
Charging SystemWarning Light
When this warning light illuminates
while the engine is running, the bat-
tery is not being charged.
Immediately turn OFF all electrical
accessories. Try not to use electrical-
ly operated controls, such as the
power windows. Keep running the
engine. Starting the engine will
quickly discharge the battery.
When there is a malfunction with
either the alternator or electrical
charging system:
1. Drive carefully to the nearest safe location and stop your vehicle.
2. Turn OFF the engine and check whether the alternator drive belt is
loose or broken.
Even though the belt is properly
adjusted, there may be a problem
in the electrical charging system.
In this case, have your vehicle
inspected by an authorized
EQUUS dealer.
Engine CoolantTemperature WarningLight
This warning light illuminates:
When the engine coolant temper-
ature is above 248°F (120°C). This
means that the engine is over-
heated and may be damaged.
When your vehicle is overheated,
refer to “Overheating” in the chap-
ter 6.
- Engine Overheating
Do not continue driving with the
overheated engine. Otherwise, the
engine may be damaged.
Engine Oil Pressure Warning Light
This warning light illuminates:
Once you turn ON the ignition
switch or the Engine Start/Stop
Button.
- It remains ON until the engine is
started.
When the engine oil pressure is low.
NOTICE
3-92
Convenient features of your vehicle

5-74
Driving your vehicle
An AutoSock, which is in the wrong size or is improperly
installed, may damage brake
lines, suspension, body and
wheels of your vehicle.
Stop driving and retighten the AutoSock, whenever there are
snapping sounds between the
vehicle and the AutoSock.
Use high quality ethylene gly-
col coolant
The cooling system of your vehicle is
filled with the high-quality ethylene
glycol coolant when being delivered.
It is the only type of coolant that your
vehicle is filled with, because it pre-
vents corrosion of the cooling sys-
tem, lubricates the water pump and
prevents freezing. Refill the cooling
system in accordance with your
maintenance schedule in the chapter
7. Before winter, check your coolant
to assure that the freezing point is
sufficiently lower than the expected
winter temperature.
Check battery and cables
The winter temperature increases
the battery consumption. Inspect the
battery and cables, as described in
the chapter 7. The battery charging
level can be checked by an author-
ized EQUUS dealer or in a service
station.
Change to "winter weight" oil,
if necessary
In some regions during the cold win-
ter, it is recommended to use the
"winter weight" oil with lower viscosi-
ty. For further information about this,
refer to the chapter 8. When you can-
not be sure about a type of winter
weight oil, consult an authorized
EQUUS dealer.
Check spark plugs and ignition
system
Inspect your spark plugs and, if nec-
essary, replace them. Also check all
ignition wirings and components for
any cracks, wear-out, and damage.
NOTICE
- Chain installation
When installing the AutoSock,
park the vehicle on level ground
away from other vehicles. Press
ON the Hazard Warning flasher
and place a warning triangle
behind your vehicle, if available.
Place the shift lever in P(Park),
set the parking brake and turn
OFF the engine, before
installing the AutoSock.
WARNING
- Tire chains
The use of the AutoSock may
adversely affect vehicle han-
dling.
Do not drive faster than the lower of the two - 20 mph (30
km/h) and the AutoSock manu-
facturer’s recommended
speed limit.
Drive carefully and avoid bumps, holes, sharp turns, and
other road hazards, which may
bounce the vehicle.
Avoid turning sharply or lock- ing the wheel brake.
WARNING

