TOWING A TRAILER
WARNINGS
Towing trailers beyond themaximum recommended grosstrailer weight exceeds the limit of yourvehicle and could result in enginedamage, transmission damage,structural damage, loss of vehiclecontrol, vehicle rollover and personalinjury.
Do not exceed the GVWR or theGAWR specified on the certificationlabel.
Note: See Recommended TowingWeights (page 243).
Your vehicle may have electrical items,such as fuses or relays, related totowing. See Fuses (page 268).
Your vehicle's load capacity designationis by weight, not by volume, so youcannot necessarily use all availablespace when loading a vehicle or trailer.
Towing a trailer places an extra load onyour vehicle's engine, transmission, axle,brakes, tires and suspension. Inspectthese components periodically during,and after, any towing operation.
Load Placement
To help minimize how trailer movementaffects your vehicle when driving:
•Load the heaviest items closest tothe trailer floor.
•Load the heaviest items centeredbetween the left and right side trailertires.
•Load the heaviest items above thetrailer axles or just slightly forwardtoward the trailer tongue. Do notallow the final trailer tongue weightto go above or below 10-15% of theloaded trailer weight.
•Select a ball mount with the correctrise or drop and load capacity. Whenboth the loaded vehicle and trailerare connected, the trailer frameshould be level, or slightly angleddown toward your vehicle, whenviewed from the side.
When driving with a trailer or payload, aslight takeoff vibration or shudder maybe present due to the increased payloadweight. Additional information regardingproper trailer loading and setting yourvehicle up for towing is located inanother chapter of this manual. SeeLoad Limit (page 237).
You can also find information in the RV& Trailer Towing Guide available at yourauthorized dealer, or online.
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Towing
Trailer lamps are required on most towedvehicles. Make sure all running lights, brakelights, turn signals and hazard lights areworking.
Before Towing a Trailer
Practice turning, stopping and backing up toget the feel of your vehicle-trailercombination before starting on a trip. Whenturning, make wider turns so the trailerwheels clear curbs and other obstacles.
When Towing a Trailer
•Do not drive faster than 70 mph(113 km/h) during the first 500 mi(800 km).
•Do not make full-throttle starts.
•Check your hitch, electrical connectionsand trailer wheel lug nuts thoroughly afteryou have traveled 50 mi (80 km).
•When stopped in congested or heavytraffic during hot weather, place thetransmission in park (P) to aid engine andtransmission cooling and to help A/Cperformance.
•Turn off the speed control with heavyloads or in hilly terrain. The speed controlmay turn off automatically when you aretowing on long, steep grades.
•Shift to a lower gear when driving downa long or steep hill. Do not apply thebrakes continuously, as they mayoverheat and become less effective.
•If your transmission is equipped with aGrade Assist or Tow/Haul feature, usethis feature when towing. This providesengine braking and helps eliminateexcessive transmission shifting foroptimum fuel economy and transmissioncooling.
•Allow more distance for stopping with atrailer attached. Anticipate stops andbrake gradually.
•Avoid parking on a grade. However, ifyou must park on a grade:
1. Turn the steering wheel to point yourvehicle tires away from traffic flow.
2. Set your vehicle parking brake.
3. Place the transmission in park (P).
4. Place wheel chocks in front and back ofthe trailer wheels. Chocks are notincluded with your vehicle.
Launching or Retrieving a Boat orPersonal Watercraft (PWC)
Note:Disconnect the wiring to the trailerbefore backing the trailer into the water.
Note:Reconnect the wiring to the trailerafter removing the trailer from the water.
When backing down a ramp during boatlaunching or retrieval:
•Do not allow the static water level to riseabove the bottom edge of the rearbumper.
•Do not allow waves to break higher than6 in (15 cm) above the bottom edge ofthe rear bumper.
Exceeding these limits may allow water toenter vehicle components:
•Causing internal damage to thecomponents.
•Affecting driveability, emissions, andreliability.
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Towing
BREAKING-IN
You need to break in new tires forapproximately 300 mi (480 km). During thistime, your vehicle may exhibit some unusualdriving characteristics.
