x(Delay Adjustment):Use this band to set the
length of the delay between wipes when using the delay
feature. The closer the band is moved toward mist,
the longer the delay. The windshield wiper lever must
be in delay for this feature to work.
6(Low Speed):For slow, steady wiping cycles.
1(High Speed):For rapid wiping cycles.
If the windshield wipers are in use for about six seconds
while you are driving, the exterior lamps will come on
automatically if the exterior lamp control is in AUTO.
SeeWiper Activated Headlamps on page 3-36for
more information.
Clear snow and ice from the wiper blades before using
them. If the blades are frozen to the windshield, loosen or
thaw them. If they become damaged, install new blades.
For more information, seeWindshield Wiper Blade
Replacement on page 5-52.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the wiper motor.
A circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools down.
For STS-V, the vehicle is equipped with a feature
that disables the wiper system when the hood is open
and the vehicle is stopped. Opening the hood will
automatically park the wipers if they are not parked.
Rainsense™ II Wipers
For vehicles with this feature, the moisture sensor is
mounted on the interior side of the windshield behind the
rearview mirror. It is used to automatically operate the
wipers by monitoring the amount of moisture build-up
on the windshield. Wipes occur as needed to clear the
windshield depending on driving conditions and the
sensitivity setting. In light rain or snow, fewer wipes will
occur. In heavy rain or snow, wipes will occur more
frequently. The Rainsense wipers operate in a delay
mode as well as a continuous low or high speed as
needed. If the system is left on for long periods of time,
occasional wipes may occur without any moisture on
the windshield. This is normal and indicates that the
Rainsense system is activated.
To activate the Rainsense system, turn the wiper band
to delay mode and select one of the four sensitivity levels
indicated on the wiper stalk. The position closest to off is
the lowest sensitivity setting, level one. This allows more
rain or snow to collect on the windshield between wipes.
Turning the wiper band away from you to higher
sensitivity levels increases the sensitivity of the system
and frequency of wipes. The highest sensitivity setting,
level four, is closest to low. A single wipe occurs each
time the wiper stalk is turned to a higher sensitivity level
to indicate that the sensitivity level has been increased.
3-14
Notice:Going through an automatic car wash with
the wipers on can damage them. Turn the wipers
off when going through an automatic car wash.
The mist and wash cycles operate as normal and are
not affected by the Rainsense function. The Rainsense
system can be overridden at any time by manually
turning the wiper band to low or high speed.
When Rainsense is active, the headlamps turn on
automatically. The headlamps will turn off again once
the wipers turn off if it is light enough outside. If it
is dark, they will remain on. SeeWiper Activated
Headlamps on page 3-36.
Notice:Do not place stickers or other items on
the exterior glass surface directly in front of
the moisture sensor. Doing this could cause
the moisture sensor to malfunction.
Windshield Washer
The windshield washer button is located at the end
of the windshield wiper lever on the right side of
the steering column.
K(Washer Fluid):Press and hold to spray
windshield washer uid on the windshield. The washer
will spray until the button is released. The wipers will
continue to clear the window for about six seconds after
the button is released and then stop or return to the
preset speed.
{CAUTION:
In freezing weather, do not use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
uid can form ice on the windshield, blocking your
vision.
If the uid in the windshield washer uid reservoir is
low, the message CHECK WASHER FLUID will appear
on the Driver Information Center (DIC) display. It will
take 60 seconds after the bottle is re lled for this
message to turn off. For information on the correct
washer uid mixture to use, seeWindshield Washer
Fluid on page 5-38andRecommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 6-13.
3-15
;(Parking Lamps):Turns on the parking lamps
together with the following:
Sidemarker Lamps
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
5(Headlamps):Turns on the headlamps, together
with the previously listed lamps and lights.
IntelliBeam™ Intelligent High-Beam
Headlamp Control System
For vehicles with IntelliBeam, read this entire section
before using this feature.
