WARNING
Properly adjust the weight distributing
hitch so the rear of the bumper is no
higher than the measured reference
height when the trailer is attached. If
the rear bumper is higher than the
measured reference height when
loaded, the vehicle may handle unpre-
dictably which could cause a loss of
vehicle control and cause serious per-
sonal injury or property damage.
Sway control device
Sudden maneuvers, wind gusts and buffeting
caused by other vehicles can affect trailer
handling. Sway control devices may be used to
help control these affects. If you choose to use
one, contact a reputable trailer hitch supplier to
make sure the sway control device will work with
the vehicle, hitch, trailer and the trailer’s brake
system. Follow the instructions provided by the
manufacturer for installing and using the sway
control device.
Class I hitch
Class I trailer hitch equipment (receiver, ball
mount and hitch ball) can be used to tow trailers
of a maximum weight of 2,000 lb (907 kg) .
Class II hitch
Class II trailer hitch equipment (receiver, ball
mount and hitch ball) can be used to tow trailers
of a maximum weight of 3,500 lb (1,588 kg).
Class III hitch
Class III trailer hitch equipment (receiver, ball
mount and hitch ball) can be used to tow trailers
of a maximum weight of 5,000 lb (2,267 kg).
Class IV hitch
Class IV trailer hitch equipment (receiver, ball
mount and hitch ball) can be used to tow trailers
of a maximum weight of 10,000 lb (4,545 kg) . A
weight distributing hitch should be used to tow
trailers that weigh over 5,000 lb (2,267 kg) .
Your vehicle may be equipped with Class IV
trailer hitch equipment that has a 10,000 lb
(4,545 kg) maximum weight rating, but your
vehicle is only capable of towing the maximum
trailer weights shown in the “Towing Load/
Specification” chart earlier in this section.
ment even if the other two wheels
are raised off the ground. Make sure
you inform test facility personnel
that your vehicle is equipped with
4WD before it is placed on a dy-
namometer. Using the wrong test
equipment may result in drivetrain
damage or unexpected vehicle
movement which could result in
serious vehicle damage or personal
injury (4WD models) .
. When a wheel is off the ground due
to an unlevel surface, do not spin
the wheel excessively.
. Accelerating quickly, sharp steering
maneuvers or sudden braking may
cause loss of control.
. If at all possible, avoid sharp turning
maneuvers, particularly at high
speeds. Your vehicle has a higher
center of gravity than a conventional
passenger car. The vehicle is not
designed for cornering at the same
speeds as conventional passenger
cars. Failure to operate this vehicle
correctly could result in loss of
control and/or a rollover accident.
. Always use tires of the same type,
size, brand, construction (bias, bias- belted or radial) , and tread pattern
on all four wheels. Install tire chains
on the rear wheels when driving on
slippery roads and drive carefully.
. Be sure to check the brakes imme-
diately after driving in mud or water.
See “Brake system” (P.5-136) for wet
brakes.
. Avoid parking your vehicle on steep
hills. If you get out of the vehicle
and it rolls forward, backward or
sideways, you could be injured.
. Whenever you drive off-road
through sand, mud or water as deep
as the wheel hub, more frequent
maintenance may be required. See
the maintenance schedule shown in
the "9. Maintenance and schedules"
section.
. Spinning the rear wheels on slip-
pery surfaces may cause the 4WD
warning light to flash. The 4WD
system may also automatically
switch from the 4WD mode to the
2WD mode. This could reduce trac-
tion. Be especially careful when
towing a trailer (4WD models) .
1. Make sure that the Intelligent Key is on you.
2. Depress the brake pedal.
3. Push the ignition switch once to the ONposition.
For additional information about the remote
engine start function, see “Remote engine start”
(P.3-19) .ENGINE PROTECTION MODE
The engine has an engine protection mode to
reduce the chance of damage if the coolant
temperature becomes too high (for example,
when climbing steep grades in high temperature
with heavy loads, such as when towing a trailer) .
When the engine temperature reaches a certain
level:
. The engine coolant temperature gauge will
move toward the H position.
. Engine power may be reduced.
. The air conditioning cooling function may be
automatically turned OFF for a short time
(the blower will continue to operate) .
Engine power and, under some conditions,
vehicle speed will decrease. Vehicle speed can
be controlled with the accelerator pedal, but the
vehicle may not accelerate at the desired speed.
The transmission will downshift or upshift as it
reaches prescribed shift points. You can also
shift manually.
As driving conditions change and engine cool-
ant temperature is reduced, vehicle speed can
be increased using the accelerator pedal, and
air conditioning cooling function will automati-
cally be turned back ON. If:
1. The engine coolant temperature is not
reduced.
2. The air conditioning cooling function does not turn back ON.
3. The engine oil pressure warning light
.Do not use the BSI system under the
following conditions because the
system may not function properly.
— During bad weather. (For exam-
ple: rain, fog, snow, etc.)
— When driving on slippery roads, such as on ice or snow, etc.
— When driving on winding or uneven roads.
— When there is a lane closure due to road repairs.
— When driving in a makeshift or temporary lane.
— When driving on roads where the lane width is too narrow.
— When driving with a tire that is not within normal tire conditions
(for example, tire wear, low tire
pressure, installation of spare
tire, tire chains, non-standard
wheels) .
— When the vehicle is equipped with non-original brake parts or
suspension parts.
— When towing a trailer or other vehicle. .
Excessive noise (for example, audio
system volume, open vehicle win-
dow) will interfere with the chime
sound, and it may not be heard.
BSI DRIVING SITUATIONS
Indicator on
.The following conditions may re-
duce the ability of the radar sensors
to detect other vehicles:
— Severe weather
— Road spray
— Ice/frost/dirt build up on the
vehicle
. Do not attach stickers (including
transparent material) , install acces-
sories or apply additional paint near
the radar sensors. These conditions
may reduce the ability of the radar
sensors to detect other vehicles.
. The sonar sensors detect stationary
objects behind the vehicle. The
sonar sensor may not detect:
— Small or moving objects
— Wedge-shaped objects
— Object close to the bumper (less
than approximately 1 ft (30 cm))
— Thin objects such as rope, wire and chain, etc.
. The brake engagement by the BCI
system is not as effective on a slope
as it is on flat ground. When on a
steep slope the system may not function properly.
. Do not use the BCI system under the
following conditions because the
system may not function properly.
— When driving with a tire that is
not within normal tire conditions
(for example, tire wear, low tire
pressure, installation of spare
tire, tire chains, non-standard
wheels) .
— When the vehicle is equipped with non-original brake parts or
suspension parts.
— When towing a trailer or other vehicle.
. Excessive noise (for example, audio
system volume, open vehicle win-
dow) will interfere with the chime
sound, and it may not be heard.
.As there is a performance limit to
the distance control function, never
rely solely on the ICC system. This
system does not correct careless,
inattentive or absent-minded driv-
ing, or overcome poor visibility in
rain, fog, or other bad weather.
Decelerate the vehicle speed by
depressing the brake pedal, de-
pending on the distance to the
vehicle ahead and the surrounding
circumstances in order to maintain a
safe distance between vehicles.
. If the vehicle ahead comes to a stop,
the vehicle decelerates to a stand-
still within the limitations of the
system. The system will cancel once
it judges that the vehicle has come
to a standstill and sound a warning
chime. To prevent the vehicle from
moving, the driver must depress the
brake pedal.
. Always pay attention to the opera-
tion of the vehicle and be ready to
manually control the proper follow-
ing distance. The vehicle-to-vehicle
distance control mode of the ICC
system may not be able to maintain
the selected distance between ve- hicles (following distance) or se-
lected vehicle speed under some
circumstances.
. The system may not detect the
vehicle in front of you in certain
road or weather conditions. To avoid
accidents, never use the ICC system
under the following conditions:
— On roads where the traffic is heavy or there are sharp curves
— On slippery road surfaces such as on ice or snow, etc.
— During bad weather (rain, fog, snow, etc.)
