Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Hard packed snow and ice offer the worst tire traction. On th\
ese surfaces,
it’s very easy to lase control. On wet ice, for example, the traction is
so poor
that you will have difficulty accelerating. And
if you do get moving, poor
steering and difficult braking can cause you to slide out of control.
Driving In Water
Light rain causes no special off-road driving problems. But heavy rain can\
mean flash flooding, and flood waters demand extreme caution.
Find out haw deep the water is before you
drive through it. If it’s deep
enough to cover your wheel hubs, axles, or exhaust pipe, don’\
t
try it - you
probably won’t get through. Also, water that deep can damage\
your axle and
other vehicle parts.
If the water isn’t too deep, then drive through it slowly. At \
fast speeds, water
splashes on your ignition system and your vehicle can stall. S\
talling can also
occur
if you get your tailpipe under water. And, as long as your tailpipe \
is
under water, you’ll never be able to start your engine. Whe\
n you go through water, remember
that when vour brakes get wet, it mav take you longer to
stop.
C. ..
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I
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that has collected on the underbody, chassis or
under the hood. These accumulations can be a fire hazard.
After operation in mud or sand, have the brake linings cleaned and checked.
These substances can cause glazing and uneven braking. Check th\
e body structure, steering, suspension, wheels, tires, and exhaust syste\
m for
damage. Also, check the fuel lines and cooling system for any leakage.
Your vehicle will require more frequent service due to off-road use.\
Refer
to the Maintenance Schedule booklet for additional information.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. 0 ne reason is that some
drivers are likely to be impaired
- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems,
or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
0 Don’t drink and drive.
0 Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare from ndlights
behind you.
0 Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow down and keep more
0 Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your headlights can light
space between you and other vehicles.
up only
so much road ahead.
0 In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place and rest.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine less traction. It’s always wise to go slower and be cautious if rain starts to
fall while you are driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when your
reflexes are tuned for driving on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your windshield wiper
blades are in good shape, a heavy rain can make it harder to see road signs
and traffic signals, pavement markings, the edge
of the road, and even
people walking.
It’s wise to keep your wiping equipment in good shape and \
keep your
windshield washer tank filled. Replace your windshield wiper inserts when
they show signs of streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or when
strips
of rubber start to separate from the inserts.
Driving too fast through large water puddles or even going thr\
ough some car washes can cause problems, too. The water may affect your brakes.
Try
to avoid puddles. But if you can’t, try to slow down before you hit them.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up under your tires
that they can actually ride on the water. This can happen if the road is
wet
enough and you’re going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning, it
has little or no contact with the road.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid levels and also the
brakes, tires, cooling system and transmission. These parts can \
work
hard on mountain roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most important thing to know is this:
let your engine do some of the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear
when you go down a steep or long hill.
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to a lower gear.
The lower gears help cool your engine and transmission, and you ca\
n
climb the hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane roads in hills or
mountains. Don’t swing wide
or cut across the center of the road. Drive
at speeds that
let you stay in your own lane.
As you .go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be something in
your lane, like a stalled
car or an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of special
problems. Examples are long grades, passing or no-passing zones, a
falling- rocks area, or winding roads. Be alert to these and \
take
appropriate action.
4 - 3.2
1 t
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold snow or ice can be
slick and hard to drive on. But wet ice can be even more trouble because it
may offer the least traction of all. You can get “wet ice” when it’s about
freezing
(32°F; 0 O C) and freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving
on wet ice until salt and sand crews can get there.
L
Whatever the condition - smooth ice, packed, blowing or loose snow -
drive with caution.
Accelerate gently.
Try not to break the fragile traction. If you accelerate too
fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface under \
the tires even
more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your ability to make a hard stop\
on a
slippery road. Even though you have an anti-lock braking system\
, you’ll
want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement. \
See
“Anti-lock” in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery road.
0 Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine until you hit a spot
that’s covered with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches may
appear
in shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around clumps of
trees, behind buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes the surface\
of a
curve or an overpass may remain icy when the surrounding roads are
clear.
If you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you are on it.
Try not to brake while you’re actually on the ice, and avo\
id sudden steering maneuvers.
1
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Before towing, you should:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Place the automatic transmission in “P’ (Park) or the manual
transmission
in the lowest gear (1 st gear).
hitch manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Firmly attach
the vehicle being towed to the tow vehicle. Refer to the
4. Place the transfer case shift lever in “N’ (Neutral).
5. Release the parking brake only after the vehicle being towed i\
s firmly
6. Insert the ignition key into the ignition switch and turn it one notch
forward
of the LOCK position. This places the key into the OFF
po.sition, which unlocks the steering column while preventing battery
drain. Unlocking the steering column
will allow for proper movement
of the front wheelshires during towing.
attached to
the tow vehicle.
I NOTICE:
I You should exercise extra care whenever towing another vehicle.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You can tow trailers to 2,000 pounds (900 kg) with a step bumper hitch, but
if your trailer tongue has a V-shaped foot, your bumper could be damaged
in sharp turns. Check the distance from the front edge of the foot to the
middle of the hitch ball socket.
If the distance is less than 12 inches, take the
foot
off the trailer tongue.
Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle and your trail\
er.
Cross the safety chains under the tongue of the trailer
so that the tongue will
not drop
to the road if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch manufacturer \
or by the
trailer manufacturer. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for
attaching safety chains. Always leave just enough slack
so you can turn with
your rig. And, never allow safety chains to drag
on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg) loaded, then it needs
its own brakes
- and they must be adequate. Be sure to read and follow the
instructions for the trailer bE---:s
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly.
Your trailer brakes system can tap into vehicle’s hydraulic brake system
except:
Don’t tap into your vehicle’s brake system if the trailer’s brake system will
use more than
0.02 cubic inch (0.3~~) of fluid from your vehicle’s master
cylinder. If it does, both braking systems won’t work well. You could even
lose your brakes.
Will the trailer parts take
3,000 psi (20 650 Pa) of pressure? If not, the
trailer brake system must not be used with your vehicle.
If everything checks out this far, then make the brake fluid tap at the port on
the master cylinder that sends fluid to the rear brakes. But don’t use copper
tubing for this.
If you do, it will bend and finally break off. Use steel brake
tubing.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience. Before setting out
for the open road, you’ll want to get to know your rig. Acquai\
nt yourself
with the feel
of handling and braking with the added weight of the trailer.
And always keep
in mind that the vehicle you are driving is now a good
deal longer and not nearly
so responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform, safety chains,
electrical connector, lights, tires and mirror adjustment. If th\
e trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and then\
apply the
4-41
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine trailer brake controller by hand to be sure the brakes are working. This lets
you check your electricql connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the load \
is secure, and
that the lights and any trailer brakes
are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer. This can help you avoid situations \
that
require heavy braking apd sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when you’re to\
wing a trailer.
And, because you’re a good deal longer, you’ll need to g\
o much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before you can return to your lane. \
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand. Then, to move the
trailer to the left, just move that hand to the left. To move the trailer to the
right, move your hand to the right. Always back up slowly and\
, if possible,
have someone guide you.
Making Turns
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than n\
ormal. Do this
so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, \
trees, or other
objects. Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have a different \
turn signal
flasher and extra wiring. The green arrows on your instrument panel wi\
ll
flash whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up, the
trailer lights will also flash, telling other drivers you’re \
about
to turn,
change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your instrument pan\
el will flash
€or
turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think
drivers behind you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s importan\
t
to check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs are still \
working.
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