Seating and Safety Restraints97
Seating 97
Safety restraints 105
Airbags 120
Child restraints 135
Tires, Wheels and Loading147
Tire information 149
Tire inflation 151
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) 165
Vehicle loading 170
Trailer towing 176
Recreational towing 181
Driving182
Starting 182
Brakes 187
Transmission operation 191
Roadside Emergencies202
Hazard flasher switch 202
Fuel pump/High voltage shut-off switches 202
Fuses and relays 204
Changing tires 210
Lug nut torque 221
Jump starting 222
Wrecker towing 229
Customer Assistance231
Reporting safety defects (U.S. only) 241
Reporting safety defects (Canada only) 241
Cleaning242
Table of Contents
2
2008 Tribute Hybrid(thv)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
If the vehicle is left inoperative for over 31 days, it may be necessary to
jumpstart the vehicle. For more information, refer toJump starting
your (Low voltage [underhood] battery only) in theRoadside
Emergencies chapter.
Engine: The engine speed in your hybrid is not directly tied to your
vehicle speed. Your vehicle’s engine and transmission are designed to
deliver the power you need at the most efficient engine speed. During
heavy accelerations, your hybrid may reach high engine speeds (up to
6000 RPM). This is characteristic of the Atkinson cycle engine
technology helping to maximize your hybrid’s fuel economy.
In prolonged mountainous driving, you may see the engine tachometer
changing without your input. This is intentional and maintains the
battery charge level. You may also notice during extended downhill
driving that your engine continues to run instead of shutting off.
During this “engine braking”, the engine stays on, but it’s not using any
fuel. You may also hear a slight whine or whistle when operating your
vehicle. This is the normal operation of the electric generator in the
hybrid system.
During certain events (such as vehicle servicing) your low voltage
(underhood) battery may become disconnected or disabled. When this
occurs, and after reconnecting the low voltage (underhood) battery and
driving the vehicle, the engine may continue to operate for 3-5 seconds
after the key is turned to the 1 (LOCK) position. This is a normal
condition, as the vehicle’s computers are relearning the operating
characteristics of your particular engine in order to operate it at
maximum efficiency.
Braking: Your hybrid is equipped with standard hydraulic braking and
regenerative braking. Regenerative braking is performed by your
transmission and it captures brake energy and stores it in your high
voltage battery.
You may hear a pumping sound when you unlock or enter the vehicle
and a venting sound a few minutes after shutting off the vehicle. This is
the hydraulic portion of your regenerative braking system charging and
discharging.
2008 Tribute Hybrid (thv)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Introduction
8
Airbag readiness:If this light fails
to illuminate when the ignition is
turned to RUN, continues to flash or
remains on, have the system
serviced immediately by your authorized dealer. A chime will also sound
when a malfunction in the supplemental restraint system has been
detected.
Seat belt: Reminds you to fasten
your seat belt. A Belt-Minder
chime will also sound to remind you
to fasten your seat belt. Refer to the
Seating and safety restraints
chapter to activate/deactivate the Belt-Minder chime feature.
Master vehicle electrical hazard
warning lamp: Indicates Hybrid
component fault/failure that will
cause the vehicle to shutdown or
fail to start.
WARNING: If the vehicle is still running, the vehicle may soon
shutdown without further warning and should be stopped safely.
If this lamp is lit, stop the vehicle, shift to P (Park), turn the key to the
Off position, and attempt to restart the vehicle. If the fault remains, the
vehicle may require refueling, jump starting, resetting of the shut-off
switches, or service. For information regarding Low voltage
[underhood] battery only) andFuel pump/High voltage shut-off
switches please refer to the Roadside Emergencies chapter.
Ready indicator light: Illuminates
once the vehicle has successfully
started. Indicates the vehicle is
ready to drive even when you don’t
hear the engine running.
Charging system: Illuminates when
the 12V charging system is not
working properly.
2008 Tribute Hybrid (thv)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Instrument Cluster
22
vehicle still does not start, it may require refueling, jump starting,
resetting of the fuel pump/high voltage shut-off switches or service. For
information on jump starting the vehicle and resetting the fuel
pump/high voltage shut-off switches, refer to theJump starting your
vehicle (low voltage [underhood] battery only) section, theJump
starting the high voltage battery section, and theFuel pump/High
voltage shut-off switches section found in theRoadside Emergencies
chapter.
Guarding against exhaust fumes
Carbon monoxide is present in exhaust fumes. Take precautions to avoid
its dangerous effects.
WARNING: If you smell exhaust fumes inside your vehicle,
have your dealer inspect your vehicle immediately. Do not drive
if you smell exhaust fumes.
Important ventilating information
If the engine is idling while the vehicle is stopped for a long period of
time, open the windows at least one inch (2.5 cm) or adjust the heating
or air conditioning to bring in fresh air.
