
TOWING A TRAILER
WARNINGS
Do not exceed the GVWR or the
GAWR specified on the
certification label. Towing trailers beyond the
maximum recommended gross
trailer weight exceeds the limit of
your vehicle and could result in
engine damage, transmission
damage, structural damage, loss of
vehicle control, vehicle rollover and
personal injury. Note:
There may be electrical items
such as fuses or relays that can affect
trailer towing operation. See Fuses
(page 218).
The load capacity of your vehicle is
designated by weight not volume.
You may not necessarily be able to
use all available space when loading
your vehicle or trailer. Towing a trailer places extra load
on the engine, transmission, axle,
brakes, tires, and suspension.
Inspect these components before,
during and after towing.
Load Placement
To help minimize how trailer
movement affects the vehicle when
driving:
•
Load the heaviest items closest
to the trailer floor.
• Load the heaviest items in the
center of the left and right side
trailer tires. •
Load the heaviest items above
the trailer axles or just slightly
forward toward the trailer
tongue. Do not allow the final
trailer tongue weight to go above
or below 10-15% of the loaded
trailer weight.
• Select a tow bar with the correct
rise or drop. When both the
loaded vehicle and trailer are
connected, the trailer frame
should be level, or slightly angled
down toward the vehicle, when
viewed from the side.
When driving with a trailer or
payload, a slight takeoff vibration or
shudder may be present due to the
increased payload weight.
Additional information regarding
proper trailer loading and setting
your vehicle up for towing is located
in the Load Carrying chapter. See
Load Limit (page 187). You can also
find the information in the
RV &
Trailer Towing Guide, available at
an authorized dealer.
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ESSENTIAL TOWING CHECKS
Follow these guidelines for safe towing:
•
Do not tow a trailer until you drive your
vehicle at least 1000 miles (1600
kilometers).
• Consult your local motor vehicle laws for
towing a trailer.
• See the instructions included with towing
accessories for the proper installation
and adjustment specifications.
• Service your vehicle more frequently if
you tow a trailer. See your scheduled
maintenance information.
• If you use a rental trailer, follow the
instructions the rental agency gives you.
You can find information on load
specification terms found on the tire label
and Safety Compliance label as well as
instructions on calculating your vehicle's load
in the Load Carrying chapter. See Load Limit
(page 187).
Remember to account for the trailer tongue
weight as part of your vehicle load when
calculating the total vehicle weight. Hitches
Do not use a hitch that either clamps onto
the bumper or attaches to the axle.
Distribute the trailer load so 10-15% of the
total trailer weight is on the tongue.
Safety Chains
Note:
Never attach safety chains to the
bumper.
Always connect the safety chains to the hook
retainers of your vehicle hitch.
To connect the safety chains, cross them
under the trailer tongue and allow enough
slack for turning tight corners. Do not allow
the chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes WARNING
Do not connect a trailer's hydraulic
brake system directly to your vehicle's
brake system. Your vehicle may not
have enough braking power and your chances
of having a collision greatly increase. Electric brakes and manual, automatic or
surge-type trailer brakes are safe if you install
them properly and adjust them to the
manufacturer's specifications. The trailer
brakes must meet local and federal
regulations.
The rating for the tow vehicle's braking
system operation is at the gross vehicle
weight rating, not the gross combined
weight rating.
Trailer Lamps
WARNING
Never connect any trailer lamp wiring
to the vehicle's tail lamp wiring; this
may damage the electrical system
resulting in fire. Contact your authorized
dealer as soon as possible for assistance in
proper trailer tow wiring installation.
Additional electrical equipment may be
required. Trailer lamps are required on most towed
vehicles. Make sure all running lights, brake
lights, turn signals and hazard lights are
working.
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BREAKING-IN
You need to break in new tires for
approximately 300 miles (480 kilometers).
During this time, your vehicle may exhibit
some unusual driving characteristics.
Avoid driving too fast during the first 1000
miles (1600 kilometers). Vary your speed
frequently and change up through the gears
early. Do not labor the engine.
Do not tow during the first 1000 miles (1600
kilometers).
ECONOMICAL DRIVING
Fuel economy is affected by several things
such as how you drive, the conditions you
drive under and how you maintain your
vehicle.
