TRAILER AND TONGUE
WEIGHT
Always load a trailer with 60% to
65% of the weight in the front of the
trailer. This places 5% of the Gross
Trailer Weight (GTW) on the tow
hitch of your vehicle. Loads balanced
over the wheels or heavier in the rear
can cause the trailer to swayseverely
side to side which will cause loss of
control of the vehicle and trailer. Fail-
ure to load trailers heavier in front is
the cause of many trailer collisions.
Never exceed the maximum tongue
weight stamped on your bumper or
trailer hitch. Consider the following items when
computing the weight on the rear axle
of the vehicle:
The tongue weight of the trailer.
The weight of any other type of
cargo or equipment put in or on
your vehicle.
The weight of the driver and all passengers.
NOTE: Remember that every-
thing put into or on the trailer adds
to the load on your vehicle. Also,
additional factory-installed op-
tions or dealer-installed options
must be considered as part of the
total load on your vehicle. Refer to
the “Tire and Loading Informa-
tion” placard for the maximum
combined weight of occupants and
cargo for your vehicle.
TOWING REQUIREMENTS
To promote proper break-in of your
new vehicle drivetrain components
the following guidelines are recom-
mended:
CAUTION!
Do not tow a trailer at all during the first 805 km the new vehicle is
driven. The engine, axle or other
parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first 805 km that a trailer is towed, do not
drive over 80 km/h and do not
make starts at full throttle. This
helps the engine and other parts
of the vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
244
WARNING!
Improper towing can lead to an in-
jury collision. Follow these guide-
lines to make your trailer towing as
safe as possible:
Make certain that the load is se-
cured in the trailer and it will not
shift during travel. When traile-
ring cargo that is not fully secured,
dynamic load shifts can occur that
may be difficult for the driver to
control. You could lose control of
your vehicle and have a collision.
When hauling cargo or towing a
trailer, do not overload your ve-
hicle or trailer. Overloading can
cause a loss of control, poor perfor-
mance, or damage to brakes, axle,
engine, transmission, steering, sus-
pension, chassis structure, or tires.
Safety chains must always be used
between your vehicle and trailer.
Always connect the chains to the
frame or hook retainers of the ve-
hicle hitch. Cross the chains under
the trailer tongue and allow
enough slack for turning corners.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
Vehicles with trailers should notbe parked on a grade. When
parking, apply the parking brake
on the tow vehicle. Put the tow
vehicle automatic transmission in
PARK. Always, block or "chock"
the trailer wheels.
GCWR must not be exceeded.
Total weight must be distrib-
uted between the tow vehicle
and the trailer such that the
following four ratings are not
exceeded:
1. Max loading as defined on the “Tire and Loading Informa-
tion” placard.
2. GTW
3. GAWR
4. Tongue weight rating for the trailer hitch utilized. (This re-
quirement may limit the abil-
ity to always achieve the 10%
to 15% range of tongue
weight as a percentage of total
trailer weight.) Towing Requirements – Tires
– Do not attempt to tow a trailer
while using a compact spare tire.
– Proper tire inflation pressures are essential to the safe and satisfactory
operation of your vehicle. Refer to
“Tires – General Information” in
“Starting and Operating” for infor-
mation on tire pressures and for
proper tire inflation procedures.
– Check the trailer tires for proper tire inflation pressures before
trailer usage.
– Check for signs of tire wear or vis- ible tire damage before towing a
trailer. Refer to “Tires – General
Information” in “Starting and Op-
erating” for information on tread
wear indicators and for the proper
inspection procedure.
– When replacing tires, refer to “Tires – General Information” in “Start-
ing and Operating” for information
on replacement tires and for the
proper tire replacement proce-
dures. Replacing tires with a higher
245
load carrying capacity will not in-
crease the vehicle's GVWR and
GAWR limits.
Towing Requirements – Trailer
Brakes
–Do notinterconnect the hydraulic
brake system or vacuum system of
your vehicle with that of the trailer.
This could cause inadequate brak-
ing and possible personal injury.