IntelliBeam is an enhancement to the vehicle’s
headlamp system. It uses a light sensor located on
the back of the rearview mirror to turn the high-beam
headlamps on and off depending on approaching traffic.
The IntelliBeam system turns the high-beam headlamps
on when it is dark enough, there is no other traffic
present, and the IntelliBeam system is enabled.
Turning On and Enabling IntelliBeam
AUTO3(IntelliBeam On/Off):Press and release
the IntelliBeam button on the inside rear view mirror.
The indicator on the mirror turns on. Once the system
has been turned on, it remains on each time the vehicle
is started. Additionally, the IntelliBeam system must be
enabled.
To enable the System, turn the exterior lamp control
to AUTO, with the turn signal/multifunction lever in its
starting position. The High-Beam On Light appears on
the instrument panel cluster when the high-beams are on.
SeeHighbeam On Light on page 3-70. The vehicle has
variable intensity high-beams. The high-beam indicator
on the instrument panel cluster comes on as soon as the
high-beams start to come on, and remains on until the
high-beams have completely turned off. Vehicles with
IntelliBeam quickly turn off the high-beams if the system
detects the sudden presence of vehicle lights ahead.
3-33
Driving with IntelliBeam
IntelliBeam only activates the high-beams when driving
over 20 mph (32 km/h).
The high-beam headlamps remain on, under the control
of IntelliBeam, until any of the following situations occur:
The system detects an approaching vehicle’s
headlamps.
The system detects a preceding vehicle’s taillamps.
The outside light is bright enough that high-beam
headlamps are not required.
The high-beam headlamps are manually turned on
or you use the ash-to-pass feature. SeeHeadlamp
High/Low-Beam Changer on page 3-9and
Flash-to-Pass on page 3-13.
When either of these conditions occur, the IntelliBeam
feature is temporarily disabled until the high-beam
stalk is returned to its starting position. If either of
these conditions occur and IntelliBeam already has
the high-beam headlamps on, the feature is disabled
and the light in the mirror turns off.
The exterior lamp control is turned to any setting
except AUTO.
When this occurs, IntelliBeam is disabled until the
control is turned back to the AUTO position and the
AUTOMATIC LIGHTS ON message displays on
the DIC.
The IntelliBeam system is turned off at the inside
rearview mirror.
The vehicle’s speed drops below 15 mph (24 km/h).
IntelliBeam may not turn off the high-beams if the
system cannot detect other vehicle’s lamps because
of any of the following:
The others vehicle’s lamp(s) are missing, damaged,
obstructed from view, or otherwise undetected.
The other vehicle’s lamp(s) are covered with dirt,
snow and/or road spray.
The other vehicle’s lamp(s) cannot be detected due
to dense exhaust, smoke, fog, snow, road spray,
mist, or other airborne obstructions.
Your vehicle’s windshield is dirty, cracked, or
obstructed by something that blocks the view of
the IntelliBeam light sensor.
Your vehicle’s windshield is covered with ice, dirt,
haze, or other obstructions.
Your vehicle is loaded such that the front end of
the vehicle points upward, causing the IntelliBeam
sensor to aim high and not detect headlamps
and taillamps.
You are driving on winding or hilly roads.
You might need to manually disable or cancel the
high-beam headlamps by turning the low-beam
headlamps on, if any of the above conditions exist.
3-34
Disabling and Resetting IntelliBeam at the
Rearview Mirror
IntelliBeam can be disabled and reset to the original
factory setting by using the controls on the inside
rearview mirror.
AUTO
3(IntelliBeam On/Off):To disable the
system, press this button on the inside rearview mirror.
The IntelliBeam indicator turns off and does not come
back on until the IntelliBeam button is pressed again.
When IntelliBeam has turned on the high-beams, pull or
push the high-beam stalk. This disables IntelliBeam and
the IntelliBeam indicator on the rearview mirror turns off.
To re-enable IntelliBeam, press the IntelliBeam button on
the mirror.
