
What  can you do  about  highway hypnosis?  First, be  aware  that it can 
happen. 
Then  here are some  tips: 
0 Make  sure  your  vehicle is well ventilated, with a comfortably cool 
interior. 
Keep  your  eyes  moving.  Scan  the road ahead and to the  sides.  Check 
your mirrors  and your  instruments frequently. 
0 If you get sleepy,  pull off the road into a rest,  service,  or  parking  area 
and  take  a  nap,  get  some  exercise,  or both. 
For safety, treat  drowsiness 
on the highway 
as an emergency. 
Hill and Mountain Roads 
Driving  on steep  hills  or  mountains  is different from  driving in flat or 
rolling terrain. 
If  you  drive regularly  in  steep country,  or if you're  planning to visit there, 
here  are  some  tips that can  make  your trips safer  and  more enjoyable.  (See 
"Off-Road  Driving" in the Index  for information  about  driving off-road.) 
0 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. 
0 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. 
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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°C) and  freezing  rain begins to  fall. Try to avoid driving 
on wet ice until  salt and sand  crews can get there. 
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. 
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 avoid sudden 
steering  maneuvers. 
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I 
Run your  engine  only as long as you  must.  This  saves  fuel.  When you run 
the engine,  make it go a little faster  than just  idle.  That is, push the 
accelerator  slightly. This uses less fuel  for the heat that  you get and  it keeps 
the battery  (or batteries)  charged. 
You will  need a well-charged  battery (or 
batteries)  to restart the vehicle, and possibly  for signaling later  on with your 
headlights.  Let the heater  run for  awhile. 
If you have a diesel  engine, you may have to  run it at a higher speed to  get 
enough  heat. Then,  shut the  engine off and  close 
the window almost all the 
way to preserve the heat.  Start the engine  again and repeat this only when 
you feel really uncomfortable  from the cold.  But do it as little as possible. 
Preserve  the fuel 
as long  as you can. To help keep warm,  you can get out of 
the vehicle and  do  some fairly vigorous  exercises every half hour or so until 
help comes. 
Power Winches 
If you wish to use  a power winch on your vehicle, only use it when your 
vehicle 
is stationary or anchored. 
When  operating  a  power  winch  on  your  vehicle,  always  leave  the\
 
transmission 
in "N" (Neutral).  Leaving  a  automatic  transmission 
in  "P"  (Park)  while  using  a  power  winch  may  damage  the 
transmission. 
Also, leaving  an automatic  or  manual  transmission 
in  gear  while  using  a  power  winch  may  damage  the 
transmission. 
Use the regular brakes,  set the parking brake,  or block the wheels to keep 
your vehicle 
from rolling. 
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Power Take-Off (PTO) 
NOTICE: 
If  you  will be using  the PTO while the vehicle  remains  in one 
place,  drive  the  vehicle to  warm  it  up  before operating  the 
PTO. 
Don’t  use  the PTO for more  than  four  hours  without driving 
your  vehicle  again. If  you  don’t  follow  these guidelines,  your 
transfer  case or transmission  could be  damaged. 
NOTICE: 
Don’t  have a PTO that will  exceed 35 horsepower  installed on 
your  vehicle.  It could  damage  your  transmission  or  transfer 
case. 
Before using  a  power take-off,  refer to the manufacturer’s  or installer’s 
instructions. 
To engage a power  take-oft 
1. Set the parking  brake. 
2. Shift the transmission  into “N”  (Neutral). 
3. Hold the clutch  pedal down  and engage the power  take-off. 
If  you  are  going  to drive 
the vehicle,  shift the transmission  into the gear 
you  want. 
Then shift the transfer  case into the range you want (if you 
have four-wheel  drive), apply the  regular brakes and release the 
parking  brake. 
4. Release the clutch (and the  regular brakes)  as  you normally  would. 
When 
you release  the clutch,  the power  take-off will start. 
Using a Transfer  Case  Mounted  Power  Take-Off 
(Manual  Transmission) 
1. Set  the  parking  brake. 
2. Shift the transfer  case into “N” (Neutral). 
3. Hold the clutch  pedal down.  If the  vehicle will remain in the same 
place,  shift the transmission  into  the  highest gear. 
4. Engage the power take-off. 
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If  you are  going  to  drive  the  vehicle,  shift  the  transmission  into  th\
e  gear 
you  want.  Then  shift  the transfer  case  into  the  range  you  want,  apply 
the  regular  brakes  and  release  the  parking  brake. 
When  you  release  the  clutch,  the  power  take-off  will  start. 
5. Release  the  clutch  (and  the  regular  brakes)  as  you  normally  \
would. 
Using  a  Transfer  Case  Mounted  Power  Take-Off 
(Automatic  Transmission) 
1. Set  the  parking  brake. 
2. Shift  the  transfer  case  into “N’ (Neutral). 
3. Shift  the  transmission  into “N’ (Neutral). 
4. Engage  the  power  take-off. 
If  you  are  going  to  drive  the  vehicle,  shift  the  transfer  case  into  \
the 
range  you  want.  Then  apply  the  regular  brakes  and  release 
the parking 
brake. 
5. Shift  the  transmission  to  “D”  (Drive)  to  start  the  powe\
r  take-off. 
6. Release  the  regular  brakes  to  drive  the  vehicle. 
Towing a  Trailer 
NOTICE: 
Pulling  a  trailer  improperly  can  damage  your  vehicle  and  result\
 
in  costly  repairs  not  covered  by  your  warranty. 
To pull  a  trailer 
correctly,  follow  the  advice  in  this  section,  and  see  your  Veh\
icle 
dealer  for  important  information  about  towing  a  trailer  with 
your  vehicle. 
ProCarManuals.com 

