
NOTICE: 
Shift  to  REVERSE (R) only  after  your  vehicle  is  stopped. 
Shifting  to  REVERSE 
(R) while  your  vehicle  is  moving  could 
damage 
your transmission. 
Also,  use REVERSE (R), along  with the parking  brake, when turning 
off  your  engine  and parking  your vehicle. 
SHIFT Light 
If you have a manual 
transmission,  you  may 
have 
a SHIFT light. 
This  light will show 
you  when 
to shift to 
the 
next higher gear 
for  best 
fuel economy. 
When  this light  comes  on,  you can shift  to the 
next higher gear  if weather, 
road and traffic  conditions  let  you. 
For the best fuel economy, accelerate 
slowly and shift when the  light  comes  on. 
While  you accelerate, 
it is normal  for the light to  go on and off  if  you 
quickly  change the position  of the accelerator.  Ignore the 
SHIFT light when 
you  downshift. 
Four-wheel  Drive  Vehicles  Only: If your vehicle has  four-wheel  drive 
and  is  equipped  with a manual  transmission,  disregard  the 
SHIFT light 
when 
the transfer  case is in 4-LOW. 
Manual  Transmission  Shift Speeds 
If  you  have a five  speed manual  transmission  with  low gear (RPO MW3) 
and one  of the  following  engines,  this chart shows when to shift to the  next 
higher gear  for best  fuel economy. 
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NOTICE: 
Driving  in  the  4-WHEEL  HIGH  (4H) or 4-WHEEL  LOW (4,) 
positions  for a  long  time  on  dry  or wet pavement  could  shorten 
the  life of your  vehicle’s  drivetrain. 
NOTICE: 
Changing  your  vehicle’s body  height  can  damage  your  vehicle’s 
suspension,  drivetrain,  or  other  vehicle components.  It 
may also 
affect  the 
way your  vehicle  handles,  and  the  function  of your 
vehicle’s  safety  features. 
Do not  change  your  vehicle’s height 
from  the  original  design  specifications. 
Transfer Case 
The transfer case shift 
lever 
is on the  floor  to 
the  right  of  the  driver. 
Use 
this lever to shift 
into  and 
out of 
four-whcel  drive. 
An indicator near  the lever  shows  you  the  transfer case settings. 
4-WHEEL  LOW (4L) 
NEUTRAL (N) 
2-WHEEL HIGH (2H) 
4-WHEEL HIGH (4H) 
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You can  also  raise it to  the  highest  level  to  give  your  legs  more  room  when 
you  enter  and  exit  the  vehicle. 
To  tilt  the  wheel,  hold  the 
steefifqj whe&l~~I-~uU  the lever.  Move  the 
steering  wheel  to  a  comfortable  level,  then  release  the  lever  to lock  the 
wheel  in place. 
Multifunction Lever 
The  lever  on  the  left  side  of the  steering  column  includes  your: 
Turn  Signal  and  Lane  Change  Indicator 
0 Headlamp High-Low  Beam & Passing Signal 
0 Windshield  Wipers 
Windshield Washer 
0 Cruise  Control  (Option) 
Turn  Signal  and  Lane  Change  Indicator 
The turn  signal  has 
two  upward  (for  right 
signal)  and  two 
downward  (for  left 
signal)  positions. 
These 
positions allow 
you to  signal  a  turn or 
a  lane  change. 
8 
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Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS) 
Your vehicle has  an advanced electronic braking system that  can help you 
keep it under  control.  When  you start your vehicle  and  begin to drive away, 
you  may  hear  a momentary motor  or clicking noise.  This is  the 
ABS system 
testing  itself. 
Here's  how  anti-lock  works. Let's  say the  road  is wet. You're  driving safely. 
Suddenly  an animal  jumps out 
in front of you. 
You slam on the brakes. Here's  what happens with ABS. 
A computer  senses  that wheels are slowing  down. If one of the wheels  is 
about 
to stop  rolling, the  computer will separately work the brakes  at each 
front  wheel and  at  the rear wheels.  The anti-lock  system can change the 
brake pressure  faster than any driver  could.  The  computer  is programmed  to 
make the most 
of available tire and road  conditions. 
You can steer around  the obstacle while braking hard. 
As you  brake, your  computer keeps receiving  updates on  wheel speed and 
controls braking pressure  accordingly. 
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Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t  change  the time  you need  to get your  foot up 
to  the  brake pedal.  If  you get  too  close  to  the vehicle in front  of you,  you 
won’t  have  time 
to apply your brakes if that vehicle  suddenly  slows  or 
stops.  Always  leave  enough  room up ahead to stop, even though 
you have 
anti-lock  brakes. 
