WARNING!(Continued)
or road conditions. You might lose control of the
vehicle and have a collision.
CAUTION!
Towing the vehicle, coasting, or driving for any other
reason with the transmission in NEUTRAL can cause
severe transmission damage. Refer to “Recreational
Towing” in “Starting And Operating” and “Towing A
Disabled Vehicle” in “In Case Of Emergency” for
further information.
Drive (D)
This range should be used for most city and highway
driving. It provides the smoothest upshifts and down-
shifts, and the best fuel economy. The transmission
automatically upshifts through all forward gears. The
DRIVE position provides optimum driving characteris-
tics under all normal operating conditions.
When frequent transmission shifting occurs (such as
when operating the vehicle under heavy loading condi-
tions, in hilly terrain, traveling into strong head winds, or
while towing heavy trailers), use the AutoStick shift
control (refer to#AutoStick#in this section for further
information) to select a lower gear. Under these condi-
tions, using a lower gear will improve performance and
extend transmission life by reducing excessive shifting
and heat buildup.
If the transmission temperature exceeds normal operat-
ing limits, the transmission controller may modify the
transmission shift schedule, reduce engine torque,
and/or expand the range of torque converter clutch
engagement. This is done to prevent transmission dam-
age due to overheating.
344 STARTING AND OPERATING
IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS
In any of the following situations, you can reduce the
potential for overheating your engine by taking the
appropriate action.
•On the highways — slow down.
•In city traffic — while stopped, put transmission in
NEUTRAL, but do not increase engine idle speed.
CAUTION!
Driving with a hot cooling system could damage
your vehicle. If the temperature gauge reads “H,”
pull over and stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle with
the air conditioner turned off until the pointer drops
back into the normal range. If the pointer remains on
the “H” and you hear continuous chimes, turn the
engine off immediately and call for service.
NOTE:There are steps that you can take to slow down
an impending overheat condition:
•If your air conditioner (A/C) is on, turn it off. The A/C
system adds heat to the engine cooling system and
turning the A/C off can help remove this heat.
•You can also turn the temperature control to maximum
heat, the mode control to floor and the blower control
to high. This allows the heater core to act as a
supplement to the radiator and aids in removing heat
from the engine cooling system.
WARNING!
You or others can be badly burned by hot engine
coolant (antifreeze) or steam from your radiator. If
you see or hear steam coming from under the hood,
do not open the hood until the radiator has had time
to cool. Never try to open a cooling system pressure
cap when the radiator or coolant bottle is hot.
498 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
Use the least amount of accelerator pedal pressure that
will maintain the rocking motion without spinning the
wheels or racing the engine.
CAUTION!
•Racing the engine or spinning the wheels may lead
to transmission overheating and failure. Allow the
engine to idle with the transmission in NEUTRAL
for at least one minute after every five rocking-
motion cycles. This will minimize overheating and
reduce the risk of clutch or transmission failure
during prolonged efforts to free a stuck vehicle.
•When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by shifting be-
tween DRIVE/2nd gear and REVERSE, do not spin
the wheels faster than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drive-
train damage may result.
(Continued)
CAUTION!(Continued)
•Revving the engine or spinning the wheels too fast
may lead to transmission overheating and failure.
It can also damage the tires. Do not spin the wheels
above 30 mph (48 km/h) while in gear (no trans-
mission shifting occurring).
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces gener-
ated by excessive wheel speeds may cause damage, or
even failure, of the axle and tires. A tire could
explode and injure someone. Do not spin your vehi-
cle’s wheels faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) or for
longer than 30 seconds continuously without stop-
ping when you are stuck and do not let anyone near
a spinning wheel, no matter what the speed.
504 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
CAUTION!(Continued)
•Damage to the catalytic converter can result if your
vehicle is not kept in proper operating condition.
In the event of engine malfunction, particularly
involving engine misfire or other apparent loss of
performance, have your vehicle serviced promptly.
