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When you press the VR hard-key, you will hear a beep.
The beep is your signal to give a command.
NOTE:If you do not say a command within a few
seconds, the system will present you with a list of
options.
If you ever wish to interrupt the system while it lists
options, press the VR hard-key, listen for the beep, and
say your command.
Pressing the VR hard-key while the system is speaking is
known as “barging in.” The system will be interrupted
and after the beep you can add or change commands.
This will become helpful once you start to learn the
options.
NOTE:At any time, you can say the words “Cancel”,
“Help”, or “Main Menu”.These commands are universal and can be used from any
menu. All other commands can be used depending upon
the active application.
For example, if you are in the disc menu and you are
listening to FM radio, you can speak commands from the
disc menu or from the FM radio menu.
When using this system, you should speak clearly and at
a normal speaking volume.
The system will best recognize your speech if the win-
dows are closed, and the heater/air-conditioning fan is
set to low.
At any point, if the system does not recognize one of your
commands, you will be prompted to repeat it.
To hear the first available Menu, press the VR hard-key
and say “Help” or “Main Menu”.
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 131
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CAUTION!
Do not place any article under any seat as it may
cause damage to the seat controls.
WARNING!
•Adjusting a seat while the vehicle is moving is
dangerous. The sudden movement of the seat
could cause you to lose control. The seat belt might
not be properly adjusted and you could be injured.
Adjust the seat only while the vehicle is parked.
•Do not ride with the seatback reclined so that the
shoulder belt is no longer resting against your
chest. In a collision you could slide under the seat
belt and be seriously or even fatally injured. Use
the recliner only when the vehicle is parked.
Heated Seats — If Equipped
Heated seats provide comfort and warmth on cold days
and can help soothe sore muscles and backs. The driver
and front passenger seats are heated.
The controls for each heater are located in the instrument
panel switch bank above the climate controls. After
turning the ignition ON, you can choose from High, Off,
or Low heat settings. Amber indicator lights in each
switch indicate the level of heat in use. Two indicator
lights will illuminate for High, one for Low, and none for
Off.
136 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
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Press the switch once to select High-level heating. Press
the switch a second time to select Low-level heating.
Press the switch a third time to shut Off the heating
elements.
WARNING!
Persons who are unable to feel pain to the skin
because of advanced age, chronic illness, diabetes,
spinal cord injury, medication, alcohol use, exhaus-
tion or other physical condition must exercise care
when using the seat heater. It may cause burns even
at low temperatures, especially if used for long
periods. Do not place anything on the seat that
insulates against heat, such as a blanket or cushion.
This may cause the seat heater to overheat.
Heated Seat Switches
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 137
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INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DESCRIPTIONS
1. Fuel Gauge
When the ignition switch is in the ON position, the
pointer will show the level of fuel remaining in the fuel
tank.
2. Fuel Door Reminder
This is a reminder that the Fuel Filler Door is
located on the left side of the vehicle.
3. Temperature Gauge
The temperature gauge shows engine coolant tempera-
ture. Any reading below the red area of the gauge shows
that the engine cooling system is operating properly. The
gauge pointer may show a higher than normal tempera-
ture when driving in hot weather, up mountain grades, in
heavy stop and go traffic, or when towing a trailer.If the pointer rises to theH(red) mark, the instrument
cluster will sound a chime. Pull over and stop the vehicle.
Idle the vehicle with the air conditioner turned off until
the pointer drops back into the normal range. If the
pointer remains on theH(red) mark, turn the engine off
immediately and call for service.
There are steps that you can take to slow down an
impending overheat condition. If your air conditioning is
on, turn it off. The air conditioning system adds heat to
the engine cooling system and turning off the A/C
removes this heat. You can also turn the Temperature
control to maximum heat, the Mode control to Floor and
the Fan control to High. This allows the heater core to act
as a supplement to the radiator and aids in removing heat
from the engine cooling system.
