Page 90 of 466
WARNING!
Driving a vehicle with the head restraints removed or
improperly adjusted could cause serious injury or
death in the event of a collision. The head restraints
should always be checked prior to operating the
vehicle and never adjusted while the vehicle is in
motion. Always adjust the head restraints when the
vehicle is in PARK.
Front Heated Seats — If Equipped
The front driver and passenger seats are heated. The
controls for each heater are located near the bottom
center of the instrument panel (below the heater/air
conditioning controls). The heaters provide the same
average heat level for both the cushion and the seatback.
After turning the ignition ON, you can choose from High,
Low or Off heat settings. Amber indicator lights in each
Adjustable Head Restraints
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 89
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switch indicate the level of heat in use. Two indicator
lights will illuminate for High, one for Low and none for
Off.Press the switch once to select High-level heat-
ing. Press the switch a second time to select
Low-level heating. Press the switch a third time
to shut the heating elements Off.
When the High-level setting is selected, the heater will
provide a boosted heat level during the first four minutes
of operation. Then, the heat output will drop to the
normal High-level. If the High-level setting is selected,
the system will automatically switch to Low-level after
approximately 30 minutes of continuous operation. At
that time, the number of illuminated LEDs changes from
two to one, indicating the change. The Low-level setting
will turn Off automatically after approximately 30 min-
utes. NOTE:
Once a heat setting is selected, heat will be felt
within two to five minutes.
WARNING!
•Persons who are unable to feel pain to the skin
because of advanced age, chronic illness, diabetes,
spinal cord injury, medication, alcohol use, ex-
haustion or other physical condition must exercise
care when using the seat heater. It may cause burns
even at low temperatures, especially if used for
long periods of time.
•Do not place anything on the seat that insulates
against heat, such as a blanket or cushion. This
may cause the seat heater to overheat. Sitting in a
seat that has been overheated could cause serious
burns due to the increased surface temperature of
the seat.
90 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
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Press the switch once to select High-level heat-
ing. Press the switch a second time to select
Low-level heating. Press the switch a third time
to shut the heating elements Off.
When the High-level setting is selected, the heater will
provide a boosted heat level during the first four minutes
of operation. Then, the heat output will drop to the
normal High-level. If the High-level setting is selected,
the system will automatically switch to Low-level after
approximately 30 minutes of continuous operation. At
that time, the number of illuminated LEDs changes from
two to one, indicating the change. The Low-level setting
will turn Off automatically after approximately 30 min-
utes.
NOTE: Once a heat setting is selected, heat will be felt
within two to five minutes.WARNING!
•Persons who are unable to feel pain to the skin
because of advanced age, chronic illness, diabetes,
spinal cord injury, medication, alcohol use, ex-
haustion or other physical condition must exercise
care when using the seat heater. It may cause burns
even at low temperatures, especially if used for
long periods of time.
•Do not place anything on the seat that insulates
against heat, such as a blanket or cushion. This
may cause the seat heater to overheat. Sitting in a
seat that has been overheated could cause serious
burns due to the increased surface temperature of
the seat.
92 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
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STARTING AND OPERATING
CONTENTS
Starting Procedures .................... 240
▫ Normal Starting ..................... 240
▫ Extreme Cold Weather
(Below 20°F Or 29°C)............... 241
▫ If Engine Fails To Start ................ 241
▫ After Starting ....................... 242
Engine Block Heater — If Equipped ........ 242
Automatic Transmission ................. 243
▫ Key Ignition Park Interlock ............. 243▫
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System . . 244
▫ Brake/Transmission Interlock Manual
Override .......................... 244
▫ Five–Speed Automatic Transmission ....... 245
▫ Gear Ranges ........................ 245
▫ Rocking The Vehicle .................. 252
Four-Wheel Drive Operation ............. 253
▫ Quadra-Trac I Operating Instructions/
Precautions – If Equipped .............. 253
5
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Extreme Cold Weather (Below20°F or29°C)
To ensure reliable starting at these temperatures, use of
an externally powered electric engine block heater (avail-
able from your authorized dealer) is recommended.
