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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 can
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.
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Page 186 of 380
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter. Be sure your engine
coolant mix is correct.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in your vehicle.
Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply of windshield
washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer clothing, a small shovel,
a flashlight,
a red cloth, and a couple of reflective warning triangles. And,
if you will be
driving under severe conditions, include a small bag
of sand, a piece of old
carpet or a couple
of burlap bags to help provide traction. Be sure you
properly secure these items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the road probably have
good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and the road,
you can
have a very slippery situation. You’ll have a lot less traction or “grip” and
will need to be very careful.
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Page 187 of 380

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°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 dkve 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 cl\
umps 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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Page 188 of 380
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a serious situation. You
should probably stay with your vehicle unless
you know for sure that you
are near help and you can
hike through the snow. Here are some things to do
to summon help and keep yourself and your passengers safe: Tur\
n
on your
hazard flashers. Tie a red cloth
to your vehicle to alert police that you’ve
been stopped by the snow. Put
on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around
you. If
you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body insulators from
newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor mats
- anything you can wrap around
vourself
or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
IOU can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
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Page 189 of 380

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 charged. You will need a well-charged battery to restart the
vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with your headlights. Let the
heater run for awhile.
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.
NOTICE:
Operating a power winch with an automatic transmission in
PARK (P) or a manual transmission in gear may damage the
transmission. Always put the transmission in a Neutral position \
while operating a power winch.
I
Use the regular brakes, set the parking brake or block the wheels to keep
your vehicle from rolling.
If your vehicle is equipped with an airbag, see "Adding Equipment to Your
Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle" in the Index.
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Page 190 of 380

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Recreational Vehicle Towing (Four- Wheel
Drive Only)
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive, you may tow it behind another vehicle
providing it
does not have the optional electronic shift transfer case or
all-wheel drive.
Do not tow the vehicle by the rear bumper bar.
NOTICE:
Recreational vehicle towing is not recommended for vehicles
with the optional electronic shift transfer case or all-wheel d\
rive
because the transfer cases have
no neutral position.
Before towing, you should:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Place the automatic transmission in PARK (P) or the manual
transmission in the lowest gear (FIRST).
3. Firmly attach the vehicle being towed to the tow vehicle. Refe\
r to the
hitch manufacturer’s instructions.
4. Place the transfer case shift lever in NEUTRAL (N).
NOTICE:
Removal of either propeller shaft is unnecessary.
~~ ~~
1. Release the parking brake only after the vehicle being towed i\
s firmly
attached to the tow vehicle.
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Page 191 of 380

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 2. 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
position, which unlocks the steering column while preventing battery
drain. Unlocking the steering column
will allow for proper movement
of the front wheeldtires during towing.
I NOTICE:
I You should exercise extra care whenever towing another vehicle. \
Loading Your Vehicle
The CertificationEire label also tells you the maximum weights for the
front and rear axles, called Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). To find out
the actual loads on your front and rear axles, you need to go to a weigh
station and weigh your vehicle. Your dealer can help
you with this. Be sure
to spread out your load equally on both sides
of the centerline.
Never exceed the
GVWR for your vehicle, or the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) for either the front or rear axle.
And, if you do have
a heavy load, you should spread it out.
Similar appearing vehicles may have different
GVWR’s and Payloads.
Please note the CertificationEire label
of your truck or consult your dealer
for additional details.
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Page 192 of 380
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Using heavier suspension components to get added durability might not
change your weight ratings. Ask your dealer to help you load your vehicle
the right
way.
NOTICE:
Your warranty does not cover parts or components that fail
because of overloading.
If you put things inside your vehicle - like suitcases, tools, packages, or
anything else - they will go as fast as the vehicle goes. If you have to stop
or turn quickly, or if there is a crash, they’ll keep going.
There‘s also important loading information for off-road driving in this
manual. See “Loading Your Vehicle” in the
Index.
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