A different sensitivity setting is available for dealer
diagnostics. This is done by pushing and holding this
button for 20 seconds until the light ashes three times.
If you accidentally activate this, the vehicle’s setting
automatically resets each time the ignition is turned off
and then on again; otherwise, refer to the text above for
resetting the system.
Cleaning the IntelliBeam Light Sensor
The light sensor is located
on the inside of the vehicle
at the back of the
rearview mirror.
Clean the light sensor window, periodically, using glass
cleaner on a soft cloth. Gently wipe the sensor window.
Do not spray glass cleaner directly on the surface of the
sensor window.
3-35
To operate the vehicle with the DRL off, turn the
exterior lamp control off and then do one of the
following:
Turn the exterior lamp control to the parking lamp
position.
Turn the exterior lamp control to the headlamp
position.
Turn the exterior lamp control from AUTO to off and
back to AUTO.
An AUTOMATIC LIGHTS OFF message will appear
on the DIC, showing that automatic lighting has
been disabled. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-79.
The regular headlamp system should be turned on
when needed.
Light Sensor
The light sensor for the DRL is located on top of the
instrument panel. If the sensor is covered, it will prevent it
from sensing light, and the exterior lamps may come on
when they are not needed.
3-37
Fog Lamps
The fog lamp controls are located on the turn
signal/multifunction lever.
#(Fog Lamps):The band with this symbol is used to
turn the fog lamps on and off.
The parking lamps must be on for the fog lamps
to work.
To turn the fog lamps on or off, turn the fog lamp band
on the lever up to the dot and release it. The band
will return to its original position.
If the high-beam headlamps are turned on, the fog
lamps will turn off. The fog lamps will come back
on when the high-beam headlamps are off.
Some localities have laws that require the headlamps to
be on along with the fog lamps.
Twilight Sentinel®
Twilight Sentinel®can turn the lamps on and off for you.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
Twilight Sentinel work, so be sure it is not covered.
3-38
Entry Lighting
The entry lighting system turns on the reading and
dome lamps and the backlighting to the exterior lamp
control when a door is opened or if you press the remote
keyless entry transmitter unlock button. If activated by
the transmitter, the lighting will remain active for about
25 seconds. The entry lighting system uses the light
sensor; it must be dark outside in order for the lamps to
turn on. The lamps turn off about 25 seconds after the
last door is closed. They will dim to off if the ignition is
on, or immediately deactivate if the power locks are
activated.
Parade Dimming
This feature prohibits dimming of the instrument panel
displays and backlighting during daylight hours when
the key is in the ignition and the headlamps are on.
This feature operates with the light sensor and is fully
automatic. When the light sensor reads darkness outside
and the parking lamps are active, the instrument panel
displays can be adjusted by turning the instrument panel
brightness knob. SeeInstrument Panel Brightness on
page 3-40for additional information.
Reading Lamps
The reading lamps are located on the overhead console.
These lamps come on automatically when any door is
opened.
For manual operation, press the button next to each
lamp to turn it on or off.
If the reading lamps are left on, they automatically shut
off 10 minutes after the ignition has been turned off.
Battery Load Management
The battery load management feature is designed to
monitor the vehicle’s electrical load and determine when
the battery is in a heavy discharge condition. During
times of high electrical loading, the engine may idle at a
higher revolutions per minute (rpm) setting than normal to
make sure the battery charges. High electrical loads may
occur when several of the following are on: headlamps,
high beams, fog lamps, rear window defogger, the
climate control fan at high speeds, heated seats and
engine cooling fans.
If the battery continues to discharge, even with the
engine idling at a higher rpm setting, some electrical
loads will automatically be reduced. When this occurs,
the rear window defogger may take slightly longer to clear
the glass and the fan may cut back to a lower speed.
For more battery saving information, see “Battery Saver
Active Message” underDIC Warnings and Messages on
page 3-79.
3-41