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Remember, unless you have anti-lock, if you brake so
hard that your wheels stop rolling, you will just slide.
Brake so your wheels always keep rolling and you can
still steer.
•Whatever your braking system, allow greater
following distance on any slippery road.
•Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until you hit a spot that is covered with ice. On
an otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can not 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 are actually on the ice, and avoid
sudden steering maneuvers.
If You Are 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.
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Here are some things to do to summon help and keep
yourself and your passengers safe:
•Turn on your hazard flashers.
•Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you have 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
yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You can not see it
or smell it, so you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the
base of your vehicle, especially any that is
blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the wind. This will
help keep CO out.
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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 headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
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.If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will
need to spin the wheels, but you do not want to
spin your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you are stuck,
but you must use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured.
And, the transaxle or other parts of the vehicle
can overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment re or other damage. When you
are stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible.
Do not spin the wheels above 35 mph (55 km/h)
as shown on the speedometer.
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Notice:Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting your transaxle back
and forth, you can destroy your transaxle. See
“Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out.”
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
seeTire Chains on page 5-66.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. Then shift back
and forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward gear
(or with a manual transaxle, between FIRST (1) or
SECOND (2) and REVERSE (R)), spinning the wheels
as little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal
while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transaxle is in gear. By slowly spinning your
wheels in the forward and reverse directions, you will
cause a rocking motion that may free your vehicle. If that
does not get you out after a few tries, you may need
to be towed out. If you do need to be towed out,
seeTowing Your Vehicle on page 4-29.
Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service
if you need to have your disabled vehicle towed.
SeeRoadside Assistance Program on page 7-6.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle
for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome),
see “Recreational Vehicle Towing” following.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle, such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as “dinghy towing” (towing your vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground) and “dolly towing”
(towing your vehicle with two wheels on the ground and
two wheels up on a device known as a “dolly”).
With the proper preparation and equipment, many
vehicles can be towed in these ways. See “Dinghy
Towing” and “Dolly Towing,” following.
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Here are some important things to consider before you
do recreational vehicle towing:
•What is the towing capacity of the towing vehicle?
Be sure you read the tow vehicle manufacturer’s
recommendations.
•How far will you tow? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and how long they can tow.
•Do you have the proper towing equipment?
See your dealer or trailering professional for
additional advice and equipment recommendations.
•Is your vehicle ready to be towed? Just as you
would prepare your vehicle for a long trip, you
will want to make sure your vehicle is prepared to
be towed. SeeBefore Leaving on a Long Trip
on page 4-21.
Dinghy Towing
Notice:If you tow your vehicle with all four wheels
on the ground, the drivetrain components could
be damaged. The repairs would not be covered by
your warranty. Do not tow your vehicle with all
four wheels on the ground.
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with all four
wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be towed,
you should use a dolly. See “Dolly Towing” that follows
for more information.
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Dolly Towing
Notice:Towing your vehicle from the rear with the
front wheels on the ground could cause transaxle
damage. Do not tow the vehicle from the rear
with the front wheels on the road.Your vehicle can be towed using a dolly. To tow your
vehicle using a dolly, follow these steps:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. Turn the ignition to ACC.
3. Put the vehicle in NEUTRAL.
4. Set the parking brake and then remove the key.
5. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead
position.
6. Release the parking brake.
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Loading Your Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your vehicle
can carry. This weight is called the vehicle capacity
weight or maximum load amount and includes the weight
of all occupants, cargo and all nonfactory-installed
options. Two labels on your vehicle show how much
weight it may properly carry, the Tire and Loading
Information label and the Certification label.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can
break, and it can change the way your vehicle
handles. These could cause you to lose
control and crash. Also, overloading can
shorten the life of your vehicle.
Tire and Loading Information Label
A. Vehicle Capacity WeightExample 1 - United States
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The Tire and Loading Information label shows your
vehicle’s seating capacity, the total weight it can properly
carry and the original equipment tire size and the
recommended cold tire inflation pressure for those tires.
For more information on tires and inflation seeTires
on page 5-51andInflation - Tire Pressure on page 5-59.
If your vehicle was purchased in the United States,
the Tire and Loading Information label, Example 1, is
attached to the driver’s side, center pillar, below the door
latch. Vehicles purchased in Canada, will find the Tire
and Loading Information label, Example 2, attached
to the inside of the glove compartment.
There is also important loading information on the
Certification label. It tells you the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) for the front and rear axle; see “Certification
Label” later in this section.
Example 2 - Canada
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