PERIODIC SAFETY
CHECKS YOU SHOULD
MAKE OUTSIDE THE
VEHICLE
Tires
Examine tires for excessive tread wear
and uneven wear patterns. Check for
stones, nails, glass, or other objects
lodged in the tread or sidewall. In-
spect the tread for cuts and cracks.
Inspect sidewalls for cuts, cracks and
bulges. Check the wheel nuts for
tightness. Check the tires (including
spare) for proper cold inflation pres-
sure.
Lights
Have someone observe the operation
of brake lights and exterior lights
while you work the controls. Check
turn signal and high beam indicator
lights on the instrument panel.Door Latches
Check for positive closing, latching,
and locking.
Fluid Leaks
Check area under vehicle after over-
night parking for fuel, engine coolant,
oil, or other fluid leaks. Also, if gaso-
line fumes are detected or if fuel,
power steering fluid (if equipped), or
brake fluid leaks are suspected, the
cause should be located and corrected
immediately.
71
that illuminates a low tire pressure
telltale when one or more of your tires
is significantly under-inflated. Ac-
cordingly, when the low tire pressure
telltale illuminates, you should stop
and check your tires as soon as pos-
sible, and inflate them to the proper
pressure. Driving on a significantly
under-inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel effi-
ciency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle’s handling and stop-
ping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire mainte-
nance, and it is the driver’s responsi-
bility to maintain correct tire pres-
sure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumina-
tion of the TPMS low tire pressure
telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped
with a TPMS malfunction indicator to
indicate when the system is not oper-
ating properly. The TPMS malfunc-
tion indicator is combined with the
low tire pressure telltale. When thesystem detects a malfunction, the tell-
tale will flash for approximately one
minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will con-
tinue upon subsequent vehicle start-
ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is il-
luminated, the system may not be
able to detect or signal low tire pres-
sure as intended. TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons,
including the installation of replace-
ment or alternate tires or wheels on
the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always
check the TPMS malfunction telltale
after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle, to ensure that
the replacement or alternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to
function properly.CAUTION!
The TPMS has been optimized for
the original equipment tires and
wheels. TPMS pressures and warn-
ing have been established for the
tire size equipped on your vehicle.
Undesirable system operation or
sensor damage may result when us-
ing replacement equipment that is
not of the same size, type, and/or
style. Aftermarket wheels can cause
sensor damage. Do not use tire seal-
ant from a can or balance beads if
your vehicle is equipped with a
TPMS, as damage to the sensors
may result.
9. Malfunction Indicator Light
(MIL) The Malfunction Indicator
Light (MIL) is part of an on-
board diagnostic system,
called OBD, that monitors engine and
automatic transmission control sys-
tems. The light will illuminate when
the key is in the ON/RUN position,
before engine start. If the bulb does
174
PARKING BRAKE....................... .245
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) ...........246
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE WARNING LIGHT . . . . . .247
ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM (for versions/markets, where provided) ...........248
TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM (TCS) (for versions/markets, where provided) .........248
BRAKE ASSIST SYSTEM (BAS) (for versions/ markets, where provided) ................249
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) . .249
TRAILER SWAY CONTROL (TSC) ..........251
HILL START ASSIST (HSA) ...............252
TIRE SAFETY INFORMATION ...............252
Tire Markings ........................ .252
Tire Identification Number (TIN) ...........255
Tire Terminology And Definitions ...........256
Tire Loading And Tire Pressure ............256
TIRES — GENERAL INFORMATION ..........258
Tire Pressure ......................... .258
Tire Inflation Pressures ..................259
Tire Pressures For High Speed Operation . . . .260
Radial Ply Tires ....................... .260
Tire Types............................ .261
Run Flat Tires (for versions/markets, where provided) ............................ .261
Spare Tires (for versions/markets, where provided) ............................ .262
228
Tire Spinning........................ .263
Tread Wear Indicators ...................264
Life Of Tire .......................... .264
Replacement Tires ..................... .264
TIRE CHAINS (TRACTION DEVICES) .........265
TIRE ROTATION RECOMMENDATIONS .......266
TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR SYSTEM (TPMS) . .266 BASE SYSTEM ........................ .268
PREMIUM SYSTEM (for versions/markets, where provided) ............................ .270
FUEL REQUIREMENTS — GASOLINE ENGINE . . .272
METHANOL ......................... .273
ETHANOL ........................... .273
CLEAN AIR GASOLINE ..................274
MMT IN GASOLINE .................... .274
MATERIALS ADDED TO FUEL ............274
FUEL REQUIREMENTS — DIESEL ENGINE . . . .275
BIODIESEL FUEL REQUIREMENTS ..........275
ADDING FUEL ......................... .275
LOCKING FUEL FILLER CAP (GAS CAP) (for versions/markets, where provided) .........275
TRAILER TOWING ...................... .276
COMMON TOWING DEFINITIONS ..........276
BREAKAWAY CABLE ATTACHMENT ........277
TOWING TIPS ........................ .282
229
3. Replace the tires when tread wear
indicators first become visible.
4. Keep the tires properly inflated.
5. Maintain sufficient distance be-
tween your vehicle and the vehicle in
front of you to avoid a collision in a
sudden stop.
