EXAMPLE:
Load Identification: "....blank...." = Absence of any text on the sidewall of the tire indicates a Standard Load (SL) tire
Extra Load (XL) = Extra load (or reinforced) tire
Light Load (LL) = Light load tire
C, D, E, F, G = Load range associated with the maximum load a tire can carry at a specified pressure
Maximum Load— Maximum load indicates the maximum load this tire is designed to carry
Maximum Pressure— Maximum pressure indicates the maximum permissible cold tire inflation pressure for this tire
Tire Identification Number (TIN)
The TIN may be found on one or both
sides of the tire, however, the date
code may only be on one side. Tires
with white sidewalls will have the full TIN, including the date code, located
on the white sidewall side of the tire.
Look for the TIN on the outboard side
of black sidewall tires as mounted onthe vehicle. If the TIN is not found on
the outboard side, then you will find it
on the inboard side of the tire.EXAMPLE:
DOT MA L9 ABCD 0301
DOT = Department of Transportation
— This symbol certifies that the tire is in compliance with the U.S. Department of Transportation tire safety
standards and is approved for highway use
MA = Code representing the tire manufacturing location (two digits)
L9 = Code representing the tire size (two digits)
ABCD = Code used by the tire manufacturer (one to four digits)
03 = Number representing the week in which the tire was manufactured (two digits)
—03 means the 3rd week.
223
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be danger-
ous. Forces generated by excessive
wheel speeds may cause tire dam-
age or failure. A tire could explode
and injure someone. Do not spin
your vehicle's wheels faster than
48 km/h or for more than 30 sec-
onds continuously when you are
stuck, and do not let anyone near a
spinning wheel, no matter what the
speed.TREAD WEAR INDICATORSTread wear indicators are in the origi-
nal equipment tires to help you in
determining when your tires should
be replaced.These indicators are molded into the
bottom of the tread grooves. They will
appear as bands when the tread depth
becomes 2 mm. When the tread is
worn to the tread wear indicators, the
tire should be replaced.
LIFE OF TIRE
The service life of a tire is dependent
upon varying factors including, but
not limited to:
Driving style
Tire pressure
Distance driven
WARNING!
Tires and the spare tire should be
replaced after six years, regardless
of the remaining tread. Failure to
follow this warning can result in
sudden tire failure. You could lose
control and have a collision result-
ing in serious injury or death.
Keep dismounted tires in a cool, dry
place with as little exposure to light as
possible. Protect tires from contact
with oil, grease, and gasoline. REPLACEMENT TIRES
The tires on your new vehicle provide
a balance of many characteristics.
They should be inspected regularly
for wear and correct cold tire inflation
pressure. The manufacturer strongly
recommends to always respect the
sizes of the tires given in the Registra-
tion Documentation/Certificate and
that you use tires equivalent to the
originals in size, quality and perfor-
mance when replacement is needed.
(Refer to the paragraph on “Tread
Wear Indicators”). Refer to the “Tire
and Loading Information” placard
for the size designation of your tire.
The Load Index and Speed Symbol
for your tire will be found on the
original equipment tire sidewall. See
the Tire Sizing Chart example found
in the Tire Safety Information section
of this manual for more information
relating to the Load Index and Speed
Symbol of a tire.
It is recommended to replace the two
front tires or two rear tires as a pair.
Replacing just one tire can seriously
affect your vehicle’s handling. If you
ever replace a wheel, make sure that
1 — Worn Tire
2 — New Tire
231
TIRE PRESSURE
MONITOR SYSTEM
(TPMS)
The Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS) will warn the driver of a low
tire pressure based on the vehicle rec-
ommended cold placard pressure.The tire pressure will vary with tem-
perature by about 0.07 BAR for every
7°C. This means that when the outside
temperature decreases, the tire pressure
will decrease. Tire pressure should al-
ways be set based on cold inflation tire
pressure. This is defined as the tire pres-
sure after the vehicle has not been
driven for at least three hours, or driven
less than 1.6 km after a three hour
period. The cold tire inflation pressure
must not exceed the maximum inflation
pressure molded into the tire sidewall.
