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•Airbag deployment level (if applicable)
•Impact acceleration and angle
•Seat belt status
•Brake status (service and parking brakes)
•Accelerator status (including vehicle speed)
•Engine control status (including engine speed)
•Transaxle gear selection
•Cruise control status
•Traction/stability control status
•Tire Pressure Monitoring System status (if equipped)
Child Restraints
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up all the
time, including babies and children. Every state in the
United States and all Canadian provinces require thatsmall children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the
law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
Children 12 years and younger should ride properly
buckled up in a rear seat, if available. According to crash
statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in
the rear seats, rather than in the front.
WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny baby,
can become a missile inside the vehicle. The force
required to hold even an infant on your lap could
become so great that you could not hold the child, no
matter how strong you are. The child and others
could be badly injured. Any child riding in your
vehicle should be in a proper restraint for the child’s
size.
62 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
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Safety Checks You Should Make Inside the
Vehicle
Seat Belts
Inspect the seat belt system periodically, checking for
cuts, frays, and loose parts. Damaged parts must be
replaced immediately. Do not disassemble or modify the
system.
Front seat belt assemblies must be replaced after a
collision. Rear seat belt assemblies must be replaced after
a collision if they have been damaged (i.e., bent retractor,
torn webbing, etc.). If there is any question regarding belt
or retractor condition, replace the seat belt.
Airbag Warning Light
The light should come on and remain on for six to eight
seconds as a bulb check when the ignition switch is first
turned ON. If the light is not lit during starting, see yourauthorized dealer. If the light stays on, flickers, or comes
on while driving, have the system checked by an autho-
rized dealer.
Defroster
Check operation by selecting the defrost mode and place
the blower control on high speed. You should be able to
feel the air directed against the windshield. See your
authorized dealer for service if your defroster is
inoperable.
Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make Outside
the Vehicle
Tires
Examine tires for excessive tread wear and uneven wear
patterns. Check for stones, nails, glass, or other objects
lodged in the tread. Inspect the tread and sidewall for
cuts and cracks. Check the wheel nuts for tightness.
Check the tires (including spare) for proper pressure.
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If the ABS light is on, the brake system should be serviced
as soon as possible to restore the benefit of Anti-Lock
Brakes.
The ABS warning light should be checked frequently to
assure that it is operating properly. Turn the ignition key
to the on position, but do not start the vehicle. The light
should come on. If the light does not come on, have the
system inspected by an authorized dealer.
24. Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly, when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle
has tires of a different size than the size indicated on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label, you should
determine the proper tire inflation pressure for those
tires.)As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure telltale when
one or more of your tires is significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illumi-
nates, you should stop and check your tires as soon as
possible, and inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving
on a significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may affect
the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper
tire maintenance, and it is the driver ’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if under-inflation has
not reached the level to trigger illumination of the TPMS
low tire pressure telltale.
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Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to indicate when the system is not
operating properly. The TPMS malfunction indicator is
combined with the low tire pressure telltale. When the
system detects a malfunction, the telltale will flash for
approximately one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon subse-
quent vehicle start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the sys-
tem may not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure
as intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety
of reasons, including the installation of replacement or
alternate tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent the
TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or more
tires or wheels on your vehicle, to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS
to continue to function properly.CAUTION!
The TPMS has been optimized for the original
equipment tires and wheels. TPMS pressures and
warning have been established for the tire size
equipped on your vehicle. Undesirable system opera-
tion or sensor damage may result when using re-
placement equipment that is not of the same size,
type, and/or style. Aftermarket wheels can cause
sensor damage. Do not use tire sealant from a can, or
balance beads if your vehicle is equipped with a
TPMS, as damage to the sensors may result.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 191
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ELECTRONIC VEHICLE INFORMATION CENTER
(EVIC) – IF EQUIPPED
The Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) fea-
tures a driver-interactive display that is located in the
instrument cluster.The EVIC consists of the following:•System Status
•Vehicle information warning message displays
•Personal Settings (customer programmable features)
•Compass heading display (N, S, E, W, NE, NW, SE,
SW)
•Outside temperature display (°F or °C)
•Trip computer functions
•Audio mode displays – 12 preset Radio Stations or CD
Title and Track number when playing
•Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) displays (if
equipped)
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)
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▫Traction........................... 279
Driving Through Water................. 280
▫Flowing/Rising Water................. 280
▫Shallow Standing Water............... 280
Power Steering....................... 282
▫Power Steering Fluid Check............. 282
Parking Brake........................ 283
Anti—Lock Brake System (ABS)........... 285
Brake System........................ 288
▫Anti-Lock Brake System — If Equipped.... 289
Electronic Brake Control System........... 292
▫Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)........... 292
▫Traction Control System (TCS)........... 292▫Brake Assist System (BAS).............. 293
▫Electronic Stability Program (ESP)........ 294
Tire Safety Information................. 297
▫Tire Markings....................... 297
▫Tire Identification Number (TIN)......... 301
▫Tire Loading And Tire Pressure.......... 302
Tires — General Information............. 306
▫Tire Pressure....................... 306
▫Tire Inflation Pressures................ 307
▫Radial-Ply Tires..................... 309
▫Compact Spare Tire — If Equipped....... 310
▫Limited Use Spare — If Equipped........ 311
▫Tire Spinning....................... 312
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▫Tread Wear Indicators................. 312
▫Life Of Tire........................ 313
▫Replacement Tires.................... 313
Tire Chains.......................... 315
Snow Tires.......................... 315
Tire Rotation Recommendations........... 316
Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS)....... 317
▫Base System........................ 319
▫Premium System — If Equipped......... 321
▫General Information.................. 325
Fuel Requirements..................... 325
▫2.4L And 2.7L Engine................. 325
▫3.5L Engine........................ 326▫Reformulated Gasoline................ 327
▫Gasoline/Oxygenate Blends............. 327
▫E-85 Usage In Non-Flex Fuel Vehicles...... 328
▫MMT In Gasoline.................... 328
▫Materials Added To Fuel............... 329
▫Fuel System Cautions................. 329
▫Carbon Monoxide Warnings............ 330
Flexible Fuel— 2.7L Only (Except California
Emission States)....................... 330
▫E-85 General Information............... 330
▫Ethanol Fuel (E-85)................... 332
▫Fuel Requirements................... 332
▫Selection Of Engine Oil For Flexible Fuel
Vehicles (E-85) And Gasoline Vehicles...... 333
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Brake Assist System (BAS)
The BAS is designed to optimize the vehicle’s braking
capability during emergency braking maneuvers. The
system detects an emergency braking situation by sens-
ing the rate and amount of brake application and then
applies optimum pressure to the brakes. This can help
reduce braking distances. The BAS complements the
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS). Applying the brakes very
quickly results in the best BAS assistance. To receive the
benefit of the system, you must apply continuous brak-
ing pressure during the stopping sequence. Do not
reduce brake pedal pressure unless braking is no longer
desired. Once the brake pedal is released, the BAS is
deactivated.WARNING!
•BAS cannot prevent the natural laws of physics
from acting on the vehicle, nor can it increase
braking efficiency beyond that afforded by the
condition of the vehicle brakes and tires or the
traction afforded.
•The BAS cannot prevent accidents, including
those resulting from excessive speed in turns,
following another vehicle too closely, or hydro-
planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful driver
can prevent accidents.
•The capabilities of a BAS-equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner, which could jeopardize the user ’s safety
or the safety of others.
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