5-14 Instruments and Controls
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local
governments have or might begin
programs to inspect the emission
control equipment on the vehicle.
Failure to pass this inspection
could prevent getting a vehicle
registration.
Here are some things to know to
help the vehicle pass an inspection:
.The vehicle will not pass this
inspection if the check engine
light is on with the engine
running, or if the key is in
ON/RUN and the light is not on.
.The vehicle will not pass
this inspection if the OBD II
(on-board diagnostic) system
determines that critical emission
control systems have not been
completely diagnosed by the
system. The vehicle would
be considered not ready for
inspection. This can happen ifthe battery has recently been
replaced or if the battery has run
down. The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical
emission control systems during
normal driving. This can take
several days of routine driving.
If this has been done and the
vehicle still does not pass the
inspection for lack of OBD II
system readiness, your dealer
can prepare the vehicle for
inspection.
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle's hydraulic brake
system is divided into two parts.
If one part is not working, the other
part can still work and stop the
vehicle. For good braking though,
both parts need to be working well.
If the warning light comes on, there
could be a brake problem. Have the
brake system inspected right away.
United StatesCanada
This light comes on briefly when the
ignition key is turned to ON/RUN.
If it does not, have it fixed so it will
be ready to warn if there is a
problem.
When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light comes on
when the parking brake is set.
See Parking Brake
on page 9‑51for more information. The light stays
on if the parking brake does not
release fully. If it stays on after the
parking brake is fully released, it
means there is a brake problem.
Instruments and Controls 5-17
Engine Oil Pressure Light
{WARNING
Do not keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. The engine can
become so hot that it catches fire.
Someone could be burned. Check
the oil as soon as possible and
have the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Lack of proper engine
oil maintenance can damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always follow the maintenance
schedule in this manual for
changing engine oil.
The oil pressure light should come
on briefly as the engine is started.
If it does not come on have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the light comes on and stays on, it
means that oil is not flowing through
the engine properly. The vehicle
could be low on oil and might
have some other system problem.
See your dealer.
Security Light
This light flashes when the security
system is activated.
For more information, see Anti-Theft
Alarm System on page 2‑9.
High-Beam on Light
The high-beam on light comes on
when the high-beam headlamps are
in use.
See Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
on page 6‑3for more
information.
Instruments and Controls 5-23
Engine Cooling System
Messages
AC (Air Conditioning) OFF
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is too
high and the air conditioning in
the vehicle needs to be turned off.
SeeEngine Overheating
on
page 10‑22and Climate Control
Systemson page 8‑1for more
information. This message displays
along with the ENG HOT message.
ENG (Engine) HOT
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is
hot. Check the engine coolant
temperature gauge. See Engine
Coolant Temperature Gauge
on
page 5‑9. Have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer as soon
as possible if you suspect the
engine is overheating. See Engine
Overheating
on page 10‑22for more
information.
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE OIL
This message displays when the
oil needs to be changed. Check
the oil in the vehicle as soon as
possible and have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. See Engine
Oil
on page 10‑9and Scheduled
Maintenanceon page 11‑2for
more information. Press and release
the reset stem to acknowledge the
message and clear it from the
display.
OIL
This message displays when the oil
pressure is low. See Engine Oil
Pressure Light
on page 5‑17and
Engine Oilon page 10‑9for more
information.
Engine Power Messages
REDUCED POWER
This message displays when the
vehicle's engine power is reduced.
Reduced engine power can affect
the vehicle's ability to accelerate.
If this message is on, but there
is no reduction in performance,
proceed to your destination.
The performance may be reduced
the next time the vehicle is driven.
The vehicle may be driven at a
reduced speed while this message
is on, but acceleration and speed
may be reduced. Anytime this
message stays on, the vehicle
should be taken to your dealer
for service as soon as possible.
Press and release the reset stem
to acknowledge the message and
clear it from the display.
5-24 Instruments and Controls
Fuel System Messages
FUEL CAP
This message displays if the
vehicle's fuel cap is either off or
loose. Pull over as soon as possible
and check to see if the fuel cap is
secure. You may also see the check
engine light on the instrument panel
cluster. If the check engine light
does come on when the fuel cap
was loose, it may take a few driving
trips before the light turns off.
SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp
on
page 5‑12for more information if
the light still remains on. Press
and release the reset stem to
acknowledge the message and
clear it from the display.
LOW FUEL
This message displays if the level of
fuel in the vehicle is low. Also check
the fuel gauge. See Fuel Gauge
on
page 5‑8for more information.
Refill the fuel tank as soon as
possible.
Lamp Messages
TURN SIGNAL
This message displays when the
turn signal is on for about 1.2 km
(0.75 miles) of travel. Press
and release the reset stem to
acknowledge the message and
clear it from the display.
Ride Control System
Messages
SERVICE STAB (Stability)
SYS (System)
This message displays if there is
a problem with the StabiliTrak®
system. Have the vehicle serviced
by your dealer. See StabiliTrak
System
on page 9‑53for more
information.
STAB (Stability)
SYS (System) OFF
This message displays when the
StabiliTrak®system is turned off.