— When rain, snow or dirt adhere to the system sensor
— On steep downhill roads (the vehicle may go beyond the set
vehicle speed and frequent
braking may result in overheat-
ing the brakes)
— On repeated uphill and downhill roads
— When traffic conditions make it difficult to keep a proper dis-
tance between vehicles because
of frequent acceleration or de- celeration
. Do not use the ICC system if you are
towing a trailer. The system may not
detect a vehicle ahead.
. In some road or traffic conditions, a
vehicle or object can unexpectedly
come into the sensor detection
zone and cause automatic braking.
You may need to control the dis-
tance from other vehicles using the
accelerator pedal. Always stay alert
and avoid using the ICC system
when it is not recommended in this
section.
The radar sensor will not detect the following
objects:
. Stationary and slow moving vehicles
. Pedestrians or objects in the roadway
. Oncoming vehicles in the same lane
. Motorcycles traveling offset in the travel lane
The sensor generally detects the signals re-
turned from the vehicle ahead. Therefore, if the
sensor cannot detect the reflection from the
vehicle ahead, the ICC system may not maintain
the selected distance.
Starting and driving5-81
safe distance between vehicles.
. The system may not detect the
vehicle in front of you in certain
road or weather conditions. To avoid
accidents, never use the DCA sys-
tem under the following conditions:
— On roads with sharp curves
— On slippery road surfaces such
as on ice or snow, etc.
— On off-road surfaces such as on sand or rock, etc.
— During bad weather (rain, fog, snow, etc.)
— When rain, snow or dirt adhere to the system sensor
— On steep downhill roads (fre- quent braking may result in
overheating the brakes)
— On repeated uphill and downhill roads
— When towing a trailer or other vehicle
. In some road or traffic conditions, a
vehicle or object can unexpectedly
come into the sensor detection
zone and cause automatic braking. You may need to control the dis-
tance from other vehicles using the
accelerator pedal. Always stay alert
and avoid using the DCA system
when it is not recommended in this
section.
The radar sensor will not detect the following
objects:
. Stationary and slow moving vehicles
. Pedestrians or objects in the roadway
. Oncoming vehicles in the same lane
. Motorcycles traveling offset in the travel lane
The following are some conditions in which the
sensor cannot detect the signals:
. When the snow or road spray from traveling
vehicles reduces the sensor’s visibility
. When excessively heavy baggage is loaded
in the rear seat or the luggage room of your
vehicle
Starting and driving5-99
WARNING
.It is extremely dangerous to
ride in a cargo area inside the
vehicle. In a collision, people
riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or
killed.
.Do not allow people to ride in
any area of vehicle that is not
equipped with seats and seat
belts.
.Be sure everyone in your ve-
hicle is in a seat and using a
seat belt properly.
TERMS
It is important to familiarize yourself with
the following terms before loading your
vehicle:
. Curb Weight (actual weight of your
vehicle) - vehicle weight including:
standard and optional equipment,
fluids, emergency tools, and spare tire assembly. This weight
does not
include passengers and cargo.
. GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) - curb
weight plus the combined weight of
passengers and cargo.
. GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rat-
ing) - maximum total combined
weight of the unloaded vehicle, pas-
sengers, luggage, hitch, trailer tongue
load and any other optional equip-
ment. This information is located on
the F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S. label.
. GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) -
maximum weight (load) limit specified
for the front or rear axle. This informa-
tion is located on the F.M.V.S.S./C.M.
V.S.S. label.
. GCWR (Gross Combined Weight
Rating) - The maximum total weight
rating of the vehicle, passengers,
cargo, and trailer.
. Vehicle Capacity Weight, Load limit,
Total load capacity - maximum total
weight limit specified of the load
(passengers and cargo) for the vehi- cle. This is the maximum combined
weight of occupants and cargo that
can be loaded into the vehicle. If the
vehicle is used to tow a trailer, the
trailer tongue weight must be in-
cluded as part of the cargo load. This
information is located on the Tire and
Loading Information label.
. Cargo capacity - permissible weight
of cargo, the weight of total occu-
pants weight subtracted from the
load limit.
Technical and consumer information10-13
VEHICLE LOADING INFORMATION