Refer to “Tires – General Information”
in “Starting and Operating” for infor-
mation on how to properly inflate the
vehicle’s tires. The tire pressure will also
increase as the vehicle is driven - this is
normal and there should be no adjust-
ment for this increased pressure.
The TPMS will warn the driver of a
low tire pressure if the tire pressure
falls below the low-pressure warning
limit for any reason, including low
temperature effects and natural pres-
sure loss through the tire.
The TPMS will continue to warn the
driver of low tire pressure as long as
the condition exists, and will not turn
off until the tire pressure is at or above
the recommended cold placard pres-
sure. Once the low tire pressure warn-
ing (Tire Pressure Monitoring [TPM]
Telltale Light) illuminates, you must
increase the tire pressure to the rec-
ommended cold placard pressure in
order for the TPM Telltale Light to
turn off. The system will automati-
cally update and the TPM Telltale
Light will turn off once the system
receives the updated tire pressures.
The vehicle may need to be driven for
up to 20 minutes above 24 km/h in
order for the TPMS to receive this
information.For example, your vehicle may have a
recommended cold (parked for more
than three hours) placard pressure of
2.1 BAR. If the ambient temperature
is 20°C and the measured tire pres-
sure is 1.9 BAR, a temperature drop to
7°C will decrease the tire pressure to
approximately 1.6 BAR. This tire
pressure is sufficiently low enough to
turn ON the TPM Telltale Light. Driv-
ing the vehicle may cause the tire
pressure to rise to approximately 1.9
BAR, but the TPM Telltale Light will
still be ON. In this situation, the TPM
Telltale Light will turn OFF only after
the tires are inflated to the vehicle’s
recommended cold placard pressure
value.
234
CAUTION!
The TPMS has been optimized for
the original equipment tires and
wheels. TPMS pressures and
warning have been established for
the tire size equipped on your ve-
hicle. Undesirable system opera-
tion or sensor damage may result
when using replacement equip-
ment that is not of the same size,
type, and/or style. Aftermarket
wheels can cause sensor damage.
Do not use aftermarket tire seal-
ants or balance beads if your ve-
hicle is equipped with a TPMS, as
damage to the sensors may result. After inspecting or adjusting thetire pressure, always reinstall the
valve stem cap. This will prevent
moisture and dirt from entering
the valve stem, which could dam-
age the TPM sensor. NOTE:
The TPMS is not intended to re-
place normal tire care and main-
tenance or to provide warning of
a tire failure or condition. The TPMS should not be used as
a tire pressure gauge while ad-
justing your tire pressure.
Driving on a significantly under-
inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire fail-
ure. Under-inflation also reduces
fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle’s han-
dling and stopping ability.The TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it
is the driver’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure us-
ing an accurate tire pressure
gauge, even if under-inflation has
not reached the level to trigger
illumination of the TPM Telltale
Light.Seasonal temperature changes
will affect tire pressure, and the
TPMS will monitor the actual tire
pressure in the tire.
PREMIUM SYSTEM
The Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS) uses wireless technology with
wheel rim mounted electronic sensors
to monitor tire pressure levels. Sen-
sors mounted to each wheel as part of
the valve stem transmit tire pressure
readings to the receiver module.
NOTE: It is particularly impor-
tant for you to check the tire pres-
sure in all of the tires on your ve-
hicle monthly and to maintain the
proper pressure.
The TPMS consists of the following
components:
Receiver module,
Four TPM sensors,
Various TPMS messages, which display in the Electronic Vehicle
Information Center (EVIC), and
TPM Telltale Light
235
Tire Pressure Monitoring Low
Pressure WarningsThe TPM Telltale Light will
illuminate in the instrument
cluster and a chime will sound
when tire pressure is low in one or
more of the four active road tires. In
addition, the EVIC will display an
“Inflate Tire to XX” message for a
minimum of five seconds and a "LOW
TIRE" message and a graphic show-
ing the pressure values of each tire
with the low tire pressure values flash-
ing. The recommended cold placard
pressure inflation value is the pressure
value displayed in the "Inflate Tire to
XX" message displayed in the EVIC.
