IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS
• In any of the following situations, you can reduce the potential foroverheating by taking the appropriate action.
• On the highways — slow down.
• In city traffic — while stopped, place the transmission in NEUTRAL, but do not increase engine idle speed.
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.
CAUTION!
Driving with a hot cooling system could damage your vehicle. If the
temperature gauge reads 240°F (116 °C) or greater pull over and stop
the vehicle. Idle the vehicle with the air conditioner turned off until the
pointer drops back into the normal range 200–230°F (93–110°C). If
the pointer remains at 240°F (116°C) or greater and you hear a chime,
turn the engine off immediately and call for service.
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.
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• If frequent jump-starting is required to start your vehicle you should havethe battery and charging system inspected at your authorized dealer.
CAUTION!
• Do not use a portable battery booster pack or any other boostersource with a system voltage greater than 12 Volts or damage to the
battery, starter motor, alternator or electrical system may occur.
• Failure to follow these procedures could result in damage to the charging system of the booster vehicle or the discharged vehicle.
• Accessories that can be plugged into the vehicle power outlets draw power from the vehicle’s battery, even when not in use (i.e.,
cellular phones, etc.). Eventually, if plugged in long enough, the
vehicle’s battery will discharge sufficiently to degrade battery life
and/or prevent the engine from starting.
WARNING!
• When temperatures are below the freezing point, electrolyte in adischarged battery may freeze. Do not attempt jump-starting
because the battery could rupture or explode and cause personal
injury. Battery temperature must be brought above freezing point
before attempting a jump-start.
• Take care to avoid the radiator cooling fan whenever 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 severely
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.
• Do not allow vehicles to touch each other as this could establish a ground connection and personal injury could result.
• Failure to follow this procedure could result in personal injury or property damage due to battery explosion.
• Do not connect the cable to the negative post (-)of the discharged
battery. The resulting electrical spark could cause the battery to
explode and could result in personal injury.
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