To Use Anti-Lock 
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down and  let  anti-lock 
work  for you.  You  may  feel the brakes  vibrate,  or you  may notice some 
noise,  but this  is normal. On vehicles 
with four-wheel  drive, your anti-lock 
brakes work  at  all times 
- whether  you are in two-wheel  drive or 
four-wheel  drive. 
Braking  in  Emergencies 
Use your  anti-lock  braking system  when  you  need to. With anti-lock,  you 
can  steer  and brake  at the  same  time.  In many  emergencies,  steering can 
help  you more  than even the  very best braking. 
Steering 
Power  Steering 
If  you  lose  power  steering assist  because the engine  stops  or  the  system is 
not  functioning,  you can steer  but it  will  take much  more  effort. 
Steering  Tips 
Driving on Curves 
It’s important to take  curves  at a reasonable  speed. 
A lot of the “driver  lost  control’’ accidents  mentioned  on the  news happen 
on  curves.  Here’s  why: 
Experienced  driver  or beginner,  each of 
us is subject to the  same  laws of 
physics  when  driving on curves.  The  traction of the  tires  against  the road 
surface  makes 
it possible  for the  vehicle  to change  its path  when you turn 
the  front  wheels. 
If there’s no traction,  inertia will keep  the vehicle  going  in 
the  same  direction.  If you’ve  ever  tried to steer 
a vehicle  on wet  ice, you’ll 
understand  this. 
The  traction 
you can get in a curve  depends on the condition  of your tires 
and the road  surface, the angle  at  which the  curve is banked,  and your 
speed.  While  you’re 
in a  curve, speed is the one  factor you can  control. 
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Try not to pass  more than  one vehicle  at a time on two-lane  roads. 
Reconsider  before  passing  the next vehicle. 
0 Don’t  overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the 
brake  lights  are 
not flashing, it may  be  slowing down or starting  to  turn. 
If you’re  being passed,  make it easy for the  following  driver  to  get 
ahead 
of you.  Perhaps  you can  ease a little to the right. 
Loss of Control 
Let’s review  what  driving  experts say about  what happens when the three 
control  systems  (brakes,  steering  and acceleration)  don’t  have enough 
friction  where the tires  meet the road 
to do  what  the driver  has asked. 
In  any emergency,  don’t give up. Keep trying 
to steer  and constantly  seek an 
escape  route or area  of less  danger. 
Skidding 
In a skid, a driver  can  lose control of the vehicle.  Defensive  drivers avoid 
most  skids  by taking  reasonable  care  suited 
to existing conditions,  and by 
not  “overdriving”  those conditions.  But  skids are  always  possible. 
The  three  types  of skids  correspond  to  your  vehicle’s three control  systems. 
In  the  braking  skid  your wheels  aren’t rolling.  In the  steering  or cornering 
skid,  too  much speed  or steering  in 
a curve  causes  tires to  slip  and lose 
cornering  force.  And 
in the acceleration  skid too much  throttle  causes  the 
driving  wheels  to spin. 
A  cornering  skid and an  acceleration  skid are best handled  by easing your 
foot  off the  accelerator  pedal. 
If  your  vehicle  starts  to  slide,  ease  your  foot 
off the accelerator  pedal and 
quickly  steer the way  you  want the vehicle 
to go. If you start  steering 
quickly  enough,  your vehicle  may straighten  out.  Always be ready  for 
a 
second  skid if it occurs. 
Of course,  traction  is reduced when water, snow, ice,  gravel, or other 
material  is on 
the road.  For safety, you’ll  want  to slow down  and adjust your 
driving  to  these  conditions.  It is  important  to slow down on slippery 
surfaces  because stopping  distance  will be longer and vehicle control more 
limited. 
While  driving  on a surface 
with reduced  traction,  try your best  to avoid 
sudden  steering,  acceleration.  or braking  (including  engine  braking 
by 
shifting to a lower gear). Any sudden changes  could cause the tires  to  slide. 
You  may  not  realize the  surface is slippery until your  vehicle 
is skidding. 
Learn 
to recognize  warning clues - such as enough water, ice  or packed 
snow 
on the road to make a “mirrored  surface” - and slow down  when  you 
have any  doubt. 
Remember: 
Any anti-lock  brake  system (ABS) helps avoid only the braking 
skid. 
