
15
Introduction
Biodiesel (for New Zealand)
Commercially supplied Diesel blends of no more than 7% biodiesel, commonly
known as "B7 Diesel" may be used in
your vehicle if Biodiesel meets EN 14214
or equivalent specifications. (EN stands
for "European Norm"). The use of biofu-
els exceeding 7%, made from rapeseed
methyl ester (RME), vegetable oil methyl
ester (VME) etc. or mixing diesel exceed-ing 7% with biodiesel will cause
increased wear or damage to the engine
and fuel system. Repair or replacement
of worn or damaged components due to
the use of non approved fuels will not be
covered by the manufactures warranty.VEHICLE HANDLING
INSTRUCTIONS A090000AEN
As with other vehicles of this type, failure
to operate this vehicle correctly mayresult in loss of control, an accident or
vehicle rollover.
Specific design characteristics (higher
ground clearance, track, etc.) give this
vehicle a higher center of gravity than
other types of vehicles. In other words
they are not designed for cornering at the
same speeds as conventional 2-wheel
drive vehicles. Avoid sharp turns or
abrupt maneuvers. Again, failure to oper-
ate this vehicle correctly may result in
loss of control, an accident or vehicle
rollover.
Be sure to read the “Reducing
the risk of a rollover” driving guide-
lines, in section 5 of this manual. A030000AUN
No special break-in period is needed. By
following a few simple precautions for the
first 1,000 km (600 miles) you may add to
the performance, economy and life of
your vehicle.
Do not race the engine.
While driving, keep your engine speed
(rpm, or revolutions per minute)
between 2,000 rpm and 4,000 rpm.
Do not maintain a single speed for long
periods of time, either fast or slow.
Varying engine speed is needed to
properly break-in the engine.
Avoid hard stops, except in emergen- cies, to allow the brakes to seat prop-
erly.
Don't let the engine idle longer than 3 minutes at one time.
Don't tow a trailer during the first 2,000
km (1,200 miles) of operation.
VEHICLE BREAK-IN PROCESS
CAUTION
Never use any fuel, whether
diesel, B7 biodiesel or otherwise,
that fails to meet the latest petro-leum industry specification.
Never use any fuel additives or treatments that are not recom-
mended or approved by the vehi- cle manufacturer.
CAUTION
Never use any fuel, whether diesel, B7 biodiesel or otherwise,
that fails to meet the latest petro-leum industry specification.
Never use any fuel additives or treatments that are not recom-
mended or approved by the vehi- cle manufacturer.
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357
Safety features of your vehicle
Just before impact, drivers often brakeheavily. Such heavy braking lowers the
front portion of the vehicle causing it to
“ride” under a vehicle with a higher
ground clearance. Air bags may not
inflate in this "under-ride" situation
because deceleration forces that are
detected by sensors may be signifi-
cantly reduced by such “under-ride”
collisions. Air bags may not inflate in rollover acci-
dents because air bag deployment
would not provide protection to the
occupants.
However, side impact and curtain air bags may inflate when the vehicle is
rolled over by a side impact collision, if
the vehicle is equipped with side
impact air bags and curtain air bags. Air bags may not inflate if the vehicle
collides with objects such as utility
poles or trees, where the point of
impact is concentrated to one area and
the full force of the impact is not deliv-
ered to the sensors.
1VQA20901VQA20911VQA2092
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541
Driving your vehicle
E111000AEN
Reducing the risk of a rollover
This multi-purpose passenger vehicle is
defined as a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).
SUV’s have higher ground clearance
and a narrower track to make them capa-
ble of performing in a wide variety of off-
road applications. Specific design char-
acteristics give them a higher center of
gravity than ordinary cars. An advantage
of the higher ground clearance is a better
view of the road, which allows you to
anticipate problems. They are not
designed for cornering at the same
speeds as conventional passenger drive
vehicles, any more than low-slung sports
cars are designed to perform satisfactori-
ly in off-road conditions. Due to this risk,
driver and passengers are strongly rec-
ommended to buckle their seat belts. In
a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
more likely to die than a person wearing
a seat belt. There are steps that a driver
can make to reduce the risk of a rollover.