There are some things to keep in mind that
may improve your fuel economy:
•
Accelerate and slow down in a smooth,
moderate fashion.
• Drive at steady speeds.
• Anticipate stops; slowing down may
eliminate the need to stop. •
Combine errands and minimize
stop-and-go driving.
•When running errands, go to the
furthest destination first and then
work your way back home.
• Close the windows for high-speed driving.
• Drive at reasonable speeds. (Traveling at
65 mph/105 kph uses about 15% less fuel
than traveling at 75 mph/121 kph).
• Keep the tires properly inflated and use
only the recommended size.
• Use the recommended engine oil.
• Perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance.
There are also some things you may want to
avoid doing because they reduce your fuel
economy:
• Avoid sudden or hard accelerations.
• Avoid revving the engine before turning
off the car.
• Avoid long idle periods.
• Do not warm up your vehicle on cold
mornings.
• Reduce the use of air conditioning and
heat.
• Avoid using speed control in hilly terrain. •
Do not rest your foot on the brake pedal
while driving.
• Avoid carrying unnecessary weight
(approximately 1 mpg [0.4
kilometers/liter] is lost for every 400 lbs
[180 kilograms] of weight carried).
• Avoid adding particular accessories to
your vehicle (e.g. bug deflectors,
rollbars/light bars, running boards, ski
racks).
• Avoid driving with the wheels out of
alignment.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER WARNING
Do not drive through flowing or deep
water as you may lose control of your
vehicle.
Note:
Driving through standing water can
cause vehicle damage.
Note: Engine damage can occur if water
enters the air filter.
Before driving through standing water, check
the depth. Never drive through water that is
higher than the bottom of the front rocker
area of your vehicle.
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When driving through standing water, drive
very slowly and do not stop your vehicle. Your
brake performance and traction may be
limited. After driving through water and as
soon as it is safe to do so:
•
Lightly press the brake pedal to dry the
brakes and to check that they work.
• Check that the horn works.
• Check that the exterior lights work.
• Turn the steering wheel to check that the
steering power assist works. FLOOR MATS WARNINGS
Always use floor mats that are
designed to fit the foot well of your
vehicle. Only use floor mats that leave
the pedal area unobstructed. Only use floor
mats that are firmly secured to retention
posts so that they cannot slip out of position
and interfere with the pedals or impair safe
operation of your vehicle in other ways. Pedals that cannot move freely can
cause loss of vehicle control and
increase the risk of serious personal
injury. Always make sure that the floor mats
are properly attached to the retention
posts in the carpet that are supplied
with your vehicle. Floor mats must be
properly secured to both retention posts to
make sure mats do not shift out of position. Never place floor mats or any other
covering in the vehicle foot well that
cannot be properly secured to prevent
them from moving and interfering with the
pedals or the ability to control the vehicle. WARNINGS
Never place floor mats or any other
covering on top of already installed
floor mats. Floor mats should always
rest on top of vehicle carpeting surface and
not another floor mat or other covering.
Additional floor mats or any other covering
will reduce the pedal clearance and
potentially interfere with pedal operation. Check attachment of floor mats on a
regular basis. Always properly reinstall
and secure floor mats that have been
removed for cleaning or replacement. Always make sure that objects cannot
fall into the driver foot well while the
vehicle is moving. Objects that are
loose can become trapped under the pedals
causing a loss of vehicle control. Failure to properly follow floor mat
installation or attachment instructions
can potentially cause interference with
pedal operation causing a loss of vehicle
control. 205
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Protected components
Fuse amp rating
Fuse or relay number
Backlighting LED.
Interior lighting.
Right-hand direction indicators.
15A
13
Left-hand direction indicators.
15A
14
Stop lamp.
15A
15
Backup lamp.
Right front low beam.
10A
16
Left front low beam.
10A
17
Start button.
10A
18
Keypad illumination.
Brake-shift interlock.
Powertrain control module wake-up.
Immobilizer transceiver module.
Audio amplifiers.
20A
19
All lock motor relay and coil.
20A
20
Driver lock motor relay and coil.
Not used (spare).
10A
21
Horn relay.
20A
22
Steering wheel control module logic
15A
23
Instrument cluster.
Steering wheel control module.
