
WARNING!(Continued)
water can wear away the road or path’s surface and
cause your vehicle to sink into deeper water. Further-
more, flowing and/or rising water can carry your ve-
hicle away swiftly. Failure to follow this warning may
result in injuries that are serious or fatal to you, your
passengers, and others around you.
Shallow Standing Water
Although your vehicle is capable of driving through shal-
low standing water, consider the following Cautions and
Warnings before doing so.
WARNING!
•Driving through standing water limits your vehicle’s
traction capabilities. Do not exceed 5 mph (8 km/h)
when driving through standing water.
• Driving through standing water limits your vehicle’s
braking capabilities, which increases stopping dis-
tances. Therefore, after driving through standing
water, drive slowly and lightly press on the brake
pedal several times to dry the brakes.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Failure to follow these warnings may result in inju-
ries that are serious or fatal to you, your passengers,
and others around you.
CAUTION!
• Always check the depth of the standing water before
driving through it. Never drive through standing
water that is deeper than the bottom of the tire rims
mounted on the vehicle.
• Determine the condition of the road or the path that
is under water and if there are any obstacles in the
way before driving through the standing water.
• Do not exceed 5 mph (8 km/h) when driving through
standing water. This will minimize wave effects.
• Driving through standing water may cause damage
to your vehicle’s drivetrain components. Always in-
spect your vehicle’s fluids (i.e., engine oil, transmis-
sion, axle, etc.) for signs of contamination (i.e., fluid
that is milky or foamy in appearance) after driving
through standing water. Do not continue to operate
the vehicle if any fluid appears contaminated, as this
(Continued)
6
STARTING AND OPERATING 187

5. Remove the wheel lug bolts. For vehicles with wheelcovers, remove the cover from the wheel by hand. Do
not pry the wheel cover off. Then pull the wheel off the
hub.
6. Install the spare tire. Lightly tighten the wheel lug bolts using the bolt install wrench.
WARNING!
To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the jack, do
not fully tighten the wheel bolts until the vehicle has
been lowered. Failure to follow this warning may
result in serious injury.
CAUTION!
Be sure to mount the spare tire with the valve stem
facing outward. The vehicle could be damaged if the
spare tire is mounted incorrectly.
7. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack screw to the left.
8. Refer to “Torque Specifications” in “Technical Specifica- tions” for proper wheel lug bolt torque.
9. Lower the jack to its fully-closed position.
Mounting Spare Tire
7
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY 213

Vehicles Equipped With Wheel Covers
1. Mount the road tire on the axle.
2. To ease the installation process for steel wheels withwheel covers, install two wheel bolts on the wheel.
Install the wheel bolts with the threaded end of the bolt
toward the wheel. Lightly tighten the wheel bolts. 3. Align the valve notch in the wheel cover with the valve
stem on the wheel. Install the cover by hand, snapping
the cover over the two wheel bolts. Do not use a
hammer or excessive force to install the cover.
4. Install the remaining wheel bolts with the threaded end of the wheel bolt toward the wheel. Lightly tighten the
wheel bolts.
WARNING!
To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the jack, do
not fully tighten the wheel bolts until the vehicle has
been lowered. Failure to follow this warning may
result in serious injury.
5. Lower the vehicle to the ground by turning the jack handle counterclockwise.
6. Finish tightening the wheel bolts. Push down on the wrench while holding at the end of the handle for
increased leverage. Tighten the wheel bolts in a star
pattern until each wheel bolt has been tightened twice.
Refer to “Torque Specifications” in “Technical Specifica-
tions” for correct wheel bolt torque.
Tire And Wheel Cover Or Center Cap
1 — Valve Stem 4 — Wheel Cover
2 — Valve Notch 5 — Road Wheel
3 — Wheel Bolt 216 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

WARNING!
Store the sealant canister in its special compartment,
away from sources of heat. Failure to follow this
WARNING may result in sealant canister rupture and
serious injury or death.
JUMP STARTING
If your vehicle has a discharged battery, it can be jump
started using a set of jumper cables and a battery in another
vehicle or by using a portable battery booster pack. Jumpstarting can be dangerous if done improperly, so please
follow the procedures in this section carefully.
NOTE:
When using a portable battery booster pack, follow
the manufacturer ’s operating instructions and precautions.
WARNING!
Do not attempt jump starting if the battery is frozen. It
could rupture or explode and cause personal injury.
CAUTION!
Do not use a portable battery booster pack or any other
booster source with a system voltage greater than 12
Volts or damage to the battery, starter motor, alternator
or electrical system may occur.
Preparations For Jump Starting
The battery in your vehicle is located in the front of the
engine compartment, behind the left headlight assembly.
NOTE: The positive battery post is covered with a protec-
tive cap. Lift up on the cap to gain access to the positive
battery post.
Tire Service Kit Expiration Date Location
220 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

