Introduction4
Instrument Cluster 12
Warning lights and chimes 12
Gauges 16
Entertainment Systems19
AM/FM stereo with CD/MP3 19
Auxiliary input jack (Line in) 27
USB port 29
Satellite radio information 32
Climate Controls36
Manual heating and air conditioning 36
Rear window defroster 38
Lights39
Headlamps 39
Turn signal control 42
Bulb replacement 44
Driver Controls49
Windshield wiper/washer control 49
Steering wheel adjustment 50
Power windows 54
Mirrors 55
Cruise control 57
Moon roof 59
Locks and Security67
Keys 67
Locks 69
Anti-theft system 77
Table of Contents
1
2009 Tribute(j14)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA (fus)
WARNING LIGHTS AND CHIMES
Warning lights and gauges can alert you to a vehicle condition that may
become serious enough to cause extensive repairs. A warning light may
illuminate when a problem exists with one of your vehicle’s functions.
Many lights will illuminate when you start your vehicle to make sure the
bulbs work. If any light remains on after starting the vehicle, refer to the
respective system warning light for additional information.
Service engine soon:TheService
engine soon indicator light
illuminates when the ignition is first
turned to the on position to check
the bulb and to indicate whether the vehicle is ready for
Inspection/Maintenance (I/M) testing. Normally, the Service engine soon
light will stay on until the engine is cranked, then turn itself off if no
malfunctions are present. However, if after 15 seconds the Service
engine soon light blinks eight times, it means that the vehicle is not
ready for I/M testing. See the Readiness for Inspection/Maintenance
(I/M) testing in theMaintenance and Specifications chapter.
Solid illumination after the engine is started indicates the On Board
Diagnostics System (OBD-II) has detected a malfunction. Refer to On
board diagnostics (OBD-II) in theMaintenance and Specifications
chapter. If the light is blinking, engine misfire is occurring which could
damage your catalytic converter. Drive in a moderate fashion (avoid
heavy acceleration and deceleration) and have your vehicle serviced
immediately by your authorized dealer.
If the
light remains on, have your vehicle serviced at the first
available opportunity.
2009 Tribute (j14)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA (fus)
Instrument Cluster
12
MANUAL HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM1.
Fan speed adjustment: Turn to select fan speed.
2.
RRear defroster: Press to activate/deactivate the rear window
defroster. Refer to Rear window defroster later in this chapter for
more information.
3.
Defrost: Distributes outside air through the windshield
defroster vents and demister vents. Can be used to clear the
windshield of fog and thin ice. The system will automatically provide
outside air to reduce window fogging. Press this button again to
return to the previous air flow selection.
4.
: Distributes air through the windshield defroster vents,
demister vents, floor vents and rear seat floor vents. The system will
automatically provide outside air to reduce window fogging.
5.
Power: Press to activate/deactivate the climate control system.
When the system is off, outside air is prevented from entering the
vehicle through the vents.
6.
: Distributes air through the instrument panel vents.
7.
: Distributes air through the instrument panel vents, demister
vents, floor vents and rear seat floor vents (if equipped).
8.
: Distributes air through the demister vents, floor vents and rear
seat floor vents (if equipped).
9. Temperature control: Controls the temperature of the airflow in
the vehicle.
2009 Tribute (j14)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA (fus)
Climate Controls
36
10.Passenger heated seat control (if equipped):Press to
activate/deactivate the passenger heated seat. See Heated seatsin
the Seating and Safety Restraints chapter.
11.
Recirculated air: Press to activate/deactivate air recirculation
in the vehicle. Recirculated air may reduce the amount of time
needed to cool down the interior of the vehicle and may also help
reduce undesired odors from reaching the interior of the vehicle.
Recirculated air engages automatically when MAX A/C is selected or
can be engaged manually in any airflow mode except
(defrost).
Recirculated air may turn off automatically in all airflow modes
except MAX A/C. When the ignition switch is turned off and back on,
the climate system will return to the recirculated air mode only if
the A/C button LED is illuminated and the air distribution selection
is either
(panel) or(panel/floor).
12. MAX A/C: Distributes recirculated air through the instrument panel
vents to cool the vehicle. This re-cooling of the interior air is more
economical and efficient. Recirculated air may also help reduce
undesirable odors from entering the vehicle. Press the MAX A/C
button again for normal A/C operation.
13. A/C:
Press to activate/deactivate air conditioning. Use with recirculated
air to improve cooling performance and efficiency. Engages
automatically in MAX A/C,
(defrost) and(floor/defrost).
14.Driver heated seat control (if equipped): Press to
activate/deactivate the driver heated seat. See Heated seatsin the
Seating and Safety Restraints chapter.
Outside temperature (if equipped): The outside temperature will
appear in the display and is labeled EXT TEMP.
Operating tips
• To reduce fog build up on the windshield during humid weather,
select
(defrost) or(floor/defrost).
• To reduce humidity build up inside the vehicle, do not drive with the
system off or with
(recirculated air) engaged and A/C off.
• Do not put objects under the front seats that will interfere with the
airflow to the back seats.
• Remove any snow, ice or leaves from the air intake area at the base of
the windshield.
• To improve the time to reach comfort in hot weather, drive with the
windows slightly open for 2-3 minutes after start up or until the
vehicle has been “aired out.”
2009 Tribute (j14)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA (fus)
Climate Controls
37
During extreme high ambient temperatures when idling stationary for
extended periods of time in gear, it is recommended to run the A/C in the
MAX A/C position, reduce blower fan speed from the highest setting and
put the vehicle’s transmission into the PARK gear position (automatic
transmission only) to continue to receive cool air from your A/C system.
