•one or more impact and safing sensors and diagnostic monitor (RCM),
•a readiness light and tone
•the electrical wiring which connects the components.
The RCM (restraints control module) monitors its own internal circuits
and the supplemental airbag electrical system wiring (including the
impact sensors, the system wiring, the airbag system readiness light, the
airbag back up power and the airbag ignitors).
Determining if the system is operational
The SRS uses a readiness light in the instrument cluster or a tone to
indicate the condition of the system. Refer toAirbag readinesssection
in theInstrument Clusterchapter. Routine maintenance of the airbag is
not required.
A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or more of the following:
•The readiness light will either
flash or stay lit.
•The readiness light will not
illuminate immediately after ignition is turned on.
•A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem and/or light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the SRS serviced
at an authorized dealer immediately. Unless serviced, the system may not
function properly in the event of a collision.
Seat-mounted side airbag system
WARNING:Do not place objects or mount equipment on or
near the airbag cover on the side of the seatbacks of the front
seats or in front seat areas that may come into contact with a
deploying airbag. Failure to follow these instructions may increase the
risk of personal injury in the event of a collision.
WARNING:Do not use accessory seat covers. The use of
accessory seat covers may prevent the deployment of the side
airbags and increase the risk of injury in an accident.
WARNING:Do not lean your head on the door. The side airbag
could injure you as it deploys from the side of the seatback.
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WARNING:If the Safety
Canopysystem has
deployed, the Safety Canopywill
not function again unless replaced.
The Safety Canopysystem
(including the A, B, C, and D
pillar trim and headliner) must be
inspected and serviced by an
authorized dealer. If the Safety
Canopyis not replaced, it will
not function again, which will
increase the risk of injury in a
future collision.
Determining if the system is operational
The SRS uses a readiness light in the instrument cluster or a tone to
indicate the condition of the system. Refer to theAirbag readiness
section in theInstrument Clusterchapter. Routine maintenance of the
airbag is not required.
Any difficulty with the system is indicated by one or more of the
following:
•The readiness light (same light as for front airbag system) will either
flash or stay lit.
•The readiness light will not illuminate immediately after ignition is
turned on.
•A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem and light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the SRS serviced
at authorized dealer immediately. Unless serviced, the system may not
function properly in the event of a collision or rollover event.
S.O.S. Post Crash Alert
The S.O.S Post Crash Alert automatically flashes the turn signal lamps
and sounds the horn three times at four second intervals in the event of
a serious impact that deploys an airbag (front, side, side curtain or
Safety Canopy) or the safety belt pretensioners.
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4. Make sure the parking brake is
set.
5. Turn the key to 3 (on) without
turning the key to 4 (start).
Some warning lights will briefly illuminate. SeeWarning lights and
chimesin theInstrument Clusterchapter for more information
regarding the warning lights.
Starting the engine
1. Turn the key to 3 (on) without
turning the key to 4 (start).
2. Turn the key to 4 (start), then
release the key as soon as the
engine begins cranking. Your vehicle
has a computer assisted cranking
system that assists in starting the
engine. After releasing the key from
the 4 (start) position, the engine may continue cranking for up to
10 seconds or until the vehicle starts.
Note:Cranking may be stopped at any time by turning the key to the off
position.
3. After idling for a few seconds, apply the brake, shift into gear and
drive.
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How to use the engine block heater
Ensure the receptacle terminals are clean and dry prior to use. To clean
them, use a dry cloth.
Depending on the type of factory installed equipment, your engine block
heater system may consume anywhere between 400 watts or 1000 watts
of energy per hour. Your factory installed block heater system does not
have a thermostat; however, maximum temperature is attained after
approximately three hours of operation. Block heater operation longer
than three hours will not improve system performance and will
unnecessarily use additional electricity.
Make sure system is unplugged and properly stowed before driving the
vehicle. While not in use, make sure the protective cover seals the
prongs of the engine block heater cord plug.
BRAKES
Your service brakes are self-adjusting. Refer to thescheduled
maintenance informationfor scheduled maintenance.
Occasional brake noise is normal and often does not indicate a
performance concern with the vehicle’s brake system. In normal
operation, automotive brake systems may emit occasional or intermittent
squeal or groan noises when the brakes are applied. Such noises are
usually heard during the first few brake applications in the morning;
however, they may be heard at any time while braking and can be
aggravated by environmental conditions such as cold, heat, moisture,
road dust, salt or mud. If a “metal-to-metal,” “continuous grinding” or
“continuous squeal” sound is present while braking, the brake linings
may be worn-out and should be inspected by an authorized dealer.
Refer toBrake system warning
lightin theInstrument Cluster
chapter for information on the brake
system warning light.
WARNING:If you are driving down a long or steep hill, shift to
a lower gear. Do not apply your brakes continuously, as they may
overheat and become less effective.
P!
BRAKE
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Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
On ABS-equipped vehicles, a noise from the hydraulic pump motor and
pulsation in the pedal may be observed during ABS braking events. Pedal
pulsation coupled with noise while braking under panic conditions or on
loose gravel, bumps, wet or snowy roads is normal and indicates proper
functioning of the vehicle’s anti-lock brake system. The ABS performs a
self-check after you start the engine and begin to drive away. A brief
mechanical noise may be heard during this test. This is normal. If a
malfunction is found, the ABS warning light will come on. If the vehicle
has continuous vibration or shudder in the steering wheel while braking,
the vehicle should be inspected by an authorized dealer.
The ABS operates by detecting the onset of wheel lockup during brake
applications and compensates for this tendency. The wheels are
prevented from locking even when the brakes are firmly applied.
