
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 and do not attach them to the bumper. 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 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 kPa)
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. 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 as responsive as your vehicle
is by itself.
Before
you start, check the trailer hitch and platform (and attachments),
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.
4-46

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 on steep uphill grades, consider the following:
Engine coolant will boil at a lower temperature than at normal altitudes. If
you
turn your engine off immediately after towing at high altitude on steep
uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs similar to engine overheating.
To avoid this, let the engine run while parked (preferably on level ground)
with the automatic transmission in PARK
(P) (or the manual transmission
out of gear and the parking brake applied) for
a few minutes before turning
the engine
off. If you do get the overheat warning, see “Engine
Overheating” in the Index.
Parking on Hi//s
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. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into PARK (P) yet, or into
gear for a manual transmission. When parking uphill,
turn your wheels
away from the curb. When parking downhill,
turn your wheels into the
curb.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the regular brakes until the
chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking brake, and then
shift into PARK
(P), or REVERSE (R) for a manual transmission.
5. If you have a four-wheeldrive vehicle with a manual transfer case
shift lever, be sure the transfer case is
in a drive gear - not in
NEUTRAL (N).
6. Release the parking brake.
4-48

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When You Are Ready to Leave After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re pulling a trailer. See
the Maintenance Schedule for more on this. Things that are especially
important in trailer operation are automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, belt, cooling system, and brake
adjustment. Each of these is covered in this manual, and the Index will help
you find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s a
good idea to review these
sections before you start your trip.
Check periodically to
see that all hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
Trailer Lighting Systems Wiring
See “Trailer Wiring Harness” in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Push the button on top
of the steering column
all the way down
to
make your front and
rear turn signal lights
flash on and
off. Your
hazard warning
flashers work
no
matter what position
your key is
in, and
even if the key isn’t
in.
To turn off the flashers, push the button until the first click and release.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn signals won’t work. The
flashers will stop if you step on the brake.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at the side of the road
about
300 feet (100 m) behind your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use another vehicle and some
jumper cables to start your vehicle. But please follow the steps below to do
it safely.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage to your
vehicle that wouldn’t be covered by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling
it could
damage your vehicle, even if you have a manual transmission.
And if you have an automatic transmission, it won’t
start that
way.
To Jump Start Your Vehicle;
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt battery with a negative
ground system.
NOTICE:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a negative
ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables can reach, but be
sure the vehicles aren’t touching each other. If they are, it could cause
a
ground connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to start your
vehicle, and the bad grounding could damage the electrical systems.
You could be injured if the vehicles roll. Set the parking brake firmly
on each vehicle. Put an automatic transmission in
PARK (P) or a
manual transmission in NEUTRAL (N). If you have
a
four-wheel-drive vehicle with a manual transfer case shift lever, be
sure the transfer case is not in NEUTRAL
(N).
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Turn off all lights that aren’t
needed, and radios. This will avoid sparks and help save both batteries.
And it could save your radio!
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly damaged. The
repair wouldn’t be covered by your warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find the positive (+) and
negative
(-) terminals on each battery.
5-3

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When your vehicle is being towed, have the key off. The steering wheel
should be clamped in a straight-ahead position with
a clamping device
designed for towing service.
Do not use the vehicle’s steering column lock
for this. The transmission (either automatic or manual) should be
in
NEUTRAL (N) and the transfer case (either manual shift or electronic
shift), if you have one, should be in 2HI.
The parking brake should be
released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed
on the rear wheels, unless you have to. If the
vehicle must be towed on the rear wheels, don’t
go more than 35 mph (56
kmk) or farther than 50 miles (80 km) or your transmission will be
damaged.
If these limits must be exceeded, then the rear drive wheels have
to be supported on a dolly.
5-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Fan Noise
This vehicle has a clutched engine cooling fan. When the clutch is engaged,
the fan spins faster to provide more air to cool the engine. In most every day
driving conditions the clutch is not engaged. This improves fuel economy
and reduces fan noise. Under heavy vehicle loading, trailer towing and/or
high outside temperatures, the fan speed increases when
the clutch engages.
So you may hear an increase in fan noise. This is normal and should not be
mistaken as the transmission slipping or making extra shifts. It is merely the
cooling system functioning properly. The fan will slow down when
additional cooling is not required and the clutch disengages.
You may also hear this fan noise when you start the engine. It will go away
as the fan clutch disengages.
if a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving, especially if you
maintain your tires properly. If air goes out of
a tire, it’s much more likely to
leak out slowly. But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few tips
about what to expect and
what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire
will create 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, then gently brake to a
stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a skid and may
require the same correction you’d use in a skid. In any rear blowout, remove
your foot from
the accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be very bumpy and
noisy, but you can still steer. Gently brake to a stop, well off the road if
possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your jacking equipment to
change a flat tire safely.
5-18

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To check transmissionfluid cold: A cold check is made after the vehicle has
been sitting for eight hours or more with the engine off and is used only as a
reference. Let the engine run at idle
for five minutes if outside temperatures
are
50°F ( 10°C) or more. If it's colder than 50°F ( lO"C), you may have to
idle the engine longer. Should the fluid level be low during a cold check,
you must perform a hot check before adding fluid. This will give you a more
accurate reading of the fluid level.
To check the fluid hot or cold
Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine running.
With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever in PARK (P).
0 With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift lever through each
gear range, pausing for about three seconds in each range.
Then,
position the shift lever in PARK (P).
Let the engine run at idle for three minutes or more.
Then, without shutting
off the engine, follow these steps:
1. Flip the handle up and then pull
out the dipstick
and wipe it with a
clean rag or paper
towel.
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and then pull it back out
again.
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