Put the wrench as shown in the
above illustration, and tighten the
wheel nuts. Make sure the sockets
are completely tightened over the
nuts. Do not step on the wrench han-
dle, neither use an extension pipe
over the wrench handle. Go around
the wheel nuts to securely tight.
Then, double-check the tightness of
each nut. After changing wheels by
yourself, immediately have an
authorized EQUUS dealer tighten
the wheel nuts with a proper torque.
Wheel nut tightening torque:
Steel wheel & aluminum alloy wheel:
65~79 lb·ft (9~11 kg·m)
When you have a tire gauge, remove
the valve cap and check the air pres-
sure. When it is under-inflated than
recommended, slowly drive to the
nearest service station and inflate
the tire to the correct pressure. When
it is over-inflated, deflate the tire to
the proper pressure. Always close
the valve cap after checking or
adjusting a tire pressure. When the
cap is not closed, air may leak out
from the tire. When you lose a valve
cap, immediately buy a new one and
close the valve.After changing a wheel, always put
the flat tire in place and place the
jack and other tools in the proper
storage locations.
6-16
What to do in an emergency
OVI065011N
When your vehicle uses metric
threads for the wheel studs and
nuts, the same nuts should be
used after removal - or, if
replaced, the nuts of the same
metric threads and the chamfer
configuration are used.
Tightening a non-metric thread
nut on a metric stud or vice
versa may lead to a loose wheel
securement to the hub, damag-
ing the stud and requiring
another stud/nut replacement.
Note that most lug nuts do not
have metric threads. Pay
extreme attention to the thread
type when installing the lug
nuts or wheels, which are not
yet authorized. When in doubt,
consult an authorized EQUUS
dealer.
CAUTION
- Wheel studs
When a stud is damaged, it may
lose its ability to retain a wheel.
This may lead to loss of the
wheel and a collision, resulting
in a serious injury.
WARNING
To prevent the jack, jack handle,
wheel lug nut wrench and spare tire
from rattling inside a vehicle while
driving, store them in a proper place.
Important - use of compactspare tire
Your vehicle is equipped with a com-
pact spare tire. This compact spare
tire takes up less space than an orig-
inal one. This tire is smaller than an
original one, and is designed for tem-
porary use only.
You should carefully drive when
a compact spare tire is in use.
The compact spare tire should
immediately be replaced with a
proper regular tire.
Driving on more than one com- pact spare tire is not recom-
mended. A compact spare tire should be inflat-
ed to 60 psi (420 kPa).Information
Check the inflation pressure after
installing a spare tire. Adjust its pres-
sure to the recommended level, if nec-
essary.
When using a compact spare tire,
take the following precautions:
Under no circumstances should a
driving speed exceed 50 mph (80
km/h). A higher speed may dam-
age the tire.
You should drive slowly enough to avoid all hazards in accordance of
road conditions. Any road hazard,
such as a pothole or debris, may
seriously damage a compact
spare.
Any continuous driving on a spare tire may result in tire failure, loss of
vehicle control, and a possible per-
sonal injury.
Do not exceed the vehicle’s maxi- mum weight capacity or the load
capacity, which is detailed on a
side of a compact spare tire.
i
NOTICE
6-17
What to do in an emergency06
- Inadequate spare tire pressure
Immediately check the inflation
pressures of a spare tire after
installment. If necessary, adjust
it to the recommended pres-
sure. Refer to “Tires and
wheels” in the chapter 8.
WARNING
A compact spare tire is for
emergency use only. Do not
drive your vehicle on this com-
pact spare at a speed over 50
mph (80 km/h). Replacement
with a proper regular tire should
immediately be done to avoid
failure of the spare tire, possibly
leading to a personal injury or
death.
WARNING
6-23
What to do in an emergency06
Towing in this manner may be done
only on a solid ground for a short dis-
tance and at a low speed. Also, the
wheels, axles, power train, steering
and brakes must all be in good con-
dition.