Should this occur, you should stop as
soon as possible and inflate the tires
with a low pressure condition (those
flashing in the EVIC graphic) to the
vehicle’s recommended cold placard
pressure inflation value. Once the sys-
tem receives the updated tire pres-
sures, the system will automatically update, the “Inflate Tire to XX” mes-
sage will no longer be displayed, the
graphic display in the EVIC will stop
flashing, and the TPM Telltale Light
will turn off. The vehicle may need to
be driven for up to 20 minutes above
24 km/h in order for the TPMS to
receive this information.
Service TPMS Warning
If a system fault is detected, the TPM
Telltale Light will flash on and off for
75 seconds and then remain on solid.
The system fault will also sound a
chime. In addition, the EVIC will dis-
play a "SERVICE TPM SYSTEM"
message for a minimum of five sec-
onds and then display dashes (- -) in
place of the pressure value to indicate
which sensor is not being received.
If the ignition switch is cycled, this
sequence will repeat, providing the
system fault still exists. If the system
fault no longer exists, the TPM Tell-
tale Light will no longer flash, and the
"SERVICE TPM SYSTEM" message
will no longer display, and a pressurevalue will display in place of the
dashes. A system fault can occur due
to any of the following:
1. Signal interference due to elec-
tronic devices or driving next to facili-
ties emitting the same radio frequen-
cies as the TPM sensors.
2. Installing aftermarket window
tinting that contains materials that
may block radio wave signals.
3. Accumulation of snow or ice
around the wheels or wheel housings.
4. Using tire chains on the vehicle.
5. Using wheels/tires not equipped
with TPM sensors.
The EVIC will also display a "SER-
VICE TPM SYSTEM" message for a
minimum of five seconds when a sys-
tem fault related to an incorrect sen-
sor location fault is detected. In this
case, the "SERVICE TPM SYSTEM"
message is then followed with a
graphic display with pressure values
still shown. This indicates that the
pressure values are still being received
from the TPM sensors but they may236
not be located in the correct vehicle
position. The system still needs to be
serviced as long as the "SERVICE
TPM SYSTEM" message is displayed.
Vehicles With Compact Spare
1. The compact spare tire does not
have a TPM sensor. Therefore, the
TPMS will not monitor the pressure in
the compact spare tire.
2. If you install the compact spare
tire in place of a road tire that has a
pressure below the low-pressure
warning limit, upon the next ignition
switch cycle, the TPM Telltale Light
will remain ON and a chime will
sound. In addition, the graphic in the
EVIC will still display a flashing pres-
sure value.
3. After driving the vehicle for up to
20 minutes above 24 km/h, the TPM
Telltale Light will flash on and off for
75 seconds and then remain on solid.
In addition, the EVIC will display a
"SERVICE TPM SYSTEM" message
for a minimum of five seconds and
then display dashes (- -) in place of
the pressure value.4. For each subsequent ignition
switch cycle, a chime will sound, the
TPM Telltale Light will flash on and
off for 75 seconds and then remain on
solid, and the EVIC will display a
"SERVICE TPM SYSTEM" message
for a minimum of five seconds and
then display dashes (- -) in place of
the pressure value.
5.
Once you repair or replace the
original road tire and reinstall it on the
vehicle in place of the compact spare,
the TPMS will update automatically.
In addition, the TPM Telltale Light
will turn OFF and the graphic in the
EVIC will display a new pressure value
instead of dashes (- -), as long as no
tire pressure is below the low-pressure
warning limit in any of the four active
road tires. The vehicle may need to be
driven for up to 20 minutes above
24 km/h in order for the TPMS to
receive this information.
TPMS DEACTIVATION
The TPMS can be deactivated if re-
placing all four wheel and tire assem-
blies (road tires) with wheel and tire
assemblies that do not have TPMS
Sensors, such as when installing
winter wheel and tire assemblies on
your vehicle. To deactivate the TPMS,
first, replace all four wheel and tire
assemblies (road tires) with tires not
equipped with Tire Pressure Monitor-
ing (TPM) Sensors. Then, drive the
vehicle for 20 minutes above
24 km/h. The TPMS will chime, the
“TPM Telltale Light” will flash on
and off for 75 seconds and then re-
main on and the Electronic Vehicle
Information Center (EVIC) will dis-
play the “SERVICE TPM SYSTEM”
message and then display dashes (--)
in place of the pressure values. Begin-
ning with the next ignition switch
cycle, the TPMS will no longer chime
or display the “SERVICE TPM SYS-
TEM” message in the EVIC but
dashes (--) will remain in place of the
pressure values.
