2-57
Safety system of your vehicle02
(Continued)
No objects should be placedover or near the air bag mod-
ules on the steering wheel,
instrument panel, and the
front panel above the glove
box, because such an object
may cause harm in a crash
severe enough to cause the
air bags to deploy.
Never place covers, blankets or seat warmers on the pas-
senger's seat. These may
interfere with the occupant
classification system.
Do not modify or disconnect the SRS wirings or other SRS
components.
Doing so may result in injury,
due to an accidental air bag
deployment or the deactivated
SRS.
When the SRS air bag warning light remains illuminated
while driving, have an author-
ized EQUUS dealer inspect
the air bag system as soon as
possible.
Air bags can be used only once – have an authorized
EQUUS dealer replace the air
bag immediately after deploy-
ment.
The SRS is designed to deploy front air bags only
when an impact is sufficiently
severe, and when the impact
angle is smaller than 30° from
the forward longitudinal axis.
In addition, air bags will inflate
only once. Seat belts must be
fastened at all times.
(Continued)(Continued)
Front air bags are notdesigned to deploy in
side/rear impacts or a rollover.
In addition, front air bags will
not deploy in a frontal crash,
when an impact severity is
below the deployment thresh-
old.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with the occupant
classification system, do not
install a child restraint system
in the front passenger's seat.
A child restraint system must
never be installed in front. An
infant or child may be severe-
ly injured or killed by an air
bag deployment in case of an
accident.
Children age 12 and under must always be properly
restrained in a rear seat.
Never allow children to ride in
the front passenger's seat. In
case that a child over the age
of 12 is seated in the front
passenger's seat, the child
must be properly fastened
and the seat should be moved
to the rearmost position.
To maximize protection and to minimize the possibility of
serious injury or death in all
types of crashes, all occu-
pants including the driver
should always fasten a seat
belt regardless of the air bag
installment in their seats. Do
not sit or lean unnecessarily
close to an air bag while the
vehicle is in motion.
(Continued)
Additional safety precautions
All occupants should sit in anupright position, fully back in their
seats with their seat belts fastened
and their feet rested on the floor.
Occupants should not take an
inappropriate seating position,
while the vehicle is moving. An
unfastened occupant may strike
against the vehicle interior, against
other occupants, or out of the vehi-
cle, in a crash or emergency stop.
Each seat belt is designed to
restrain only one occupant.
When more than one person fas-
ten the same seat belt, they may
be seriously injured or killed in a
collision.
Do not put any accessories on
seat belts. Devices, which claims
to improve occupants' comfort,
may reduce the protection of a seat
belt and increase the chance of
serious injury in a crash.
Occupants should not place
hard or sharp objects between
themselves and the air bags.
Carrying hard or sharp objects on
your laps or in your mouth may
result in injuries, when an air bag
inflates.
Keep occupants away from the
air bags. All occupants should sit
upright, fully back in their seats
with their seat belts fastened and
their feet rested on the floor. When
the occupants are too close to the
air bag covers, they could be
injured if the air bags inflate.
Do not attach or place objects
on or near the air bag covers.
Any object attached to or placed
on the front or side impact air bag
covers could interfere with the
proper operation of the air bags.
2-66
Safety system of your vehicle
(Continued)
No objects should be placed over or near the air bag mod-
ules on the steering wheel,
instrument panel, and the
front panel above the glove
box, because such an object
may cause harm in a crash,
which is severe enough to
inflate the air bags.
After the air bags inflate, those must be replaced by an
authorized EQUUS dealer.
Do not modify or disconnect SRS wiring and other compo-
nents. Doing so may result in
injury, due to inadvertent air
bag inflation or the deactivat-
ed air bag system.
When components of the air bag system are to be discard-
ed, or when the vehicle must
be scrapped, certain safety
precautions must be
observed. An authorized
EQUUS dealer knows these
precautions and can give you
the necessary information.
Failure to follow these precau-
tions and procedures may
increase the risk of personal
injury.
When your vehicle is flooded and the floor mats are soaked,
you should not attempt to
start the engine. Have the
vehicle towed to an author-
ized EQUUS dealer.
Do not modify the front seats.
Modification of the front seats
could interfere with the operation of
the SRS sensing components or
side impact air bags.
Do not place items under the
front seats. Items under the front
seats could interfere with the oper-
ation of the SRS sensing compo-
nents or wiring harnesses.
Never hold an infant or child on
your laps. The infant or child may
be seriously injured or killed in the
event of a crash. All infants and
children should be properly
restrained in an appropriate child
restraint or in a rear seat with a
seat belt.Adding equipment to or modify- ing your air bag-equipped vehi-cle
When you modify your vehicle frame,
bumper system, front-end or side-
sheet metal or ride height, this may
adversely affect the operation of your
vehicle's air bag system.
2-67
Safety system of your vehicle02
Sitting improperly or out of
position may cause occu-
pants to slant too close
towards a deploying air bag,
strike the interior structure or
be thrown from the vehicle,
resulting in serious injury or
death.
Always put a seatback upright, and seat on the cen-
ter of the seat cushion with
your seat belt fastened, legs
comfortably extended and
your feet rested on the floor.
