Introduction 4
Instrument Cluster 12
Warning lights and chimes 12
Gauges 17
Entertainment Systems 19
Auxiliary input jack 25
Climate Controls 29
Manual heating and air conditioning 29
Rear window defroster 31
Lights 32
Headlamps 32
Turn signal control 35
Bulb replacement 36
Driver Controls 42
Windshield wiper/washer control 42
Steering wheel adjustment 43
Power windows 47
Mirrors 48
Cruise control 49
Moon roof 53
Locks and Security 60
Keys 60
Locks 62
Anti-theft system 68
Seating and Safety Restraints 72
Seating 72
Safety restraints 81
Airbags 97
Child restraints 113
Table of Contents
1
2008 Tribute (j14)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
WARNING LIGHTS AND CHIMES
Warning lights and gauges can alert you to a vehicle condition that may
become serious enough to cause extensive repairs. A warning light may
illuminate when a problem exists with one of your vehicle’s functions.
Many lights will illuminate when you start your vehicle to make sure the
bulbs work. If any light remains on after starting the vehicle, refer to the
respective system warning light for additional information.
Check engine: TheCheck Engine
indicator light illuminates when the
ignition is first turned to the RUN
position to check the bulb and to
indicate whether the vehicle is ready for Inspection/Maintenance (I/M)
testing. Normally, the Check Enginelight will stay on until the engine is
cranked, then turn itself off if no malfunctions are present. However, if
after 15 seconds the Check Enginelight blinks eight times, it means
that the vehicle is not ready for I/M testing. See the Readiness for
Inspection/Maintenance (I/M) testing in theMaintenance and
Specifications chapter.
Solid illumination after the engine is started indicates the On Board
Diagnostics System (OBD-II) has detected a malfunction. Refer to On
board diagnostics (OBD-II) in theMaintenance and Specifications
chapter. If the light is blinking, engine misfire is occurring which could
damage your catalytic converter. Drive in a moderate fashion (avoid
heavy acceleration and deceleration) and have your vehicle serviced
immediately by your authorized dealer.
If the
light remains on, have your vehicle serviced at the first
available opportunity.
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MANUAL HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM 1.
Fan speed adjustment: Controls the volume of air circulated in
the vehicle.
2.
RRear defroster: Press to activate/deactivate the rear window
defroster. Refer to Rear window defroster later in this chapter for
more information.
3.
Defrost: Distributes outside air through the windshield
defroster vents and demister vents. Can be used to clear the
windshield of fog and thin ice. The system will automatically provide
outside air to reduce window fogging. Press this button again to
return to the previous air flow selection.
4.
: Distributes air through the windshield defroster vents,
demister vents, floor vents and rear seat floor vents. The system will
automatically provide outside air to reduce window fogging.
5.
Power: Press to activate/deactivate the climate control system.
When the system is off, outside air is shut out.
6.
: Distributes air through the instrument panel vents.
7.
: Distributes air through the instrument panel vents, demister
vents, floor vents and rear seat floor vents.
8.
: Distributes air through the demister vents, floor vents and rear
seat floor vents.
9. Temperature control: Controls the temperature of the airflow in
the vehicle.
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10.Passenger heated seat control (if equipped):Press to
activate/deactivate the passenger heated seat. See Heated seatsin
the Seating and Safety Restraints chapter.
11.
Recirculated air: Press to activate/deactivate air
recirculation in the vehicle. Recirculated air may reduce the amount
of time needed to cool down the interior of the vehicle and may also
help reduce undesired odors from reaching the interior of the
vehicle. Recirculated air engages automatically when MAX A/C is
selected or can be engaged manually in any airflow mode
except
(defrost). Recirculated air may turn off automatically in
all airflow modes except MAX A/C. When the ignition switch is
turned off and back on, the climate system will return to the
recirculated air mode only if the A/C button LED is illuminated and
the air distribution selection is either(panel) or(panel/floor).
12. MAX A/C: Distributes recirculated air through the instrument panel
vents to cool the vehicle. This re-cooling of the interior air is more
economical and efficient. Recirculated air may also help reduce
undesirable odors from entering the vehicle. Press the MAX A/C
button again for normal A/C operation.
13. A/C: Press to activate/deactivate air conditioning. Use with
recirculated air to improve cooling performance and efficiency.
Engages automatically in MAX A/C,
(defrost) and
(floor/defrost).
14.
Driver heated seat control (if equipped): Press to
activate/deactivate the driver heated seat. See Heated seatsin the
Seating and Safety Restraints chapter.
Outside temperature (if equipped): The outside temperature will
appear in the display and is labeled EXT TEMP.
Operating tips
• To reduce fog build up on the windshield during humid weather,
select
(defrost) or(floor/defrost).
• To reduce humidity build up inside the vehicle, do not drive with the
system off or with
(recirculated air) engaged and A/C off.
• Do not put objects under the front seats that will interfere with the
airflow to the back seats.
• Remove any snow, ice or leaves from the air intake area at the base of
the windshield.
• To improve the A/C cool down, drive with the windows slightly open
for 2-3 minutes after start up or until the vehicle has been “aired out.”
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For maximum cooling performance in MAX A/C mode: 1. Select MAX A/C.
2. Move temperature control selector to the coolest setting.
3. Set the fan to the highest speed initially, then adjust to maintain comfort.
To aid in side window defogging/demisting in cold weather:
1. Select
.
