Maintenance
14
7
Manual transaxle fluid
(if equipped)
Inspect the manual transaxle fluid
according to the maintenance schedule.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
If the oil level is low, check for possible
leaks before adding oil. Do not overfill.
Automatic transaxle fluid
(if equipped)
The fluid level should be in the "HOT"
range of the dipstick, after the engine
and transaxle are at normal operating
temperature. Check the automatic
transaxle fluid level with the engine run-
ning and the transaxle in neutral, with the
parking brake properly applied.
Brake hoses and lines
Visually check for proper installation,
chafing, cracks, deterioration and any
leakage. Replace any deteriorated or
damaged parts immediately.
Brake fluid
Check brake fluid level in the brake fluid
reservoir. The level should be between
“MIN” and “MAX” marks on the side of
the reservoir. Use only hydraulic brake
fluid conforming to DOT 3 or DOT 4
specification.
Rear disc brake / linings, parking
brake
Check the rear disc brake and linings for
scoring, burning, leaking fluid, broken
parts, and excessive wear. Inspect the
parking brake system including the park-
ing brake lever and cables.
Brake pads, calipers and rotors
Check the pads for excessive wear, discs
for run out and wear, and calipers for fluid
leakage.
Exhaust pipe and muffler
Visually inspect the exhaust pipes, muf-
fler and hangers for cracks, deterioration,
or damage. Start the engine and listen
carefully for any exhaust gas leakage.
Tighten connections or replace parts as
necessary.
Suspension mounting bolts
Check the suspension connections for
looseness or damage. Retighten to the
specified torque.
Steering gear box, linkage &
boots/lower arm ball joint
With the vehicle stopped and engine off,
check for excessive free-play in the
steering wheel.
Check the linkage for bends or damage.
Check the dust boots and ball joints for
deterioration, cracks, or damage.
Replace any damaged parts.
Drive shafts and boots
Check the drive shafts, boots and clamps
for cracks, deterioration, or damage.
Replace any damaged parts and, if nec-
essary, repack the grease.
Air conditioning refrigerant
(if equipped)
Check the air conditioning lines and con-
nections for leakage and damage.
Maintenance
36
7
Wheel alignment and tire balance
The wheels on your vehicle were
aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to
have your wheels aligned again.
However, if you notice unusual tire
wear or your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the alignment may need
to be reset.
If you notice your vehicle vibrating
when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced. Tire replacement
If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear
indicator will appear as a solid band
across the tread. This shows there is
less than 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of tread
left on the tire. Replace the tire when
this happens.
Do not wait for the band to appear
across the entire tread before replac-
ing the tire.
1LDA5026
Tread wear indicator
CAUTION
Improper wheel weights can
damage your vehicle's alu-minum wheels. Use onlyapproved wheel weights.
WARNING - Replacing
tires
To reduce the chance or serious
or fatal injuries from an acci-
dent caused by tire failure or
loss of vehicle control:
Replace tires that are worn, show uneven wear, or are
damaged. Worn tires can
cause loss of braking effec-
tiveness, steering control, and
traction.
Do not drive your vehicle with too little or too much pressure
in your tires. This can lead to
uneven wear and tire failure.
When replacing tires, never mix radial and bias-ply tires
on the same car. You must
replace all tires (including the
spare) if moving from radial to
bias-ply tires.
(Continued)
Maintenance
64
7
Interior care
Interior general precautions
Prevent caustic solutions such as per-
fume and cosmetic oil from contacting
the dashboard because they may cause
damage or discoloration. If they do con-
tact the dashboard, wipe them off imme-
diately. See the instructions that follow for
the proper way to clean vinyl.
Cleaning the upholstery and interior
trim
Vinyl
Remove dust and loose dirt from vinyl
with a whisk broom or vacuum cleaner.
Clean vinyl surfaces with a vinyl cleaner.
Fabric
Remove dust and loose dirt from fabric
with a whisk broom or vacuum cleaner.
Clean with a mild soap solution recom-
mended for upholstery or carpets.
Remove fresh spots immediately with a
fabric spot cleaner. If fresh spots do not
receive immediate attention, the fabric
can be stained and its color can be
affected. Also, its fire-resistant properties
can be reduced if the material is not
properly maintained.
Cleaning the lap/shoulder belt web-bing
Clean the belt webbing with any mild
soap solution recommended for cleaning
upholstery or carpet. Follow the instruc-
tions provided with the soap. Do not
bleach or re-dye the webbing because
this may weaken it.
Cleaning the interior window glass
If the interior glass surfaces of the vehi-
cle become fogged (that is, covered with
an oily, greasy or waxy film), they should
be cleaned with glass cleaner. Follow the
directions on the glass cleaner container.CAUTION
Never allow water or other liquids to come in contact withelectrical/electronic componentsinside the vehicle as this may dam-age them.
CAUTION
Using anything but recommendedcleaners and procedures may affect the fabric’s appearance and fire-resistant properties.
CAUTION
Do not scrape or scratch the inside of the rear window. This may resultin damage to the rear windowdefroster grid.CAUTION
When cleaning leather products (steering wheel, seats etc.), useneutral detergents or low alcoholcontent solutions. If you use high alcohol content solutions oracid/alkaline detergents, the color of the leather may fade or the sur-face may get stripped off.
Index
4I
Maintenance services ··················\
··················\
················· 7-3
Manual climate control system ··················\
················· 4-66
Manual transaxle ··················\
··················\
··················\
····· 5-7
Mirrors ················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
··· 4-29
Owner maintenance ··················\
··················\
··················\
· 7-5
Parking brake ··················\
··················\
··················\
········· 7-22
Recommended lubricants and capacities ··················\
····· 8-4
Remote keyless entry ··················\
··················\
················· 4-3
Reporting safety defects ··················\
··················\
············ 8-9
Road warning ··················\
··················\
··················\
··········· 6-2
Scheduled maintenance service ··················\
··················\
· 7-7
Seat ·················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
········· 3-2Armrest ················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
· 3-9
Headrest ················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
3-5 Front seat adjustment ··················\
··················\
············· 3-3
Rear seat adjustment ··················\
··················\
·············· 3-8
Seat warmer ··················\
··················\
··················\
·········· 3-7
Seat belts ··················\
··················\
··················\
················ 3-12 Seat belt precautions ··················\
··················\
············ 3-19
Care of seat belts ··················\
··················\
··················\
3-21
Driver's 3-point system ··················\
··················\
········ 3-14
Passenger's 3-point system ··················\
··················\
··· 3-15
3-point rear center belt ··················\
··················\
········· 3-15
Pre-tensioner belt ··················\
··················\
················· 3-16
Special driving conditions ··················\
··················\
······· 5-32
Starting the engine ··················\
··················\
··················\
··· 5-5
Steering wheel ··················\
··················\
··················\
······· 4-27
Storage compartment ··················\
··················\
··············· 4-85 Center console storage ··················\
··················\
········· 4-86
Glove box ··················\
··················\
··················\
··········· 4-86
Sunglass holder ··················\
··················\
··················\
·· 4-86
Sunroof ················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
·· 4-23
Theft-alarm system ··················\
··················\
··················\
·· 4-6
Tires and wheels ··················\
··················\
··············· 7-32, 8-3
Tires pressure monitoring system (TPMS)··················\
····6-7
Towing ·················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
·· 6-20 Tie-down hook ··················\
··················\
··················\
··· 6-23
Trailer towing ··················\
··················\
··················\
········ 5-39 Hitches ················\
··················\
··················\
··················\
5-40
Safety chains ··················\
··················\
··················\
······ 5-40
Trailer brakes ··················\
··················\
··················\
······ 5-40
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