See StabiliTrak Systemon
page 9‑53for more information.
TRAC (Traction) OFF
This message along with the
traction off light displays when the
Traction Control System (TCS) is
turned off by pressing the TCS
button. See Traction Control System
(TCS)
on page 9‑52and Traction
Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak®
Lighton page 5‑16for more
information.
Driving and Operating 9-21
Driving in Water
{WARNING
Driving through rushing water can
be dangerous. Deep water can
sweep your vehicle downstream
and you and your passengers
could drown. If it is only shallow
water, it can still wash away the
ground from under your tires, and
you could lose traction and roll
the vehicle over. Do not drive
through rushing water.
Heavy rain can mean flash flooding,
and flood waters demand extreme
caution. Find out how deep the water is
before driving through it. Do not
try it if it is deep enough to cover
the wheel hubs, axles, or exhaust
pipe
—you probably will not get
through. Deep water can damage
the axle and other vehicle parts.
The vehicle is capable of depths up
to 50 cm (20 inches). Know how to
judge whether the water is deeper
than this before proceeding into it.
If the water is not too deep, drive
slowly through it. At faster speeds,
water splashes on the ignition
system and the vehicle can stall.
Stalling can also occur if you get the
tailpipe under water. If the tailpipe is
under water, you will never be able
to start the engine. When going
through water, remember that when
the brakes get wet, it might take
longer to stop. See Driving on Wet
Roads on page 9‑22.
After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that
has collected on the underbody,
chassis, or under the hood. These
accumulations can be a fire hazard.
After operation in mud or sand,
have the brake linings cleaned and
checked. These substances can
cause glazing and uneven braking.
Check the engine and oil coolers
for mud accumulation. Thoroughly
and carefully clean these devices
to allow proper cooling. Check
the body structure, steering,
suspension, wheels, tires, and
exhaust system for damage and
check the fuel lines and cooling
system for any leakage.
The vehicle requires more frequent
service due to off-road use. Refer
to the Maintenance Schedule for
additional information.
Driving and Operating 9-23
Other driving tips include:
.Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
.Keep interior temperature cool.
.Keep your eyes moving—scan
the road ahead and to the sides.
.Check the rearview mirror and
vehicle instruments often.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for
driving in these conditions include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
.Going down steep or long hills,
shift to a lower gear.
{WARNING
If you do not shift down, the
brakes could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would
then have poor braking or even
none going down a hill. You could
crash. Shift down to let the engine
assist the brakes on a steep
downhill slope.
{WARNING
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. The brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down
and they could get so hot that
they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or
even none going down a hill. You
could crash. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle in
gear when going downhill.
.Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your
own lane.
.Top of hills: Be alert —
something could be in your
lane (stalled car, accident).
.Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
Driving and Operating 9-25
WARNING (Continued)
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
.Clear away snow from around
the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking
the exhaust pipe.
.Check again from time to
time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
.Open a window about 5 cm
(two inches) on the side of
the vehicle that is away from
the wind to bring in fresh air.
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
.Adjust the Climate Control
system to a setting that
circulates the air inside the
vehicle and set the fan speed
to the highest setting. See
Climate Control System in the
Index.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑40.
Snow can trap exhaust gases
under your vehicle. This can
cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside.
CO could overcome you and kill
you. You cannot see it or smell it,
so you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking the
exhaust.
Run the engine for short periods
only as needed to keep warm, but
be careful. To save fuel, run the engine for only
short periods as needed to warm
the vehicle and then shut the engine
off and close the window most of
the way to save heat. 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.
9-36 Driving and Operating
To prevent gear damage, this
system also prevents cranking if
the engine is already running.
Engine cranking can be stopped
by turning the ignition switch to
ACC/ACCESSORY or
LOCK/OFF.
Notice: Cranking the engine for
long periods of time, by returning
the key to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start
after 5‐10 seconds, especially
in very cold weather (below 0°F
or−18°C), it could be flooded
with too much gasoline. Push
the accelerator pedal all the way
to the floor and holding it there
as you hold the key in START
for a maximum of 15 seconds. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to allow the
cranking motor to cool. When
the engine starts, let go of the
key and accelerator. If the
vehicle starts briefly but then
stops again, repeat the
procedure. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine. Do not
race the engine immediately
after starting it. Operate the
engine and transmission gently
until the oil warms up and
lubricates all moving parts.
Notice: The engine is designed to
work with the electronics in the
vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could
change the way the engine
operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your
dealer. If you do not, the engine
might not perform properly. Any
resulting damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.Engine Coolant Heater
The engine coolant heater can
provide easier starting and better
fuel economy during engine
warm-up in cold weather conditions
at or below −18°C (0°F). Vehicles
with an engine coolant heater
should be plugged in at least
four hours before starting. An
internal thermostat in the plug-end
of the cord may exist which will
prevent engine coolant heater
operation at temperatures
above −18°C (0° F).
To Use the Engine Coolant
Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap
the electrical cord. The cord
is located in the engine
compartment behind the
underhood fuse block on the
driver side of the vehicle.