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Maintenance 201
General information...................................201
Opening and closing the hood............................202
Under hood overview..................................203
Engine oil dipstick....................................204
Engine oil check......................................204
Engine coolant check..................................205
Automatic transmission fluid check........................210
Brake fluid check.....................................217
Power steering fluid check..............................217
Fuel filter...........................................217
Washer fluid check....................................218
Changing the vehicle battery.............................218
Checking the wiper blades..............................221
Changing the wiper blades..............................221
Air filter(s).........................................221
Adjusting the headlamps................................223
Changing a bulb......................................226
Removing a headlamp..................................226
Vehicle Care 233
Cleaning products.....................................233
Cleaning the exterior..................................233
Waxing.............................................235
Repairing minor paint damage............................235
Cleaning the engine...................................235
Cleaning the windows and wiper blades.....................236
Cleaning the interior...................................236
Cleaning the instrument panel and instrument cluster lens.......237
Cleaning leather seats..................................238
Cleaning the alloy wheels...............................238
Vehiclestorage.......................................239
Table of Contents5
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Brake System
MessagesAction / Description
BRAKE FLUID
LEVEL LOWIndicates the brake fluid level is low and the
brake system should be inspected immediately.
Refer toBrake fluidin theMaintenance
chapter.
CHECK BRAKE
SYSTEMDisplayed when the brake system needs
servicing. If the warning stays on or continues
to come on, contact your authorized dealer as
soon as possible.
PARK BRAKE
ENGAGEDDisplayed when the parking brake is set and
the vehicle is in motion.
Fuel Messages Action / Description
XXX MILES TO E
FUEL LEVEL LOWDisplayed as an early reminder of a low fuel
condition.
Maintenance
MessagesAction / Description
ENGINE OIL
CHANGE SOONDisplayed when the engine oil life remaining is
between 5% and 0%.
OIL CHANGE
REQUIREDDisplayed when the oil life left reaches 0%.
OIL LIFE OK displays after you have changed
the oil.
Park Aid Messages Action / Description
CHECK REAR PARK
AIDDisplayed when the transmission is in R
(Reverse) and the park aid is disabled.
Tire Messages Action / Description
LOW TIRE
PRESSUREDisplays when one or more tires on your
vehicle have low tire pressure.
TIRE PRESSURE
MONITOR FAULTDisplays when the tire pressure monitoring
system is malfunctioning. If the warning stays
on or continues to come on, contact your
authorized dealer.
Information Displays87
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2. Move the transmission selector lever to positionPorN.
3. Start the engine. The engine may continue cranking for up to
15 seconds or until it starts.
Note:If you cannot start your engine on the first try, wait for a short
period of time and try again.
If you have difficulty starting the engine when the temperature is below
-13°F (-25°C), press the accelerator pedal slightly and try again.
If you cannot start your engine after three attempts, wait 10 seconds,
then follow this procedure:
1. Fully press the brake pedal.
2. Fully press the accelerator pedal and hold it there.
3. Move the transmission selector lever to positionPorN.
4. Start the engine.
Cold Weather Starting (Flexible Fuel Vehicles Only)
Note:Do not crank the engine for more than 10 seconds at a time as
starter damage may occur. If the engine fails to start, turn the key to off
and wait 30 seconds before trying again.
Note:Do not use starting fluid such as ether in the air intake system.
Such fluid could cause immediate explosive damage to the engine and
possible personal injury.
Note:You may experience a decrease in peak performance when the
engine is cold when operating on E85 ethanol.
The starting characteristics of all grades of E85 ethanol make it
unsuitable for use when ambient temperatures fall below 0°F (-18°C).
Consult your fuel distributor for the availability of winter grade ethanol.
As the outside temperature approaches freezing, ethanol fuel distributors
should supply winter grade ethanol (same as with unleaded gasoline). If
summer grade ethanol is used in cold weather conditions, 0°F to 32°F
(-18°C to 0°C), you may experience increased cranking times, rough idle
or hesitation until the engine has warmed up.
