Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed,
blowing, or loose snow — drive with caution.
The Traction Control System (TCS) improves your
ability to accelerate when driving on a slippery
road. It will improve your ability to accelerate.
SeeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice, or Snow on page 286. Even though your
vehicle has TCS, you will want to slow down
and adjust your driving to the road conditions.
Under certain conditions, you may want to
turn your traction system off, such as when
driving through deep snow and loose gravel,
to help maintain vehicle motion at lower speeds.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on page 241
andStabiliTrak
®System on page 244.The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) improve your
vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop
on a slippery road. Even though you have ABS,
you will want to begin stopping sooner than
you would on dry pavement. SeeAnti-Lock Brake
System (ABS) on page 239.
Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be
ne 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 cannot
reach, such as 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.
283
Parking on Hills
{CAUTION:
You really should not park your
vehicle, with a trailer attached, on a hill.
If something goes wrong, your rig could
start to move. People can be injured,
and both your vehicle and the trailer can
be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill,
here’s how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) yet for an automatic transmission,
or into gear for a manual transmission.
Turn your wheels into the curb if facing
downhill or into traffic if facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer
wheels.3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release
the regular brakes until the chocks absorb
the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake and shift into PARK (P) for an
automatic transmission or into gear for a
manual transmission.
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal
down while you:
start your engine,
shift into a gear, and
release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of
the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store
the chocks.
306