Be careful not to impact doors, when the Engine
Start/Stop Button is ON. The
impact may cause the air bags
to inflate.
WARNING
Information
If an indicator flash is abnormally
quick or slow, a bulb may be burned
out or have a poor electrical connec-
tion in the circuit.
Front fog light
Fog lights improve visibility and help
to avoid accidents which happen due
to poor visibility with fog, rain, snow,
etc. The fog lights will turn ON when
fog light switch (1) is turned to ON
with the headlamps ON.
To turn OFF the fog lights, turn the
switch to OFF.
When in operation, the fog lights
consume large amounts of vehicle
electrical power. Use the fog lights
only when visibility is poor.
Unnecessary usage may drain the
battery.
Daytime running light
Daytime Running Lights (DRL) can
make it easier for others to see the
front of your vehicle during the day-
time. DRL can be helpful in many dif-
ferent driving conditions, especially
after dawn or before sunset.
The DRL system will turn OFF when:
1. The headlamp switch is ON.
2. The parking brake is set.
3. Engine stops.
Headlight leveling device
Automatic type
It automatically adjusts the head-
lamp beam levels according to the
number of passengers and the load-
ing weight in the luggage area.
It offers the proper headlight beam
under various conditions.
NOTICE
i
3-113
Convenient features of your vehicle03
OVI045251C
When it does not properly oper-
ate, or when the headlamp
beam is isolated to the high or
low position, have your vehicle
inspected by an authorized
EQUUS dealer.
Do not attempt to inspect or
replace the wiring by yourself.
WARNING
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
7-56
Maintenance
A vehicle’s electrical system is pro-
tected from a possible electrical
overloading damage by fuses.
This vehicle has 4 fuse panels - two
on the driver’s side, another on the
panel bolster of the passenger's
side, and the other in the engine
compartment.
When any of your lights, acces-
sories, or controls does not operate,
check the appropriate circuit fuse.
When a fuse is out, some elements
may melt inside.
When the electrical system does not
operate, check the fuse panel on the
driver's side first.
Before replacing the fuse, disconnect
the negative battery cable. Always
replace it with a fuse of the same rat-
ing. When the newly-replaced fuse
blows, there may be an electrical
problem. Avoid using any pertinent
systems. Immediately consult an
authorized EQUUS dealer.
Three kinds of fuses are to be used:
a blade type for lower amperage rat-ing, and a cartridge type and a fusiblelink for higher amperage ratings.
Information
The actual fuse, relay panels, and
labels may differ from the equipped
items.
i
F F U
U S
SE
E S
S
OVI075172N
Normal
Normal
Blade type
Cartridge type
Fusible link Blown
Blown
Normal Blown
- Fuse replacement
Never replace a fuse with the
one of a different rating.
A higher capacity fuse may cause damage or a fire.
Never use a wire or an alu- minum foil, instead of a prop-
er fuse - even as an emergent
measure. It may damage
extensive wirings and cause a
fire.
WARNING
Do not use a screwdriver or any
other metal object to remove a
fuse. It may cause a short cir-
cuit and damage the system.
CAUTION
7-57
Maintenance07
When replacing a blown fuse orrelay with a new one, make sure
the new fuse or relay fits tightly
into the clips The incomplete
fastening fuse or relay may
cause the vehicle wiring and
electric systems damage and a
possible fire.
Do not remove fuses, relays and terminals fastened with bolts or
nuts. The fuses, relays and ter-
minals may be fastened incom-
pletely, and it may cause a pos-
sible fire. If fuses, relays and ter-
minals fastened with bolts or
nuts are blown, consult an
authorized EQUUS dealer.
Do not input any other objects except fuses or relays into
fuse/relay terminals such as a
driver or wiring. It may cause
contact failure and system mal-
function.
Inner panel fuse replacement
1. Turn OFF the ignition switch and all the other switches.
2. Open the fuse panel cover.
NOTICE
OVI075100N
Driver’s side
OVI075173N
Front passenger’s side
7-69
Maintenance07
L
LI
IG
G H
H T
T
B
B U
U L
LB
B S
S
Use only the bulbs of the specified
wattage.
Make sure to replace the burned-
out bulb with a new one of the
same wattage rating. Otherwise, it
may cause damage to a fuse or an
electric wiring system.
When you are not equipped with
necessary tools, the appropriate
bulbs and the expertise, consult an
authorized EQUUS dealer. In many
cases, it is difficult to replace vehi-
cle light bulbs, because some parts
of the vehicle must be disassem-
bled before getting to the bulb. This
is especially true when disassem-
bling to replace the headlamp
bulb(s). Removing/installing the
headlamp assembly may damage
your vehicle.
Information
After heavy rain or vehicle washing,
headlamp and taillight lenses may
appear to be frosty. This is caused by
the temperature difference between
the lamp inside and outside. This is
similar to the dew condensation on
your windows inside while raining.
This does not indicate a problem with
your vehicle. When water penetrates
into the lamp circuitry, have the vehi-
cle checked by an authorized EQUUS
dealer.
i
NOTICE
NOTICE
- Working on the lights
Before working on the light,
firmly set the parking brake,
turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK position, and turn OFF
the lights. These are to prevent
a sudden vehicle movement,
burning your fingers or an elec-
tric shock.
WARNING