µ
You’ll f ind many saf ety
recommendations throughout this
section, and throughout this manual.
Therecommendationsonthispage
are the ones we consider to be the
most important. Excessive speed is a major f actor in
crash injuries and deaths. Generally,
the higher the speed, the greater the
risk, but serious injuries can also
occur at lower speeds. Never drive
f aster than is saf e f or current
conditions, regardless of the
maximum speed posted.
Having a tire blowout or a
mechanical f ailure can be extremely
hazardous. To reduce the possibility
of such problems, check your tire
pressures and condition f requently,
and perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance (see page ).
A seat belt is your best protection in
all types of collisions. Airbags are
designed to supplement seat belts,
not replace them. So even though
your vehicle is equipped with airbags,
make sure you and your passengers
always wear your seat belts, and
wear them properly (see page ).
Children age 12 and under should
ride properly restrained in a back
seat, not the front seat. Infants and
smallchildrenshouldberestrained
in a child seat. Larger children
should use a booster seat and a lap/
shoulder belt until they can use the
belt properly without a booster seat (see pages ).
Alcohol and driving don’t mix. Even
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions, and
your reaction time gets worse with
every additional drink. So don’t drink
and drive, and don’t let your f riends
drink and drive, either.
While airbags can save lives, they
can cause serious or fatal injuries to
occupants who sit too close to them,
or are not properly restrained.
Inf ants, young children, and short
adults are at the greatest risk. Be
sure to f ollow all instructions and
warnings in this manual.
17 55
38
445
Important Saf ety Precautions
Always Wear Your Seat Belt Control Your Speed
K eep Your Vehicle in Saf e
Condition
Restrain All Children Don’t Drink and Drive
Be Aware of Airbag Hazards
8
2009 RL
Your vehicle’s exhaust contains
carbon monoxide gas. Carbon
monoxide should not enter the
vehicle in normal driving if you
maintain your vehicle properly and
f ollow the inf ormation on this page.High levels of carbon monoxide can
collect rapidly in enclosed areas,
such as a garage. Do not run the
engine with the garage door closed.
Even with the door open, run the
engine only long enough to move the
vehicle out of the garage.
Have the exhaust system inspected
f or leaks whenever:
With the trunk open, airf low can pull
exhaust gas into your vehicle’s
interior and create a hazardous
condition. If you must drive with the
trunk open, open all the windows and
set the climate control system as
shown below.
If you must sit in your parked vehicle
with the engine running, even in an
unconfined area, adjust the climate
control system as f ollows:
Select the f resh air mode.
Select the mode.
Turn the f an on high speed.
Set the temperature control to a
comfortable setting.
The vehicle is raised f or an oil
change.
You notice a change in the sound
of the exhaust.
The vehicle was in an accident
that may have damaged the
underside.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Carbon Monoxide Hazard
56
Carbon monoxide gas is toxic.
Breathing it can cause
unconsciousness and even kill
you.
Avoid any enclosed areas or
activities that expose you to
carbon monoxide.
2009 RL
Û
Ý To select the desired temperature,
push the temperature control bar up
or down.
Press the A/C button to view the
climate control display. Pushing
ENTER on the interf ace selector
turns the air conditioning on and of f .
You will see A/C ON or A/C OFF in
the display.
When you turn the A/C of f , the
system cannot regulate the inside
temperature if you set the
temperature control below the
outside temperature.
Press the button to increase
the fan speed and airflow. Press the button to decrease it. To set the driver’s and passenger’s
temperature separately, push the
temperature control bar up or down
on the driver’s or passenger’s side.
The driver and passenger can each
set the temperature to the desired
setting.
Press the A/C button to view the
climate control display, then turn the
interf ace knob to increase or
decrease the f an speed and airf low.
Using the Fan Control Buttons Using the Interf ace Dial
Fan Control T emperature Control Bars A ir Conditioning (A /C)
Climate Control System
206
2009 RL
The outside air intakes f or the
climate control system are at the
base of the windshield. Keep this
area clear of leaves and other debris.
Thesystemshouldbeleftinfresh
air mode under almost all conditions.
Keeping the system in recirculation
mode, particularly with the A/C of f ,
can cause the windows to fog up.
Switch to recirculation mode when
driving through dusty or smoky
conditions, then return to fresh air
mode.This button turns the windshield
def rost on and of f .
You can select the vents air flows
f rom. Some air will f low f rom the
dashboard corner and side vents in
all modes.
When you push this button, air f lows
f rom the def roster vents at the base
of the windshield, and the system
automatically switches to f resh air
mode and turns on the A/C. When
the indicator in the button is on, the
passenger’s temperature cannot be
set separately f rom the driver’s.
When the indicator in the button is
on, air f rom the vehicle’s interior is
sent throughout the system again.
When the indicator is off, air is
brought in f rom the outside of the
vehicle (fresh air mode).
This button turns the rear window
def ogger on and of f (see page ).
Pushing this button also turns the
power mirror heaters on and of f .147
CONT INUED
Recirculation Button Mode Control
Windshield Def roster Button
Rear Window Def ogger Button
Climate Control System
Features
207
2009 RL
The heater uses engine coolant to
warm the air. If the engine is cold, it
will be several minutes bef ore you
f eel warm air coming f rom the
system.Select and fresh air mode.
