Exterior Lamps
The exterior lamp control is located
on the instrument panel to the
left of the steering wheel.
The exterior lamp control can be
turned to the following positions:
9(Off):Turns off the exterior
lamps. The knob returns to
the AUTO position after it is
released.AUTO (Automatic):Automatically
turns the exterior lamps on and
off, depending on outside lighting.
;(Parking Lamps):Turns on the
parking lamps together with the
following:
Sidemarker Lamps
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
2(Headlamps):Turns on the
headlamps, together with the
previously listed lamps and lights.
Lamps On Reminder
A warning chime sounds, if the driver
door is opened while the ignition is
off and the lamps are on.
Wiper Activated
Headlamps
This feature automatically turns
on the headlamps and parking
lamps if the exterior lamp control is
set in the AUTO position and the
windshield wipers are turned on and
have completed eight wipe cycles.
SeeExterior Lamps on page 3-12
for additional information.
When the ignition is turned off,
the wiper-activated headlamps
immediately turn off. They also turn
off if the windshield wiper control
is turned off.
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Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can
make it easier for others to see
the front of your vehicle during the
day. Fully functional daytime
running lamps are required on all
vehicles rst sold in Canada.
The DRL system makes the
low-beam headlamps come on
in daylight when the following
conditions are met:
The engine is running,
The exterior lamp band is in
AUTO, and
The light sensor determines it is
daytime.When the DRL are on, the low-beam
headlamps will be on. The taillamps,
sidemarker, instrument panel lights
and other lamps will not be on.
When the exterior lamp band is
turned to the headlamp position, the
regular headlamps will come on. The
other lamps that come on with the
headlamps will also come on.
When the headlamps are turned off,
the regular lamps also turn off, and
the low-beam headlamps turn on.
The regular headlamp system
should be used when needed.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside, the
headlamps come on automatically.
There is a light sensor located on top
of the instrument panel. Do not cover
the sensor or the headlamps will
come on when they are not needed.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or tunnel.
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on the Driver Information Center
(DIC), you may see the voltage move
up or down. This is normal. If there is
a problem, an alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are
very high. This is true for all
vehicles. This is because the
generator (alternator) may not be
spinning fast enough at idle to
produce all the power that is needed
for very high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator’s output
and the vehicle’s electrical needs. It
can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in
steps or levels, without being
noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action,
this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a Driver Information
Center (DIC) message might be
displayed, such as BATTERY
SAVER ACTIVE, BATTERY
VOLTAGE LOW, or LOW BATTERY.
If this message is displayed, it is
recommended that the driver reduce
the electrical loads as much as
possible. SeeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 3-42.Battery Run-Down
Protection
The battery saver feature is
designed to protect the vehicle’s
battery.
If any interior or exterior lamp is left
on and the ignition is turned off, the
battery rundown protection system
automatically turns the lamp off after
10 minutes.
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Highbeam On Light
The highbeam on light comes on
when the high-beam headlamps are
in use.
SeeHeadlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer on page 3-7for more
information.
Low Washer Fluid
Warning Light
The low washer uid warning light
comes on when the windshield
washer uid is low. SeeWindshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-24for
more information.
Fuel Gage
When the ignition is on, the fuel
gage shows about how much fuel is
in the fuel tank.
An arrow on the fuel gage indicates
the side of the vehicle the fuel
door is on.
When the indicator nears empty, the
low fuel light comes on. There still
is a little fuel left, but the fuel
tank should be refueled soon. See
Low Fuel Warning Light on
page 3-34for more information.
Four things that can happen but do
not mean the fuel gage is not
functioning properly are:
At the service station, the fuel
pump shuts off before the
gage reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel
to ll up than the fuel gage
indicates.
The gage moves a little while
turning a corner or accelerating.
The gage takes a few seconds to
stabilize after the ignition is
turned on, and goes back
to empty after the ignition is
turned off.
For the fuel tank capacity, see
Capacities and Specifications on
page 5-81.
Low Fuel Warning Light
The low fuel warning light, below
the fuel gage, comes on brie y when
the engine is started.
United StatesCanada
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Driver Information
Center (DIC)
Your vehicle has a Driver
Information Center (DIC).
All information appears in the DIC
display located in the instrument
panel cluster.
The DIC comes on when the
ignition is on. After a short delay,
the DIC displays the information that
was last displayed before the
engine was turned off.
The DIC displays trip, fuel, and
vehicle system information, and
warning messages if a system
problem is detected.
The DIC also displays the compass
direction, outside air temperature,
and shift position indicator at the top
of the DIC display. If there is a
problem with the system that controls
the temperature display, the
numbers will be replaced with
dashes. If this occurs, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer/retailer. If an abnormal temperature
reading is displayed for an
extended period of time, consult
your dealer/retailer. Under certain
circumstances, especially when the
engine is idling, a delay updating the
temperature display is normal.
SeeDIC Compass on page 3-40
andAutomatic Transmission
Operation on page 2-20for more
information.
DIC Operation and
Displays
The DIC has different displays
which can be accessed by pressing
the DIC buttons located on the
instrument panel, below the
headlamp switch.