Do not use the tow hooks to pull avehicle out of mud, sand or others,
from which the vehicle cannot drive
out with its own power.
Avoid towing a vehicle heavier than a towing vehicle.
The two drivers of the both vehi- cles should frequently communi-
cate each other.
Attach a towing strap to the tow hook.
Using other parts of the vehicle than the towing hooks while
towing may damage the vehicle.
Use only the authorized cables or chains for towing. Securely
fasten the cables or chains to
the towing hook.
Before emergency towing, check that the hook is not broken or dam-
aged.
Securely fasten the towing cable or chain to the hook.
Do not jerk the hook. Maintain a steady and even force.
To avoid damaging the hook, do not pull the hook at a diagonal or
vertical angle. Always pull it
straight out.
NOTICE
Use extreme caution when tow-
ing the vehicle.
Avoid a sudden start or abruptdriving maneuvers, which
may excessively stress the
emergency towing hooks,
cables or chains. The towing
hooks, cables or chains may
break and cause a serious
injury or damage.
When you cannot move your damaged or disabled vehicle,
do not forcibly try to tow the
vehicle. Contact an authorized
EQUUS dealer or a commer-
cial tow truck service for
assistance.
Tow the vehicle in a straight line.
Keep a distance away from the vehicle while towing.
WARNING
7-6
Owner's maintenance precau-
tions
Improper or incomplete maintenance
may lead to a vehicle problem. This
section is to instruct only the simple
maintenance procedures that are
easy to perform.
As written above, complex mainte-
nance procedures must be done only
by an authorized EQUUS dealer with
special tools.
Information
Improper vehicle maintenance may
affect your warranty coverage, even
before the warranty expires. For more
information, refer to the separate
Owner’s Handbook & Warranty
Information booklet. When you are
unsure about any services or mainte-
nance procedures, contact an author-
ized EQUUS dealer.
i
Maintenance- Vehicle maintenance
Vehicle maintenance may bedangerous procedures. You
may be seriously injured
while performing some main-
tenance procedures. When
you do not have sufficient
maintenance knowledge and
experience, or you are not
equipped with the proper
tools, have those done by an
authorized EQUUS dealer.
Maintenance, with the hood opened and with the engine
running, is dangerous. It
becomes even more danger-
ous, when you wear jewelry or
loose clothes. Those items
may become entangled in
moving parts and result in a
injury.
Therefore, when you must run
the engine and open the hood,
you must take off all jewelry
(i.e. rings, bracelets, watches
and necklaces), ties, scarves,
and loose clothes before
approaching the engine or
cooling fans.
WARNING
The following lists are about the vehi-
cle inspection and maintenance that
should be performed by the owner or
an authorized EQUUS dealer, as
indicated. This will ensure your safety
and dependable driving.
Any adverse conditions should imme-
diately be checked by your EQUUS
dealer.
These Owner Maintenance Checklists
are mostly uncovered by your vehicle
warranties. Thus, you may charges
you for expenses of labor, parts or
lubricants.
Owner's maintenance sched-
ule
While refueling:
Check the engine oil level.
Check coolant level in coolantreservoir.
Check the windshield washer fluid level.
Check for any low or under-inflated tires.
While driving:
Check for any changes in theexhaust sounds or the smells.
Check for any steering wheel vibra- tion. Check whether you feel more
tightness or looseness of the steer-
ing wheel.
Check for any slight tilting, or “pulls” to one side, while driving on
a flat surface.
Check for any unusual sounds, tilt- ing, a braking distance, or “hard-to-
push” brake pedal while stopping.
Check the transmission fluid level upon experiencing a skid or a sud-
den transmission gear change.
Check the P(Park) function of the auto transmission.
Check the parking brake.
Check for any fluid leak (water dripping from the A/C while or after
the normal driving).
At least once a month:
Check the coolant level in theengine coolant reservoir.
