3-136
Convenient features of your vehicle
Air conditioning system operation
tips
When the vehicle is parked underthe direct sunlight in hot weather,
open the windows for a short time
to expel the hot air inside from the
vehicle.
To reduce the dew condensation on the inside of the windows on
rainy or humid days, lower the
humidity inside the vehicle by
operating the A/C system.
During the A/C operation, you may occasionally notice a slight
change in the engine speed, as
the A/C compressor cycles. This is
a normal condition.
Test the A/C system every month only for a few minutes to maximize
the system performance.
After the inside temperature becomes sufficiently cool, change
the air intake control from the air
recirculation mode to the (fresh)
air intake mode.
When operating the A/C system, you may notice clear water drip-
ping (or even puddling) from the
passenger side of the vehicle. This
does not indicate a system failure.
The air recirculation mode of the A/C provides the maximum cool-
ing. However, a prolonged period
of the A/C operation in this mode
may make the air stale inside the
vehicle.
While operating the A/C system, you may occasionally notice the
dew condensation because of the
rapid cooling process and humid
air intake. This does not mean
there is not a system failure.
Climate control air filter
The climate control air filter is
installed behind the glove box to filter
out dust or other pollutants that come
into the vehicle from the outside
through the heating and air condi-
tioning systems.
If dust or other pollutants accumulate
in the filter over a period of time, the
air intake volume may decrease,
resulting in the dew condensation
inside the windshield even when set-
ting in the (fresh) air intake mode. In
this case, have the climate control air
filter replaced by an authorized
EQUUS dealer.
Information
• Replace the filter every 15,000 miles(24,000 km) or once a year. If the car
has been driven in severe conditions
such as dusty or rough roads, more
frequent air conditioner filter
inspections and changes are
required.
• When the air flow rate suddenly decreases, have the system checked
by an authorized EQUUS dealer.
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Outside air
Recirculatedair
Climate control
air filter Blower
Evaporator
coreHeater core
Winter driving .......................................................5-72
Snowy or icy conditions ................................................5-72
Use high quality ethylene glycol coolant .................5-74
Check battery and cables .............................................5-74
Change to "winter weight" oil if necessary .............5-74
Check spark plugs and ignition system .....................5-74
To prevent the locks from frozen ..............................5-75
Use authorized window washer anti-freezer
solution in system ...........................................................5-75
Do not let your parking brake freeze .......................5-75
Do not let ice and snow accumulate underneath...5-75
Carry emergency equipment ........................................5-75
Do not place objects or materials in the engine
compartment ....................................................................5-75\
Vehicle load limit ..................................................5-76
Tire and loading information label .............................5-76
Certification label ............................................................5-80
Vehicle weight ......................................................5-82
Base curb weight ...........................................................5-82
Vehicle curb weight ........................................................5-82
Load weight ......................................................................5-\
82
GAW (Gross axle weight) ..............................................5-82
GAWR (Gross axle weight rating) ...............................5-82
GVW (Gross vehicle weight) .........................................5-82
GVWR (Gross vehicle weight rating) ..........................5-82
Trailer towing .......................................................5-82
5-4
Driving your vehicle
- ENGINE EXHAUST CAN BE DANGEROUS!
Engine exhaust fumes may be extremely dangerous. When, at any time, you
smell exhaust fumes inside the vehicle, immediately open the windows.
• Do not inhale exhaust fumes.Exhaust fumes contain carbon monoxide, the colorless, odorless gas that
may cause unconsciousness and death by asphyxiation.
The exhaust system should be checked whenever the vehicle is raised to
change the oil or for any other purpose. If you notice a change in the sound
of the exhaust system or if you drive over something that strikes the vehicle
underneath, have the exhaust system checked as soon as possible by an
authorized EQUUS dealer.
Letting the engine idle in a garage, even with the garage door open, is haz-
ardous. Never run the engine in your garage any longer than it takes to start
the engine and move out the vehicle.
Avoid idling the engine for a prolonged period of time with people inside the vehicle.
If it is necessary to idle the engine for a prolonged period of time with people
inside the vehicle, idle the engine in an open area with the air control in the
(fresh) air intake mode and the fan operating at a high speed. Thus, fresh air
can be taken into the interior.
When you need to drive with the trunk lid open because of the object you carry,
make sure the followings:
1. Close all windows.
2. Open side vents.
3. Set the air intake control in (fresh) air intake mode, the air flow directed toward "Floor" or "Face," and the fan at a high speed.
To assure proper ventilation, clear snow, ice, leaves or other substances from
the air inlet just in front of the windshield.
WARNING
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of automobile components and
parts, including components found in the interior furnishings in a
vehicle, contain or emit chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and certain products of compo-
nent wear contain or emit chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
California PROPOSITION 65 WARNING
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outsidemirror(s), and outside lights are
clean.
Check the condition of the tires.
Check underneath the vehicle for any leakage sign.
Make sure there are no obstacles behind, when you intend to drive
backwards.
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil,
engine coolant, brake fluid, and
washer fluid should be checked on a
regular basis, at exact intervals.
Further details are provided in the
chapter 7, "Maintenance".
Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Check the seat position, so all con-trols are easily accessible.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
Make sure that all lights operate.
Check all gauges.
Check the operation of warning lights when the Engine Start/Stop
button is turned ON.
Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning light
goes OFF.
For safe operation, make sure you
are familiar with your vehicle equip-
ment and operation.
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5-5
Driving your vehicle05
Careless driving may result in a
loss of vehicle control, possibly
leading to an accident, severe
personal injury, and death. The
driver’s primary responsibility
is to drive in the safe and legal
manner. The use of any hand-
held devices, other equipment,
or vehicle systems, which take
the driver’s eyes, attention and
focus away from the safe opera-
tion of a vehicle or which are
not permissible by law, should
never be used in driving.
WARNINGAll passengers must be proper-
ly belted whenever the vehicle
is moving. Refer to "Seat belts"
in chapter 2 for more informa-
tion on the proper usage.
WARNING
Always take a look around your
vehicle for any passers-by,
especially children, before
changing the shift lever to D
(Drive) or R (Reverse).
WARNING
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5-7
Driving your vehicle05
Illuminated Engine Start/Stop
Button
Whenever the front door is opened,
the Engine Start/Stop button will illu-
minate for your convenience. The
light will go OFF 30 seconds after the
door is closed.
Engine Start/Stop Button posi-
tion
OFF
To turn OFF the engine, re-press the
turned-ON Engine Start/Stop button,
when the gear shift in P(Park). When
you turn OFF the Engine Start/Stop
button with the gear shift not in
P(Park), the Engine Start/Stop but-
ton will not be turned OFF, but turns
to the ACC position.
Information
When you turn OFF the engine, the
vehicle should be stopped.
ACC(Accessory)
Press the Engine Start/Stop button
when the button is OFF without
depressing the brake pedal.
The electrical accessories are opera-
tive.
If you leave the Engine Start/Stop
button in the ACC position for more
than 1 hour, the battery power will be
automatically turned OFF to prevent
the battery discharge.
ON
Press the Engine Start/Stop button
when the button is in the ACC posi-
tion without depressing the brake
pedal.
Check the warning lights before
starting the engine. Do not leave the
button turned ON for a long time if
the engine is not running to prevent
battery discharge.i
OVI055001N
- Emergency situation
In an emergency situation while
the vehicle is in motion, you can
turn the engine in the OFF or
ACC position, by pressing the
Engine Start/Stop button 2 sec-
onds or longer or by pressing it
3 times successively within 3
seconds. If the vehicle is still
moving, you can restart the
engine without depressing the
brake pedal by pressing the
Engine Start/Stop button with
the shift gear in the N (Neutral)
position.
WARNING
1.Carry the Smart Key inside thevehicle.
2.Check the parking brake is firmly applied.
3.Place the shift lever in P(Park).
4.Depress the brake pedal.
5.Press the Engine Start/Stop but- ton.
It should be started without
depressing the accelerator.
6.Do not wait for the engine to warm up while idling the engine.
Start driving at a moderate speed.