– An electronically actuated trailer brake controller is required when
towing a trailer with electronically
actuated brakes. When towing a
trailer equipped with a hydraulic
surge actuated brake system, an
electronic brake controller is not
required.
– Trailer brakes are recommended for trailers over 454 kg and re-
quired for trailers in excess of
907 kg.CAUTION!
If the trailer weighs more than
454 kg loaded, it should have its
own brakes, and they should be of
adequate capacity. Failure to do
this could lead to accelerated brake
wear, higher brake pedal effort, and
longer stopping distances.
WARNING!
Do not connect trailer brakes toyour vehicle's hydraulic brake
lines. It can overload your brake
system and cause it to fail. You
might not have brakes when you
need them and could have an col-
lision.
Towing any trailer will increase your stopping distance. When
towing, you should allow for ad-
ditional space between your ve-
hicle and the vehicle in front of
you. Failure to do so could result
in a collision. Towing Requirements – Trailer
Lights And Wiring
Whenever you pull a trailer, regard-
less of the trailer size, stoplights and
turn signals on the trailer are required
for motoring safety.
The Trailer Tow Package may include
a 7-pin or a 13-pin wiring harness.
Use a factory approved trailer harness
and connector.
NOTE: Do not cut or splice wiring
into the vehicles wiring harness.
The electrical connections are all
complete to the vehicle but you must
mate the harness to a trailer connec-
tor.
7–Pin Connector
246
Pin
Number Function Wire
Color
7 Left Rear Position,
Side Marker Lights, and
Rear Regis-
tration Plate Illumination Device.
b
Black
8 Reverse lights Red/
Black
9 Permanent Power Sup-ply (+12V) Brown/
White
10 Power Sup- ply Con-
trolled by IgnitionSwitch
(+12V) Red
11
aReturn for Contact
(Pin) 10 White
12 Reserve for Future Allo-cation Red/
Blue
Pin
Number Function Wire
Color
13
aReturn for Contact(Pin) 9 White
Note: The allocation pin 12 has
been changed from “Coding for
coupled Trailer” to “Reserve for Future Allocation.”
aThe three return circuits shall notbe connected electrically in the trailer.
bThe rear position registration
plate illumination device shall be
connected such that no light of the device has a common connection with both pins 5 and 7.
TOWING TIPS
Before setting out on a trip, practice
turning, stopping, and backing up the
trailer in an area located away from
heavy traffic.
Automatic Transmission
The DRIVE range can be selected
when towing. The transmission con-
trols include a drive strategy to avoid frequent shifting when towing. How-
ever, if frequent shifting does occur
while in DRIVE, you can use the
AutoStick® shift control (for
versions/markets, where provided) to
manually select a lower gear.
NOTE: Using a lower gear while
operating the vehicle under heavy
loading conditions will improve
performance and extend transmis-
sion life by reducing excessive
shifting and heat buildup. This ac-
tion will also provide better engine
braking.
If you REGULARLY tow a trailer for
more than 45 minutes of continuous
operation, then change the automatic
transmission fluid and filter as speci-
fied for “police, taxi, fleet, or frequent
trailer towing" (five-speed transmis-
sion only). Refer to the “Maintenance
Schedule” for the proper maintenance
intervals.
Electronic Speed Control
Do not use in hilly terrain or with
heavy loads.
248
RECREATIONAL
TOWING (BEHIND
MOTORHOME, ETC.)
Recreational towing (with all four
wheels on the ground, or using a tow-
ing dolly) isNOT ALLOWED.The
only acceptable method for towing
this vehicle (behind another vehicle)
is on a vehicle trailer with all four
wheels OFFthe ground.
CAUTION!