If you should experience cold weather starting problems on E85 ethanol,
and neither an alternative brand of E85 ethanol nor an engine block
heater is available, adding unleaded gasoline to your tank improves cold
starting performance. Your vehicle is designed to operate on E85 ethanol
alone, unleaded gasoline alone, or any mixture of the two.
SeeChoosing the right fuelin theFuels and Refuelingchapter for
more information on ethanol.
11 6Starting and Stopping the Engine
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There are also some things you may not want to do because they may
reduce your fuel economy:
•Sudden or hard accelerations.
•Rev the engine before turning it off.
•Idle for periods longer than one minute.
•Warm up your vehicle on cold mornings.
•Use the air conditioner or front defroster.
•Use the speed control in hilly terrain.
•Rest your foot on the brake pedal while driving.
•Drive a heavily loaded vehicle or tow a trailer.
•Carry unnecessary weight (approximately 1 mpg [0.4 km/L] is lost for
every 400 lb [180 kg] of weight carried).
•Add particular accessories to your vehicle (e.g.; bug deflectors,
rollbars or light bars, running boards, ski racks).
•Drive with the wheels out of alignment.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
Note:Driving through deep water may allow water into the transmission
and engine causing internal damage. Have the fluid checked and, if water
is found, replace the fluid.
Do not drive quickly through standing water, especially if the depth is
unknown. Traction or brake capability may be limited and if the ignition
system gets wet, your engine may stall. Water may also enter your
engine’s air intake and severely damage your engine.
If driving through deep or standing
water is unavoidable, proceed very
slowly. Never drive through water
that is higher than the bottom of
the hubs (for trucks) or the bottom
of the wheel rims (for cars).
Once through the water, always try the brakes. Wet brakes do not stop the
vehicle as effectively as dry brakes. Drying can be improved by moving
your vehicle slowly while applying light pressure on the brake pedal.
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UNDER HOOD OVERVIEW
A. Battery
B. Windshield washer fluid reservoir
C. Engine oil filler cap
D. Automatic transmission fluid dipstick
E. Air filter assembly
F. Engine oil dipstick
G. Power steering fluid reservoir
H. Brake fluid reservoir
I. Engine coolant reservoir
J. Power distribution box
ABCDEFGHIJ
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TRANSMISSION FLUID CHECK
Checking Automatic Transmission Fluid (If Equipped)
Refer to yourscheduled maintenance informationfor scheduled
intervals for fluid checks and changes. Your transmission does not
consume fluid. However, the fluid level should be checked if the
transmission is not working properly, i.e., if the transmission slips or
shifts slowly or if you notice some sign of fluid leakage.
Automatic transmission fluid expands when warmed. To obtain an
accurate fluid check, drive the vehicle until it is at normal operating
temperature (approximately 20 miles [30 kilometers]). If your vehicle has
been operated for an extended period at high speeds, in city traffic
during hot weather or pulling a trailer, the vehicle should be turned off
for about 30 minutes to allow fluid to cool before checking.
1. Drive the vehicle 20 miles (30 kilometers) or until it reaches normal
operating temperature.
2. Park the vehicle on a level surface and engage the parking brake.
3. With the engine running, parking brake engaged and your foot on the
brake pedal, move the gearshift lever through all of the gear ranges.
Allow sufficient time for each gear to engage.
4. Latch the gearshift lever in P (Park) and leave the engine running.
5. Remove the dipstick, wiping it clean with a clean, dry lint free rag.
6. Install the dipstick making sure it is fully seated in the filler tube.
7. Remove the dipstick and inspect the fluid level. The fluid should be in
the designated area for normal operating temperature or ambient
temperature.
210Maintenance
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Correct Fluid Level
The transmission fluid should be checked at normal operating
temperature 150°F-170°F (66°C-77°C) on a level surface. The normal
operating temperature can be reached after approximately 20 miles
(30 km) of driving.
You can check the fluid without driving if the ambient temperature is above
50°F (10°C). However, if fluid is added at this time, an overfill condition
could result when the vehicle reaches normal operating temperature.
The transmission fluid should be in this range if at normal operating
temperature (150°F-170°F [66°C-77°C]).
212Maintenance
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The transmission fluid should be in this range if at ambient temperature
(50°F-95°F [10°C-35°C]).
Maintenance213
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