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. 
0 If you’ll be pulling  a  trailer that, when  loaded, will weigh more than 
4,000 pounds (1 8 14 kg)  be sure  to  use a properly  mounted, 
weight-distributing  hitch and  sway control 
of the  proper  size. This 
equipment  is very  important  for  proper  vehicle  loading and good 
handling 
when you’re  driving. 
Safety  Chains 
You should  always  attach chains  between  your  vehicle  and your  trailer. 
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 brakes so you’ll be  able to install,  adjust and 
maintain them properly. 
Your  trailer brake  system  can tap 
into your vehicle’s  hydraulic brake system, 
but  consider 
the following: 
0 Will  the trailer brake  system use more than 0.02 cubic  inch (0.3 cc) of 
fluid from  your  vehicle’s master  cylinder? If it will, don’t tap into your 
vehicle’s brake  system. Both braking  systems  won’t work well, and 
you 
could  even  lose  your brakes  altogether. 
0 Will the trailer  brake parts take 3,000 psi (20 650 kPa) of pressure?  If 
not, the trailer brake  system must  not  be used with your vehicle. 
If  everything  checks  out  this far, make the brake  tap at the port  on 
the 
master cylinder  that sends the 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. Acquaint  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. 
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Before you start,  check the trailer  hitch and platform,  safety  chains, 
electrical  connector, lights, tires and mirror adjustment.  If the trailer  has 
electric  brakes,  start your 
vehicle and trailer moving and then apply the 
trailer  brake controller  by hand  to be  sure  the brakes  are working.  This  lets 
you  check  your electrical 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 and sudden turns. 
Passing 
You’ll need more passing  distance up ahead when you’re towing  a trailer. 
And, because you’re  a good deal longer,  you’ll need to 
go 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 normal.  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  will 
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  panel  will flash 
for 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  important 
to  check  occasionally 
to be sure  the trailer bulbs  are still working. 
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Driving  On  Grades 
Reduce  speed and shift  to a lower  gear before you start down  a  long or 
steep  downgrade. 
If you  don’t  shift down,  you might  have  to  use your 
brakes 
so much  that they would  get hot and  no  longer  work well. 
On  a  long  uphill  grade,  shift down  and reduce  your  speed  to  around 
45 mph 
(70 km/h) to reduce  the possibility  of engine  and transmission  overheating. 
When  towing  at high altitude  with steep  uphill grades,you  need  to  consider 
the  following  information.  The lower  atmospheric  pressure  at high  altitude 
allows  your  vehicles  engine  coolant  to  boil at  a  lower  temperature  than at 
normal altitudes. 
If  you immediately  turn  your  engine off after  towing  at high altitude  with 
steep  uphill  grades,  your  vehicle  may show signs  similar 
to engine 
overheating. 
To avoid  this,  let  your  vehicle  operate  in a parked  position  with 
the transmission  in 
“N” (Neutral)  for  a  few  minutes before you turn off the 
engine.  If  you do  get  the  overheat  warning, see  “Engine  Overheating”  in 
the Index. 
If  you  have an automatic  transmission,  you should  use 
“D” (or, as you  need 
to,  a  lower  gear)  when towing a trailer.  Operating  your  vehicle  in 
“D” when 
towing  a  trailer  will minimize  heat buildup  and extend  the  life 
of your 
transmission. 
If  you  have a manual transmission  and 
you are  towing  a trailer,  it’s better 
not to use  fifth  gear.  Just  drive  in fourth  gear  (or, as you need to, a lower 
gear). 
Parking  on  Hills 
You  really  should  not park  your vehicle,  with a  trailer  attached, on a hill.  If 
something  goes  wrong,  your  rig could  start 
to move.  People  can  be injured, 
and both  your  vehicle  and  the trailer  can  be damaged. 
But  if you  ever  have  to  park  your  rig on  a  hill, here’s how 
to do it: 
1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 
Apply  your  regular  brakes,  but don’t shift  into “P’ (Park)  yet,  or  in gear 
for  a  manual transmission. 
Have  someone  place chocks  under the  trailer  wheels. 
When  the wheel  chocks  are  in place,  release  the regular  brakes until the 
chocks  absorb 
the load. 
Re-apply  the regular  brakes.  Then  apply your parking  brake,  and then 
shift  to 
“P7, (Park),  or “R”  (Reverse)  for  a  manual transmission. 
If 
you have  a  four-wheel-drive  vehicle, be  sure the transfer  case  is in a 
drive  gear-not  in 
“N7 (Neutral). 
Release 
the regular  brakes. 
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