7-22
Maintenance
MAINTENANCE UNDER SEVERE USAGE CONDITIONS
The following maintenance procedures must be performed more frequently,
when driving under severe conditions. Refer to the below chart for the appro-
priate maintenance schedule.
R : Replace
I : Inspect, and, if necessary, clean, adjust, repair or replace.
SEVERE DRIVING CONDITIONS
A - Repeatedly driving a short distance of less than 5 miles (8 km) at a normal temperature or of lessthan 10 miles (16 km) at a freezing temperature
B - Extensively idling or slowly driving for a long distance
C - Driving on a rough, dusty, muddy, unpaved, graveled or salt-spread roads
D - Driving in areas where salt or other corrosive materials are abundant or at a freezing temperature
E - Driving in sandy areas
F - Driving in the heavy traffic area at a temperature over 90°F (32°C)
G- Driving on a slope or a mountainous area
H - Towing a trailer, or using a camper or roof rack
I - Driving as a patrol car, taxi, other commercial usages or vehicle towing
J - Driving at a speed over 106 mph (170 km/h)
K - Frequent stopping and starting
MAINTENANCE ITEMMAINTENANCE
OPERATIONMAINTENANCE INTERVALSDRIVING
CONDITION
ENGINE OIL AND FILTERREVERY 3,750 MILES
(6,000 KM) OR 6 MONTHSA, B, C, D, E,
F, G, H, I, J, K
AIR CLEANER FILTERIMORE FREQUENTLYC, E
SPARK PLUGSRMORE FREQUENTLYA, B, H, I, K
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
FLUIDREVERY 60,000 MILES
(96,000 KM) A, C, D, E, F,
G, H, I
FRONT BRAKE DISC/PADS,
CALIPERSIMORE FREQUENTLYC, D, G, H
REAR BRAKE DISC/PADSIMORE FREQUENTLYC, D, G, H
PARKING BRAKEIMORE FREQUENTLYC, D, G, H
STEERING GEAR BOX,
LINKAGE & BOOTS/
LOWER ARM BALL JOINT,
UPPER ARM BALL JOINT
IMORE FREQUENTLYC, D, E, F, G,
H, I
DRIVE SHAFTS AND BOOTSIEVERY 7,500 MILES
(12,000 KM) OR 6 MONTHSC, D, E, F, G,
H, I, J
REAR DIFFERENTIAL OILREVERY 80,000 MILES
(128,000 KM)C, G, H, I, J
CLIMATE CONTROL
AIR FILTER (FOR EVAPORA-
TOR AND BLOWER UNIT)RMORE FREQUENTLYC, E
PROPELLER SHAFTIEVERY 7,500 MILES
(12,000 KM) OR 6 MONTHSC, E

7-31
Maintenance07
Checking the power steering
fluid level
Check the fluid level in the power
steering reservoir on a regular basis,
after parking on a level ground. The
fluid level should be between MAX
and MIN marks on the gauge at a
normal temperature.
Before adding power steering fluid,
clean the area around the reservoir
cap to prevent power steering fluid
contamination.
When the level is low, add the fluid
near to the MAX level.
When the power steering system
requires frequent fluid addition, have
the vehicle inspected by an author-
ized EQUUS dealer. To avoid damage to the power
steering pump, do not operate
the vehicle for a prolonged peri-
od of time, when the power
steering fluid level is low.
Never start the engine when the reservoir tank is empty.
Pay special attention while adding the fluid. So, any dirt
does not get into the tank.
Low level of the fluid may increase the steering effort and
noise from the power steering
system.
The use of the unauthorized fluid may reduce the effects of
the power steering system and
damage it.
Use only the authorized power steer-ing fluid. (Refer to "Recommendedlubricants or capacities" in the chap-ter 8.)
Checking the power steering
hose
Check the connections for any oil
leakage, damages and twists, before
driving.
NOTICE
P P O
O W
W E
ER
R
S
S T
T E
EE
ER
R I
IN
N G
G
F
F L
LU
U I
ID
D
OVI075162N

7-41
Maintenance07
Battery recharging by battery
charger
Your vehicle has a maintenance-free,
calcium-based battery.
When the battery is discharged ina short period of time (possibly
because the headlamps or interior
lights remain on, while the vehicle
is not in use), slowly recharge it
(trickle) for 10 hours.
When the battery is gradually dis- charged due to high electric load,
while the vehicle is in use,
recharge it at 20-30A for 2 hours.
Battery recharging by vehicle
After jump-starting from a good bat-
tery, run the engine for 20-30 min-
utes in either the idle or driving
modes, before turning off the engine.
Your vehicle may not restart, when
the engine is shortly turned off with-
out having an adequate recharging
time.
- Recharging battery
When recharging the battery,
follow the below precautions:
The battery must be removed from the vehicle and placed in
a well-ventilated area.
Keep cigarette lits, sparks, or flames away from the battery.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Keep paying attention to thebattery condition, while
recharging. Stop or slow the
recharging rate, when the bat-
tery gas violently leaks (boil-
ing),or when an electrolyte
temperature exceeds 120°F
(49°C).
Wear the proper eye protection, while watching the battery
recharging conditions.
Disconnect the battery charger in the following order.
1. Turn off the main switch of the battery charger.
2. Unhook the negative clamp from the negative battery ter-
minal.
3. Unhook the positive clamp from the positive battery ter-
minal.
WARNING
Before maintaining orrecharging the battery, turn
off all accessories and stop
the engine.
The negative battery cable must be disconnected first, or
be connected last.
Operation related to the bat- tery should be done by an
authorized EQUUS dealer.
WARNING