4. Speedometer
Indicates the vehicle speed in miles per hour (MPH) and
kilometers per hour (km/h).
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 181
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STARTING AND OPERATING
CONTENTS
Starting Procedures.................... 267
▫Normal Starting..................... 267
▫Tip Start Feature..................... 268
▫Extremely Cold Weather (Below20°F Or
29°C)............................ 268
▫If Engine Fails To Start................ 268
▫After Starting....................... 269
Engine Block Heater — If Equipped........ 270
Automatic Transaxle................... 270▫Brake/Transaxle Interlock System......... 272
▫Automatic Transaxle Ignition Interlock
System............................ 273
▫4 Speed/6 Speed Automatic Transaxle..... 273
AutoStick— If Equipped............... 277
▫Operation......................... 277
▫General Information.................. 278
Driving On Slippery Surfaces............. 279
▫Acceleration........................ 279
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Tip Start Feature
Do notpress the accelerator. Turn the ignition key briefly
to START position, and release it. The starter motor will
continue to run, and it will disengage automatically
when the engine is running. If the engine fails to start, the
starter will disengage automatically in 10 seconds. If this
occurs, turn the ignition switch to the LOCK position,
wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat the normal starting
procedure.
Extremely Cold Weather (Below20°F or29°C)
To ensure reliable starting at these temperatures, use of
an externally powered electric engine block heater (avail-
able from your authorized dealer) is recommended.
If Engine Fails to Start
WARNING!
•Never pour fuel or other flammable liquid into the
throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to
start the vehicle. This could result in flash fire
causing serious personal injury.
(Continued)
268 STARTING AND OPERATING
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ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED
The engine block heater warms the engine, and permits
quicker starts in cold weather. Connect the cord to a
standard 110-115 Volt AC electrical outlet with a
grounded, three-wire extension cord.
The engine block heater cord is routed under the hood on
the passenger side of the vehicle near the right head lamp
assembly. It is located between the front grille and the
radiator, but underneath the black upper seal.
WARNING!
Remember to disconnect the cord before driving.
Damage to the 110-115 Volt electrical cord could cause
electrocution.
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE
CAUTION!
Damage to the transaxle may occur if the following
precautions are not observed:
•Shift the shift lever into PARK only after the
vehicle has come to a complete stop.
•Shift the shift lever into or out of REVERSE only
after the vehicle has come to a complete stop and
the engine is at idle speed.
•Do not shift the shift lever from REVERSE, PARK,
or NEUTRAL into any forward gear when the
engine is above idle speed.
•Before shifting the shift lever into any gear, make
sure your foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
NOTE:You MUST press and hold the brake pedal down
while shifting the shift lever out of PARK.
270 STARTING AND OPERATING
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the fan control to High. This allows the heater core to act
as a supplement to the radiator and aids in removing heat
from the engine cooling system.
CAUTION!
Driving with a hot cooling system could damage
your vehicle. If the pointer rises to the H (red) mark,
the instrument cluster will sound a chime. Pull over
and stop the vehicle with the engine at idle, when
safe. Turn off the air conditioning and wait until the
pointer drops back into the normal range. If the
pointer remains on the H (red) mark for more than a
minute, turn the engine off immediately and call for
service.
WARNING!
A hot engine cooling system is dangerous. You or
others could be badly burned by steam or boiling
coolant. You may want to call a service center if your
vehicle overheats. If you decide to look under the
hood yourself, refer to Section 7, Maintenance, of this
manual. Follow the warnings under the Cooling
System Pressure Cap paragraph.
Engine Oil Overheating — 2.4L Engine Only (If
Equipped)
During sustained high-speed driving or trailer tow up
long grades on hot day, the engine oil temperature may
become too hot. If this happens, the “HOTOIL” message
flashes, the vehicle speed will be reduced to 53 mph
(85 km/h) until the engine oil temperature is reduced.
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 353
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