
Operating Tips
NOTE:Refer to the chart at the end of this section for
suggested control settings for various weather conditions.
Summer Operation
The engine cooling system must be protected with a
high-quality antifreeze coolant to provide proper corrosion
protection and to protect against engine overheating. OAT
coolant (conforming to MS.90032) with deionized, or dis-
tilled water for proper corrosion protection is recom-
mended.
Winter Operation
To ensure the best possible heater and defroster perfor-
mance, make sure the engine cooling system is functioning
properly and the proper amount, type, and concentration
of coolant is used. Use of the air Recirculation mode during
Winter months is not recommended, because it may cause
window fogging.
Vacation/Storage
Before you store your vehicle, or keep it out of service (i.e.,
vacation) for two weeks or more, run the air conditioning
system at idle for about five minutes, in fresh air with the blower setting on high. This will ensure adequate system
lubrication to minimize the possibility of compressor dam-
age when the system is started again.
Window Fogging
Vehicle windows tend to fog on the inside in mild, rainy
and/or humid weather. To clear the windows, select De-
frost or Mix mode and increase the front blower speed. Do
not use the Recirculation mode without A/C for long
periods, as fogging may occur.
Outside Air Intake
Make sure the air intake, located directly in front of the
windshield, is free of obstructions such as leaves. Leaves
collected in the air intake may reduce airflow, and if they
enter the plenum, they could plug the water drains. In
winter months, make sure the air intake is clear of ice,
slush, and snow.
Cabin Air Filter
The climate control system filters out dust and pollen from
the air. Contact your authorized dealer to service your
cabin air filter, and to have it replaced when needed.
118 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE

Battery Charge Warning Light
Red TelltaleLight What It Means
Battery Charge Warning Light (12 Volt Battery)
This light illuminates when the battery is not charging properly. If it stays on while the vehicle is run-
ning, there may be a malfunction with the charging system. Contact your authorized dealer as soon
as possible. This indicates a possible problem with the electrical system or a related component.
If jump starting is required, refer to “Jump-Starting” in “In Case Of Emergency.”
Coolant Temperature Warning Light
Red Telltale
Light What It Means
Coolant Temperature Warning Light
This light warns of an overheated engine condition. If the light turns on while driving, safely pull
over and stop the vehicle. If the A/C system is on, turn it off. Also, shift the transmission into
PARK and idle the vehicle. If the temperature reading does not return to normal, turn the vehicle
off immediately and call for service.
NOTE:
As the coolant temperature gauge approaches
H,this indicator will illuminate and a single
chime will sound. Further overheating will cause the temperature gauge to reach H.In this
case, a continuous chime will sound until the vehicle is allowed to cool or the 4 minutes duration
is expired, whichever come first.
4
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 171

•You can also turn the temperature control to maximum
heat, the mode control to floor and the blower control to
high. This allows the heater core to act as a supplement
to the radiator and aids in removing heat from the
engine cooling system.
WARNING!
You or others can be badly burned by hot engine
coolant (antifreeze) or steam from your radiator. If you
see or hear steam coming from under the hood, do not
open the hood until the radiator has had time to cool.
Never try to open a cooling system pressure cap when
the radiator or coolant bottle is hot.
CAUTION!
Driving with a hot cooling system could damage your
vehicle. If temperature gauge reads “H”, pull over and
stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle with the air condi-
tioner turned off until the pointer drops back into the
normal range. If the pointer remains on the “H”, turn
the vehicle off immediately, and call for service.
FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand or snow, it can
often be moved using a rocking motion. Turn the steering
wheel right and left to clear the area around the front
wheels. Then shift back and forth between DRIVE and
REVERSE while gently pressing the accelerator.
NOTE: Shifts between DRIVE and REVERSE can only be
achieved at wheel speeds of 5 mph (8 km/h) or less.
Whenever the transmission remains in NEUTRAL for more
than half a second, you must press the brake pedal to
engage DRIVE or REVERSE.
Use the least amount of accelerator pedal pressure that will
maintain the rocking motion without spinning the wheels
or holding down the accelerator pedal.
NOTE: Push the ESC Off switch to place the Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) system in Partial Offmode, before
rocking the vehicle. Refer to “Electronic Brake Control
System” in “Safety” for further information. Once the
vehicle has been freed, push the ESC Offswitch again to
restore ESC On mode.
422 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

SCHEDULED SERVICING
Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic oil change
indicator system. The oil change indicator system will
remind you that it is time to take your vehicle in for
scheduled maintenance.
Based on engine operation conditions, the oil change
indicator message will illuminate. This means that service
is required for your vehicle. Operating conditions such as
frequent short-trips, or extremely hot or cold ambient
temperatures will influence when the “Oil Change Re-
quired” message is displayed. Severe Operating Condi-
tions can cause the change oil message to illuminate as
early as 3,500 miles (5,600 km) since last reset. Have your
vehicle serviced as soon as possible, within the next
500 miles (805 km).
NOTE:Even though the vehicle may not have been driven,
both the fuel in the tank and oil in the engine will still
degrade over time. Additionally, there will be a notification
to the driver if the engine is being run to maintain the oil
and fuel systems.
Your authorized dealer will reset the oil change indicator
message after completing the scheduled oil change. If a
scheduled oil change is performed by someone other than
your authorized dealer, the message can be reset by referring to “Vehicle Info” in “Instrument Cluster Display”
in “Getting To Know Your Instrument Panel”.
NOTE:
Under no circumstances should oil change inter-
vals exceed 10,000 miles (16,000 km), twelve months or 350
hours of engine run time, whichever comes first. The 350
hours of engine run or idle time is generally only a concern
for fleet customers.
Once A Month Or Before A Long Trip:
• Check engine oil level.
• Check windshield washer fluid level.
• Check tire pressure and look for unusual wear or
damage. Rotate tires at the first sign of irregular wear,
even if it occurs before the oil indicator system turns on.
• Check the fluid levels of the coolant reservoir and brake
master cylinder, fill as needed.
• Check function of all interior and exterior lights.
Required Maintenance Intervals
Refer to the maintenance schedules on the following page
for the required maintenance intervals.
8
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE 429

