
Road warning........................6-2
Hazard warning flasher ..........6-2
In case of an emergency 
while driving .........................6-2
If the engine stalls at a 
crossroad or a railroad 
crossing.......................................6-2
If you have a flat tire while
driving..........................................6-2
If engine stalls while driving..6-3
If the engine will not start ..6-3
When the engine does not
revolve, or slowly revolves.....6-3
When the engine normally
revolves, but does not start...6-3
Emergency starting .............6-4
Jump starting .............................6-4
Push-starting ............................6-5
If the engine overheats ......6-6
Tire pressure monitoring 
system (TPMS) .....................6-7
Low tire pressure telltale .......6-8
Low tire pressure position 
telltale..........................................6-8
TPMS (Tire Pressure 
Monitoring System) 
malfunction indicator ..............6-9
Changing a tire with TPMS..6-10
If you have a flat tire........6-12
Jack and tools .........................6-12
Removing and storing the 
spare tire ..................................6-13
Changing tires .........................6-13
Jack label ..................................6-19
Towing .................................6-20
Towing service ........................6-20
Removable towing hook .......6-22
Emergency towing .................6-22
Engine compartment ...........7-4
Maintenance services .........7-5
Owner's responsibility .............7-5
Owner's maintenance 
precautions ................................7-6
Owner's maintenance  ........7-7
Owner's maintenance 
schedule ......................................7-7
Scheduled maintenance 
service ...................................7-8
Normal maintenance 
schedule ......................................7-9
Maintenance under severe
usage conditions.....................7-22
Explanation of scheduled
maintenance items .............7-23
Engine oil ............................7-25
Checking the engine oil 
level............................................7-25
Changing the engine oil and 
filter ...........................................7-26
Engine coolant ...................7-27
Checking the coolant level...7-27
Changing the coolant ............7-29
Brake fluid ..........................7-30
Checking the brake fluid 
level ..............................................7-30
Power steering fluid ..........7-31
Checking the power steering
fluid level ..................................7-31
Checking the power steering
hose ...........................................7-31
Washer fluid .......................7-32
Checking the washer fluid 
level............................................7-32
Air cleaner ..........................7-33
Filter replacement ..................7-33
F19
6What to do in an emergency7Maintenance 

1. Engine coolant reservoir ......................7-27
2. Radiator cap.........................................7-29
3. Brake fluid reservoir .............................7-30
4. Air cleaner ............................................7-33
5. Engine oil dipstick ................................7-25
6. Engine oil filler cap...............................7-257. Windshield washer fluid reservoir ........7-32
8. Fuse box ..............................................7-56
9. Power steering fluid reservoir ..............7-31
10. Jump start connector ...........................6-4
11. Chamber air cleaner  .........................7-34
E E
N
N G
GI
IN
N E
E 
 C
C O
O M
M P
PA
A R
RT
TM
M E
EN
N T
T
1-6
Your vehicle at a glance
OVI015006N
❈ The actual shape may differ from the illustration. 

Warning lightsInformation
Make sure that all warning lights are
turned OFF after starting the engine.
When any light remains ON, this indi-
cates the situation that your attention
is required.
Supplemental RestraintSystem Warning  Light
This warning light illuminates:
 Once you turn ON the ignition
switch or Engine Start/Stop but-
ton.
- It illuminates for approximately 6seconds and then goes OFF.
 When there is a malfunction with the SRS.
In this case, have your vehicle
inspected by an authorized
EQUUS dealer.
Seat Belt Warning Light
This warning light informs the driver
that the seat belt is not fastened.
❈For further information, refer to the
“Seat Belts” in the chapter 2.
Parking Brake & Brake
Fluid Warning  Light
This warning light illuminates:
 Once you turn ON the ignition
switch or Engine Start/Stop but-
ton.
- It illuminates for approximately 3seconds.
- It remains ON, when the parking brake is set.
 When the parking brake is set.
 When the brake fluid level in the reservoir is low.
- When the warning light illumi-nates with the parking brake
released, it indicates the brake
fluid level in reservoir is low.
When the brake fluid level in the
reservoir is low:
1. Drive carefully to the nearest safe location and stop your vehicle.
2. Stop the engine, immediately check the brake fluid level and add
fluid, as required (For further infor-
mation, refer to "Brake Fluid" in the
chapter 7). Then check all brake
components for fluid leaks. When
any leak in the brake system is still
detected, when the warning light
remains ON, or when the brakes
do not properly operate, do not
drive the vehicle.
In this case, have your vehicle
inspected by an authorized
EQUUS dealer.
i
W W A
AR
RN
N I
IN
N G
G 
 A
A N
N D
D 
 I
IN
N D
DI
IC
C A
A T
TO
O R
R 
 L
L I
IG
G H
H T
TS
S
3-89
Convenient features of your vehicle03 