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Controlling  your vehicle is the key to successful  off-road driving.  One  of 
the best ways 
to control  your vehicle  is to  control your  speed. Here are  some 
things 
to keep  in mind.  At higher  speeds: 
you approach things  faster and you  have less time to scan the terrain  for 
obstacles. 
0 you  have  less time to react. 
0 you have more vehicle bounce  when  you drive  over  obstacles. 
0 you’ll need more distance  for braking, especially  since you’re on  an 
unpaved  surface. 
A CAUTION: 
When  you’re  driving off road,  bouncing  and  quick  changes  in 
direction  can  easily  throw  you  out  of  position.  This  could  cau\
se 
you  to  lose  control  and  crash. 
So, whether  you’re  driving  on  or 
off the  road,  you  and  your  passengers  should  wear  safety  belts. 
Scanning the Terrain 
Off-road  driving can take you over many different kinds of terrain. You 
need  to be  familiar  with the terrain and its many different features.  Here are 
some  things  to consider. 
Stttface Conditions. Off-roading  can take you over  hard-packed  dirt, 
gravel,  rocks,  grass,  sand, mud, snow or ice. Each  of these  surfaces  affects 
the steering,  acceleration,  and braking of your  vehicle  in different ways. 
Depending  upon the kind 
of surface  you are on,  you  may  experience 
slipping,  sliding,  wheel spinning,  delayed acceleration,  poor traction, and 
longer  braking  distances. 
Surjace Obstacles . Unseen or hidden  obstacles  can be hazardous. A rock, 
log,  hole, 
rut, or bump  can  startle  you if you’re not prepared  for them. Often 
these  obstacles  are hidden by grass, bushes,  snow  or  even the rise and  fall of 
the terrain  itself.  Here  are  some things to consider: 
Is the path ahead  clear? 
Will the surface texture change  abruptly up ahead‘? 
Does the travel take  you uphill or downhill?  (There’s more discussion 
of these subjects later.) 
0 Will you have to stop suddenly  or change  direction  quickly? 
When 
you drive  over  obstacles or rough terrain,  keep  a  firm  grip  on the 
steering wheel.  Ruts, troughs,  or  other  surface  features can jerk the wheel 
out 
of your hands if you’re not prepared. 
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When you drive  over  bumps, rocks, or other  obstacles,  your wheels  can 
leave  the ground.  If this  happens,  even with 
one or  two wheels,  you can’t 
control 
the vehicle as well  or at all. 
Because 
you will  be on an unpaved  surface, it’s especially  important to 
avoid  sudden  acceleration,  sudden turns, or sudden  braking. 
In  a way,  off-road  driving  requires  a  different kind 
of alertness  from  driving 
on paved  roads and highways.  There  are 
no road  signs, posted  speed limits 
or  signal lights.  You have  to  use your  own  good judgment  about  what is safe 
and what isn’t. 
Drinking  and  driving  can  be  very dangerous  on any road.  And this  is 
certainly  true  for off-road  driving.  At  the very time 
you need special 
alertness and  driving  skills,  your reflexes,  perceptions  and judgment  can be 
affected  by even  a  small amount  of alcohol. 
You could have  a  serious - or 
even  fatal 
- accident  if you  drink  and drive  or  ride with  a  driver  who has 
been  drinking.  (See  “Drunken  Driving”  in the Index.) 
Driving On Off-Road Hills 
Off-road  driving often takes  you  up,  down, or across a hill. Driving  safely 
on  hills requires  good  judgment and an understanding 
of what  your vehicle 
can and  can’t  do.  There  are some  hills that simply can’t  be driven,  no  matter 
how well built  the vehicle. 
A CAUTION: 
Many  hills are  simply  too  steep  for any  vehicle, If you  drive  up 
them,  you  will  stall,  If  you  drive 
down them,  you  can’t  control 
your  speed.  If  you  drive  across  them,  you  will  roll  over.  You 
could  be  seriously  injured 
or killed.  If  you  have  any  doubt  about 
the  steepness,  don’t  drive  the  hill. 
Approaching a Hill 
When you approach  a hill, you need  to  decide  if  it’s one of those hills that’s 
just 
too steep  to  climb,  descend,  or cross.  Steepness  can  be hard to judge. 
On 
a very  small  hill,  for  example,  there  may be a smooth,  constant  incline 
with only  a  small  change  in elevation  where you can  easily  see  all the way 
to  the  top.  On 
a large hill, the incline  may get steeper  as you near the top, 
but  you  may 
not see this because  the  crest of the hill is hidden  by bushes, 
grass,  or shrubs. 
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