DRIVING TIPS
305
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 Maintenanceº.
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 Ð 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
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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.
9. Lower the vehicle completely and tighten the
wheel nuts.
Turn the jack handle counterclockwise to lower the
vehicle.
Use only the wheel nut wrench to tighten the nuts.
Do not use other tools or any additional leverage other
than your hands, such as a hammer, pipe or your foot.
Make sure the wrench is securely engaged over the
nut.
Tighten each nut a little at a time in the order shown.
Repeat the process until all the nuts are tight.
