Driving and Operating 9-19
.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
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
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.
ProCarManuals.com
9-56 Driving and Operating
Leaving After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply and hold the brake pedalwhile you:
.Start the engine.
.Shift into a gear.
.Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer
Towing
The vehicle needs service more
often when pulling a trailer. See this
manual's Maintenance Schedule or
Index for more information. Things
that are especially important in
trailer operation are automatic transmission fluid, engine oil, axle
lubricant, belts, cooling system and
brake system. Inspect these before
and during the trip.
Check periodically to see that all
hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer
Towing
The cooling system may temporarily
overheat during severe operating
conditions. See
Engine Overheating
on page 10‑20.
Trailer Towing
Three important considerations
have to do with weight:
.The weight of the trailer
.The weight of the trailer tongue
.The total weight on the vehicle's
tires
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
Speed, altitude, road grades,
outside temperature, special
equipment, and the amount of
tongue weight the vehicle can carry
must be considered. See “Weight of
the Trailer Tongue” later in this
section for more information.
Maximum trailer weight is calculated
assuming only the driver is in the
tow vehicle and it has all the
required trailering equipment. The
weight of additional optional
equipment, passengers and cargo in
the tow vehicle must be subtracted
from the maximum trailer weight.
ProCarManuals.com
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-8
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-10
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-12
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-20
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-21
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22 Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-27
Automatic Transmission
Shift Lock Control System
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-29
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Front Turn Signal andParking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, andBack-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-36
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-44
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-50
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . 10-52
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-57
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-57
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
ProCarManuals.com
10-6 Vehicle Care
Engine Compartment Overview
2.4L L4 Engine
A. SeeEngine Air Cleaner/Filteron
page 10‑12.
B. Electric Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling
System
on page 10‑14. C. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of
View). See “Checking Engine
Oil” under Engine Oil
on
page 10‑8. D. Engine Oil Fill Cap (Out of
View). See “When to Add
Engine Oil” underEngine Oil
on
page 10‑8.
E. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brakes on page 10‑23.
F. Engine Coolant Surge Tank. See “Checking Coolant” under
Engine Coolant on page 10‑15.
G. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. See Jump Starting
on
page 10‑74.
H. See Engine Compartment Fuse
Block on page 10‑38.
I. See Battery on page 10‑25.
J. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” under Washer Fluid
on
page 10‑22.
ProCarManuals.com
Vehicle Care 10-7
3.5L V6 Engine (3.6L V6 Engine similar)
A. SeeEngine Air Cleaner/Filteron
page 10‑12.
B. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir (Out of View). See Power
Steering Fluid
on page 10‑21. C. Electric Engine Cooling Fan
(Out of View). See Cooling
System
on page 10‑14.
D. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When
to Add Engine Oil” underEngine
Oil on page 10‑8. E. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of
View). See “Checking Engine
Oil” under Engine Oil
on
page 10‑8.
F. Automatic Transmission Fluid Dipstick (Out of View). See
“Checking the Fluid Level” under
Automatic Transmission Fluid
on
page 10‑12.
G. Brake Fluid Reservoir (Out of View). See Brakes
on
page 10‑23.
H. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank. See Cooling System
on
page 10‑14.
I. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. See Jump Starting
on
page 10‑74.
J. See Engine Compartment Fuse
Block on page 10‑38.
K. See Battery on page 10‑25.
L. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” under Washer Fluid
on
page 10‑22.
ProCarManuals.com
10-14 Vehicle Care
Cooling System
When it is safe to lift the hood:
2.4L L4 Engine shown, 3.5L V6 and3.6L V6 Engines similar
A. Electric Engine Fan
B. Coolant Surge Tank
C. Pressure Cap
{WARNING
An electric engine cooling fan
under the hood can start up even
when the engine is not running
and can cause injury. Keep
hands, clothing, and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant
surge tank is hot, do not do anything
else until it cools down. The vehicle
should be parked on a level surface.
The coolant level should be
between the MIN and MAX lines.
If it is not, you may have a leak at
the radiator hoses, heater hoses,
radiator, water pump, or somewhere
else in the cooling system.
{WARNING
Heater and radiator hoses, and
other engine parts, can be very
hot. Do not touch them. If you do,
you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there is a
leak. If you run the engine, it
could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you
could be burned. Get any leak
fixed before you drive the vehicle.
If there seems to be no leak, with
the engine on, check to see if the
electric engine cooling fan is
running. If the engine is
overheating, the fan should be
running. If it is not, your vehicle
needs service. Turn off the engine.
ProCarManuals.com
Vehicle Care 10-15
Notice:Engine damage from
running the engine without
coolant is not covered by the
warranty.
Notice: Using coolant other than
DEX-COOL
®can cause premature
engine, heater core, or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the
engine coolant could require
changing sooner, at 50 000 km
(30,000 miles) or 24 months,
whichever occurs first.
Any repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always use DEX-COOL
®
(silicate-free) coolant in the
vehicle.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle
is filled with DEX-COOL®engine
coolant. This coolant is designed to
remain in your vehicle for five years
or 240 000 km (150,000 miles),
whichever occurs first, if you add
only DEX-COOL
®extended life
coolant.
The following explains your cooling
system and how to add coolant
when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, see Engine
Overheating on page 10‑20.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL
®coolant will:
.Give freezing protection down
to −37°C (−34°F).
.Give boiling protection up to
129°C (265°F).
.Protect against rust and
corrosion.
.Help keep the proper engine
temperature.
.Let the warning lights and gages
work as they should.
Notice: Using coolant other than
DEX‐COOL
®can cause premature
engine, heater core, or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine
coolant may require changing
sooner, at the first maintenance
service after each 30,000 miles
(50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs first. Any
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Always use
DEX‐COOL
®(silicate‐free) coolant
in the vehicle.
ProCarManuals.com
10-16 Vehicle Care
What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean,
drinkable water and one-half
DEX-COOL
®coolant which will not
damage aluminum parts. If you use
this coolant mixture, you do not
need to add anything else.
{WARNING
Adding only plain water to the
cooling system can be
dangerous. Plain water, or some
other liquid such as alcohol, can
boil before the proper coolant
mixture will. The vehicle's coolant
warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain
water or the wrong mixture, the
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
engine could get too hot but you
would not get the overheat
warning. The engine could catch
fire and you or others could be
burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of
clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
®coolant.
Notice: If an improper coolant
mixture is used, the engine could
overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Too much water in the mixture
can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core,
and other parts. If you have to add coolant more
than four times a year, have your
dealer/retailer check your cooling
system.
Notice:
If extra inhibitors and/or
additives are used in the vehicle's
cooling system, the vehicle
could be damaged. Use only the
proper mixture of the engine
coolant listed in this manual
for the cooling system.
See Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants
on page 11‑7for
more information.
ProCarManuals.com