An engine block/high voltage battery heater warms the engine coolant
and high voltage battery cells which aids in starting and allows the
heater/defroster system to respond quickly. If your vehicle is equipped
with this system, your equipment includes a heater element which is
installed in your engine block and a wire harness which allows the user
to connect the system to a grounded 120 volt a/c electrical source. The
block heater system is most effective when outdoor temperatures reach
below 0°F (-17°C). WARNING: Failure to follow engine block heater instructions
could result in property damage or physical harm.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of electrical shock, do not use
your heater with ungrounded electrical systems or two-pronged
(cheater) adapters.
Prior to using the engine block heater, follow these recommendations for
proper and safe operation:
• For your safety, use an outdoor extension cord that is product
certified by Underwriter’s laboratory (UL ) or Canadian Standards
2008 Tribute Hybrid (thv)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Driving
185
JUMP STARTING
(LOW VOLTAGE [UNDERHOOD] BATTERY ONLY)
Your vehicle has two separate jump starting procedures; the following
procedure is for the low voltage (underhood) battery only. Refer to
Jump starting the high voltage batteryin this chapter for information
on jump starting the high voltage battery.
WARNING: The gases around the battery can explode if
exposed to flames, sparks, or lit cigarettes. An explosion could
result in injury or vehicle damage.
WARNING: Batteries contain sulfuric acid which can burn skin,
eyes and clothing, if contacted.
Do not attempt to push-start your automatic transmission
vehicle. Automatic transmissions do not have push-start
capability. Attempting to push-start a vehicle with an automatic
transmission may cause transmission damage.
Preparing your vehicle
If your low voltage (underhood) battery becomes disconnected or
disabled for any reason, the vehicle controller must relearn the engine’s
operating characteristics in order to operate it at maximum efficiency.
This relearning process occurs the first time the vehicle is driven after
reconnecting the low voltage battery. If the learning procedure does not
have time to complete during the drive, the engine will continue to
operate for 3-5 seconds after you turn the ignition off to complete the
relearning process. This is a normal condition and will not re-occur until
the low voltage battery is disconnected again. The brake system must
also be reset. Refer to Low voltage (underhood) battery in the
Maintenance and Specification chapter for more information.
1. Use only a 12–volt supply to start your vehicle.
2. Do not disconnect the battery of the disabled vehicle as this could damage the vehicle’s electrical system.
3. Park the booster vehicle close to the hood of the disabled vehicle making sure the two vehicles do nottouch. Set the parking brake on
both vehicles and stay clear of the engine cooling fan and other
moving parts.
4. Check all battery terminals and remove any excessive corrosion before you attach the battery cables. Ensure that vent caps are tight
and level.
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Roadside Emergencies
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Jump starting1. Start the engine of the booster vehicle and run the engine at moderately increased speed.
2. Start the engine of the disabled vehicle.
3. Once the disabled vehicle has been started, run both engines for an additional three minutes before disconnecting the jumper cables.
Removing the jumper cables
Remove the jumper cables in the reverse order that they were
connected. 1. Remove the jumper cable from the groundmetal surface.
Note: In the illustrations, lightning boltsare used to designate the
assisting (boosting) battery.
2. Remove the jumper cable on the negative (-) connection of the booster vehicle’s battery.
+–+–
+–+–
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Roadside Emergencies
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3. Remove the jumper cable from the positive (+) terminal of thebooster vehicle’s battery.
4. Remove the jumper cable from the positive (+) terminal of the disabled vehicle’s battery.
After the disabled vehicle has been started and the jumper cables
removed, allow it to idle for several minutes so the engine computer can
relearn its idle conditions.
+–+–
+–+–
2008 Tribute Hybrid (thv)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Roadside Emergencies
226
JUMP STARTING THE HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY
Your vehicle has two separate jump starting procedures; the following
procedure is for the cargo area high voltage battery only. Refer to the
Jump starting your vehicle (Low voltage [underhood] battery only)
section in this chapter for information on jump starting the low voltage
(underhood) battery.WARNING: The gases around the battery can explode if
exposed to flames, sparks, or lit cigarettes. An explosion could
result in injury or vehicle damage.
WARNING: The high voltage battery contains potassium
hydroxide (a strong alkaline electrolyte) which can burn skin,
eyes and clothing, if contacted.
Do not attempt to push-start your vehicle. This vehicle does not
have push-start capability.
If you attempt to start your vehicle and the engine cranks but does not
start, the high voltage battery may need to be jump started.
The Service Soon (yellow wrench)
light in the instrument cluster may
also be illuminated and the message
center may display a message.
To jump start the high voltage
battery, turn the ignition to OFF,
open the access panel on the end of
the driver side instrument panel and
press the jump start button
momentarily. After pressing the
button, you should wait eight
minutes before attempting to start
the engine, otherwise the high
voltage battery may not receive
sufficient charge to start the engine.
The high voltage battery will use voltage from the low voltage
(underhood) battery to charge itself.
2008 Tribute Hybrid (thv)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Roadside Emergencies
227