Set the f an to the desired speed.
Adjust the warmth of the air with
the temperature control bar.
you can
cool it down more rapidly by partially
opening the windows, turning on the
air conditioning, and setting the fan
to maximum speed in f resh air mode.
Air conditioning places an extra load
on the engine. Watch the engine
coolant temperature gauge (see page ). If it moves near the red zone,
turn of f the A/C until the gauge
reading returns to normal.
The f low-through ventilation system
draws in outside air, circulates it
through the interior, then releases it
through vents near the rear window.
Set the temperature to the lower
limit.
Make sure the A/C is of f .
Select and fresh air mode.
Set the f an to the desired speed.
1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.
3.
70
If the interior is very warm,
CONT INUED
Climate Control System
Using the Heater
Using the A/C
Ventilation
Features
209
2009 RL
To remove f og f rom the inside of the
windows:Set the f an to the desired speed, or
high f or f aster def rosting.
Select . The system
automatically switches to fresh air
mode and turns on the A/C.
Adjust the temperature so the
airflow feels warm.
Select to help clear the
rear window.
To increase airf low to the
windshield, close the corner vents.
When you switch to another mode
from , the A/C setting
returns to the previous setting (on or
of f ). Select A/C, then press ENTER
on the interface selector to turn the
A/C of f if it is on.
Air conditioning, as it cools, removes
moisture from the air. When used in
combination with the heater, it
makes the interior warm and dry.
Switch the f an on.
Turn on the air conditioning.
Select and fresh air mode.
Adjust the temperature to your
pref erence.
This setting is suitable f or all driving
conditions whenever the outside
temperature is above 32°F (0°C).
Press the A/C button to view the
climate control display.
Turn on the A/C by pushing
ENTER on the interf ace selector.
You will see A/C ON in the display.
Make sure the temperature is set
to maximum cool.
Select .
If the outside air is humid, select
recirculation mode. If the outside
air is dry, select f resh air mode.
Set the f an to the desired speed by
turning the interf ace knob.
1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Climate Control System
To Def og and Def rost
Dehumidif y the Interior
210
2009 RL
The system automatically selects the
proper mix of conditioned and/or
heated air that will, as quickly as
possible, raise or lower the interior
temperature to your pref erence.
When you set the temperature to its
lower or its upper limit, the system
runs at f ull cooling or heating only. It
does not regulate the interior
temperature.
When you change the f an speed, the
f an is taken out of AUTO mode and
starts to run at the selected speed.
The automatic climate control
system adjusts the f an speed and
airflow levels to maintain the interior
temperature you select.
In AUTO mode, the vehicle’s interior
temperature is independently
regulated f or the driver and
passenger. If the driver’s side of the
vehicle is getting too much sun, the
system will adjust to a lower
temperature.
Press the AUTO button.
Set the desired temperature with
the temperature control bars.
You will see AUTO in the display
if theclimatemodeisselected.
Select . The system
automatically switches to f resh air
mode and turns on the A/C.
Select .
Set the f an and temperature
controls to maximum level.
To clear the windshield f aster, you
can close the dashboard corner vents
by rotating the wheel next to it. This
sends more warm air to the
windshield def roster vents. Once the
windshield is clear, select the f resh
air mode to avoid fogging the
windows.
For your saf ety, make sure you have
a clear view through all the windows
bef ore driving. 1.
2.
1.
2.
3.
Climate Control System
Automatic Climate Control
T o Remove Exterior Frost or
Ice From the Windows
Features
211
2009 RL
Those bands cover these f requen-
cies:
AM band: 530 to 1,710 kHz
FM band: 87.7 to 107.9 MHzDriving very near the transmitter of
a station that is broadcasting on a
f requency close to the f requency of
the station you are listening to can
also af f ect your radio’s reception.
You may temporarily hear both
stations,orhearonlythestationyou
are close to.
The radio can receive the complete
AM and FM bands.
How well the radio receives stations
is dependent on many f actors, such
as the distance from the station’s
transmitter, nearby large objects,
and atmospheric conditions.
A radio station’s signal gets weaker
as you get f arther away f rom its
transmitter. If you are listening to an
AM station, you will notice the sound
volume becoming weaker, and the
stationdriftinginandout.If youare
listening to an FM station, you will
see the stereo indicator f lickering of f
and on as the signal weakens.
Eventually, the stereo indicator will
go of f and the sound will f ade
completely as you get out of range of
the station’s signal.
Radio stations on the AM band are
assigned f requencies at least 10 kHz
apart (530, 540, 550). Stations on the
FM band are assigned f requencies at
least 0.2 MHz apart (87.9, 88.1, 88.3).
Stations must use these exact
f requencies. It is f airly common f or
stations to round-of f the f requency in
their advertising, so your radio could
display a f requency of 100.9 even
though the announcer may identif y
the station as ‘‘FM101.’’
Audio System
A M/FM Radio Frequencies A M/FM Radio Reception
224
2009 RL