Continued operation of your vehicle with a severe
malfunction could cause the converter to overheat,
resulting in possible damage to the converter and
vehicle.
Under normal operating conditions, the catalytic con-
verter will not require maintenance. However, it is im-
portant to keep the engine properly tuned to assure
proper catalyst operation and prevent possible catalyst
damage.
NOTE:Intentional tampering with emissions control
systems can result in civil penalties being assessed
against you.
In unusual situations involving grossly malfunctioning
engine operation, a scorching odor may suggest severe
and abnormal catalyst overheating. If this occurs, stop
the vehicle, turn off the engine and allow it to cool.
Service, including a tune-up to manufacturer’s specifica-
tions, should be obtained immediately.
To minimize the possibility of catalytic converter dam-
age:
•Do not shut off the engine or interrupt the ignition,
when the transmission is in gear and the vehicle is in
motion.
•Do not try to start the engine by pushing or towing the
vehicle.
9
MAINTAINING AND CARING FOR YOUR VEHICLE 541
WARNING!
Overloading of your tires is dangerous. 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.
TIRES — GENERAL INFORMATION
Tire Pressure
Proper tire inflation pressure is essential to the safe and
satisfactory operation of your vehicle. Four primary areas
are affected by improper tire pressure:
•Safety and Vehicle Stability
•Economy
•Tread Wear
•Ride Comfort
Safety
WARNING!
•Improperly inflated tires are dangerous and can
cause collisions.
•Under-inflation increases tire flexing and can re-
sult in overheating 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.
•Overinflated or under-inflated tires can affect ve-
hicle handling and can fail suddenly, resulting in
loss of vehicle control.
•Unequal tire pressures can cause steering prob-
lems. You could lose control of your vehicle.
(Continued)
9
MAINTAINING AND CARING FOR YOUR VEHICLE 573
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)................53
Driver’s Seat Back Tilt.......................66
Driving................................402
E-85 Fuel...............................393
Electrical Outlet, Auxiliary (Power Outlet)........164
Electric Park Brake........................325
Electric Parking Brake......................325
Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM)..............228
Electronic Speed Control (Cruise Control)........348
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)..............224
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)......375
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) . . . .201
Emergency, In Case of
Hazard Warning Flasher..................427
Jacking...............................476
Jump Starting..........................492
Overheating...........................498
Tow Hooks............................507
Towing..............................505
Emission Control System Maintenance..........513
Engine
Air Cleaner...........................532
Break-In Recommendations................324
Checking Oil Level......................529
Compartment..........................527
Coolant (Antifreeze).....................593
Cooling..............................542
Exhaust Gas Caution.....................310
Fails to Start...........................320
Flooded, Starting.......................320
Fuel Requirements......................388
Jump Starting..........................492
Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..529
Oil Filler Cap..........................531
Oil Selection...........................531
Overheating...........................498
Starting..............................319
662 INDEX
New Vehicle Break-In Period.................324
Occupant Restraints.......................252
Octane Rating, Gasoline (Fuel)................388
Oil, Engine..............................529
Capacity.............................592
Change Interval........................530
Checking.............................529
Disposal..............................532
Filter................................532
Filter Disposal.........................532
Materials Added to......................532
Recommendation.......................531
Viscosity.............................531
Oil Filter, Selection........................532
Onboard Diagnostic System..................513
Operating Precautions......................513
Operator Manual (Owner’s Manual).............5
Outside Rearview Mirrors....................83
Overheating, Engine.......................498
Owner’s Manual (Operator Manual).............5
Paint Care..............................553
Parking Brake............................325
ParkSense® System, Rear....................369
Pets...................................309
Placard, Tire and Loading Information..........569
Power
Brakes...............................223
Inverter..............................165
Outlet (Auxiliary Electrical Outlet)...........164
Windows.............................110
Pregnant Women and Seat Belts...............266
Preparation for Jacking.....................478
Pretensioners
Seat Belts.............................266
Radial Ply Tires..........................576
668 INDEX