5-48
Driving your vehicle
To p r e v e n t d a m a g e t o t h e
transaxle:
•Do not allow wheel(s) of one
axle to spin excessively while
the ESC, ABS, and brake warn-
ing lights are displayed. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Reduce
engine power and do not spin
the wheel(s) excessively while
these lights are displayed.
•When operating the vehicle on a
dynamometer, ensure the ESC is
turned off (ESC OFF light illumi-
nated).
Information
Turning the ESC off does not affect
ABS or standard brake system opera-
tion.
Vehicle Stability Manag ement
(if equipped)
Ve h i c l e S t a b i l i t y M a n a g e m e n t ( V S M )
helps ensure the vehicle stays stable
when accelerating or braking sud-
denly on wet, slippery and rough
roads where traction over the four
tires can suddenly become uneven.
VSM operation
VSM ON condition
The VSM operates when:
•The Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) is on.
•Vehicle speed is approximately
above 15 km/h (9mph) on curve
roads.
•Vehicle speed is approximately
above 20 km/h (12mph) when the
vehicle is braking on rough roads.
When operating
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may activate the
ESC, you may hear sounds from the
brakes, or feel a corresponding sen-
sation in the brake pedal. This is nor-
mal and it means your VSM is active.
i
NOTICE
Take the following precautions
when using the Vehicle Stability
Management (VSM):
•ALWAYS check the speed and
the distance to the vehicle
ahead. The VSM is not a sub-
stitute for safe driving prac-
tices.
•Never drive too fast for the
road conditions. The VSM sys-
tem will not prevent acci-
dents. Excessive speed in bad
weather, slippery and uneven
roads can result in severe
accidents.
WARNING
5-71
Driving your vehicle
5
Snow or icy conditions
Yo u n e e d t o k e e p s u f f i c i e n t d i s t a n c e
between your vehicle and the vehicle
in front of you.
Apply the brakes gently. Speeding,
rapid acceleration, sudden brake
applications, and sharp turns are
potentially very hazardous practices.
During deceleration, use engine
braking to the fullest extent. Sudden
brake applications on snowy or icy
roads may cause skids to occur.
To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it
may be necessary to use snow tires
or to install tire chains on your tires.
Always carry emergency equipment.
Some of the items you may want to
carry include tire chains, tow straps
or chains, a flashlight, emergency
flares, sand, a shovel, jumper cables,
a window scraper, gloves, ground
cloth, coveralls, a blanket, etc.
Snow tiresIf you mount snow tires on your vehi-
cle, make sure to use radial tires of
the same size and load range as the
original tires. Mount snow tires on all
four wheels to balance your vehicle’s
handling in all weather conditions.
The traction provided by snow tires
on dry roads may not be as high as
your vehicle's original equipment
tires. Check with the tire dealer for
maximum speed recommendations.
Information
Do not install studded tires without
first checking local and municipal reg-
ulations for possible restrictions
against their use.
i
WINTER DRIVING
Snow tires should be equivalent
in size and type to the vehicle's
standard tires. Otherwise, the
safety and handling of your
vehicle may be adversely affect-
ed.
WARNING