Mileage:20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
100,000
110,000
120,000
130,000
140,000
150,000
Or Years: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Or Kilometers:
32,000
48,000
64,000
80,000
96,000
112,000
128,000
144,000
160,000
176,000
192,000
208,000
224,000
240,000
Inspect front accessory drive belt, tensioner, idler pul-
ley, and replace if necessary. X
Additional Maintenance
Replace engine air cleaner filter. XX X XX
Replace air conditioning/cabin air filter. X X X X X X X
Replace spark plugs. ** X
Flush and replace the engine, power electronics, and
battery coolant at 10 years or 150,000 miles
(240,000 km), whichever comes first. *** XX
Inspect and replace PCV valve if necessary. X
** The spark plug change interval is mileage based only,
yearly intervals do not apply.*** Some vehicles require special tools to add coolant
properly. Failure to fill these systems properly could lead to
severe internal damage. If any coolant is needed to be
added to the system please contact your local authorized
dealer.
8
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE 431

ENGINE COMPARTMENT — HYBRID
1 — Battery Coolant Reservoir*6 — Power Distribution Center (Fuses)
2 — Engine Coolant Reservoir 7 — Engine Air Cleaner
3 — Engine Oil Fill 8 — Engine Oil Dipstick
4 — Brake Fluid Reservoir 9 — Power Electronics Coolant Reservoir*
5 — Remote Jump Start Positive Terminal 10 — Washer Fluid Reservoir
* See your authorized dealer for service.
8
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE 433

WARNING!(Continued)
•You or others can be badly burned by hot engine
coolant (antifreeze) or steam from your radiator. If
you see or hear steam coming from under the hood,
do not open the hood until the radiator has had time
to cool. Never open a cooling system pressure cap
when the radiator or coolant bottle is hot.
• Keep hands, tools, clothing, and jewelry away from
the radiator cooling fan when the hood is raised. The
fan may start without warning, whether the ignition
is on or off.
This vehicle is equipped with an electric cooling fan
mounted behind the radiator that starts automatically, and
may start at any time. Your vehicle may determine the fan
needs to start and to run if vehicle coolant is too hot, if the
ambient air temperature is too high, or if the vehicle is
charging and the hood is open. Even after the vehicle is
turned off, the fan may start without warning and run for
several minutes. Be aware of this if you are working in the
engine compartment. Always keep fingers and tools away
from the fan blades.
The radiator fan and surrounding components must be
serviced by your authorized dealer.
Engine Coolant Checks
Check the engine coolant (antifreeze) protection every 12
months (before the onset of freezing weather, where appli-
cable). If the engine coolant (antifreeze) is dirty, the system
should be drained, flushed, and refilled with fresh OAT
coolant (conforming to MS.90032) by an authorized dealer.
Check the front of the A/C condenser for any accumula-
tion of bugs, leaves, etc. If dirty, clean by gently spraying
water from a garden hose vertically down the face of the
condenser.
Check the engine cooling system hoses for brittle rubber,
cracking, tears, cuts, and tightness of the connection at the
coolant recovery bottle and radiator. Inspect the entire
system for leaks. DO NOT REMOVE THE COOLANT
PRESSURE CAP WHEN THE COOLING SYSTEM IS HOT.
Cooling System — Drain, Flush And Refill
NOTE: Some vehicles require special tools to add coolant
properly. Failure to fill these systems properly could lead to
severe internal engine damage. If any coolant is needed to
be added to the system please contact your local autho-
rized dealer.
448 SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE

If the engine coolant (antifreeze) is dirty or contains visible
sediment, have an authorized dealer clean and flush with
OAT coolant (antifreeze) (conforming to MS.90032).
Refer to the “Maintenance Plan” in this section for the
proper maintenance intervals.
Electric/Battery Coolant System
These coolant systems must be serviced by your autho-
rized dealer. If the coolant level is below what is specified
on the reservoir, contact your authorized dealer for service.
These systems require the use of high purity water, such as
deionized, or distilled water, when mixing the water and
coolant (antifreeze) solution. The use of lower quality
water will reduce the amount of corrosion protection in the
cooling systems. If the coolant level of the battery coolant
system is low, the wrench warning light will be illuminated
on the instrument cluster.
Selection Of Coolant
Refer to “Fluids And Lubricants” in “Technical Specifica-
tions” for further information.
CAUTION!
•Mixing of engine coolant (antifreeze) other than
specified Organic Additive Technology (OAT) en-
gine coolant (antifreeze), may result in engine dam-
age and may decrease corrosion protection. Organic
Additive Technology (OAT) engine coolant is differ-
ent and should not be mixed with Hybrid Organic
Additive Technology (HOAT) engine coolant (anti-
freeze) or any “globally compatible” coolant (anti-
freeze). If a non-OAT engine coolant (antifreeze) is
introduced into the cooling system in an emergency,
the cooling system will need to be drained, flushed,
and refilled with fresh OAT coolant (conforming to
MS.90032), by an authorized dealer as soon as pos-
sible.
• Do not use water alone or alcohol-based engine
coolant (antifreeze) products. Do not use additional
rust inhibitors or antirust products, as they may not
be compatible with the radiator engine coolant and
may plug the radiator.
• This vehicle has not been designed for use with
propylene glycol-based engine coolant (antifreeze).
Use of propylene glycol-based engine coolant (anti-
freeze) is not recommended.
8
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE 449