Recommended SAE viscosity number
Always be sure to clean the filler-plug area, drain plug, or dipstick before
checking or draining any lubricant. This is especially important in dusty
or sandy areas or after driving on an unpaved road. The practice to
maintain the plug and dipstick areas clean prevents dirt and grit from
entering the engine or the other mechanisms, which may be damaged.
Engine oil viscosity (thickness) effects the fuel economy and the driving in a
cold weather (engine start and engine oil flow). Engine oils of the lower vis-
cosity improves the fuel economy and driving performance in a cold weather.
However, engine oil of the higher viscosity are required for sufficient lubrica-
tion in a hot weather.
Using oils out of the recommended viscosity may damage the engine. When
choosing an oil, consider the range of temperature, in which your vehicle
drives. Find the recommended oil viscosity from the chart.
NOTICE
8-5
Specifications, Consumer information and Reporting safety defects08
Temperature Range for SAE Viscosity Numbers
TemperatureEngine Oil *
1
°C
(°F)-30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 -10 0 20 40 60 80 100 120
1. For the better fuel economy, it is recommended to use the engine oil
of a viscosity grade SAE 5W-20 (API Service SM / ILSAC GF-4).
However, when this engine oil is unavailable in your country, select
a proper engine, using the engine oil viscosity chart.
10W-30
5W-20, 5W-30

Emission control system ........................................................................\
.............7-89Crankcase emission control system .............................................................7-89
Evaporative emission control system ...........................................................7-89
Exhaust emission control system .................................................................7-90
Engine compartment ........................................................................\
.....................1-6
Engine compartment fuse........................................................................\
............7-59
Engine coolant........................................................................\
.............................7-27
Engine coolant temperature gauge ......................................................................3-\
66
Engine number ........................................................................\
..............................8-7
Engine oil ........................................................................\
....................................7-25
Engine overheating......................................................\
..........................................6-6
Engine start/stop button ........................................................................\
................5-7
Evaporative emission control system..................................................................7-89
Exhaust emission control system ........................................................................\
7-90
Explanation of scheduled maintenance items .....................................................7-23
Exterior care ........................................................................\
................................7-83
Exterior overview (Front) ........................................................................\
.............1-2
Exterior overview (Rear) ........................................................................\
..............1-3
Flat tire ........................................................................\
.......................................6-12 Changing tires ........................................................................\
......................6-13
Compact spare tire........................................................................\
................6-17
Jack and tools ........................................................................\
.......................6-12
Removing and storing the spare tire ............................................................6-13
Floor mat anchor(s) ........................................................................\
...................3-150
Fluid Brake fluid ........................................................................\
............................7-30
Power steering fluid ........................................................................\
.............7-31
Washer fluid ........................................................................\
.........................7-32
Fog light ........................................................................\
...................................3-113
Front seat adjustment ........................................................................\
....................2-4
Fuel Economy ........................................................................\
.............................3-87
Fuel filler lid........................................................................\
................................3-34
Fuel gauge ........................................................................\
...................................3-67
Fuel requirements.......................................................\
...........................................F-8
Fuse switch ........................................................................\
..................................7-58
I-6
Index
F

Occupant classification system ........................................................................\
...2-48
Odometer ........................................................................\
.....................................3-68
Oil (Engine)........................................................................\
.................................7-25
Outside rearview mirror ........................................................................\
..............3-58
Outside temperature gauge........................................................................\
..........3-68
Overheating ........................................................................\
...................................6-6
Owner's maintenance ........................................................................\
....................7-7
Parking assist system ........................................................................\
................3-102
Parking light position ........................................................................\
................3-111
Passenger’s air bag ........................................................................\
......................2-54
Power brakes ........................................................................\
...............................5-17
Power outlet ........................................................................\
..............................3-148
Power steering fluid ........................................................................\
....................7-31
Power trunk ........................................................................\
.................................3-19
Power window lock button ........................................................................\
.........3-32
Pre-safe seat belt (PSB) ........................................................................\
..............2-28
Pre-tensioner seat belt ........................................................................\
.................2-25
Puddle lamp welcome ........................................................................\
...............3-121
Rear console storage ........................................................................\
.................3-142
Rear curtain ........................................................................\
...............................3-152
Rear door window curtains ........................................................................\
.........3-31
Rear seat adjustment ........................................................................\
..................2-11
Rear vanity mirror ........................................................................\
.....................3-147
Rear view camera ........................................................................\
......................3-107
Recommended cold tire inflation pressures ........................................................7-42
Recommended lubricants and capacities ..............................................................8-4Recommended SAE viscosity number ...........................................................8-5
Refrigerant label ........................................................................\
............................8-7
Replacement light bulb ........................................................................\
...............7-69
Reporting safety defects ........................................................................\
................8-9
Reverse parking aid function ........................................................................\
.....3-61
Road warning Hazard warning flasher ........................................................................\
..........6-2
I-11
IndexI
O
P
R