Dual-diagonal braking system
Your vehicle is equipped with dual-
diagonal braking systems. This
means you still have braking on two
wheels even if one of the dual sys-
tems fails.
With only one of the dual systems
working, longer pedal travel and
greater pedal pressure may be
required to stop the vehicle.
Also, the vehicle will not stop in as
short a distance only with one por-
tion of the brake systems working.
If the brakes fail while you are driv-
ing, shift to a lower gear for addition-
al engine braking and stop the vehi-
cle as soon as it is safe to do so.
Anti-lock Brake System(ABS) Warning  Light
This warning light illuminates in
one of the following situations:
 You turn ON the ignition switch or
Engine Start/Stop button.
- It illuminates for approximately 3seconds and then goes OFF.
 There is a malfunction with the ABS (The normal braking system
is still operational without the
assistance of the anti-lock brake
system).
In this case, have your vehicle
inspected by an authorized
EQUUS dealer.
Electronic Brake forceDistribution (EBD)System Warning  Light
These two warning lights illuminate
at the same time while driving in
the following situation:
 The ABS and the regular brake
system may not properly operate.
In this case, have your vehicle
inspected by an authorized
EQUUS dealer.
3-90
Convenient features of your vehicle
- Parking Brake & Brake Fluid Warning Light
Driving the vehicle with a warn-
ing light ON is dangerous. If the
Parking Brake & Brake Fluid
Warning Light illuminates with
the parking brake released, it
indicates that the brake fluid
level is low.
In this case, have your vehicle
inspected by an authorized
EQUUS dealer.
WARNING 

Information 
- Electronic Brake forceDistribution (EBD) System
Warning Light
When the ABS warning light illumi-
nates, or when both the ABS and the
Parking Brake & Brake Fluid warn-
ing lights illuminate, the speedometer,
the odometer, or the tripmeter may
not properly operate. Also, the EPS
warning light may illuminate, and the
efforts to operate the steering wheel
may require to increase or decrease.
In this case, have your vehicle inspect-
ed by an authorized EQUUS dealer.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
This warning light illuminates in
one of the following situations:
 You turn ON either the ignition
switch or the Engine Start/Stop
button.
- It remains ON until the engine isstarted.
 There is a malfunction with the emission control system.
In this case, have your vehicle
inspected by an authorized
EQUUS dealer.
-  Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
Driving with the Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (MIL) ON may
damage the emission control sys-
tems which could affect drivability
and/or fuel economy.
- Gasoline Engine
When the Malfunction Indicator
Lamp (MIL) illuminates, the cat-
alytic converter is possibly dam-
aged, resulting in loss of engine
power.
In this case, have your vehicle
inspected by an authorized
EQUUS dealer.
NOTICE
NOTICE
i
3-91
Convenient features of your vehicle03
- Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) System
Warning Light
When both ABS and the Parking
Brake & Brake Fluid warning
lights illuminate, the brake sys-
tem does not properly operate.
You may experience an unex-
pected and dangerous situation
in a sudden braking.
In this case, avoid sharp driving
and abrupt braking. Have your
vehicle inspected by an author-
ized EQUUS dealer.
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.
B B E
EF
FO
O R
RE
E 
 D
D R
RI
IV
V I
IN
N G
G
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 