If Engine Fails to Start
WARNING!
•Never pour fuel or other flammable liquids into
the throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to
start the vehicle. This could result in a flash fire
causing serious personal injury.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get
it started. Vehicles equipped with an automatic
transmission cannot be started this way. Unburned
fuel could enter the catalytic converter and, once
the engine has started, ignite and damage the
converter and vehicle. If the vehicle has a dis-
charged battery, booster cables may be used to
obtain a start from a booster battery or the battery
in another vehicle. This type of start can be dan-
gerous if done improperly. Refer to “Jump Start-
ing” in “What To Do In Emergencies” for further
information.
If the engine fails to start after you have followed the
“Normal Starting” or “Extreme Cold Weather” proce-
dures, it may be flooded. To clear any excess fuel, push
the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and hold it.
Then, turn the ignition switch to the START position and
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 241
Page 243 of 466

release it as soon as the starter engages. The starter motor
will disengage automatically in 10 seconds. Once this
occurs, release the accelerator pedal, turn the ignition
switch to the LOCK position, wait 10 to 15 seconds, then
repeat the “Normal Starting” procedure.
CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter, wait 10 to 15 sec-
onds before trying again.
After Starting
The idle speed is controlled automatically, and it will
decrease as the engine warms up.
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED
The engine block heater warms the engine, and permits
quicker starts in cold weather. Connect the heater cord to
a ground-fault interrupter protected 110-115 Volt ACelectrical outlet with a grounded, three-wire extension
cord.
Use the heater when temperatures below 0°F (-18°C) are
expected to last for several days.
The block heater must be plugged in at least one hour to
have an adequate warming effect on the coolant.
The engine block heater cord is located:
•3.7L Engine — coiled and strapped to the engine oil
dipstick tube.
•5.7L Engine — bundled and fastened to the injector
harness.
WARNING!
Remember to disconnect the cord before driving.
Damage to the 110-115 Volt AC electrical cord could
cause electrocution.
242 STARTING AND OPERATING
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CAUTION!
Driving with a hot cooling system could damage
your vehicle. If the temperature gauge reads HOT
(H), pull over and stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle
with the air conditioner turned off until the pointer
drops back into the normal range. If the pointer
remains on HOT (H), and you hear continuous
chimes, turn the engine off immediately and call for
service.
NOTE: There are steps that you can take to slow down
an impending overheat condition:
•If your air conditioner (A/C) is on, turn it off. The A/C
system adds heat to the engine cooling system and
turning the A/C off can help remove this heat.
•You can also turn the temperature control to maximum
heat, the mode control to floor and the blower control
to high. This allows the heater core to act as a
supplement to the radiator and aids in removing heat
from the engine cooling system.
WARNING!
You or others can be badly burned by hot engine
coolant (antifreeze) or steam from your radiator. If
you see or hear steam coming from under the hood,
do not open the hood until the radiator has had time
to cool. Never try to open a cooling system pressure
cap when the radiator or coolant bottle is hot.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 347
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Preparations for Jump-Start
The battery in your vehicle is located in the front of the
engine compartment, behind the left headlight assembly.WARNING!
•Take care to avoid the radiator cooling fan when-
ever the hood is raised. It can start anytime the
ignition switch is on. You can be injured by
moving fan blades.
•Remove any metal jewelry such as watch bands or
bracelets that might make an inadvertent electrical
contact. You could be seriously injured.
•Batteries contain sulfuric acid that can burn your
skin or eyes and generate hydrogen gas which is
flammable and explosive. Keep open flames or
sparks away from the battery.
1. Set the parking brake, shift the automatic transmission
into PARK and turn the ignition to LOCK.
2. Turn off the heater, radio, and all unnecessary electri-
cal accessories.
Positive Battery Post
356 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES