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2-5. Driving information
2
When driving
Winter driving tips
Carry out the necessary preparations and inspections before driving the
vehicle in winter. Always drive the vehicle in a manner appropriate for the
prevailing weather and roadway conditions.
■ Pre-winter preparations
●Use fluids appropriate to the p revailing outside temperatures.
• Engine oil
• Engine coolant
• Washer fluid
●Inspect the level and specific gravity of battery electrolyte.
●Have the vehicle fitted with four sno w tires or purchase a set of tire
chains for the rear tires.
Ensure that all tires are the same si
ze and brand, and that chains
match the size of the tires.
■ Befor
e driving the vehicle
Perform the following steps acco r
ding to the driving conditions.
●Do not forcibly try to open a window or move a wiper that has fro-
zen. Pour some warm water over the frozen area to melt the ice.
Wipe away the water immediately to pr
event it from freezing.
●To ensure proper operation of the climate control system fan,
remove any snow that has accumulated on the air inlet vents in front
of the windshield.
●Remove any ice that has accumulated on the vehicle chassis.
●Periodically check for and remove any excess ice or snow that may
accumulate in the wheel well or brakes.
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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
■Ty p e s o f t i r e s
1. Summer tires:
Summer tires are high-speed capability tires best suited to highway driving
un
der dry conditions. Since summer tires do not have the same traction perfor-
mance as snow tires, summer tires are in adequate f
or driving on snow-covered
or icy roads.
For driving on snow-covered roads or icy roads, we recommend using snow
t
ires. If installing snow tires, be sure to replace all four tires.
2. All season tires:
All season tires are designed to provid e better tr
action in snow and to be ade-
quate for driving in most winter conditions , as
well as for use year round. All sea-
son tires, however, do not have adequa te
traction performance compared with
snow tires in heavy or loose snow. Also, a ll season tires fall short in acceleration
and handling performance compared wi th summer tires in highway driving.
3. Snow tires:
For driving on snow-covered roads or icy roads, we recommend using snow
tir
es. If you need snow tires, select tire s of the same size, construction and load
capacity as the originally installed tires. Since your vehicle has radial tires as
original equipment, make sure your snow tires also have radial construction. Do
not install studded tires without first checking local regulations for possible
restrictions. Snow tires should be installed on all wheels. (P.149 )
