TRACTION CONTROL
SYSTEM (TCS) (FOR
VERSIONS/MARKETS,
WHERE PROVIDED)
The Traction Control System (TCS)
monitors the amount of wheel spin of
each of the driven wheels. If wheel
spin is detected, brake pressure is ap-
plied to the slipping wheel(s) and en-
gine power is reduced, to provide en-
hanced acceleration and stability. A
feature of the TCS functions similarly
to a limited-slip differential, and con-
trols the wheel spin across a driven
axle. If one wheel on a driven axle is
spinning faster than the other, the sys-
tem will apply the brake of the spin-
ning wheel. This will allow more en-
gine torque to be applied to the wheel
that is not spinning. This feature re-
mains active even if the ESC is in the
“Partial Off” mode.The “ESC Activation/Malfunction In-
dicator Light” (in the instrument
cluster) will start to flash as soon as
the tires lose traction and the wheels
begin to spin. This indicates that the
TCS is active. If the indicator light
flashes during acceleration, ease up
on the accelerator and apply as little
throttle as possible. Be sure to adapt
your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road conditions, and do not switch
off the ESC or TCS.
WARNING!
The TCS cannot prevent the
natural laws of physics from act-
ing on the vehicle, nor can it in-
crease the traction afforded.
The TCS cannot prevent colli- sions, including those resulting
from excessive speed in turns, or
hydroplaning.
The capabilities of a TCS- equipped vehicle must never be
exploited in a reckless or danger-
ous manner, which could jeopar-
dize the user's safety or the safety
of others. BRAKE ASSIST SYSTEM
(BAS) (FOR VERSIONS/
MARKETS, WHERE
PROVIDED)
The Brake Assist System (BAS) is de-
signed to optimize the vehicle’s brak-
ing capability during emergency
braking maneuvers. The system de-
tects an emergency braking situation
by sensing the rate and amount of
brake application, and then applies
optimum pressure to the brakes. This
can help reduce braking distances.
The BAS complements the ABS. Ap-
plying the brakes very quickly results
in the best BAS assistance. To receive
the benefit of the system, you must
apply continuous braking pressure
during the stopping sequence. Do not
reduce brake pedal pressure unless
braking is no longer desired. Once the
brake pedal is released, the BAS is
deactivated.
244
ESC Operating ModesThe “ESC Off” switch is lo-
cated in the center switch
bank, next to the hazard
flasher switch.
ESC On
This mode is the normal operating
mode for ESC on two-wheel drive ve-
hicles. Whenever the vehicle is
started, the ESC system will be in this
mode. This mode should be used for
most driving situations. ESC should
only be turned off for specific reasons
as noted below.
ESC Partial Off
This mode is entered by momentarily
pressing the “ESC Off” switch.
When in the “Partial Off” mode, the
TCS portion of ESC, except for the
“limited slip” feature described in the
TCS section, has been disabled and
the “ESC Off Indicator Light” will be
illuminated. When in the “Partial
Off” mode, ESC will operate without
engine torque management. This mode is intended to be used if the
vehicle is in deep snow, sand or gravel
conditions and more wheel spin than
ESC would normally allow is required
to gain traction. To turn ESC on
again, momentarily press the “ESC
Off” switch. This will restore the nor-
mal “ESC On” mode of operation.
NOTE: To improve the vehicle's
traction when driving with snow
chains, or starting off in deep
snow, sand or gravel, it may be
desirable to switch to the “Partial
Off” mode by pressing the “ESC
Off” switch. Once the situation re-
quiring ESC to be switched to the
“Partial Off” mode is overcome,
turn ESC back on by momentarily
pressing the “ESC Off” switch.
This may be done while the vehicle
is in motion.
WARNING!
In partial ESC mode, the engine
power reduction feature of ESC is
disabled. Therefore, enhanced ve-
hicle stability offered by the ESC
system is reduced.
ESC Activation/Malfunction
Indicator Light And ESC OFF
Indicator Light
The “ESC Activation/
Malfunction Indicator
Light” in the instrument
cluster will come on when
the ignition switch is turned to the ON
position. It should turn off with the
engine running. If the “ESC
Activation/Malfunction Indicator
Light” comes on continuously with
the engine running, a malfunction has
been detected in the ESC system. If
this light remains on after several ig-
nition cycles, and the vehicle has been
driven several kilometers at speeds
greater than 48 km/h, see your autho-
rized dealer as soon as possible to
have the problem diagnosed and
corrected.
The “ESC Activation/Malfunction In-
dicator Light” (located in the instru-
ment cluster) starts to flash as soon as
the tires lose traction and the ESC sys-
tem becomes active. The “ESC
Activation/Malfunction Indicator
Light” also flashes when TCS is active.
246
If the “ESC Activation/Malfunction In-
dicator Light” begins to flash during
acceleration, 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 Indicator 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 buzz- ing or clicking sounds when it is
active. This is normal; the
sounds will stop when ESC be-
comes inactive following the
maneuver that caused the ESC
activation. The “ESC OFF Indicator
Light” indicates the Elec-
tronic Stability Control
(ESC) is off.
TIRES — GENERAL
INFORMATION
TIRE PRESSURE
Proper tire inflation pressure is essen-
tial to the safe and satisfactory opera-
tion of your vehicle. Three primary
areas are affected by improper tire
pressure:
Safety
WARNING!
Improperly inflated tires are dan- gerous and can cause collisions.
Under-inflation increases tire flexing and can result in over-
heating and tire failure.
Over-inflation reduces a tire's
ability to cushion shock. Objects
on the road and chuckholes can
cause damage that result in tire
failure.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
Over-inflated or under-inflated tires can affect vehicle handling
and can fail suddenly, 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 in-
flated to the recommended cold
tire inflation pressure.
Economy
Improper inflation pressures can
cause uneven wear patterns to de-
velop across the tire tread. These ab-
normal wear patterns will reduce
tread life resulting in a need for earlier
tire replacement. Under-inflation also
increases tire rolling resistance result-
ing in higher fuel consumption.
247
wheels faster than 48 km/h, or for
more than 30 seconds continuously,
without stopping.
Refer to “Freeing A Stuck Vehicle” in
“What To Do In Emergencies” for fur-
ther information.WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be danger-ous. Forces generated by exces-
sive wheel speeds may cause tire
damage 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 seconds continuously,
when you are stuck; and do not let
anyone near a spinning wheel, no
matter what the speed.
TREAD WEAR
INDICATORS
Tread wear indicators are in the
original-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!
The tires and the spare tire should
be replaced after six years, regard-
less 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 that you use tires
equivalent to the originals in size,
quality and performance when re-
placement is needed. Please see
“Tread Wear Indicators” and “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
1 — Worn Tire
2 — New Tire
251
WARNING!
Overloading of your tires is danger-
ous. Overloading can cause tire
failure, affect vehicle handling, and
increase your stopping distance.
Use tires of the recommended load
capacity for your vehicle. Never
overload them.
TIRE ROTATION
RECOMMENDATIONS
Tires on the front and rear axles of
vehicles operate at different loads and
perform different steering, driving,
and braking functions. For these rea-
sons, they wear at unequal rates.
These effects can be reduced by
timely rotation of tires. The benefits
of rotation are especially worthwhile
with aggressive tread designs such as
those on all season type tires. Rotation
will increase tread life, help to main-
tain mud, snow, and wet traction lev-
els, and contribute to a smooth, quiet
ride.
Refer to the “Maintenance Schedule”
for the proper maintenance intervals. The reasons for any rapid or unusual
wear should be corrected prior to ro-
tation being performed.
TIRE PRESSURE
MONITOR SYSTEM
(TPMS)
The TPMS will warn the driver of a
low tire pressure based on the cold
inflation tire pressure requirements
found on the tire placard located on
the driver's-side B-pillar.
The tire pressure will vary with tem-
perature by about 0.07 BAR for every
7°C. This means that when the out-
side temperature decreases, the tire
pressure will decrease. Tire pressure
should always be set based on cold
inflation tire pressure. This is defined
as the tire pressure after a vehicle has
not been driven for more than three
hours - and in outside ambient tem-
perature.
Refer to “Tires – General
Information” in “Starting and Op-
erating” for information 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 adjustment 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
threshold for any reason, including
low temperature effects, or natural air
pressure 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
recommended cold tire placard pres-
sure. Once the low tire pressure warn-
ing has been illuminated, the tire
pressure must be increased to the rec-
ommended cold tire placard pressure
in order for the “Tire Pressure Moni-
toring Telltale Light” to be turned off.
The system will automatically update
and the “Tire Pressure Monitoring
Telltale Light” will extinguish once
the updated tire pressures have been
received. The vehicle may need to be
driven for up to 20 minutes above
24 km/h to receive this information.
261
For example, your vehicle may have a
recommended cold (parked for more
than three hours) tire pressure of 2.4
BAR. If the ambient temperature is
20°C and the measured tire pressure
is 2.1 BAR, a temperature drop to
7°C will decrease the tire pressure to
approximately 1.8 BAR. This tire
pressure is sufficiently low enough to
turn on the “Tire Pressure Monitoring
Telltale Light.” Driving the vehicle
may cause the tire pressure to rise to
approximately 2.1 BAR, but the “Tire
Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light”
will still be on. In this situation, the
“Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale
Light” will turn off only after the tires
have been inflated to the vehicle’s rec-
ommended cold tire pressure value.
CAUTION!
The TPMS has been optimizedfor the original equipment tires
and wheels. TPMS pressures have
been established for the tire size
equipped on your vehicle. Unde-
sirable system operation or sensor
damage may result when using
replacement equipment that is
not of the same size, type, and/or
style. Aftermarket wheels can
cause sensor damage. Do not use
aftermarket sealants or balance
beads if your vehicle is equipped
with a TPMS, as damage to the
sensors may result.
After inspecting or adjusting the tire pressure always reinstall the
valve stem cap. This will prevent
moisture and dirt from entering
the valve stem, which could dam-
age the TPMS sensor.
NOTE:
The TPMS is not intended to re- place normal tire care and
maintenance, or to provide
warning of a tire failure or con-
dition. 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
failure. Under-inflation also re-
duces fuel efficiency and tire
tread life, and may affect the ve-
hicle’s handling 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,
using an accurate tire pressure
gage, even if under-inflation has
not reached the level to trigger
illumination of the “Tire Pres-
sure Monitoring Telltale Light.”
Seasonal temperature changes will affect tire pressure, and the
TPMS will monitor the actual
tire pressure in the tire.
262
BASE SYSTEMThe TPMS uses wireless technology
with wheel rim mounted electronic sen-
sors 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 your tires regularly
and to maintain the proper pres-
sure.
The Basic TPMS consists of the fol-
lowing components:
Receiver Module
Four Tire Pressure MonitoringSensors
TPMS Telltale Warning Light
Tire Pressure Monitoring Low
Tire Pressure Warnings
The “Tire Pressure Moni-
toring Telltale Light” will
illuminate in the instru-
ment cluster, an “Inflate
Tire to XX” message and a "TIRE LOW PRESSURE" message will dis-
play in the instrument cluster, and an
audible chime will be activated when
one or more of the four active road tire
pressures are low. The recommended
cold placard pressure inflation value
is the pressure value displayed in the
"Inflate Tire to XX" message dis-
played in the EVIC. Should this occur,
you should stop as soon as possible,
check the inflation pressure of each
tire on your vehicle, and inflate each
tire to the vehicle's recommended cold
tire pressure value (located on the
placard on the driver's-side B-Pillar).
The system will automatically update
and the “Tire Pressure Monitoring
Telltale Light” will extinguish once
the updated tire pressures have been
received.
NOTE: The vehicle may need to
be driven for up to 20 minutes
above 24 km/h to receive this in-
formation.
The “Tire Pressure Monitoring Tell-
tale Light” will flash on and off for 75
seconds, and remain on solid when a
system fault is detected. The system
fault will also sound a chime. If the
ignition switch is cycled, this se-
quence will repeat, providing the sys-
tem fault still exists. The “Tire Pres-
sure Monitoring Telltale Light” will
turn off when the fault condition no
longer exists. A system fault can occur
with any of the following scenarios:
1. Jamming due to electronic devices
or driving next to facilities emitting
the same radio frequencies as the
TPMS sensors.
2. Installing some form of aftermar-
ket window tinting that affects radio
wave signals.
3. Accumulation of excessive snow
and/or ice around the wheels or wheel
housings.
4. Using tire chains on the vehicle.
5. Using wheels/tires not equipped
with TPMS sensors.
263
Vehicles With Compact Spare
1. The compact spare tire (for
versions/markets, where provided)
does not have a TPMS sensor. There-
fore 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, a chime will sound, a
"TIRE LOW PRESSURE" message
will be displayed and the “Tire Pres-
sure Monitoring Telltale Light” will
turn on.
3. After driving for up to 20 minutes
above 24 km/h, the “Tire Pressure
Monitoring Telltale Light” will flash
on and off for 75 seconds and then
remain on solid.
4. For each subsequent ignition
switch cycle, a chime will sound, the
“Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale
Light” will flash on and off for 75
seconds and then remain on solid.
5. Once you repair or replace the
original road tire and reinstall it onthe vehicle in place of the compact
spare tire, the TPMS will automati-
cally update, and the “Tire Pressure
Monitoring Telltale Light” will turn
off as long as no tire pressure is below
the low-pressure warning limit in any
of the four active road tires. The ve-
hicle may need to be driven for up to
20 minutes above 24 km/h for the
TPMS to receive this information.
TPMS Deactivation And
Reactivation
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 win-
ter wheel and tire assemblies on your
vehicle. To deactivate the TPMS, first,
replace all four wheel and tire assem-
blies (road tires) with those not
equipped with TPM Sensors. Then,
drive the vehicle for at least 20 min-
utes above 24 km/h. The TPMS will
chime and the “TPM Telltale Light”
will flash on and off for 75 seconds
and then remain on solid. Upon the
next ignition switch cycle, the TPMS
will no longer chime or turn on the“Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale
Light.” To reactivate the TPMS, first,
replace all four wheel and tire assem-
blies (road tires) with those equipped
with TPM Sensors. Then, drive the
vehicle for up to 20 minutes above
24 km/h. The TPMS will chime and
the “Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale
Light” will flash on and off for 75
seconds.
PREMIUM SYSTEM (for
versions/markets, where
provided)
The TPMS uses wireless technology
with wheel rim-mounted electronic
sensors to monitor tire pressure levels.
Sensors mounted to each wheel as
part of the valve stem transmit tire
pressure readings to the Receiver
Module.
NOTE: It is particularly impor-
tant to regularly check and main-
tain proper tire pressure in all the
tires.
The Premium TPMS consists of the
following components:
Receiver Module
264