128 || 129
M
AINTENANCEHANDLING THE UNEXPECTED
MAINTENANCE
Learn about basic maintenance that you can perform on the vehicle yourse\
lf, as well
as information about how to best maintain the vehicle.
Safety Precautions
Some of the most important safety precautions are listed below; however, we cannot
warn you of every conceivable hazard that can arise in performing mainte\
nance.
only you can decide whether or not you should perform a given task.
Maintenance Safety
•
To reduce the possibility of fire or explosion, keep cigarettes, sparks\
, and flames
away from the battery and all fuel-related parts.
•
Never leave rags, towels, or other flammable objects under the hood. H\
eat from
the engine and exhaust can ignite them, causing a fire.
•
To clean parts, use a commercially available degreaser or parts cleaner
, not
gasoline.
•
Wear eye protection and protective clothing when working with the battery\
or
compressed air
.
•
Do not run the engine in confined spaces where carbon monoxide gas can\
accumulate.
Vehicle Safety
•
The vehicle must be stationary, and parked on level ground with the parking
brake set and the engine off.
•
Be aware that hot parts can burn you.
•
Be aware that moving parts can injure you.
Improperly maintaining this vehicle or failing to correct a problem befo\
re driving can cause a crash in which you can be seriously hurt or killed. \
Always follow the inspection and maintenance recommendations according
to the schedules in this guide.
WARNING
Failure to properly follow maintenance instructions and precautions can \
cause you to be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the procedures and precautions in this guide.
WARNING
Inspecting and Changing Fuses
1.
Turn the vehicle off, including all lights and
accessories.
2.
remove the fuse box cover
.
3.
Check the large fuse in the engine compartment.
If the fuse is blown, use a Phillips-head
screwdriver to remove the screws and replace
the fuse with a new one.
reinstall the screws.
4.
Inspect the small fuses in the engine
compartment and the vehicle interior.
If there is a burned out fuse, remove it with the
fuse puller and replace it with a new one.
Combined
fuse Blown fuse
Fuse puller
replacing a fuse with one that has a higher rating greatly increases the \
chances of
damaging the electrical system.
NOTICE
132 || 133
M
AINTENANCEMAINTENANCE
Opening the Hood
1.
Park the vehicle on a level surface, and set the
parking brake.
2.
Pull the hood release handle under the lower left
corner of the dashboard.
3.
Push up the hood latch lever in the center of the
hood to release the lock mechanism, then open
the hood.
Follow the steps below to open and close the
hood based on your engine type.
4-cylinder models
remove the support rod from the clamp using the
grip. Mount the support rod in the hood.
When closing, remove the support rod, and
stow it in the clamp, then gently lower the hood.
remove your hand at a height of approximately
12 inches (30 cm) and let the hood close.
6-cylinder models Lift the hood up most of the way
. The hydraulic
supports lift it up the rest of the way and hold it
up.
When closing, lower it to approximately 12
inches (30 cm), then press down firmly with your
hands.
Do not open the hood when the wiper arms are raised. The hood will strik\
e the
wipers, and may damage either the hood or the wipers.
NOTICE
Hood release handle
Pull
Lever
Support ro d
Grip
Clamp
Under the Hood
Brake uid
(black cap)
Engine coolant
reserve tank Radiator cap
Washer uid
(blue cap) Engine oil dipstick
(orange) Clutch uid*
(light gray cap)
Engine oil ll cap
Battery
4-cylinder model s
Engine oil dipstick
(orange)
Washer uid
(blue cap)
Engine coolant
reserve tank
Radiator cap Brake uid
(black cap)
Engine oil ll cap
Battery
6-cylinder model s
*if equipped
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M
AINTENANCEMAINTENANCE
Testing of Readiness Codes
Your vehicle has readiness codes as part of the onboard self-diagnostic s\
ystem.
Some states use these codes for testing to verify whether your vehicle’\
s emissions
components are working properly. The codes may not be read if you go through the
testing just after the battery has gone dead or been disconnected.
To check if they are set, turn the vehicle on without starting the engine\
. The
malfunction indicator lamp will come on for several seconds. If it goes \
off, the
readiness codes are set. If it blinks five times, the readiness codes \
are not set.
If you are required to have your vehicle tested before the readiness cod\
es are set,
prepare the vehicle for retesting by doing the following:
1.
Fill the gas tank to approximately 3/4 full.
2.
Park the vehicle and leave the engine off for 6 hours or more.
3.
Make sure the ambient temperature is between 40°F and 95°F (4°\
C and 35°C).
4.
Start the engine without touching the accelerator pedal, and let it idle\
for 20
seconds.
5.
Keep the vehicle in Park (P) or Neutral for manual transmission. Incre\
ase the
engine speed to 2,000 rpm, and hold it there for about 3 minutes.
6.
Let the engine idle with your foot off the accelerator for 20 seconds.
7.
Select a nearby, lightly traveled major highway where you can maintain a speed
of 50 to 60 mph (80 to 97 km/h) for at least 20 minutes. Drive on the \
highw
ay
with the vehicle in Drive (D) or 5th gear. Do not use cruise control. When traffic
allows, drive for 90 seconds without using the accelerator pedal. (
vehicle speed
may vary slightly; this is
oK.) If you cannot do this for a continuous 90 seconds
because of traffic conditions, drive for at least 30 seconds, then rep\
eat two more
times (for a total of 90 seconds).
8.
Drive in city or suburban traffic for at least 10 minutes. When traffi\
c conditions
allow
, let the vehicle coast for several seconds without using the accelerator
pedal or the brake pedal.
9.
Park the vehicle and leave the engine off for 30 minutes.
The readiness codes are erased when the battery is disconnected, and set\
again
only after several days of driving under a variety of conditions.
If a testing facility determines that the readiness codes are not set, y\
ou may be
requested to return at a later date to complete the test, or see your de\
aler
.
TemperatureThe temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing the\
tire’s
resistance to the generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat w\
hen tested
under controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory test whee\
l. Sustained
high temperature can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and re\
duce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure. Th\
e grade
C corresponds to a level of performance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor
vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and
A represent higher levels of performance on the laboratory test wheel th\
an the
minimum required by law.
W
ARNING: The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that
is properly inflated and not overloaded.
excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination, can cause heat b\
uildup
and possible tire failure.