
5-66
Driving your vehicle
Do not "lug" or "over-rev" the engine. Lugging is to drive too
slowly in a high gear, resulting in
the engine bucking. In this case,
shift to a lower gear. Over-revving
is racing the engine beyond its safe
limit. This can be avoided by decel-
erating to a recommended speed.
Use your air conditioning at inter- vals. The air conditioning system
operates by engine power. Thus,
your fuel economy will decline,
when turning it ON.
Opening the windows, while driv- ing at a high speed, may reduce
the fuel economy.
The fuel economy will decline in the crosswind and headwind. To
offset some of this loss, slow down
the driving speed.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating
condition is important both for the
fuel economy and safety. Therefore,
have your vehicle inspected and
maintained by an authorized EQUUS
dealer on a regular basis. - Turning the engine OFF while
driving
Never turn the engine OFF to
coast down hills or anytime the
vehicle is in motion. The power
steering and power brakes will
not properly operate, when the
engine is turned OFF. Keep the
engine ON and downshift to an
appropriate gear for engine
braking effect. Moreover, turn-
ing OFF the ignition, while driv-
ing, may lock the steering
wheel, blocking the steer wheel
movement and causing a seri-
ous injury or death.
WARNING

5-74
Driving your vehicle
An AutoSock, which is in the wrong size or is improperly
installed, may damage brake
lines, suspension, body and
wheels of your vehicle.
Stop driving and retighten the AutoSock, whenever there are
snapping sounds between the
vehicle and the AutoSock.
Use high quality ethylene gly-
col coolant
The cooling system of your vehicle is
filled with the high-quality ethylene
glycol coolant when being delivered.
It is the only type of coolant that your
vehicle is filled with, because it pre-
vents corrosion of the cooling sys-
tem, lubricates the water pump and
prevents freezing. Refill the cooling
system in accordance with your
maintenance schedule in the chapter
7. Before winter, check your coolant
to assure that the freezing point is
sufficiently lower than the expected
winter temperature.
Check battery and cables
The winter temperature increases
the battery consumption. Inspect the
battery and cables, as described in
the chapter 7. The battery charging
level can be checked by an author-
ized EQUUS dealer or in a service
station.
Change to "winter weight" oil,
if necessary
In some regions during the cold win-
ter, it is recommended to use the
"winter weight" oil with lower viscosi-
ty. For further information about this,
refer to the chapter 8. When you can-
not be sure about a type of winter
weight oil, consult an authorized
EQUUS dealer.
Check spark plugs and ignition
system
Inspect your spark plugs and, if nec-
essary, replace them. Also check all
ignition wirings and components for
any cracks, wear-out, and damage.
NOTICE
- Chain installation
When installing the AutoSock,
park the vehicle on level ground
away from other vehicles. Press
ON the Hazard Warning flasher
and place a warning triangle
behind your vehicle, if available.
Place the shift lever in P(Park),
set the parking brake and turn
OFF the engine, before
installing the AutoSock.
WARNING
- Tire chains
The use of the AutoSock may
adversely affect vehicle han-
dling.
Do not drive faster than the lower of the two - 20 mph (30
km/h) and the AutoSock manu-
facturer’s recommended
speed limit.
Drive carefully and avoid bumps, holes, sharp turns, and
other road hazards, which may
bounce the vehicle.
Avoid turning sharply or lock- ing the wheel brake.
WARNING

5-75
Driving your vehicle05
To prevent the locks from
frozen
To prevent the locks from being
frozen, spray authorized de-icing
fluid or glycerin into key openings.
When a lock opening is already cov-
ered with ice, spray authorized de-
icing fluid on the ice to remove it.
When an internal part of a lock
freezes, try to thaw it with a heated
key. Carefully use the heated key to
avoid an injury.
Use authorized window-wash-
er anti-freezer solution in sys-
tem
To prevent the window washer from
being frozen, add authorized win-
dow-washer anti-freeze solution, as
instructed on the window-washer
container. Window-washer anti-
freeze solution is available from an
authorized EQUUS dealer, and so
are the most auto parts outlets. Do
not use engine coolant or other types
of anti-freezer solution, because
these may damage the vehicle paint.
Do not let your parking brake
freeze
Under some conditions, your parking
brake may freeze in the engaged
position. This is most likely to hap-
pen, when there is an accumulation
of snow or ice around/near the rear
brakes, or when the brakes are wet.
When there is the risk that your park-
ing brake may freeze, temporarily
apply it after locating the shift lever in
P(Park). Also, block the rear wheels
in advance, so the vehicle may not
roll. Then, release the parking brake.
Do not let ice and snow accu-
mulate underneath
Under some conditions, snow and
ice may build up under the fenders
and interfere with the steering. When
driving in such conditions during the
severe winter, you should check
underneath the vehicle on a regular
basis to assure that moving the front
wheels and the steering components
is unobstructed.
Carry emergency equipment
In accordance with weather condi-
tions, you should carry appropriate
emergency equipment, while driving.
Some of the items you may want to
carry include tire chains, tow straps,
chains, flashlight, emergency flares,
sand, a shovel, jumper cables, a win-
dow scraper, gloves, ground cloth,
coveralls and a blanket.
Do not place objects or materi-
als in the engine compartment
Putting objects or materials in the
engine compartment may cause an
engine failure or combustion,
because those may block the engine
cooling. The manufacturer is not
responsible for the damage caused
by such placement.