For maximum cooling performance in MAX A/C mode:1. Select MAX A/C.
2. Select the coolest temperature setting.
3. Set the fan to the highest speed initially. As the interior starts to cool down, adjust the fan speed to maintain comfort.
To aid in side window defogging/demisting in cold weather:
1. Select
.
2. Select A/C.
3. Adjust the temperature control to maintain comfort.
4. Set the fan speed to the highest setting.
5. Direct the outer instrument panel vents towards the side windows.
To increase airflow to the outer instrument panel vents, close the vents
located in the middle of the instrument panel.
REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER
R
The rear defroster control is located on the climate control panel and
works to clear the rear window of fog and thin ice.
The engine must be running to operate the rear window defroster.
Press
Rto turn the rear window defroster on. An indicator light on the
button will illuminate when active. The rear window defroster turns off
automatically after a predetermined amount of time, if a low battery
condition is detected or when the ignition is turned off or to the
accessory position. To manually turn off the rear window defroster at any
time, press the control again.
If your vehicle is equipped with both rear defroster and heated mirrors,
the same button will activate both. Refer to Heated outside mirrorsin
the Driver Controls chapter.
Do not use razor blades or other sharp objects to clean the inside
of the rear window or to remove decals from the inside or the
rear window. This may cause damage to the heated grid lines and
will not be covered by your warranty.
2009 Tribute (j14)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA (fus)
Climate Controls
38
Cargo and dome lamp
Rear cargo lamp equipped with an
ON/OFF/DOOR control will light
when:
•the doors are closed and the
control is in the ON position.
• the control is in the DOOR
position and any door is open.
When the control is in the OFF position, it will not illuminate when you
open the doors.
BULB REPLACEMENT
Headlamp condensation
Exterior lamps are vented to accommodate normal changes in pressure.
Condensation can be a natural by-product of this design. When moist air
enters the lamp assembly through the vents, condensation can occur
when the temperature is cold. When normal condensation occurs, a thin
film of mist can form on the interior of the lens. The thin mist eventually
clears and exits through the vents during normal operation. Clearing
time may take as long as 48 hours under dry weather conditions.
Examples of acceptable condensation are:
• Presence of thin mist (no streaks, drip marks or droplets)
• Fine mist covers less than 50% of the lens
Examples of unacceptable moisture (usually caused by a lamp water
leak) are:
• Water puddle inside the lamp
• Large water droplets, drip marks or streaks present on the interior of
the lens
Take your vehicle to dealer for service if any of the above conditions of
unacceptable moisture are present.
Using the right bulbs
Replacement bulbs are specified in the chart below. Headlamp bulbs
must be marked with an authorized “D.O.T.” for North America to ensure
lamp performance, light brightness and pattern and safe visibility.
Note: The correct bulbs will not damage the lamp assembly or void the
lamp assembly warranty and will provide quality bulb burn time.
2009 Tribute (j14)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA (fus)
Lights
44
To remove the rear cushion1. Lift the yellow tab to release the hinges.
2. Pull the cushion to the outboard side of the vehicle.
To install the rear cushion 1. Insert rod ends into floor mounting points and push the
cushion to the inboard side of
the vehicle.
2. Make sure that the hinges are locked into place.
SAFETY RESTRAINTS
Personal Safety System
The Personal Safety System provides an improved overall level of
frontal crash protection to front seat occupants and is designed to help
further reduce the risk of airbag-related injuries. The system is able to
analyze different occupant conditions and crash severity before activating
the appropriate safety devices to help better protect a range of
occupants in a variety of frontal crash situations.
Your vehicle’s Personal Safety System consists of:
• Driver and passenger dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints.
• Front seat belts with pretensioners (front row only), load limiter
(front row only), and seat belt usage sensors (front row only).
• Front passenger sensing system
• “Passenger airbag off” or “pass airbag off” indicator lamp
2009 Tribute (j14)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
93
•Front crash severity sensor.
• Restraints Control Module (RCM) with impact and safing sensors.
• Restraint system warning light and back-up tone.
• The electrical wiring for the airbags, crash sensor(s), seat belt
pretensioners, front seat belt usage sensors, driver seat position
sensor, front passenger sensing system, and indicator lights.
How does the Personal Safety System work?
The Personal Safety System can adapt the deployment strategy of your
vehicle’s safety devices according to crash severity and occupant
conditions. A collection of crash and occupant sensors provides
information to the Restraints control module (RCM). During a crash, the
RCM may activate the seat belt pretensioners and/or either one or both
stages of the dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints based on crash
severity and occupant conditions.
The fact that the pretensioners or airbags did not activate for both front
seat occupants in a collision does not mean that something is wrong with
the system. Rather, it means the Personal Safety System determined
the accident conditions (crash severity, belt usage, etc.) were not
appropriate to activate these safety devices. Front airbags and
pretensioners are designed to activate only in frontal and near-frontal
collisions, not rollovers, side-impacts, or rear-impacts unless the collision
causes sufficient longitudinal deceleration.
Driver and passenger dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints
The dual-stage airbags inflation energy is tailored to crash severity, belt
use, driver seat position, and other factors. A lower, less forceful energy
level is provided for more common, moderate-severity impacts. A higher
energy level is used for the most severe impacts unless the driver’s seat
is forward for a small occupant. Refer to Airbag supplemental
restraints section in this chapter.
Front crash severity sensor
The front crash severity sensor enhances the ability to detect the
severity of an impact. Positioned up front, it provides valuable
information early in the crash event on the severity of the impact. This
allows your Personal Safety System to distinguish between different
levels of crash severity and modify the deployment strategy of the
dual-stage airbags and seat belt pretensioners.
2009 Tribute (j14)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
94