DRIVING THROUGH
WATER
Driving through water more than a
few centimeters deep will require ex-
tra caution to ensure safety and pre-
vent damage to your vehicle.
FLOWING/RISING WATER
WARNING!
Do not drive on or across a road or
path where water is flowing and/or
rising (as in storm run-off). Flow-
ing water can wear away the road
or path's surface and cause your
vehicle to sink into deeper water.
Furthermore, flowing and/or rising
water can carry your vehicle away
swiftly. Failure to follow this warn-
ing may result in injuries that are
serious or fatal to you, your passen-
gers, and others around you.
SHALLOW STANDING
WATER
Although your vehicle is capable of
driving through shallow standing wa-
ter, consider the following Caution
and Warning before doing so.
CAUTION!
Always check the depth of thestanding water before driving
through it. Never drive through
standing water that is deeper
than the bottom of the tire rims
mounted on the vehicle.
Determine the condition of the road or the path that is under
water and if there are any ob-
stacles in the way before driving
through the standing water.
Do not exceed 8 km/h when driv- ing through standing water. This
will minimize wave effects.
(Continued)
243
modulate hydraulic pressure to pre-
vent wheel lock-up and help avoid
skidding on slippery surfaces.
ABS is activated during braking un-
der certain road or stopping condi-
tions. ABS-inducing conditions can
include ice, snow, gravel, bumps, rail-
road tracks, loose debris, or panic
stops.
You may experience the following
when the brake system goes into anti-
lock:
The ABS motor running (it maycontinue to run for a short time
after the stop).
A clicking sound of solenoid valves.
Brake pedal pulsations.
A slight drop or fall away of the brake pedal at the end of the stop.WARNING!
The Anti-Lock Brake Systemcontains sophisticated electronic
equipment that may be suscep-
tible to interference caused by
improperly installed, or high out-
put radio transmitting equip-
ment. This interference can cause
possible loss of anti-lock braking
capability. Installation of such
equipment should be performed
by qualified professionals.
Pumping of the Anti-Lock Brakes will diminish their effectiveness
and may lead to a collision.
Pumping makes the stopping dis-
tance longer. Just press firmly on
your brake pedal when you need
to slow down or stop.
The Anti-Lock Brake System cannot prevent collisions, includ-
ing those resulting from excessive
speed in turns, following another
vehicle too closely, or hydroplan-
ing.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
The capabilities of an ABS-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.
The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws of physics from act-
ing on the vehicle, nor can it in-
crease braking or steering effi-
ciency beyond that afforded by
the condition of the vehicle
brakes and tires or the traction
afforded.
All vehicle wheels and tires must be
the same size and type, and tires must
be properly inflated to produce accu-
rate signals for the computer.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE
WARNING LIGHT
The “Anti-Lock Brake
Warning Light” monitors
the anti-lock brake system.
The light will come on when
247
the ignition switch is turned to the ON
position and may stay on for as long
as four seconds.
If the “Anti-Lock Brake Warning
Light” remains on or comes on while
driving, it indicates that the anti-lock
portion of the brake system is not
functioning and that service is re-
quired. However, the conventional
brake system will continue to operate
normally if the “Brake Warning
Light” is not on.
If the “Anti-Lock Brake Warning
Light” is on, the brake system should
be serviced as soon as possible to re-
store the benefits of anti-lock brakes.
If the “Anti-Lock Brake Warning
Light” does not come on when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
position, have the bulb repaired as
soon as possible.
If both the “Brake Warning Light”
and the “Anti-Lock Brake Warning
Light” remain on, the ABS and Elec-
tronic Brake Force Distribution
(EBD) systems are not functioning.
Immediate repair to the ABS system isrequired. Consult with your autho-
rized dealer service center as soon as
possible.
ELECTRONIC BRAKE
CONTROL SYSTEM (for
versions/markets, where
provided)
Your vehicle is equipped with an ad-
vanced electronic brake control sys-
tem that includes the Traction Control
System (TCS), Brake Assist System
(BAS) and Electronic Stability Con-
trol (ESC), Trailer Sway Control
(TSC), and Hill Start Assist (HSA).
These systems complement the Anti-
Lock Brake System (ABS) by opti-
mizing the vehicle braking capability
during emergency braking maneu-
vers.
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 wheelspin 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.
248
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 ignition
cycles, and the vehicle has been driven
several kilometers at speeds greater
than 48 km/h, see your authorized
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. 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 igni-
tion 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.
TRAILER SWAY CONTROL
(TSC)
TSC uses sensors in the vehicle to
recognize an excessively swaying
trailer and will take the appropriate
actions to attempt to stop the sway.
The system may reduce engine power
and apply the brake of the appropri-
ate wheel(s) to counteract the sway of
the trailer. TSC will become active
automatically once an excessively
swaying trailer is recognized. No
driver action is required. Note that
TSC cannot stop all trailers from
swaying. Always use caution when
towing a trailer and follow the trailer
tongue weight recommendations. Re-
fer to “Trailer Towing” in this section
for further information. When TSC is
functioning, the “ESC Activation/
Malfunction Indicator Light” will
flash, the engine power may be re-
duced and you may feel the brakes
being applied to individual wheels to
attempt to stop the trailer from sway-
ing. TSC is disabled when the ESC
system is in the “Partial Off” mode.
251