If at all possible, avoid sharp turns or
abrupt maneuvers, do not load your roof
rack with heavy cargo, and never modify
your vehicle in any way.
WARNING - Rollover
As with other Sports Utility Vehicle
(SUV), failure to operate this vehi-
cle correctly may result in loss of
control, an accident or vehicle
rollover.
Utility vehicles have a significant- ly higher rollover rate than other
types of vehicles.
Specific design characteristics (higher ground clearance, nar-
rower track, etc.) give this vehicle
a higher center of gravity than
ordinary cars.
A SUV is not designed for corner- ing at the same speeds as con-
ventional vehicles.
Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers.
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more like-
ly to die than a person wearing a
seat belt. Make sure everyone in
the vehicle is properly buckledup.
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619
What to do in an emergency
F070301AUN
Important - use of compact spare tire(if equipped)
Your vehicle is equipped with a com-
pact spare tire. This compact spare
tire takes up less space than a regu-
lar-size tire. This tire is smaller than a
conventional tire and is designed for
temporary use only.
The compact spare should be inflat-
ed to 420 kPa (60 psi).
✽✽NOTICE
Check the inflation pressure after
installing the spare tire. Adjust it to
the specified pressure, as necessary.
When using a compact spare tire,
observe the following precautions:
Under no circumstances should you exceed 80 km/h (50 mph); a higher speed could damage the
tire.
Ensure that you drive slowly enough for the road conditions to
avoid all hazards. Any road hazard,
such as a pothole or debris, could
seriously damage the compact
spare.
Any continuous road use of this tire could result in tire failure, loss of
vehicle control, and possible per-
sonal injury.
Do not exceed the vehicle’s maxi- mum load rating or the load-carry-
ing capacity shown on the sidewall
of the compact spare tire.
Avoid driving over obstacles. The compact spare tire diameter issmaller than the diameter of a con-
ventional tire and reduces the
ground clearance approximately25 mm (1 inch), which could result
in damage to the vehicle.
CAUTION
You should drive carefully
when the compact spare is inuse. The compact spareshould be replaced by theproper conventional tire and rim at the first opportunity.
The operation of this vehicle is not recommended withmore than one compact sparetire in use at the same time.
WARNING
The compact spare tire is for
emergency use only. Do not
operate your vehicle on this
compact spare at speeds over
80 km/h (50 mph). The originaltire should be repaired or
replaced as soon as is possible
to avoid failure of the spare
possibly leading to personal
injury or death.
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Maintenance
52
7
G200601AUN
Compact spare tire replacement (if
equipped)
A compact spare tire has a shorter
tread life than a regular size tire.
Replace it when you can see the
tread wear indicator bars on the tire.The replacement compact spare tire
should be the same size and design
tire as the one provided with your
new vehicle and should be mountedon the same compact spare tire
wheel. The compact spare tire is notdesigned to be mounted on a regular
size wheel, and the compact spare
tire wheel is not designed for mount-
ing a regular size tire. G200700BUN Wheel replacement
When replacing the metal wheels for
any reason, make sure the new
wheels are equivalent to the original
factory units in diameter, rim widthand offset.
G200800AUN Tire traction
Tire traction can be reduced if you
drive on worn tires, tires that are
improperly inflated or on slippery
road surfaces. Tires should be
replaced when tread wear indicators
appear. To reduce the possibility of
losing control, slow down whenever
there is rain, snow or ice on the road.
G200900AUN Tire maintenance In addition to proper inflation, correct wheel alignment helps to decrease
tire wear. If you find a tire is worn
unevenly, have your dealer check thewheel alignment.
When you have new tires installed,
make sure they are balanced. This
will increase vehicle ride comfort and
tire life. Additionally, a tire should
always be rebalanced if it is removedfrom the wheel.
WARNING
A wheel that is not the correct
size may adversely affect wheel
and bearing life, braking and
stopping abilities, handling char-
acteristics, ground clearance,
body-to-tire clearance, snow
chain clearance, speedometer
and odometer calibration, head-
light aim and bumper height.
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