DRIVING TIPS
258
Maintenance
If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will require more frequent
maintenance due to the additional load. For this
information, please refer to the scheduled maintenance
information in the “Owner’s Manual Supplement/
Scheduled Maintenance”.
Retighten all fixing bolts of the towing ball and bracket after
approximately 1000 km (600 miles) of trailer driving.
Pre towing safety check
Check that your vehicle remains level when a loaded or
unloaded trailer is hitched. Do not drive if the vehicle has
an abnormal nose −up or nose− down condition, and check
for improper tongue load, overload, worn suspension or
other possible causes.
Make sure the trailer cargo is securely loaded so that it
cannot shift.
Check that your rear view mirrors conform to any federal,
state/provincial or local regulations. If they do not, install
required rear view mirrors appropriate for towing purposes.
Trailer towing tips
When towing a trailer, your vehicle will handle differently
than when not towing. The three main causes of
vehicle trailer accidents are driver error , excessive speed
and improper trailer loading. Keep these in mind when
towing:
Before starting out, check the operation of the lights and all
vehicle −trailer connections. After driving a short distance,
stop and recheck the lights and connections. Practice
turning, stopping and backing with a trailer in an area away
from traffic until you learn the feel.
Backing with a trailer is difficult and requires practice. Grip
the bottom of the steering wheel and move your hand to the
left to move the trailer to the left. Move your hand to the right
to move the trailer to the right. (This procedure is generally
opposite to that when backing without a trailer.) Also, just
turn the steering wheel a little at a time, avoiding sharp or
prolonged turning. Have someone guide you when backing
to reduce the risk of an accident.
Because stopping distance may be increased,
vehicle −to −vehicle distance should be increased when
towing a trailer. For each 16 km/h (10 mph) of speed, allow
at least one vehicle and trailer length between you and the
vehicle ahead. Avoid sudden braking as you may skid,
resulting in jackknifing and loss of control. This is especially
true on wet or slippery surfaces.
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
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3. Block the wheel diagonally opposite the flat tire to keep
the vehicle from rolling when it is jacked up.
When blocking the wheel, place a wheel block in front of one
of the front wheels or behind one of the rear wheels.4. Loosen all the wheel nuts.
Always loosen the wheel nuts before raising the vehicle.
Turn the wheel nuts counterclockwise to loosen them. To get
maximum leverage, fit the wrench to the nut so that the handle
is on the right side, as shown above. Grab the wrench near the
end of the handle and pull up on the handle. Be careful that the
wrench does not slip off the nut.
Do not remove the nuts yet − just unscrew them about one −half
turn.
CAUTION
Never use oil or grease on the bolts or nuts. The nuts
may loose and the wheels may fall off, which could
cause a serious accident.
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
275
7. Remove the wheel nuts and remove the flat tire.
Lift the flat tire straight off and put it aside.
Before putting on the wheel, remove any corrosion on the
mounting surfaces with a wire brush or such. Installation of
wheels without good metal−to− metal contact at the mounting
surface ca n cause wheel nuts to loosen and eventually cause
a wheel to come off while driving.
8. Reinstall all the wheel nuts finger tight.
Align the holes in the wheel with the bolts. Then lift up the
wheel and get at least the top bolt started through its hole.
Wiggle the tire and press it back over the other bolts.
Reinstall the wheel nuts and tighten them as much as you can
by hand. Press the tire back and see if you can tighten them
more.
CAUTION
Never use oil or grease on the bolts or nuts. Doing so
may lead to overtightening the nuts and damaging the
bolts. The nuts may loose and the wheels may fall off,
which could cause a serious accident. If there is oil or
grease on any bolt or nut, clean it.