Towing this vehicle in violation of
the above requirements can cause
severe transmission damage. Dam-
age from improper towing is not
covered under the New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
250
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS.............252
IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS ..............252
WHEEL AND TIRE TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS . .253
TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS ...............253
TIREFIT KIT (for versions/markets, where provided) ...............................253
TIREFIT STORAGE .....................254
TIREFIT KIT COMPONENTS AND OPERATION ...........................254
TIREFIT USAGE PRECAUTIONS ...........254
SEALING A TIRE WITH TIREFIT ...........256
JUMP-STARTING PROCEDURES ............259
PREPARATIONS FOR JUMP-START .........259
JUMP-STARTING PROCEDURE ............260
FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE ...............261
TOW EYES .............................262
SHIFT LEVER OVERRIDE — 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION .........................263
MANUAL PARK RELEASE — 8 SPEED TRANSMISSION ..........................263
TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE ............264
WITHOUT THE KEY FOB .................266
251
achieved at wheel speeds of 8 km/h
or less. Whenever the transmission
remains in NEUTRAL for more
than 2 seconds, you must press the
brake pedal to engage DRIVE or
REVERSE.
CAUTION!
Racing the engine or spinning the
wheels may lead to transmission
overheating and failure. Allow the
engine to idle with the transmission
in NEUTRAL for at least one minute
after every five rocking-motion
cycles. This will minimize overheat-
ing and reduce the risk of transmis-
sion failure during prolonged efforts
to free a stuck vehicle.
NOTE: Press the "ESC Off"
switch, to place the Electronic Sta-
bility Control (ESC) system in
"Partial Off" mode, before rocking
the vehicle. Refer to “Electronic
Brake Control” in “Starting And
Operating” for further informa-
tion. Once the vehicle has been
freed, press the "ESC Off" switch
again to restore "ESC On" mode.
CAUTION!
When “rocking” a stuck vehicleby shifting between DRIVE and
REVERSE, do not spin the
wheels faster than 24 km/h, or
drivetrain damage may result.
Revving the engine or spinning the wheels too fast may lead to
transmission overheating and
failure. It can also damage the
tires. Do not spin the wheels
above 48 km/h while in gear (no
transmission shifting occurring).
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be danger-
ous. Forces generated by excessive
wheel speeds may cause damage, or
even failure, of the axle and tires. A
tire could explode and injure some-
one. Do not spin your vehicle's
wheels faster than 48 km/h or for
longer than 30 seconds continu-
ously without stopping when you
are stuck and do not let anyone
near a spinning wheel, no matter
what the speed.
TOW EYES
Your vehicle is equipped with tow
eyes, which are mounted in the front
and the rear.
CAUTION!
Tow eyes are for emergency use
only, to rescue a vehicle stranded
off road. Do not use tow eyes for
tow truck hookup or highway tow-
ing. You could damage your ve-
hicle. Tow straps are recommended
when towing the vehicle; chains
may cause vehicle damage.
WARNING!
Stand clear of vehicles when pull-
ing with tow eyes. Tow straps and
chains may break, causing serious
injury.
262
Follow these steps to use the Manual
Park Release:
1. To prevent the vehicle from rolling
unintentionally, firmly apply the
parking brake.
2. Remove the console storage bin to
access the Manual Park Release lever.
3. Using a small screwdriver or simi-
lar tool, fish the tether strap up
through the opening in the console
base.
4. Insert the screwdriver into the slot
in the center of the lever, and disen-
gage the lever locking tab by pushing
it to the right.5. While holding the locking tab in
the disengaged position, pull the
tether strap to rotate the lever up and
rearward, until it locks in place in the
vertical position. The vehicle is now
out of PARK and can be towed. Re-
lease the parking brake only when the
vehicle is securely connected to a tow
vehicle.To Reset The Manual Park Re-
lease:
1. Push the latch (at the base of the
lever, on the rear side) rearward
(away from the lever) to unlatch the
lever.
2. Rotate the Manual Park Release
lever forward and down, to its original
position, until the locking tab snaps
into place to secure the lever.
3. Pull up gently on the tether strap
to confirm that the lever is locked in
its stowed position.
4. Tuck the tether strap into the base
of the console. Reinstall the console
storage bin.
TOWING A DISABLED
VEHICLE
This section describes procedures for
towing a disabled vehicle using a
commercial towing service.
Console Storage Bin
Locking Tab
Tether Strap
264