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Vehicle Care 235
Vehicle Storage
{Warning
Batteries have acid that can burn
you and gas that can explode.
You can be badly hurt if you are
not careful. SeeJump Starting -
North America 0267 for tips on
working around a battery without
getting hurt.
Some vehicles have a battery
maintainer package. Follow the
instructions provided with the
battery maintainer package to keep the battery charged when the
vehicle is not in use. Plug the
battery maintainer into the
underhood accessory power
outlet only.
For vehicles without a battery
maintainer, see the following
information:
Infrequent Usage: Remove the
black, negative (−) cable from the
battery to keep the battery from
running down.
See
“Window Indexing” under
Power Windows 035.
Extended Storage: It is
recommended that the battery
maintainer package be used.
However, if not, remove the black,
negative (−) cable from the battery.
All vehicle memory settings will
need to be reset when battery
power is restored.
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check
{Warning
When you are doing this check,
the vehicle could begin to move.
You or others could be injured
and property could be damaged.
Make sure there is room in front
of the vehicle in case it begins to
roll. Be ready to apply the regular
brake at once should the vehicle
begin to move.
Park on a fairly steep hill, with the
vehicle facing downhill. Keeping
your foot on the regular brake, set
the parking brake.
. To check the parking brake's
holding ability: With the engine
running and the transmission in
N (Neutral), slowly remove foot
pressure from the regular brake
pedal. Do this until the vehicle is
held by the parking brake only.
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Vehicle Care 267
If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blow out
while driving, especially if the tires
are maintained properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it is much more likely to
leak out slowly. SeeTires0245 for
additional information. But if there
ever is a blowout, here are a few
tips about what to expect and what
to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire
creates a drag that pulls the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot off
the accelerator pedal and grip the
steering wheel firmly. Steer to
maintain lane position, and then
gently brake to a stop, well off the
road, if possible.
A rear blowout, particularly on a
curve, acts much like a skid and
may require the same correction as
used in a skid. Stop pressing the
accelerator pedal and steer to
straighten the vehicle. It may be
very bumpy and noisy. Gently brake
to a stop, well off the road,
if possible. The vehicle has no spare tire, no
tire changing equipment, and no
place to store a tire.
If the vehicle has run-flat tires, there
is no need to stop on the side of the
road to change a flat tire. See
Run-Flat Tires
0247.
{Warning
Special tools and procedures are
required to service a run-flat tire.
If these special tools and
procedures are not used, injury or
vehicle damage may occur.
Always be sure the proper tools
and procedures, as described in
the service manual, are used.
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North
America
For more information about the
vehicle battery, see Battery - North
America 0234.
If the battery has run down, use
another vehicle and some jumper
cables to start the vehicle. Be sure
to use the following steps to do it
safely.
{Warning
WARNING: Battery posts,
terminals, and related
accessories contain lead and lead
compounds, chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm. Batteries also
contain other chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer. WASH HANDS AFTER
(Continued)
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Vehicle Care 269
Caution
If the other vehicle does not have
a 12-volt system with a negative
ground, both vehicles can be
damaged. Only use a vehicle that
has a 12-volt system with a
negative ground for jump starting.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables can
reach, but be sure the vehicles
are not touching each other.
If they are, it could cause a
ground connection you do not
want. You would not be able to
start the vehicle, and the bad
grounding could damage the
electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the
vehicles rolling, set the parking
brake firmly on both vehicles
involved in the jump start
procedure. Put an automatic
transmission in P (Park) or a
manual transmission in Neutral
before setting the parking
brakes.
Caution
If any accessories are left on or
plugged in during the jump
starting procedure, they could be
damaged. The repairs would not
be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Whenever possible, turn
off or unplug all accessories on
either vehicle when jump starting.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug unnecessary
accessories plugged into the
cigarette lighter or the
accessory power outlet. Turn
off the radio and all lamps that
are not needed. This will avoid
sparks and help save both
batteries. And it could save the
radio!
4. Open the hood. See Hood
0 21.
5. Release the four clips for the
left and right outer covers.
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270 Vehicle Care
6. Release the five clips andremove the outer cover to
access the battery.
7. Locate the battery positive (+) and negative (−) terminals.
8. Check that the jumper cables do not have loose or missing
insulation. If they do, you could
get a shock. The vehicles
could be damaged too.
9. Open the positive terminal trim cover and connect the red
positive (+) cable to the
positive (+) terminal (2) of the
dead battery.
10. Do not let the other end touch metal. Connect it to the
positive (+) terminal (4) of the
good battery.
11. Now connect the black negative (−) cable to the
negative (−) terminal (3) of the
good battery.
Do not let the other end touch
anything until the next step. 12. Connect the other end of the
negative (−) cable to the
negative (−) terminal (1) on the
dead battery.
13. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run the
engine for a while.
14. Try to start the vehicle that had the dead battery. If it will not
start after a few tries, it
probably needs service.
Caution
If the jumper cables are
connected or removed in the
wrong order, electrical shorting
may occur and damage the
vehicle. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always connect and remove the
jumper cables in the correct order,
making sure that the cables do
not touch each other or other
metal. Jumper Cable Removal
Reverse the sequence exactly when
removing the jumper cables.
After starting the disabled vehicle
and removing the jumper cables,
allow it to idle for several minutes.
The power windows may need to be
initialized. See
“Window Indexing”
under Power Windows 035.