WARNING!
Riding the brakes can lead to brake failure and possi-
bly a collision. Driving with your foot resting or riding
on the brake pedal can result in abnormally high brake
temperatures, excessive lining wear, and possible
brake damage. You would not have your full braking
capacity in an emergency.
Brake Master Cylinder
The fluid in the master cylinder should be checked when
performing under hood services or immediately if the
“Brake Warning Light” is illuminated.
Be sure to clean the top of the master cylinder area before
removing the cap. If necessary, add fluid to bring the fluid
level up to the requirements described on the brake fluid
reservoir. With disc brakes, fluid level can be expected to
fall as the brake pads wear. Brake fluid level should be
checked when pads are replaced. However, low fluid level
may be caused by a leak and a checkup may be needed.
Use only manufacturer’s recommended brake fluid. Refer
to “Fluids And Lubricants” in “Technical Specifications”
for further information.
WARNING!
•Use only manufacturer’s recommended brake fluid.
Refer to “Fluids And Lubricants” in “Technical
Specifications” for further information. Using the
wrong type of brake fluid can severely damage your
brake system and/or impair its performance. The
proper type of brake fluid for your vehicle is also
identified on the original factory installed hydraulic
master cylinder reservoir.
• To avoid contamination from foreign matter or mois-
ture, use only new brake fluid or fluid that has been
in a tightly closed container. Keep the master cylin-
der reservoir cap secured at all times. Brake fluid in
a open container absorbs moisture from the air
resulting in a lower boiling point. This may cause it
to boil unexpectedly during hard or prolonged brak-
ing, resulting in sudden brake failure. This could
result in a collision.
• Overfilling the brake fluid reservoir can result in
spilling brake fluid on hot engine parts, causing the
brake fluid to catch fire. Brake fluid can also damage
painted and vinyl surfaces, care should be taken to
avoid its contact with these surfaces.
(Continued)
8
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE 251

Keep dismounted tires in a cool, dry place with as little
exposure to light as possible. Protect tires from contact with
oil, grease, and gasoline.
Replacement Tires
The tires on your new vehicle provide a balance of many
characteristics. They should be inspected regularly for
wear and correct cold tire inflation pressures. The manu-
facturer strongly recommends that you use tires equivalent
to the originals in size, quality and performance when
replacement is needed. Refer to the paragraph on “Tread
Wear Indicators” in this section. Refer to the Tire and
Loading Information placard or the Vehicle Certification
Label for the size designation of your tire. The Load Index
and Speed Symbol for your tire will be found on the
original equipment tire sidewall.
See the Tire Sizing Chart example found in the “Tire Safety
Information” section of this manual for more information
relating to the Load Index and Speed Symbol of a tire.
It is recommended to replace the two front tires or two rear
tires as a pair. Replacing just one tire can seriously affect
your vehicle’s handling. If you ever replace a wheel, make
sure that the wheel’s specifications match those of the
original wheels.It is recommended you contact an authorized tire dealer or
original equipment dealer with any questions you may
have on tire specifications or capability. Failure to use
equivalent replacement tires may adversely affect the
safety, handling, and ride of your vehicle.
WARNING!
•
Do not use a tire, wheel size, load rating, or speed
rating other than that specified for your vehicle.
Some combinations of unapproved tires and wheels
may change suspension dimensions and perfor-
mance characteristics, resulting in changes to steer-
ing, handling, and braking of your vehicle. This can
cause unpredictable handling and stress to steering
and suspension components. You could lose control
and have a collision resulting in serious injury or
death. Use only the tire and wheel sizes with load
ratings approved for your vehicle.
• Never use a tire with a smaller load index or capacity,
other than what was originally equipped on your
vehicle. Using a tire with a smaller load index could
result in tire overloading and failure. You could lose
control and have a collision.
(Continued)
8
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE 271

IDENTIFICATION DATA
Vehicle Identification Number
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is found on the
left front corner of the instrument panel, visible through
the windshield. This number also appears on the vehicle
frame and underbody as well as the Automobile Informa-
tion Disclosure Label affixed to a window on your vehicle,
the vehicle registration and title.
NOTE:It is illegal to remove or alter the VIN.
BRAKE SYSTEM
Your vehicle is equipped with dual hydraulic brake sys-
tems. If either of the two hydraulic systems loses normal
capability, the remaining system will still function. How-
ever, there will be some loss of overall braking effective-
ness. You may notice increased pedal travel during appli-
cation, greater pedal force required to slow or stop, and
potential activation of the “Brake System Warning Light”.
In the event power assist is lost for any reason (i.e.,
repeated brake applications with the engine off), the brakes
will still function. However, the effort required to brake the
vehicle will be much greater than that required with the
power system operating.
WHEEL AND TIRE TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS
Proper lug nut/bolt torque is very important to ensure that
the wheel is properly mounted to the vehicle. Any time a
wheel has been removed and reinstalled on the vehicle, the
lug nuts/bolts should be torqued using a properly cali-
brated torque wrench using a high quality six sided (hex)
deep wall socket.
Vehicle Identification Number
286 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

After 25 miles (40 km), check the lug nut/bolt torque to be
sure that all the lug nuts/bolts are properly seated against
the wheel.
WARNING!
To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the jack, do
not tighten the lug nuts/bolts fully until the vehicle has
been lowered. Failure to follow this warning may
result in personal injury.
FUEL REQUIREMENTS
2.4L Engine
All available gasoline engines are de-
signed to meet all emissions regulations
and provide excellent fuel economy and
performance when using high quality
unleaded “regular” gasoline having a
octane rating of 87 using the (R+M)/2
method. The use of premium gasoline is
not recommended, as it will not provide any benefit over
regular gasoline in these engines.
While operating on gasoline with an octane number of 87,
hearing a light knocking sound from the engine is not a
cause for concern. However, if the engine is heard making
a heavy knocking sound, see your dealer immediately. Use
of gasoline with an octane number lower than 87 can cause
engine failure and may void or not be covered by the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Poor quality gasoline can cause problems such as hard
starting, stalling, and hesitations. If you experience these
symptoms, try another brand of gasoline before consider-
ing service for the vehicle.
Torque Patterns
288 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS