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Vehicle care and maintenance
7-5
7
Support the engine hood with the hood prop. Insert the hood
prop securely in the opening under the hood marked with an
arrow.
To closeUnlatch the prop from the engine hood and put it back in its
retainer.
Slowly lower the engine hood about 12 inches (30 cm), then let
it drop from its own weight.NOTE
If this does not close the engine hood properly, drop it
again from a slightly higher position.
Do not push down strongly on the engine hood. Depend-
ing on how strongly or where you push down, you could
create a dent in the vehicle body.
CAUTION
!
Always insert the support prop into the hole spe-
cially made for it. Propping the engine hood at any
other place could cause the prop to slip out and lead
to an accident.
The hood prop can fall out if the hood is lifted by a
strong wind.
BK0115300US.book 5 ページ 2009年7月16日 木曜日 午前9時13分
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7-6 Vehicle care and maintenance
7
Type 1 Type 2
CAUTION
!
Be careful not to trap your hands or fingers when
closing the engine hood.
Make sure the engine hood is firmly closed before
driving.
If you drive without the engine hood completely
closed, it could open up while driving. The warning
display will be displayed on the information screen
on the multi-information display.
BK0115300US.book 6 ページ 2009年7月16日 木曜日 午前9時13分
Page 637 of 714

7-40 Vehicle care and maintenance
7
Exhaust system
N00942200094
The best way to keep carbon monoxide gas from entering
inside your vehicle is to have the engine exhaust system prop-
erly serviced.
Have a competent mechanic inspect the complete exhaust sys-
tem and nearby body areas for broken, damaged, deteriorated,
or mispositioned parts if you notice any of the following:
A change in the sound of the exhaust system
The smell of exhaust fumes inside the vehicle
The underside or rear of the vehicle is damaged
Also check the exhaust system each time the vehicle is raised
for lubrication, oil changes, or required service. Any open
seams or loose connections could let dangerous exhaust fumes
seep into the luggage compartment and passenger compart-
ments.
Check for any of the following conditions:
Check for holes or exhaust gas leaks caused by corrosion
or damage.
Check the joints and connections for looseness or exhaust
gas leaks.
Check the rubber hangers and brackets for damage.
Timing belt
N00942300079
The timing belt should be replaced with a new one at the mile-
age listed in the “WARRANTY AND MAINTENANCE
MANUAL”.Hood lock release mechanism and safety catch
N00942500101
The hood lock release mechanism and hood safety catch should
be checked, cleaned, and oiled when needed for easy move-
ment and to stop rust and wear. Use Multipurpose Grease
NLGI Grade 2 sparingly for all sliding parts of the hood latch
and release lever. Work the grease into the hood lock mecha-
nism until all the movable surfaces are covered.
Also, put a light coat of the same grease on the safety catch
wherever moving parts touch.
WA R N I N G
!
Carbon monoxide gas from your vehicle’s exhaust is
poisonous. Breathing these fumes can cause uncon-
sciousness or death.
BK0115300US.book 40 ページ 2009年7月16日 木曜日 午前9時13分
Page 681 of 714

7-84 Vehicle care and maintenance
7
During cold weatherSalt and other chemicals spread on winter roads in some geo-
graphical areas can have a detrimental effect on the vehicle
underbody. You should flush the underbody with a high pres-
sure hose every time you wash the outside of your vehicle.
Take special care to remove mud or other debris which could
trap and hold salt and moisture.
After washing your vehicle, wipe off all waterdrops from the
rubber parts around the doors to prevent the doors from freez-
ing.
NOTE
When the door is frozen, opening it by force may tear off
or crack the rubber gasket installed around the door. Pour
warm water to melt the ice. Be sure to thoroughly wipe off
the water after opening the door. To prevent freezing of
the weatherstripping on the doors, hood, etc., treat with
silicone lubricant.
Waxing
N00946000205
Wax your vehicle once or twice a year, or when water does not
bead up on the paint.
Use a soft cloth to put a small amount of wax on the painted
surfaces. After the wax has dried, polish with a dry soft cloth.
Do not wax your vehicle in direct sunlight.
You should wax when the painted surfaces are cool.
Make sure to do the following when using an auto-
matic car wash, with help from either this manual or
the car wash operator, to avoid damaging your vehi-
cle: Fold the outside rearview mirrors.
Remove the antenna.
Tape or remove the rear wiper arm assembly.
If your vehicle is equipped with a rear spoiler or
roof rails, check with the car wash operator before
using the car wash.
If your vehicle is equipped with the rain sensor
wipers, place the wiper switch lever in the “OFF”
position to deactivate the rain sensor.CAUTION
!
CAUTION
!
Waxes containing high abrasive compounds should
not be used. These waxes remove rust and stain
effectively from the paintwork, but are harmful to
the finish of the paint, because they also remove
paint/clearcoat.
They are also harmful to other glossy surfaces such
as the grille, trim, moldings, etc.
Do not use gasoline, benzine, kerosene or paint thin-
ners to remove road tar or other dirt from the vehi-
cle surface.
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Page 700 of 714
Specifications
9-9
9 Engine specifications
N01147700396
Item
2.4 liter
3.0 liter
Engine model 4B12 6B31Engine displacement 144.0 CID (2,360 cm³) 182.9 CID (2,998 cm³)No. of cylinders and cylinder arrangement 4 in line 6-V60°Bore 3.46 in (88.0 mm) 3.45 in (87.6 mm)Stroke 3.82 in (97.0 mm) 3.26 in (82.9 mm)Compression ratio 10.5Thermostat valve opening temperature 179.6 °F (82.0 °C)Spark plugs
NGK FR5EI ILKR7B8DENSO K16PSR-B8 SXU22HDR8
Spark plug gap .028 to .031 in (0.7 to 0.8 mm)Firing order 1-3-4-2 1-2-3-4-5-6Ignition timing, idle speed, mixture Refer to the “Vehicle emission control information” label under the engine hood
BK0115300US.book 9 ページ 2009年7月16日 木曜日 午前9時13分