WARNING!
•No objects should be placed over or near the air
bag on the instrument panel or steering wheel,
because any such objects could cause harm if the
vehicle is in a collision severe enough to cause the
air bags to inflate.
• Do not put anything on or around the air bag
covers or attempt to open them manually. You may
damage the air bags and you could be injured
because the air bags may no longer be functional.
The protective covers for the air bag cushions are
designed to open only when the air bags are
inflating.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Relying on the air bags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The air bags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions, air bags won’t deploy at all. Al-
ways wear your seat belts even though you have air
bags.
Advanced Front Air Bag Operation
Advanced Front Air Bags are designed to provide addi-
tional protection by supplementing the seat belts. Ad-
vanced Front Air Bags are not expected to reduce the risk
of injury in rear, side, or rollover collisions. The Ad-
vanced Front Air Bags will not deploy in all frontal
collisions, including some that may produce substantial
vehicle damage — for example, some pole collisions,
truck underrides, and angle offset collisions.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 61
On the other hand, depending on the type and location of
impact, Advanced Front Air Bags may deploy in crashes
with little vehicle front-end damage but that produce a
severe initial deceleration.
Because air bag sensors measure vehicle deceleration
over time, vehicle speed and damage by themselves are
not good indicators of whether or not an air bag should
have deployed.
Seat belts are necessary for your protection in all colli-
sions, and also are needed to help keep you in position,
away from an inflating air bag.
When the ORC detects a collision requiring the Ad-
vanced Front Air Bags, it signals the inflator units. A large
quantity of non-toxic gas is generated to inflate the
Advanced Front Air Bags.
The steering wheel hub trim cover and the upper right
side of the instrument panel separate and fold out of theway as the air bags inflate to their full size. The Advanced
Front Air Bags fully inflate in less time than it takes to
blink your eyes. The air bags then quickly deflate while
helping to restrain the driver and front passenger.
Knee Impact Bolsters
The Knee Impact Bolsters help protect the knees of the
driver and front passenger, and position the front occu-
pants for improved interaction with the Advanced Front
Air Bags.
WARNING!
•
Do not drill, cut, or tamper with the knee impact
bolsters in any way.
• Do not mount any accessories to the knee impact
bolsters such as alarm lights, stereos, citizen band
radios, etc.
62 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
The SABICs and SABs (“Side Air Bags”) are designed to
activate in certain side impacts. The Occupant Restraint
Controller (“ORC”) determines whether the deployment
of the Side Air Bags in a particular impact event is
appropriate, based on the severity and type of collision.
The side impact sensors aid the ORC in determining the
appropriate response to impact events. The system is
calibrated to deploy the Side Air Bags on the impact side
of the vehicle during impacts that require Side Air Bag
occupant protection. In side impacts, the Side Air Bags
deploy independently; a left side impact deploys the left
Side Air Bags only and a right-side impact deploys the
right Side Air Bags only. Vehicle damage by itself is not a
good indicator of whether or not Side Air Bags should
have deployed.
The Side Air Bags will not deploy in all side collisions,
including some collisions at certain angles, or some side
collisions that do not impact the area of the passengercompartment. The Side Air Bags may deploy during
angled or offset frontal collisions where the Advanced
Front Air Bags deploy.
Side Air Bags are a supplement to the seat belt restraint
system. Side Air Bags deploy in less time than it takes to
blink your eyes. Occupants, including children, who are
up against or very close to Side Air Bags can be seriously
injured or killed. Occupants, including children, should
never lean on or sleep against the door, side windows, or
area where the Side Air Bags inflate, even if they are in an
infant or child restraint.
Seat belts and child restraints are necessary for your
protection in all types of collisions. They also help keep
you in position, away from an inflating air bag. To get the
best protection from the side air bags, occupants must
wear their seat belts properly and sit upright with their
backs against the seats. Children must be properly re-
strained in a child restraint or booster seat that is
66 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Vehicles equipped with the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS), are also equipped with Electronic Brake Force
Distribution (EBD). In the event of an EBD failure, the
Brake Warning Light will turn on along with the ABS
Light. Immediate repair to the ABS system is required.
Operation of the Brake Warning Light can be checked by
turning the ignition switch from the OFF/LOCK position
to the ON/RUN position. The light should illuminate for
approximately two seconds. The light should then turn
off unless the parking brake is applied or a brake fault is
detected. If the light does not illuminate, have the light
inspected by an authorized dealer.
The light also will turn on when the parking brake is
applied with the ignition switch in the ON/RUN posi-
tion.NOTE:
This light shows only that the parking brake is
applied. It does not show the degree of brake application.
4. Rear Defrost Button
Press and release this button to turn on the rear
window defroster. This indicator will illuminate
when the rear window defroster is on. The rear window
defroster automatically turns off after 20 minutes.
CAUTION!
Failure to follow these cautions can cause damage to
the heating elements:
• Use care when washing the inside of the rear
window. Do not use abrasive window cleaners on
the interior surface of the window. Use a soft cloth
and a mild washing solution, wiping parallel to the
heating elements. Labels can be peeled off after
soaking with warm water.
(Continued)
158 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
Operating Instructions — Hands-Free Phone
(If Equipped)
Refer to the appropriate Blue&Me™ User ’s Manual for
further information.
CD/DVD DISC MAINTENANCE
To keep a CD/DVD in good condition, take the following
precautions:
1. Handle the disc by its edge; avoid touching thesurface.
2. If the disc is stained, clean the surface with a soft cloth, wiping from center to edge.
3. Do not apply paper or tape to the disc; avoid scratch- ing the disc.
4. Do not use solvents such as benzene, thinner, cleaners, or anti-static sprays. 5. Store the disc in its case after playing.
6. Do not expose the disc to direct sunlight.
7. Do not store the disc where temperatures may become
too high.
NOTE: If you experience difficulty in playing a particular
disc, it may be damaged (e.g., scratched, reflective coat-
ing removed, a hair, moisture or dew on the disc)
oversized, or have protection encoding. Try a known
good disc before considering disc player service.
RADIO OPERATION AND MOBILE PHONES
Under certain conditions, the mobile phone being on in
your vehicle can cause erratic or noisy performance from
your radio. This condition may be lessened or eliminated
by relocating the mobile phone antenna. This condition is
not harmful to the radio. If your radio performance does
not satisfactorily “clear” by the repositioning of the
200 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
smoke, perfumes, etc.) from sticking to the windows.
Contaminates increase the rate of window fogging.
NOTE:Automatic Temperature Controls (ATC) will au-
tomatically adjust the climate control settings to reduce
or eliminate window fogging on the front windshield.
When this occurs, recirculation will be unavailable.
Summer Operation
NOTE: In some cases during high temperature opera-
tion, the air conditioning system performance may be
reduced. This is to help protect the vehicle from over-
heating during the high load condition.
Your air conditioning system is also equipped with an
automatic recirculation system. When the system senses
a heavy load or high heat conditions, it may use Recir-
culation A/C mode to provide additional comfort while
in automatic mode. Winter Operation
When operating the system during the winter months,
make sure the air intake, located directly in front of the
windshield, is free of ice, slush, snow, or other obstruc-
tions.
Vacation Storage
Anytime you store your vehicle, or keep it out of service
(i.e., vacation) for two weeks or more, run the air
conditioning system at idle for about five minutes in the
fresh air using the high blower setting. This will ensure
adequate system lubrication to minimize the possibility
of compressor damage when the air conditioning system
is started again.
208 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
At least once a month:
•Check and adjust tire pressure with a good quality
pocket-type pressure gauge. Do not make a visual
judgement when determining proper inflation. Tires
may look properly inflated even when they are under-
inflated.
• Inspect tires for signs of tire wear or visible damage.
CAUTION!
After inspecting or adjusting the tire pressure, al-
ways reinstall the valve stem cap. This will prevent
moisture and dirt from entering the valve stem,
which could damage the valve stem.
Inflation pressures specified on the placard are always
“cold tire inflation pressure”. Cold tire inflation pressure
is defined as the tire pressure after the vehicle has not
been driven for at least three hours, or driven less than 1 mile (1.6 km) after a three hour period. The cold tire
inflation pressure must not exceed the maximum infla-
tion pressure molded into the tire sidewall.
Check tire pressures more often if subject to a wide range
of outdoor temperatures, as tire pressures vary with
temperature changes.
Tire pressures change by approximately 1 psi (7 kPa) per
12°F (7°C) of air temperature change. Keep this in mind
when checking tire pressure inside a garage, especially in
the winter.
Example: If garage temperature = 68°F (20°C) and the
outside temperature = 32°F (0°C) then the cold tire
inflation pressure should be increased by 3 psi (21 kPa),
which equals 1 psi (7 kPa) for every 12°F (7°C) for this
outside temperature condition.
Tire pressure may increase from 2 to 6 psi (13 to 40 kPa)
during operation. DO NOT reduce this normal pressure
build up or your tire pressure will be too low.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 247
Tire Pressures For High Speed Operation
The manufacturer advocates driving at safe speeds and
within posted speed limits. Where speed limits or condi-
tions are such that the vehicle can be driven at high
speeds, maintaining correct tire inflation pressure is very
important. Increased tire pressure and reduced vehicle
loading may be required for high-speed vehicle opera-
tion. Refer to your authorized tire dealer or original
equipment vehicle dealer for recommended safe operat-
ing speeds, loading and cold tire inflation pressures.
WARNING!
High speed driving with your vehicle under maxi-
mum load is dangerous. The added strain on your
tires could cause them to fail. You could have a
serious collision. Do not drive a vehicle loaded to the
maximum capacity at continuous speeds above
75 mph (120 km/h).
Radial Ply Tires
WARNING!
Combining radial ply tires with other types of tires
on your vehicle will cause your vehicle to handle
poorly. The instability could cause a collision. Al-
ways use radial ply tires in sets of four. Never
combine them with other types of tires.
Tire Repair
If your tire becomes damaged, it may be repaired if it
meets the following criteria:
• The tire has not been driven on when flat.
• The damage is only on the tread section of your tire
(sidewall damage is not repairable).
• The puncture is no greater than ¼ (6 mm).
248 STARTING AND OPERATING