release the RESET control until
the message center display changes
to show the current zone setting
(XX).
5. Press and release the RESET control repeatedly until the correct zone
setting for your geographic location is displayed on the message center.
The range of zone values are from 1 to 15 and “wraps” back to 1.
6. To exit the zone setting mode, and to “lock in” your change:
•press and release the SETUP control or,
•press INFO control to exit or,
•wait 4 seconds and the zone will be “locked in”.
Perform compass calibration in an open area free from steel structures
and high voltage lines. For optimum calibration, turn off all electrical
accessories (heater/air conditioning, wipers, etc.) and make sure all
vehicle doors are shut.
7. Press the RESET control to start
the compass calibration function.
8. Slowly drive the vehicle in a
circle (less than 3 mph [5 km/h])
until the CIRCLE SLOWLY TO
CALIBRATE display changes to
CALIBRATION COMPLETED. It will
take up to five circles to complete calibration.
1 2 3
4
5
6 7 8 9 101112 13 14 15
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9. The compass is now calibrated.
Note:If the RESET control is
pressed or 3 minutes has expired,
the display will go back to the INFO
menu and will show CAL instead of
the compass heading until the compass is calibrated.
Language
1. Select this function from the
SETUP menu for the current
language to be displayed.
2. Waiting 4 seconds or pressing the
RESET control cycles the message
center through each of the language choices.
Selectable languages are English, Spanish, or French.
3. Press and hold the RESET control for 2 seconds to set the language
choice.
4. Press the SETUP control to exit.
System warnings
System warnings alert you to possible problems or malfunctions in your
vehicle’s operating systems.
In the event of a multiple warning situation, the message center will
cycle the display to show all warnings by displaying each one for 4
seconds.
The message center will display the last selected feature if there are no
more warning messages. This allows you to use the full functionality of
the message center after you acknowledge the warning by pressing the
RESET control and clearing the warning message.
Warning messages that have been reset are divided into two categories:
•They will reappear on the display ten minutes from the reset.
•They will not reappear until an ignition OFF-RUN cycle has been
completed.
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This acts as a reminder that these warning conditions still exist within
the vehicle.
Warning display Status
Park brake engaged Warning returns after 10 minutes if
condition still exists.
Check brake system
Driver door ajar Warning returns after the ignition key
is turned from OFF to RUN.
Passenger door ajar
Rear left door ajar
Rear right door ajar
Low fuel level
Trailer fault (if equipped)
TBC fault (if equipped)
Trailer disconnected (if
equipped)
Low brake fluid level
Low tire pressure (if equipped) Warning can be cleared by pressing
the RESET button. Warning can
reappear if the condition is still
present. Warning will reappear on the
next ignition key-cycle if the condition
still exists. Tire Monitor Fault (if
equipped)
Tire Sensor Fault (if equipped)
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