The “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light”
(located in the instrument cluster) starts to flash
as soon as the tires lose traction and the ESC
system becomes active. The “ESC Activation/
Malfunction Indicator Light” also flashes when
TCS is active. If the “ESC Activation/Malfunction
Indicator Light” begins to flash during accelera-
tion, ease up on the accelerator and apply as little
throttle as possible. Be sure to adapt your speed
and driving to the prevailing road conditions.
NOTE:
•The “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indica-
tor Light” and the “ESC OFF Indicator
Light” come on momentarily each time
the ignition switch is turned ON.
• Each time the ignition is turned ON, the
ESC system will be ON even if it was
turned off previously.
• The ESC system will make buzzing or
clicking sounds when it is active. This is
normal; the sounds will stop when ESC
becomes inactive following the maneuver
that caused the ESC activation.
The “ESC OFF Indicator Light” indi-
cates the Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) is off.
TIRES — GENERAL
INFORMATION
Tire PressureProper tire inflation pressure is essential to the
safe and satisfactory operation of your vehicle.
Three primary areas are affected by improper
tire pressure:
Safety
WARNING!
•Improperly inflated tires are dangerous
and can cause collisions.
• Under-inflation increases tire flexing and
can result in over-heating and tire failure.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•Over-inflation reduces a tire’s ability to
cushion shock. Objects on the road and
chuckholes can cause damage that result
in tire failure.
• Over-inflated or under-inflated tires can
affect vehicle handling and can fail sud-
denly, resulting in loss of vehicle control.
• Unequal tire pressures can cause steering
problems. You could lose control of your
vehicle.
• Unequal tire pressures from one side of
the vehicle to the other can cause the
vehicle to drift to the right or left.
• Always drive with each tire inflated to the
recommended cold tire inflation pressure.
Economy
Improper inflation pressures can cause uneven
wear patterns to develop across the tire tread.
These abnormal wear patterns will reduce tread
life resulting in a need for earlier tire replace-
ment. Under-inflation also increases tire rolling
resistance resulting in higher fuel consumption.
259
EthanolThe manufacturer recommends that your ve-
hicle be operated on fuel containing no more
than 10% ethanol. Purchasing your fuel from a
reputable supplier may reduce the risk of ex-
ceeding this 10% limit and/or of receiving fuel
with abnormal properties. It should also be
noted that an increase in fuel consumption
should be expected when using ethanol-
blended fuels, due to the lower energy content
of ethanol. Problems that result from using
methanol/gasoline or E-85 ethanol blends are
not the responsibility of the manufacturer. While
MTBE is an oxygenate made from Methanol, it
does not have the negative effects of Methanol.
CAUTION!
Use of fuel with Ethanol content higher than
10% may result in engine malfunction, start-
ing and operating difficulties, and materials
degradation. These adverse effects could
result in permanent damage to your vehicle.
Clean Air GasolineMany gasolines are now being blended to con-
tribute to cleaner air, especially in those areas
where air pollution levels are high. These new
blends provide a cleaner burning fuel and some
are referred to as “reformulated gasoline.”
The manufacturer supports these efforts toward
cleaner air. You can help by using these blends
as they become available.
MMT In GasolineMMT is a manganese containing metallic additive
that is blended into some gasoline to increase
octane. Gasoline blended with MMT provides no
performance advantage beyond gasoline of the
same octane number without MMT. Gasoline
blended with MMT reduces spark plug life and
reduces emission system performance in some
vehicles. The manufacturer recommends that
gasoline without MMT be used in your vehicle.
The MMT content of gasoline may not be indi-
cated on the gasoline pump; therefore, you
should ask your gasoline retailer whether or not
his/her gasoline contains MMT.
Materials Added To FuelBesides using unleaded gasoline with the
proper octane rating, gasolines that contain
detergents, corrosion and stability additives are
recommended. Using gasolines that have these
additives will help improve fuel economy, re-
duce emissions, and maintain vehicle perfor-
mance.
Indiscriminate use of fuel system cleaning
agents should be avoided. Many of these ma-
terials intended for gum and varnish removal
may contain active solvents or similar ingredi-
ents. These can harm fuel system gasket and
diaphragm materials.
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