Removing and storing the
spare tire
Unscrew the hold-down wing bolt in
a counterclockwise direction to
remove the tire.
Screw it in the clockwise direction to
store the spare tire.
To prevent the spare tire and tools
from “rattling” inside while driving,
properly store them.
When it is too tight to loosen the
hold-down wing bolt by hand, you
can easily loosen it, using the Jack
handle.
1.Put the Jack handle (1) in the hold-down wing bolt.
2.Unscrew the hold-down wing bolt in a counterclockwise direction
with the Jack handle, utilizing the
principles of the lever and fulcrum. When you remove or store the
spare tire, do not touch or hit the
battery with the spare tire.
Touching or hitting of the battery
may cause failure of electrical cir-
cuits.
Changing tires
1.Park the vehicle on a level surface,
and firmly set the parking brake.
2.Set the shift lever in P(Park).
3.Press ON the hazard warning flasher.
4.Take out the wheel lug nut wrench, jack, jack handle, and spare tire
from the vehicle.
NOTICE
6-13
What to do in an emergency06
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OVI065001N
OVI065007N

5.Block both the front and rear partsof the wheel by putting a prop in
the diagonal position.
6.Loosen the wheel lug nuts in a counterclockwise direction, in the
numerical order, as shown in the
illustration. Do not remove any nut
until the tire has been raised off the
ground. 7.Place the jack in the front or rear
jacking positions, closest to a tire,
which is to be replaced. Place the
jack under the intended place.
Those intended places should be
the plates welded to the frame with
two tabs. a raised dot to index with
the jack.
Carefully place the jack, not to
damage the plastic guard. When
you place the jack under the plas-
tic guard and jack up the vehicle,
the plastic guard may be dam-
aged.
NOTICE
6-14
What to do in an emergency - Changing a tire
To prevent vehicle movement while changing a tire, always
fully set the parking brake,
and block the wheel by put-
ting a prop in the diagonal
direction.
We recommend that the wheels be blocked, and that
no person remain, while jack-
ing up a vehicle.
WARNING
- Jack location
To reduce a possible injury, only
use the jack provided in the
vehicle and in the correct jack
position. Never use any other
parts of the vehicle for addition-
al jacking-up support.
WARNING
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OVI065010N

8.Insert the jack handle into the jack,turn it in a clockwise direction, and
raise the vehicle until the tire just
lifts above the ground. This would
be approximately 30 mm (1.2 in).
Before removing the wheel lug
nuts, make sure that the vehicle is
stationary without a possibility of
any movement or skid.
9.Loosen the wheel nuts and then remove them with your fingers.
Slide the wheel off the studs and
lay it on a flat ground to prevent
rolling away. To install the wheel on
the hub, pick up the spare tire, fit
the studs into the holes, and screw
them. When it is difficult, slightly tip
the wheel, fitting the top wheel hole
with its top stud. Then, shake the
wheel back and forth until the
wheel slide off other studs. 10. To reinstall a wheel, fit its hole
onto the studs, screw the wheel
nuts, and tighten them. The nuts
should be screwed with a small-
diameter end in an inward direc-
tion. Lightly jiggle the tire to
check its secure installment. If
necessary, tighten the nuts with
your fingers again.
11. Lower the vehicle onto the ground by rotating the wheel nut
wrench in a counterclockwise
direction.
6-15
What to do in an emergency06
Wheels may have sharp edges.
Carefully handle them to avoid a
possible severe injury. Before
installing wheels into place,
dust off any substances from
the hub or wheel (i.e. mud, tar,
gravel, etc., which may stick
solid against the hub).
When a wheel is unsecurely or
loosely installed on the hub, the
wheel nuts may become loose,
causing loss of a wheel. Loss of
a wheel may result in loss of
vehicle control, causing a seri-
ous injury or death.
WARNING
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6-22
What to do in an emergency
Removable towing hook
(if equipped)
1.Open the trunk, and take the tow-ing hooks out from the tool case.
2.Open the cover by pressing the lower part on the front or rear
bumper.
3.Install the towing hook by rotating it in a clockwise wise until it is
securely installed.
4.After use, remove the towing hook and close the cover.
Emergency towing
If necessary, we recommend tow-
ing your vehicle by an authorized
EQUUS dealer or a commercial
tow truck service.
When towing service is unavailable
in an emergency, your vehicle may
be temporarily towed using a cable
or chain secured to the emergency
towing hook under the front (or the
rear) part of the vehicle. Use extreme
caution when towing the vehicle. A
driver must be in the vehicle to steer
the direction and operate the brakes.
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■ Front
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■ Front
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■ Rear

Use a towing strap, which is 16 feet(5 m) or shorter. Tie a white or red
cloth (about 12 inches (30 cm)
wide) in the middle of the strap for
the better visibility.
Drive carefully not to loosen the towing strap, while towing.
Information
Emergency towing is illegal in some
states. Contact an authorized EQUUS
dealer and tow the vehicle.
Emergency towing precautions
Set the shift lever in N (Neutral).
Release the parking brake.
Depress the brake pedal with extraforce, because the brake perform-
ance may be reduced.
Put extra force into the steering wheel operation, because the
power steering system may be dis-
abled.
Driving down a long slope may overheat the brakes, reducing the
brake performance. Stop driving at
intervals and cool off the brake
system. - Automatic transmission
When the car is towed, dragging
all four wheels on the ground, it
should be done only in a forward
direction. Be sure to set the shift
lever in N(Neutral). Unlock the
steering wheel by pressing the
Engine Start/Stop button to the
ACC position. A driver must be
in the towed vehicle to operate
both the steering wheel and
brakes.
To avoid a serious damage to the automatic transmission
while towing, limit the vehicle
speed to 10 mph (15 km/h) and
drive shorter than 1 mile (1.5
km).
Before towing, check any fluid lick of the automatic transmis-
sion. When it leaks, flatbed
equipment or a towing dolly
must be used.
NOTICE
i
6-24
What to do in an emergency
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