It is recommended you contact your
original equipment or an authorized
tire dealer with any questions you
may have on tire specifications or ca-
pability. Failure to use equivalent re-
placement tires may adversely affect
the safety, handling, and ride of your
vehicle.WARNING!
Do not use a tire, wheel size orrating other than that specified
for your vehicle. Some combina-
tions of unapproved tires and
wheels may change suspension di-
mensions and performance char-
acteristics, resulting in changes to
steering, handling, and braking of
your vehicle. This can cause un-
predictable handling and stress to
steering and suspension compo-
nents. You could lose control and
have a collision resulting in seri-
ous injury or death. Use only the
tire and wheel sizes with load rat-
ings approved for your vehicle.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
Never use a tire with a smaller
load index or capacity, other than
what was originally equipped on
your vehicle. Using a tire with a
smaller load index could result in
tire overloading and failure. You
could lose control and have a col-
lision.
Failure to equip your vehicle with
tires having adequate speed capa-
bility can result in sudden tire fail-
ure and loss of vehicle control.CAUTION!
Replacing original tires with tires of
a different size may result in false
speedometer and odometer read-
ings.
TIRE CHAINS
Use of Security Chain Company
(SCC) Super Z6 SZ143 or Iceman Z6
IZ-643 cables or equivalent are rec-
ommended on 225/65R17 tires.
NOTE:
Do not use tire chains on a com-
pact spare tire.
CAUTION!
To avoid damage to your vehicle or
tires, observe the following precau-
tions:
Use chains on 225/65R17 tires only.
Because of restricted chain clear-
ance between tires and other sus-
pension components, it is impor-
tant that only chains in good
condition are used. Broken chains
can cause serious damage. Stop
the vehicle immediately if noise
occurs that could indicate chain
breakage. Remove the damaged
parts of the chain before further
use.
Install chains on the rear wheels
as tightly as possible and then re-
tighten after driving about
0.8 km.
Do not exceed 48 km/h.
Drive cautiously and avoid severe
turns and large bumps, especially
with a loaded vehicle.
Use on rear wheels only.
Do not drive for prolonged period
on dry pavement.
(Continued)
218
2. Remove the access cover (located
on the left side inner trim panel).
3. Pull the release cable.
VEHICLE LOADING
The load carrying capacity of your
vehicle is shown on the “Vehicle Cer-
tification Label.” This information
should be used for passenger and lug-
gage loading as indicated.Do not exceed the specified Gross Ve-
hicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or the
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
VEHICLE CERTIFICATION
LABEL
Your vehicle has a Vehicle Certifica-
tion Label affixed to the rear of the
driver's door.
The label contains the following infor
-
mation:
Name of manufacturer
Month and year of manufacture
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR)
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) front
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) rear
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Type of Vehicle
Month Day and Hour of Manufac- ture (MDH)
The bar code allows a computer scan-
ner to read the VIN. GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT
RATING (GVWR)
The GVWR is the total allowable
weight of your vehicle. This includes
driver, passengers, and cargo. The to-
tal load must be limited so that you do
not exceed the GVWR.
GROSS AXLE WEIGHT
RATING (GAWR)
The GAWR is the maximum capacity
of the front and rear axles. Distribute
the load over the front and rear axles
evenly. Make sure that you do not
exceed either front or rear GAWR.
WARNING!
Because the front wheels steer the
vehicle, it is important that you do
not exceed the maximum front or
rear GAWR. A dangerous driving
condition can result if either rating is
exceeded. You could lose control of
the vehicle and have a collision.
OVERLOADING
The load carrying components (axle,
springs, tires, wheels, etc.) of your
vehicle will provide satisfactory ser-
Access CoverRelease Cable
227
Gross Combination Weight Rating
(GCWR)
The GCWR is the total permissible
weight of your vehicle and trailer
when weighed in combination.
NOTE:
The GCWR rating includes a 68 kg
allowance for the presence of a
driver.
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR)
The GAWR is the maximum capacity
of the front and rear axles. Distribute
the load over the front and rear axles
evenly. Make sure that you do not
exceed either front or rear GAWR.
Refer to “Vehicle Loading/Vehicle
Certification Label” in “Starting and
Operating” for further information.WARNING!
It is important that you do not ex-
ceed the maximum front or rear
GAWR. A dangerous driving condi-
tion can result if either rating is ex-
ceeded. You could lose control of the
vehicle and have a collision.Tongue Weight (TW)
The tongue weight is the downward
force exerted on the hitch ball by the
trailer. In most cases, it should not be
more than 5% of the trailer load. You
must consider this as part of the load
on your vehicle.
Frontal Area
The frontal area is the maximum
height multiplied by the maximum
width of the front of a trailer.
Trailer Sway Control
The trailer sway control is a telescop-
ing link that can be installed between
the hitch receiver and the trailer
tongue that typically provides adjust-
able friction associated with the tele-
scoping motion to dampen any un-
wanted trailer swaying motions while
traveling.
Weight-Carrying Hitch
A weight-carrying hitch supports the
trailer tongue weight, just as if it were
luggage located at a hitch ball or some
other connecting point of the vehicle.
These kinds of hitches are the most
popular on the market today and they are commonly used to tow small- and
medium-sized trailers.
Weight-Distributing Hitch
A weight-distributing system works
by applying leverage through spring
(load) bars. They are typically used
for heavier loads to distribute trailer
tongue weight to the tow
vehicle's
front axle and the trailer axle(s).
When used in accordance with the
manufacturer's directions, it provides
for a more level ride, offering more
consistent steering and brake control
thereby enhancing towing safety. The
addition of a friction / hydraulic sway
control also dampens sway caused by
traffic and crosswinds and contrib-
utes positively to tow vehicle and
trailer stability. Trailer sway control
and a weight distributing (load equal-
izing) hitch are recommended for
heavier Tongue Weights (TW) and
may be required depending on vehicle
and trailer configuration / loading to
comply with Gross Axle Weight Rat-
ing (GAWR) requirements.
229