The DIC displays trip, fuel, and
vehicle system information, and
warning messages if a system
problem is detected.The DIC also allows some features
to be customized. SeeDIC Vehicle
Customization on page 3-49for more
information.
DIC Buttons
The buttons are the trip/fuel, vehicle
information, customization, and
set/reset buttons. The button
functions are detailed in the
following pages.
3(Trip/Fuel):Press this button
to display the odometer, trip
odometer, fuel range, average
economy, and instantaneous
economy. The compass and outside
temperature will also be shown in
the display. The temperature will be
shown in °F or °C depending on
the units selected.
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To change customization
preferences, use the following
procedure.
Entering the Feature
Settings Menu
1. Turn the ignition on and place
the vehicle in P (Park).
To avoid excessive drain on the
battery, it is recommended that
the headlamps are turned off.
2. Press the customization button to
scroll through the available
customizable options.
Feature Settings Menu Items
The following are customization
features that allow you to program
settings to the vehicle:
DISPLAY IN ENGLISH
This feature will only display if a
language other than English
has been set. This feature allows
you to change the language in which
the DIC messages appear to
English.Press the customization button until
the PRESS
VTO DISPLAY IN
ENGLISH screen appears on the
DIC display. Press the set/reset
button once to display all DIC
messages in English.
DISPLAY LANGUAGE
This feature allows you to select the
language in which the DIC
messages will appear.
Press the customization button until
the PRESS
VTO SET DISPLAY
LANGUAGE screen appears on the
DIC display. Press the set/reset
button once to access the settings
for this feature. Then press the
customization button to scroll
through the following settings:
ENGLISH (default):All messages
will appear in English.
FRANCAIS:All messages will
appear in French.
ESPANOL:All messages will
appear in Spanish.NO CHANGE:No change will be
made to this feature. The current
setting will remain.
To select a setting, press the
set/reset button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
AUTO DOOR LOCK
This feature allows you to select
when the vehicle’s doors will
automatically lock. SeeAutomatic
Door Lock on page 2-7for more
information.
Press the customization button until
PRESS
VTO SET AUTO DOOR
LOCK appears on the DIC display.
Press the set/reset button once
to access the settings for this
feature. Then press the
customization button to scroll
through the following settings:
SHIFT OUT OF PARK (default):
The doors will automatically
lock when the vehicle is shifted out
of P (Park).
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If the vehicle starts to slide, ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal
and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering
quickly enough, the vehicle may
straighten out. Always be ready for
a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when
water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is on the road. For safety,
slow down and adjust your driving to
these conditions. It is important to
slow down on slippery surfaces
because stopping distance will be
longer and vehicle control more
limited.
While driving on a surface with
reduced traction, try your best to
avoid sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including reducing vehicle
speed by shifting to a lower gear.
Any sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide. You may not realize
the surface is slippery until thevehicle is skidding. Learn to
recognize warning clues — such as
enough water, ice, or packed snow
on the road to make a mirrored
surface — and slow down when
you have any doubt.
Remember: Any Antilock Brake
System (ABS) helps avoid only
the braking skid.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than
day driving because some drivers
are likely to be impaired — by alcohol
or drugs, with night vision problems,
or by fatigue.
Night driving tips include:
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Reduce headlamp glare
by adjusting the inside
rearview mirror.
Slow down and keep more space
between you and other vehicles
because headlamps can only
light up so much road ahead.
Watch for animals.
When tired, pull off the road.
Do not wear sunglasses.
Avoid staring directly into
approaching headlamps.
Keep the windshield and all glass
on your vehicle clean — inside
and out.
Keep your eyes moving,
especially during turns or curves.
No one can see as well at night as
in the daytime. But, as we get
older, these differences increase.
A 50-year-old driver might need
at least twice as much light to see
the same thing at night as a
20-year-old.
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Repeat this until help arrives but only
when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. Moving about to keep
warm also helps.
If it takes some time for help to
arrive, now and then when you run
the engine, push the accelerator
pedal slightly so the engine runs
faster than the idle speed. This
keeps the battery charged to restart
the vehicle and to signal for help with
the headlamps. Do this as little as
possible to save fuel.
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in
Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
SeeRocking Your Vehicle to
Get It Out on page 4-17.If the vehicle has a traction system, it
can often help to free a stuck vehicle.
Refer to the vehicle’s traction system
in the Index. If stuck too severely for
the traction system to free the
vehicle, turn the traction system off
and use the rocking method.
{CAUTION
If you let your vehicle’s tires spin at
high speed, they can explode, and
you or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment re or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going above
35 mph (55 km/h) as shown on the
speedometer.
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, seeTire
Chains on page 5-57.
Rocking Your Vehicle to
Get It Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around
the front wheels. Turn off any
traction system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a
forward gear, spinning the wheels
as little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until
the wheels stop spinning before
shifting gears. Release the
accelerator pedal while shifting, and
press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the transmission is in
gear. Slowly spinning the wheels in
the forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that
could free the vehicle. If that does
not get the vehicle out after a
few tries, it might need to be towed
out. If the vehicle does need to
be towed out, seeTowing Your
Vehicle on page 4-22.
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