Using ABS
•In an emergency or when maximum efficiency from the four-wheel
ABS is required, apply continuous force on the brake. The four wheel
ABS will be activated immediately, thus allowing you to retain steering
control of your vehicle and, providing there is sufficient space, will
enable you to avoid obstacles and bring the vehicle to a controlled
stop.
•The anti-lock system does not always reduce stopping distance.
Always leave enough room between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front of you to stop.
•We recommend that you familiarize yourself with this braking
technique. However, avoid taking any unnecessary risks.
ABS warning lamp
The ABS warning lamp in the
instrument cluster momentarily
illuminates when the ignition is
turned on. If the light does not
illuminate momentarily at start up,
remains on or continues to flash, the ABS needs to be serviced.
With the ABS light on, the anti-lock
brake system is disabled and normal
braking is still effective unless the
brake warning light also remains
illuminated with parking brake
released. If your brake warning lamp illuminates, have your vehicle
serviced immediately.
ABS
P!
BRAKE
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Parking brake
Apply the parking brake whenever
the vehicle is parked. To set the
parking brake, press the parking
brake pedal down until the pedal
stops.
The BRAKE warning lamp in the
instrument cluster illuminates and
remains illuminated (when the
ignition is turned on) until the
parking brake is released.
WARNING:If the parking brake is fully released, but the brake
warning lamp remains illuminated, the brakes may not be
working properly. See your authorized dealer.
WARNING:Always set the parking brake fully and make sure
that the gearshift is securely latched in P (Park).
The parking brake is not recommended to stop a moving vehicle.
However, if the normal brakes fail, the parking brake can be used to stop
your vehicle in an emergency. Since the parking brake applies only the
rear brakes, the vehicle’s stopping distance will increase greatly and the
handling of your vehicle will be adversely affected.
P!
BRAKE
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WARNING:If a failure has been detected within the
AdvanceTracwith RSCsystem, thesliding caricon
will
illuminate steadily. Verify that the AdvanceTracwith RSCsystem is
not manually disabled (push the AdvanceTracwith RSC“Off “
button located on the center of the instrument panel). If thesliding
caricon
still illuminates steadily, have the system service by an
authorized dealer immediately. Operating your vehicle with
AdvanceTracwith RSCdisabled could lead to an increased risk of
loss of vehicle control, vehicle rollover, personal injury and death.
The AdvanceTracwith RSCsystem provides the following stability
enhancement features for certain driving situations:
•Traction Control (TCS), which functions to help avoid drive-wheel
spin and loss of traction.
•Electronic Stability Control (ESC), which functions to help avoid skids
or lateral slides
•Roll Stability Control™ (RSC), which functions to help avoid a
vehicle roll-over.
The AdvanceTracwith RSCsystem automatically enables each time
the engine is started. All features of the AdvanceTracwith RSCsystem
(TCS, ESC, and RSCare active and monitor the vehicle from start-up).
However, the system will only intervene if the driving situation requires
it.
The AdvanceTracwith RSC
system includes an AdvanceTrac
with RSCOffbuttononthe
center of the instrument panel, and
a “sliding car” icon
in the
instrument cluster. The “sliding car”
icon
in the instrument cluster will illuminate temporarily during
start-up as part of a normal system self-check, or during driving if a
driving situation causes the AdvanceTracwith RSCsystem to operate.
If the “sliding car” icon
illuminates steadily, verify that the
AdvanceTracwith RSCsystem is not manually disabled by pressing
the AdvanceTracwith RSCOffbutton located on the center of the
instrument panel. If the “sliding car” icon
remains steadily
illuminated, have the system serviced by an authorized dealer
immediately. The message center will also indicate a failure with the
AdvanceTracwith RSCsystem.
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When AdvanceTracwith RSCperforms a normal system self-check,
some drivers may notice a slight movement of the brake, and/or a
rumble, grunting, or grinding noise after startup and when driving off.
When an event occurs that activates AdvanceTracwith RSCyou may
experience the following:
•A slight deceleration of the vehicle
•The “sliding car”
indicator light will flash.
•A vibration in the pedal when your foot is on the brake pedal
•If the driving condition is severe and your foot is not on the brake, the
brake pedal may move as the systems applies higher brake forces. You
may also hear a whoosh of air from under the instrument panel during
this severe condition.
•The brake pedal may feel stiffer than usual.
Traction Control (TCS)
Traction Control is a driver aid feature that helps your vehicle maintain
traction of the wheels, typically when driving on slippery and/or hilly
road surfaces, by detecting and controlling wheel spin.
Excessive wheel spin is controlled in two ways, which may work
separately or in tandem: Engine Traction Control and Brake Traction
Control. Engine Traction Control works to limit drive-wheel spin by
momentarily reducing engine power. Brake Traction Control works to
limit wheel spin by momentarily applying the brakes to the wheel that is
slipping. Traction Control is most active at low speeds.
During Traction Control events the “sliding car” icon
in the
instrument cluster will flash.
If the Traction Control system is activated excessively in a short period
of time, the braking portion of the system may become temporarily
disabled to allow the brakes to cool down. In this situation, Traction
Control will use only engine power reduction or transfer to help control
the wheels from over-spinning. When the brakes have cooled down, the
system will regain all features. Anti-lock braking, RSC, and ESC are not
affected by this condition and will continue to function during the
cool-down period.
The Engine Traction Control and Brake Traction Control system may be
deactivated in certain situations. See theSwitching Off AdvanceTrac
with RSCsection following.
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