
If a short distance must be driven
with the light on, be sure to turn off
all accessories, such as the
radio and air conditioner.
Voltmeter Gage
When the engine is not running, but
the ignition is on, this gage shows
the battery’s state of charge in
DC volts.
When the engine is running, this
gage shows the condition of
the charging system. The vehicle’s
charging system regulates
voltage based on the state of
charge of the battery. The voltmeter
may uctuate. This is normal.
Readings between the low and high
warning zones indicate the normal
operating range.Readings in the low warning zone
may occur when a large number
of electrical accessories are
operating in the vehicle and the
engine is left idling for an extended
period.
If there is a problem with the battery
charging system, a SERVICE
BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM
message appears in the Driver
Information Center (DIC) and/or the
charging system light comes on.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-48andCharging
System Light on page 3-32for more
information.
However, readings in either warning
zone can indicate a possible
problem in the electrical system.
Have the vehicle serviced as soon
as possible.
Brake System Warning
Light
This vehicle’s hydraulic brake
system is divided into two parts. If
one part is not working, the
other part can still work and stop
the vehicle. For good braking
both parts need to be working.
If the warning light comes on, there
is a brake problem. Have the
brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on brie y
when the ignition key is turned
to ON/RUN. If it does not come on
then, have it xed so it will be
ready to warn if there is a problem.
This light may also come on due
to low brake uid. SeeBrakes
on page 5-24for more information.
United StatesCanada
Instrument Panel 3-33

When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will also
come on when the parking brake is
set. The light will stay on if the
parking brake does not release fully.
If it stays on after the parking
brake is fully released, it means
there is a brake problem.
If the light comes on while driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully.
Make sure the parking brake is
fully released. The pedal may be
harder to push or, the pedal may go
closer to the oor. It may take
longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for
service. SeeTowing Your Vehicle
on page 4-21.{CAUTION
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning
light on can lead to a crash. If the
light is still on after the vehicle
has been pulled off the road and
carefully stopped, have the
vehicle towed for service.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
For vehicles with the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), this light comes
on brie y when the engine is started.That is normal. If the light does not
come on then, have it xed so it
will be ready to warn if there
is a problem.
If the ABS light stays on, turn the
ignition off. If the light comes
on while driving, stop as soon as it
is safely possible and turn the
ignition off. A chime may also sound
when the light comes on steady.
Then start the engine again to reset
the system. If the ABS light stays
on, or comes on again while driving,
the vehicle needs service. If the
regular brake system warning light
is not on, the vehicle still has
brakes, but not antilock brakes. If
the regular brake system warning
light is also on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes and there is
a problem with the regular brakes.
SeeBrake System Warning Light on
page 3-33.
For vehicles with a Driver
Information Center (DIC), seeDIC
Warnings and Messages on
page 3-48for all brake related DIC
messages.
3-34 Instrument Panel

To calibrate the compass, use the
following procedure:
Compass Calibration Procedure
1. Before calibrating the compass,
make sure the compass zone is
set to the variance zone in
which the vehicle is located. See
“Compass Variance (Zone)
Procedure” earlier in this section.
Do not operate any switches
such as window, sunroof, climate
controls, seats, etc. during the
calibration procedure.
2. Press the vehicle information
button until PRESS
VTO
CALIBRATE COMPASS
displays.
3. Press the set/reset button to start
the compass calibration.
4. The DIC will display
CALIBRATING: DRIVE IN
CIRCLES. Drive the vehicle in
tight circles at less than
5 mph (8 km/h) to complete the
calibration. The DIC willdisplay CALIBRATION
COMPLETE for a few seconds
when the calibration is complete.
The DIC display will then
return to the previous menu.
DIC Warnings and
Messages
Messages are displayed on the DIC
to notify the driver that the status
of the vehicle has changed and that
some action may be needed by
the driver to correct the condition.
Multiple messages may appear one
after another.
Some messages may not require
immediate action, but you can press
any of the DIC buttons on the
instrument panel to acknowledge
that you received the messages and
to clear them from the display.
Some messages cannot be cleared
from the DIC display because
they are more urgent. These
messages require action before they
can be cleared. You should take
any messages that appear onthe display seriously and remember
that clearing the messages will
only make the messages disappear,
not correct the problem.
The following are the possible
messages that can be displayed
and some information about them.ALL WHEEL DRIVE OFF
If your vehicle has the All-Wheel
Drive (AWD) system, this message
displays when there is a compact
spare tire on the vehicle, when
the Antilock Brake System (ABS)
warning light comes on, or when the
rear differential uid is overheating.
This message turns off when
the differential uid cools.
The AWD system is disabled until
the compact spare tire is replaced
by a full-size tire. If the warning
message is still on after putting on
the full-size tire, you need to
reset the warning message. To
reset the warning message, turn the
ignition off and then back on
again after 30 seconds. If the
3-48 Instrument Panel

SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM
On some vehicles, this message
displays if there is a problem
with the battery charging system.
Under certain conditions, the
charging system light may also turn
on in the instrument panel cluster.
SeeCharging System Light on
page 3-32. Driving with this problem
could drain the battery. Turn off
all unnecessary accessories. Have
the electrical system checked
as soon as possible. See your
dealer/retailer.
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
This message displays along with
the brake system warning light
if there is a problem with the brake
system. SeeBrake System
Warning Light on page 3-33. If this
message appears, stop as soon
as possible and turn off the vehicle.
Restart the vehicle and check for
the message on the DIC display.If the message is still displayed or
appears again when you begin
driving, the brake system needs
service as soon as possible.
See your dealer/retailer.
SERVICE PARK ASSIST
If your vehicle has the Ultrasonic
Rear Parking Assist (URPA) system,
this message displays if there is a
problem with the URPA system.
Do not use this system to help you
park. SeeUltrasonic Rear Parking
Assist (URPA) on page 2-34
for more information. See your
dealer/retailer for service.
SERVICE POWER STEERING
This message displays when a
problem is detected with the power
steering system. When this
message is displayed, you may
notice that the effort required
to steer the vehicle increases or
feels heavier, but you will still
be able to steer the vehicle. Have
your vehicle serviced by your
dealer/retailer immediately.
SERVICE STABILITRAK
This message displays if there is a
problem with the StabiliTrak®
system. If this message appears, try
to reset the system. Stop; turn off
the engine for at least 15 seconds;
then start the engine again. If
this message still comes on, it
means there is a problem. See your
dealer/retailer for service. The
vehicle is safe to drive, however,
you do not have the bene t of
StabiliTrak, so reduce your speed
and drive accordingly.
SERVICE THEFT DETERRENT
SYSTEM
This message displays when there
is a problem with the theft-deterrent
system. The vehicle may or may
not restart so you may want to take
the vehicle to your dealer/retailer
before turning off the engine.
SeePASS-Key
®III+ Electronic
Immobilizer Operation on page 2-18
for more information.
3-54 Instrument Panel

Police records show that
almost 40 percent of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve
alcohol. In most cases, these deaths
are the result of someone who was
drinking and driving. In recent years,
more than 17,000 annual motor
vehicle-related deaths have been
associated with the use of alcohol,
with about 250,000 people injured.
For persons under 21, it is against
the law in every U.S. state to drink
alcohol. There are good medical,
psychological, and developmental
reasons for these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the
leading highway safety problem
is for people never to drink alcohol
and then drive.
Medical research shows that alcohol
in a person’s system can make crash
injuries worse, especially injuries to
the brain, spinal cord, or heart.This means that when anyone who
has been drinking — driver or
passenger — is in a crash, that
person’s chance of being killed or
permanently disabled is higher than
if the person had not been drinking.
Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems
help to control the vehicle while
driving — brakes, steering,
and accelerator. At times, as when
driving on snow or ice, it is easy
to ask more of those control systems
than the tires and road can
provide. Meaning, you can lose
control of the vehicle. See
StabiliTrak
®System on page 4-5.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer
accessories can affect vehicle
performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 5-3.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on
page 3-33.
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding
to push the brake pedal is
perception time. Actually doing
it is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about
three-fourths of a second. But that
is only an average. It might be
less with one driver and as long as
two or three seconds or more
with another. Age, physical
condition, alertness, coordination,
and eyesight all play a part. So
do alcohol, drugs, and frustration.
But even in three-fourths of a
second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph
(100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough
space between the vehicle
and others is important.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-3