15A
24
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the coolant temperature warning
light will illuminate
the service engine soon indicator
will illuminate.
If the engine reaches a preset
over-temperature condition, the engine
automatically switches to alternating cylinder
operation. Each disabled cylinder acts as an
air pump and cools the engine.
When this occurs, your vehicle will still
operate. However:
• The engine power will be limited.
• This will disable the air conditioning
system.
Continued operation increases the engine
temperature, causing the engine to
completely shut down. Your steering and
braking effort increases in this situation.
When the engine temperature cools, you can
re-start your engine. Take your vehicle to an
authorized dealer as soon as possible to
minimize engine damage. When Fail-Safe Mode Is Activated WARNINGS
Fail-safe mode is for use during
emergencies only. Operate your vehicle
in fail-safe mode only as long as
necessary to bring your vehicle to rest in a
safe location and seek immediate repairs.
When in fail-safe mode, your vehicle will have
limited power, will not be able to maintain
high-speed operation, and may completely
shut down without warning, potentially losing
engine power, power steering assist, and
power brake assist, which may increase the
possibility of a crash resulting in serious injury. Never remove the coolant reservoir cap
while the engine is running or hot.
You have limited engine power when in the
fail-safe mode, so drive your vehicle with
caution. Your vehicle will not maintain
high-speed operation and the engine will
operate poorly.
Remember that the engine is capable of
automatically shutting down to prevent
engine damage. In this situation:
1. Pull off the road as soon as safely
possible and switch off the engine.
2. Tow your vehicle to an authorized dealer. 3. If this is not possible, wait a short period
for the engine to cool.
4. Check the coolant level and add if low.
5. Re-start the engine and drive your vehicle
to an authorized dealer.
Note: Driving your vehicle without repair
increases the chance of engine damage.
Contact an authorized dealer as soon as
possible.
Engine Fluid Temperature Management
(If Equipped) WARNINGS
To reduce the risk of crash and injury,
be prepared that the vehicle speed may
reduce and the vehicle may not be able
to accelerate with full power until the fluid
temperatures reduce. Never remove the coolant reservoir cap
while the engine is running or hot.
Your vehicle can pull a trailer, but because
of the added load, your vehicle
’s engine may
temporarily reach higher temperatures during
severe operating conditions such as
ascending a long or steep grade while pulling
a trailer in high temperatures.
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Replacing Front Parking, Direction
Indicator and Sidemarker Bulbs
These lamps are designed with LED light
sources. See an authorized dealer.
Replacing Fog Lamp Bulbs (If
Equipped)
1. Make sure the headlamps are off.
2.
Disconnect the electrical connector from
the fog lamp bulb.
3. Turn the bulb counterclockwise and remove it from the fog lamp.
4. Install the new bulb in reverse order. Replacing Brake, Tail, Rear Direction
Indicator and Reverse Lamp Bulbs
These lamps are designed with LED light
sources. See an authorized dealer.
Replacing High-mount Brake Lamp
Bulbs
These lamps are designed with LED light
sources. See an authorized dealer.
Replacing the License Plate Lamp
Bulb
1.
Make sure the lighting control switch is in
the off position. 2. Remove the screws and lens from the
license plate lamp assembly. 3. Carefully pull the bulb straight out from
the lamp assembly.
Install new bulb in reverse order.
BULB SPECIFICATION CHART
The specified replacement bulbs are in the
chart below. Headlamp bulbs must be
marked with an authorized D.O.T.
(Department of Transportation) for North
America to affirm lamp performance, light
brightness and pattern and safe visibility. The
correct bulbs will not damage the lamp
assembly or void the lamp assembly
warranty and will provide quality bulb burn
time.
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Trade number
Function
D3S
* Headlamp (high intensity discharge) Low and High
LED
* Sidemarker - front
LED
* Park lamp - front
7444NA
* Turn lamp - front
LED
Signal indicator mirror lamp
LED
Approach lamp
LED
* Tail and brake lamp
LED
* Turn lamp - rear
LED
* Backup lamp
W5W
License plate lamp
LED
* High-mount brake lamp
W5W
Interior lamps
* To replace these lamps, see an authorized dealer.
To replace instrument panel lights, see an authorized dealer.
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