Jump-starting the battery
WARNING! Take care to avoid the radiator cooling fan whenever the hood is raised. It can start any time the ignition switch is ON. You can be hurt by the fan.
CAUTION! Do not try to push or tow your vehicle to get it started. Your vehicle cannot be started this way. Pushing with another vehicle may damage the trans- mission or the rear of your vehicle. If your vehicle has a discharged (dead) battery, booster cables may be used to obtain a start from another vehicle. This type of start can be dangerous if done improperly, so follow the procedure carefully.
WARNING! Battery fluid is a corrosive acid solution; do not allow battery fluid to contact eyes, skin or clothing. Don’t lean over battery when attaching clamps or allow the clamps to touch each other. If acid splashes in eyes or on skin, flush contaminated area immediately with large quantities of water. A battery generates hydrogen gas that is flammable and explosive. Keep flame or spark away from the vent holes. Do not use a booster battery or any other booster source with an output that exceeds 12 volts.
1. Wear eye protection and remove any metal jewelry such as watch bands or bracelets that might make an inadvertent electrical contact.
2. When boost is provided by a battery in another vehicle, park that vehicle within booster cable reach but without letting the vehicles touch. Set the parking brake, place the transmission in NEUTRAL and turn the igni- tion OFF for both vehicles.
3. Turn off the heater, radio and all unnecessary electrical loads.
4. Connect one end of a jumper cable to the positive jump-start attachment of the booster battery. Connect the other end of the same cable to the positive jump-start attachment of the discharged battery.
5. Connect the other cable, first to the negative jump- start attachment of the booster battery and then to the engine of the vehicle with the discharged battery. Make sure you have good contact on the engine.
6. Start the engine in the vehicle which has the booster battery, let the engine idle a few minutes, then start the engine in the vehicle with the discharged battery.
7. When removing the jumper cables, reverse the above sequence exactly. Be careful of the moving belts and fans.
NOTE: If engine does not run after several unsuccessful starting attempts, have it checked at the nearest autho- rized dealer.
FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
In order to free a stuck vehicle you must turn off the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) before attempting to “rock” the vehicle. If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand or snow, it can often be moved by a rocking motion. Turn your steering wheel right and left to clear the area around the front wheels. Then shift back and forth between RE- VERSE and DRIVE. Usually the least accelerator pedal pressure to maintain the rocking motion without spin- ning the wheels is most effective.
NOTE: ESP should be turned on again after freeing the vehicle from a stuck condition.
CAUTION! Racing the engine or spinning the wheels too fast may lead to transmission/axle overheating and fail- ure. It can also damage the tires. Do not spin the wheels above 35 mph (55 km/h).
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