5-75
Driving your vehicle05
To prevent the locks from
frozen
To prevent the locks from being
frozen, spray authorized de-icing
fluid or glycerin into key openings.
When a lock opening is already cov-
ered with ice, spray authorized  de-
icing fluid on the ice to remove it.
When an internal part of a lock
freezes, try to thaw it with a heated
key. Carefully use the heated key to
avoid an injury.
Use authorized window-wash-
er anti-freezer solution in sys-
tem
To prevent the window washer from
being frozen, add authorized win-
dow-washer anti-freeze solution, as
instructed on the window-washer
container. Window-washer anti-
freeze solution is available from an
authorized EQUUS dealer, and so
are the most auto parts outlets. Do
not use engine coolant or other types
of anti-freezer solution, because
these may damage the vehicle paint.
Do not let your parking brake
freeze
Under some conditions, your parking
brake may freeze in the engaged
position. This is most likely to hap-
pen, when there is an accumulation
of snow or ice around/near the rear
brakes, or when the brakes are wet.
When there is the risk that your park-
ing brake may freeze, temporarily
apply it after locating the shift lever in
P(Park). Also, block the rear wheels
in advance, so the vehicle may not
roll. Then, release the parking brake.
Do not let ice and snow accu-
mulate underneath
Under some conditions, snow and
ice may build up under the fenders
and interfere with the steering. When
driving in such conditions during the
severe winter, you should check
underneath the vehicle on a regular
basis to assure that moving the front
wheels and the steering components
is unobstructed.
Carry emergency equipment
In accordance with weather condi-
tions, you should carry appropriate
emergency equipment, while driving.
Some of the items you may want to
carry include tire chains, tow straps,
chains, flashlight, emergency flares,
sand, a shovel, jumper cables, a win-
dow scraper, gloves, ground cloth,
coveralls and a blanket.
Do not place objects or materi-
als in the engine compartment
Putting objects or materials in the
engine compartment may cause an
engine failure or combustion,
because those may block the engine
cooling. The manufacturer is not
responsible for the damage caused
by such placement. 

When the temperature gauge indi-
cates engine overheating, you may
experience a loss of power, loud
pinging, or knocking. The engine is
probably too hot. If this happens, you
should:
1.Pull off the road and stop the vehi-cle as soon as it is safe to do so.
2.Place the shift lever in P(Park), and set the parking brake. When the
A/C is turned ON, turn it OFF.
3.When the engine coolant gushes out, or when steam comes out
from the hood, stop the engine. Do
not open the hood until the coolant
outrushing or steaming stops.
Even when there is no more
coolant outrushing, leave the
engine running and operate the
engine cooling fan. When the fan
does not operate, turn the engine
OFF.
4.Check whether the water pump drive belt is missing. When it is not,
check its tightening. When it seems
to be loose, check for any coolant
leaking from the radiator or hoses
underneath the vehicle. (When the
A/C is turned ON, cold-water drain-
ing is normal upon stopping the
vehicle.)   5.When the water pump drive belt is
broken, or when engine coolant
leaks out, immediately stop the
engine and contact the nearest
authorized EQUUS dealer for
assistance.
6.When you cannot find a cause, wait until the engine temperature
cools down. When there is serious
loss of engine coolant, carefully
add coolant into the reservoir to
bring the fluid level above the
halfway mark.
7.Be cautious and keep alert for fur- ther signs of overheating. When
finding further overheating signs,
contact an authorized EQUUS
dealer for assistance.
I IF
F  
 T
T H
H E
E 
 E
E N
N G
GI
IN
N E
E 
 O
O V
VE
ER
R H
H E
EA
A T
TS
S
6-6
What to do in an emergency
While the engine is running,
keep hair, hands, and clothing
away from moving parts, such
as the fan and drive belts, in
order to prevent an injury.
WARNING
Do not remove theradiator cap, when the
engine is hot. This may
blow out the engine
coolant out of the
opening and cause a
serious burn.
WARNING
Serious loss of coolant indi-
cates a leakage in the cooling
system. This should be immedi-
ately checked by an authorized
EQUUS dealer.
CAUTION