237
To reactivate the TPMS, replace all
four wheel and tire assemblies (road
tires) with tires equipped with TPM
sensors. Then, drive the vehicle for up
to 20 minutes above 24 km/h. The
TPMS will chime, the “TPM Telltale
Light” will flash on and off for 75 sec-
onds and then turn off, and the Elec-
tronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC) will display the “SERVICE
TPM SYSTEM” message. The EVIC
will also display pressure values in
place of the dashes. On the next igni-
tion switch cycle the “SERVICE TPM
SYSTEM” message will no longer be
displayed as long as no system fault
exists.FUEL REQUIREMENTS —
GASOLINE ENGINES3.6L ENGINE
All engines are designed to meet all
emissions regulations and provide ex-
cellent fuel economy and performance
when using high quality unleaded
gasoline with a minimum research oc-
tane rating of 91. The use of premiumgasoline is not recommended, as it
will not provide any benefit over regu-
lar gasoline in these engines.
Light spark knock at low engine speeds
is not harmful to your engine. How-
ever, continued heavy spark knock at
high speeds can cause damage, and
immediate service is required. Poor
quality gasoline can cause problems
such as hard starting, stalling, and
hesitations. If you experience these
symptoms, try another brand of gaso-
line before considering service for the
vehicle.
Over 40 auto manufacturers world-
wide have issued and endorsed consis-
tent gasoline specifications (the World-
wide Fuel Charter, WWFC) which
define fuel properties necessary to de-
liver enhanced emissions, perfor-
mance, and durability for your vehicle.
The manufacturer recommends the use
of gasoline that meets the WWFC
specifications if they are available.Besides using unleaded gasoline with
the proper octane rating, gasolines
that contain detergents, corrosion and
stability additives are recommended.Using gasolines that have these addi-
tives may help improve fuel economy,
reduce emissions, and maintain ve-
hicle performance.
Poor quality gasoline can cause prob-
lems such as hard starting, stalling
and stumble. If you experience these
problems, try another brand of gaso-
line before considering service for the
vehicle.
Methanol
(Methyl or Wood Alcohol) is used in
a variety of concentrations when
blended with unleaded gasoline. You
may find fuels containing 3% or more
Methanol along with other alcohols
called cosolvents. Problems that re-
sult from using Methanol/gasoline or
E-85 Ethanol blends are not the re-
sponsibility of the manufacturer.
While MTBE is an oxygenate made
from Methanol, it does not have the
negative effects of Methanol.
238
ADDING FUEL
1. Press the fuel filler door release
switch (located in the driver's door
map pocket).
2. Open the fuel filler door.
3. There is no fuel filler cap. A flap-
per door inside the pipe seals the sys-
tem.4. Insert the fuel nozzle fully into the
filler pipe – the nozzle opens and
holds the flapper door while refueling.
NOTE: Only the correct size
nozzle opens the latches allowing
the flapper door to open.
5. Fill the vehicle with fuel – when
the fuel nozzle “clicks” or shuts off the
fuel tank is full.
6. Remove the fuel nozzle and close
the fuel door.
NOTE: A funnel is provided (lo-
cated in the trunk in the spare tire
area) to open the flapper door to
allow for emergency refueling with
a gas can.
CAUTION!
To avoid fuel spillage and overfill-
ing, do not “top off” the fuel tank
after filling.WARNING!
Never have any smoking materi-
als lit in or near the vehicle when
the fuel door is open or the tank is
being filled.
Never add fuel when the engine is running. This is in violation of
most state and federal fire regula-
tions and may cause the “Mal-
function Indicator Light” to turn
on.
A fire may result if gasoline is
pumped into a portable container
that is inside of a vehicle. You
could be burned. Always place
gas containers on the ground
while filling.
Fuel Filler Door Release Switch
Fuel Filler Door
Fuel Funnel
241