2. Select A/C.
3. Adjust the temperature control to maintain comfort.
4. Set the fan speed to the highest setting.
5. Direct the outer instrument panel vents towards the side windows.
To increase airflow to the outer instrument panel vents, close the vents
located in the middle of the instrument panel.
WARNING: Do not place objects on top of the instrument panel
as these objects may become projectiles in a collision or sudden
stop.
REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER
R
The rear defroster control is located on the climate control panel and
works to clear the rear window of fog and thin ice.
The engine must be running to operate the rear window defroster.
Press
Rto turn the rear window defroster on. An indicator light on
the button will illuminate when active. The rear window defroster turns
off automatically after a predetermined amount of time, if a low battery
condition is detected or when the ignition is turned to the 1 (LOCK) or
2 (ACC) position. To manually turn off the rear window defroster at any
time, press the control again.
If your vehicle is equipped with both rear defroster and heated mirrors,
the same button will activate both. Refer to Heated outside mirrorsin
the Driver Controls chapter.
Do not use razor blades or other sharp objects to clean the inside
of the rear window or to remove decals from the inside or the
rear window. This may cause damage to the heated grid lines and
will not be covered by your warranty.
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To install the rear cushion 1. Insert rod ends into floor mounting points and push the
cushion to the inboard side of
the vehicle.
2. Make sure that the hinges are locked into place.
SAFETY RESTRAINTS
Personal Safety System
The Personal Safety System provides an improved overall level of
frontal crash protection to front seat occupants and is designed to help
further reduce the risk of airbag-related injuries. The system is able to
analyze different occupant conditions and crash severity before activating
the appropriate safety devices to help better protect a range of
occupants in a variety of frontal crash situations.
Your vehicle’s Personal Safety System consists of:
• Driver and passenger dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints.
• Front seat belts with pretensioners (front row only), load limiter
(front row only), and seat belt usage sensors (front row only).
• Front passenger sensing system
• “Passenger airbag off” or “pass airbag off” indicator lamp
• Front crash severity sensor.
• Restraints Control Module (RCM) with impact and safing sensors.
• Restraint system warning light and back-up tone.
• The electrical wiring for the airbags, crash sensor(s), seat belt
pretensioners, front seat belt usage sensors, driver seat position
sensor, front passenger sensing system, and indicator lights.
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How does the Personal Safety Systemwork?
The Personal Safety System can adapt the deployment strategy of your
vehicle’s safety devices according to crash severity and occupant
conditions. A collection of crash and occupant sensors provides
information to the Restraints control module (RCM). During a crash, the
RCM activates the seat belt pretensioners and/or either one or both
stages of the dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints based on crash
severity and occupant conditions.
The fact that the pretensioners or airbags did not activate for both front
seat occupants in a collision does not mean that something is wrong with
the system. Rather, it means the Personal Safety System determined
the accident conditions (crash severity, belt usage, etc.) were not
appropriate to activate these safety devices. Front airbags and
pretensioners are designed to activate only in frontal and near-frontal
collisions, not rollovers, side-impacts, or rear-impacts unless the collision
causes sufficient longitudinal deceleration.
Driver and passenger dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints
The dual-stage airbags inflation energy is tailored to crash severity, belt
use, driver seat position, and other factors. A lower, less forceful energy
level is provided for more common, moderate-severity impacts. A higher
energy level is used for the most severe impacts unless the driver’s seat
is forward for a small occupant. Refer to Airbag supplemental
restraints section in this chapter.
Front crash severity sensor
The front crash severity sensor enhances the ability to detect the
severity of an impact. Positioned up front, it provides valuable
information early in the crash event on the severity of the impact. This
allows your Personal Safety System to distinguish between different
levels of crash severity and modify the deployment strategy of the
dual-stage airbags and seat belt pretensioners.
Driver’s seat position sensor
The driver’s seat position sensor allows your Personal Safety System to
tailor the deployment level of the driver dual-stage airbag based on seat
position. The system is designed to help protect smaller drivers sitting
close to the driver airbag by providing a lower airbag output level.
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Front seat belt pretensioners
The seat belt pretensioners at the front outboard seating positions are
designed to tighten the seat belts firmly against the occupant’s body
during frontal collisions, and in side collisions and rollovers when the
vehicle is equipped with the side-curtain airbag system. This helps
increase the effectiveness of the seat belts. In frontal collisions, the seat
belt pretensioners can be activated alone or, if the collision is of
sufficient severity, together with the front airbags.
Front seat belt load limiter
The front outboard seat belt load limiter allows webbing to be pulled out
of the retractor in a gradual and controlled manner in response to the
occupant’s forward momentum. This helps reduce the risk of
force-related injuries to the occupant’s chest by limiting the load on the
occupant. Refer to Load limiter feature section in this chapter.
Determining if the Personal Safety System is operational
The Personal Safety System uses a warning light in the instrument
cluster or a back-up tone to indicate the condition of the system. Refer
to the Warning light section in theInstrument cluster chapter. Routine
maintenance of the Personal Safety System is not required.
The Restraints control module (RCM) monitors its own internal circuits
and the circuits for the airbag supplemental restraints, crash sensor(s),
seat belt pretensioners, front seat belt buckle sensors, driver seat
position sensor, and front passenger sensing system. In addition, the
RCM also monitors the restraints warning light in the instrument cluster.
A malfunction with the system is indicated by one or more of the
following.
• The warning light will either flash or stay lit.
• The warning light will not illuminate immediately after ignition is
turned on.
• A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem and warning light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the Personal
Safety System serviced at an authorized dealer immediately. Unless
serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a
collision.
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