•To avoid accelerated clutch wear, do not use the
accelerator to keep the vehicle at a standstill (for
example, holding on a hill); the clutch could be dam-
aged by overheating. Use the brake pedal instead and
operate the accelerator only when you are ready to
drive away.
• Only launch (from a stop) in second gear when you
need more control on surfaces with low traction.
• Only shift between DRIVE (D) and REVERSE (R) gears
when the vehicle has come to a stop and the brake
pedal is pressed. •
Although very inadvisable, if the vehicle is unexpect-
edly allowed to roll downhill with the gearbox in
NEUTRAL (N) the system will automatically engage
the gear best suited to vehicle speed when a gear shift
is requested to allow drive to be correctly transmitted
to the wheels.
• If necessary, with the engine off, it is possible to engage
1st, REVERSE (R) or NEUTRAL (N) with the key in
ON/RUN/MAR position and the brake pressed.
• During hill starts, accelerate immediately after releas-
ing the parking brake or brake pedal to allow the
engine to increase its rpm to a greater extent and
overcome higher gradients with more torque.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 71
WARNING!
Improper towing can lead to a collision. Follow these
guidelines to make your trailer towing as safe as
possible:
•
Make certain that the load is secured in the trailer
and will not shift during travel. When trailering
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 vehicle or trailer. Overloading can
cause a loss of control, poor performance or dam-
age to brakes, axle, engine, transmission, steering,
suspension, chassis structure or tires.
• Safety chains must always be used between your
vehicle and trailer. Always connect the chains to
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
the hook retainers of the vehicle hitch. Cross the
chains under the trailer tongue and allow enough
slack for turning corners.
• Vehicles with trailers should not be parked on a
grade. When parking, apply the parking brake on
the tow vehicle. For four-wheel drive vehicles,
make sure the transfer case is not in NEUTRAL.
Always, block or chockthe trailer wheels.
• GCWR must not be exceeded.
• Total weight must be distributed between the tow
vehicle and the trailer such that the following four
ratings are not exceeded:
1. GVWR
2. GTW
3. GAWR
4. Tongue weight rating for the trailer hitch utilized
94 STARTING AND OPERATING