Check the operation of all exterior lights, such as the stoplights, turn
signals and hazard warning flash-
ers.
Check the inflation pressures of all tires including the spare.
O OW
W N
NE
ER
R '
'S
S
M
M A
AI
IN
N T
TE
EN
N A
AN
N C
CE
E
7-7
Maintenance07
Carefully check your engine
coolant level, when the engine
is hot. The hot coolant or steam
may blow out under pressure.
This may cause a skin burn or
other serious injuries.
WARNING
7-25
Maintenance07
Checking the engine oil level
1. Be sure the vehicle is on levelground.
2. Start the engine and allow it to reach a normal operating temper-
ature.
3. Turn the engine off and wait for the oil fluctuation to stabilize in the oil
pan (approximately 5 minutes).
4. Pull the dipstick out, wipe it clean, and re-insert it fully.
5. Pull the dipstick out again and check the level. The level should
be between F and L. Do not overfill the engine oil.
This may damage the engine.
while adding or changing it. If
you spill out the engine oil in the
engine compartment, immedi-
ately wipe it off.
When it is near to or at L, add the
engine oil to bring it up to F. Do not
overfill it.
Use a funnel to prevent oil spillage
over the engine components.
Use only the authorized engine oil. (Refer to “Recommended lubricantsand capacities” in the chapter 8.)
NOTICE
E E N
N G
GI
IN
N E
E
O
O I
IL
L
OVI075002N
- Radiator hose
Do not touch the radiator hose
while checking or adding the
engine oil. This may burn your
skin.
WARNING
OVI075003N
7-26
Maintenance
Changing the engine oil and
filter
Have engine oil and filter changed by
an authorized EQUUS dealer in
accordance with the Maintenance
Schedule, as specified in the begin-
ning of this chapter.
Engine oil contains chemicals
known to the State of California
to cause cancer, birth defects
and reproductive harm. Used
engine oil may cause irritation
or cancer of the skin if left in
contact with the skin for pro-
longed periods of time. Always
protect your skin by washing
your hands thoroughly with
soap and warm water as soon
as possible after handling used
oil.
CALIFORNIA PROPOSI-TION 65 WARNING
OVI075161N
7-27
Maintenance07
The high-pressure cooling system
has a reservoir filled with the year-
round antifreeze coolant. The reser-
voir is already filled at the factory.
Check the antifreeze protection and
coolant level at least once a year, at
the beginning of the winter season,
and before traveling to a colder
region.
Checking the coolant level
E EN
N G
GI
IN
N E
E
C
C O
O O
OL
LA
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T
(Continued)
operating, but when the
engine and radiator are hot,
do not remove the radiator
cap or the drain the plug. Hot
coolant and steam may blow
out under pressure, causing a
serious injury.
The electric motor (of
the cooling fan) is
controlled by the
engine coolant tem-
perature, refrigerant
pressure and driving speed. It
may operate, even when the
engine is not running. Use
extreme caution, when working
near the cooling fan blades. So,
you are not injured by the fan-
blade rotation. As the engine
coolant temperature decreases,
the electric motor will automati-
cally turn off. This is a normal.
When your vehicle is equipped
with GDI, the electric motor (of
the cooling fan) may operate
until the negative battery cable
is disconnected.
WARNING
Removing the radia-
tor cap
Never attempt to remove the radiator cap while the engine
is running, or when the engine
is hot. This may damage the
cooling system and the
engine, resulting in a serious
personal injury due to the hot
coolant or steam.
Turn the engine off and wait until it cools down. Use
extreme care when removing
the radiator cap. Wrap a thick
towel around it, and slowly turn
it in a counterclockwise direc-
tion to the first stop. Step back
while the pressure is released
from the cooling system.
When you are sure all the pres-
sure is released, press down
on the cap over a thick towel,
and turn it in a counterclock-
wise direction to remove it.
(Continued)
WARNING