And, of course, actual stopping
distances vary greatly with the
surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of
the road, whether it is wet, dry, or
icy; tire tread; the condition of
the brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force
applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking.
Some people drive in
spurts — heavy acceleration
followed by heavy braking — rather
than keeping pace with traffic.
This is a mistake. The brakes might
not have time to cool between
hard stops. The brakes will wear out
much faster with a lot of heavy
braking. Keeping pace with
the traffic and allowing realistic
following distances eliminates a lot
of unnecessary braking. That
means better braking and longer
brake life.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. If the brakes are pumped,the pedal could get harder to push
down. If the engine stops, there
will still be some power brake assist
but it will be used when the brake
is applied. Once the power assist is
used up, it can take longer to
stop and the brake pedal will be
harder to push.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer
accessories can affect vehicle’
performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 5-3.
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that will
help prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away,
ABS checks itself. A momentary
motor or clicking noise might
be heard while this test is going on,
and it might even be noticed that
the brake pedal moves a little. This
is normal.If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light on page 3-34.
Let us say the road is wet and you
are driving safely. Suddenly, an
animal jumps out in front of you. You
slam on the brakes and continue
braking. Here is what happens
with ABS:
A computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work
the brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the
obstacle while braking hard.
4-4 Driving Your Vehicle

If the system fails to turn on or
activate, the StabiliTrak light along
with one of the following messages
will be displayed on the Driver
Information Center (DIC):
TRACTION CONTROL OFF,
SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL,
SERVICE STABILITRAK. If
these conditions are observed, turn
the vehicle off, wait 15 seconds,
and then turn it back on again
to reset the system. If any of these
messages still appear on the
Driver Information Center (DIC), the
vehicle should be taken in for
service. For more information on the
DIC messages, seeDriver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 3-41.The StabiliTrak light will ash on the
instrument panel cluster when the
system is both on and activated.
The system may be heard or
felt while it is working; this is normal.
The traction control disable button is
located on the instrument panel
below the climate controls.
The traction control part of
StabiliTrak can be turned off by
pressing and releasing the traction
control disable button.Traction control can be turned on
by pressing and releasing the
traction control disable button if not
automatically shut off for any
other reason.
When the traction control system is
turned off, the StabiliTrak light
and the appropriate traction control
off message will be displayed on
the DIC to warn the driver. The
vehicle will still have brake-traction
control when traction control is
off, but will not be able to use the
engine speed management system.
See “Traction Control Operation”
next for more information.
When the traction control system
has been turned off, system noises
may be heard and felt as a result
of the brake-traction control working.
It is recommended to leave the
system on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn the system off if the vehicle is
stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow, and
you want to “rock” the vehicle to
attempt to free it. It may also be
4-6 Driving Your Vehicle

necessary to turn off the system
when driving in extreme off-road
conditions where high wheel spin is
required. SeeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck
in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on
page 4-15.
Traction Control Operation
The traction control system is part of
the StabiliTrak system. Traction
control limits wheel spin by reducing
engine power to the wheels
(engine speed management) and by
applying brakes to each individual
wheel (brake-traction control)
as necessary.
The traction control system is
enabled automatically when the
vehicle is started. It will activate and
the StabiliTrak light will ash if it
senses that any of the wheels are
spinning or beginning to lose traction
while driving. If traction control is
turned off, only the brake-traction
control portion of traction control
will work. The engine speed
management will be disabled. In this
mode, engine power is not reducedautomatically and the driven wheels
can spin more freely. This can
cause the brake-traction control to
activate constantly.
Notice:If the wheel(s) of one axle
is allowed to spin excessively
while the StabiliTrak, ABS and
brake warning lights and any
relevant DIC messages are
displayed, the transfer case could
be damaged. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Reduce engine power
and do not spin the wheel(s)
excessively while these lights and
messages are displayed.
The traction control system may
activate on dry or rough roads
or under conditions such as heavy
acceleration while turning or
abrupt upshifts/downshifts of the
transmission. When this happens, a
reduction in acceleration may be
noticed, or a noise or vibration may
be heard. This is normal.If cruise control is being used when
the system activates, the StabiliTrak
light will ash and cruise control
will automatically disengage. Cruise
control may be reengaged when
road conditions allow. SeeCruise
Control on page 3-10.
StabiliTrak may also turn off
automatically if it determines that a
problem exists with the system.
If the problem does not clear itself
after restarting the vehicle, see your
dealer/retailer for service.
All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
System
If the vehicle has this feature,
engine power is sent to all four
wheels when extra traction is
needed. This is like four-wheel drive,
but there is no separate lever or
switch to engage or disengage the
front axle. It is fully automatic,
and adjusts itself as needed for road
conditions.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-7