(Sudden accelerating and deceler-
ating should be avoided.)
If the engine stops while driving,
do not attempt to move the shift
lever to P (Park). When traffic and
road conditions permit, and while
the vehicle is still moving, you
may move the shift lever to
N(Neutral), and press the Engine
Start/Stop button to restart the
engine. Even though the Smart Key is
inside the vehicle, but when the
key is far away from the driver, the
engine may not start.
When the Engine Start/Stop button is in the ACC or ON position, and
when any door is open, the system
checks for the presence of the
Smart Key. If the Smart Key is not
inside the vehicle, the "Key not in
vehicle" indicator will illuminate.
When all doors are closed, the
chime will also sound for approxi-
mately 5 seconds. The indicator
will be turned OFF while the vehi-
cle is moving. Keep the Smart Key
inside the vehicle when the Engine
Start/Stop button is in the ACC or
ON position.
NOTICE
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5-9
Driving your vehicle05
Always wear proper shoes
when driving your vehicle.
Improper types of shoes (i.e.
high heels, slippers, ski boots,
etc.) may interfere with your
ability to control the brake and
accelerator pedal.
WARNING
Only when the Smart Key is
inside the vehicle, pressing the
Engine Start/Stop button will
start the engine. Never allow
children or any persons, who
are unfamiliar with the vehicle,
to touch the Engine Start/Stop
button or other related parts.
WARNING
Information
• You can set the EPB, even thoughthe Engine Start/Stop button is OFF.
However, for your safety, you can-
not release it.
• For your safety, depress the brake pedal and manually release the
parking brake by pressing the EPB
switch, when driving down on a
slope and driving back up.
When the parking brake warning light is still ON, even when the
EPB is released, have the sys-
tem be checked by an author-
ized EQUUS dealer.
Do not drive your vehicle with the EPB set. It may excessively
wear down the brake pad and
brake rotor.
EPB may automatically applies,
when:
It is requested by other systems.
The engine is turned OFF and theEPB is set ON. If the accelerator is depressed, but
still the EPB is not automatically
released, a warning message will
be displayed with a warning sound.
When the driver's seat belt is unfastened, the engine hood is
open with the shift lever in
D(Drive), or the trunk is open with
the shift lever in R(Reverse), a
warning message will be displayed
with a warning sound.
When there is a problem with the vehicle, a warning message will be
displayed with a warning sound.
If any of the above situations occurs,
depress the brake pedal and release
EPB by pressing the EPB switch.
NOTICE
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5-20
Driving your vehicle
OVINDR5912
A clicking sound may be heardwhile setting or releasing the
EPB. This is a normal condition,
and indicates that the EPB prop-
erly functions.
When leaving your key with a parking lot attendant or valet
assistant, inform him/her of the
EPB operation.
The EPB may malfunction if you drive with the EPB set.
Gradually depress the accelera- tor, when you want to automati-
cally release EPB by depressing
it.
EPB malfunction indicator
This warning light illuminates when
the Engine Start/Stop button is
turned ON and OFF in approximate-
ly 3 seconds, even though the sys-
tem normally operates.
If the EPB malfunction indicator
remains ON, flash, or does not illumi-
nate, when turning ON the Engine
Start/Stop button, this indicates the
malfunction of the EPB.
If this occurs, immediately have your
vehicle checked by an authorized
EQUUS dealer.
The EPB malfunction indicator may
illuminate, when the ESC malfunc-
tion indicator illuminates. In this
case, it does not indicate the EPB
malfunction.
NOTICE
5-21
Driving your vehicle05
To prevent unintentional vehi-cle movement when parking
or after leaving the vehicle, do
not substitute setting of the
parking brake with setting of
the shift lever. Set the parking
brake and secure to position
the shift lever in P(Park).
Never allow anyone, who is unfamiliar with the vehicle, to
touch the EPB switch. If the
EPB is unintentionally
released, serious injury may
occur.
All vehicles must always set the parking brake, while park-
ing, in order to avoid inadver-
tent vehicle movement, which
may injure occupants or
passers-by.
WARNING
OVI055111N