Avoid driving too fast during the first 1,000 mi(1,600 km). Vary your speed frequently andchange up through the gears early. Do notlabor the engine.
Do not tow during the first 1,000 mi(1,600 km).
ECONOMICAL DRIVING
Your fuel economy is affected by severalthings, such as how you drive, the conditionsyou drive under, and how you maintain yourvehicle.
You may improve your fuel economy bykeeping these things in mind:
•Accelerate and slow down in a smooth,moderate fashion.
•Drive at steady speeds without stopping.
•Anticipate stops; slowing down mayeliminate the need to stop.
•Combine errands and minimizestop-and-go driving.
•Close the windows for high-speeddriving.
•Drive at reasonable speeds (traveling at55 mph [88 km/h] uses 15% less fuel thantraveling at 65 mph [105 km/h]).
•Keep the tires properly inflated and useonly the recommended size.
•Use the recommended engine oil.
•Perform all regularly scheduledmaintenance.
Avoid these actions; they reduce your fueleconomy:
•Sudden accelerations or hardaccelerations.
•Revving the engine before turning it off.
•Idle for periods longer than one minute.
•Warm up your vehicle on cold mornings.
•Use the air conditioner or front defroster.
•Use the speed control in hilly terrain.
•Rest your foot on the brake pedal whiledriving.
•Drive a heavily loaded vehicle or tow atrailer.
•Carry unnecessary weight (approximately1 mpg [0.4 km/L] is lost for every 400 lb[180 kilogram] of weight carried).
•Driving with the wheels out of alignment.
Conditions
•Heavily loading a vehicle or towing atrailer may reduce fuel economy at anyspeed.
•Adding certain accessories to yourvehicle (for example bug deflectors,rollbars, light bars, running boards, skiracks or luggage racks) may reduce fueleconomy.
•To maximize the fuel economy, drive withthe tonneau cover installed (if equipped).
•Using fuel blended with alcohol maylower fuel economy.
•Fuel economy may decrease with lowertemperatures during the first 5–10 mi(12–16 km) of driving.
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Driving Hints
•Driving on flat terrain offers improved fueleconomy as compared to driving on hillyterrain.
•Transmissions give their best fueleconomy when operated in the top cruisegear and with steady pressure on the gaspedal.
•Four-wheel-drive operation (if equipped)is less fuel efficient than two-wheel-driveoperation.
•Close the windows for high-speeddriving.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
WARNING
Do not drive through flowing or deepwater as you may lose control of yourvehicle.
Note:Driving through standing water cancause vehicle damage.
Note:Engine damage can occur if waterenters the air filter.
Before driving through standing water, checkthe depth. Never drive through water that ishigher than the bottom of the front rockerarea of your vehicle.
When driving through standing water, drivevery slowly and do not stop your vehicle. Your brake performance and traction maybe limited. After driving through water andas soon as it is safe to do so:
•Lightly press the brake pedal to dry thebrakes and to check that they work.
•Check that the horn works.
•Check that the exterior lights work.
•Turn the steering wheel to check that thesteering power assist works.
FLOOR MATS
WARNINGS
Use a floor mat designed to fit thefootwell of your vehicle that does notobstruct the pedal area. Failure to follow thisinstruction could result in the loss of controlof your vehicle, personal injury or death.
Pedals that cannot move freely cancause loss of vehicle control andincrease the risk of serious personal injury.
Secure the floor mat to both retentiondevices so that it cannot slip out ofposition and interfere with the pedals. Failureto follow this instruction could result in theloss of control of your vehicle, personal injuryor death.
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Driving HintsE259345
Note:When you try to restart your vehicleafter a fuel shutoff, the vehicle makes surethat various systems are safe to restart.Once the vehicle determines the systemsare safe, then the vehicle allows you torestart.
Note:In the event that your vehicle does notrestart after your third attempt, contact aqualified technician.
The fuel pump shutoff stops the flow of fuelto the engine in the event of a moderate tosevere crash. Not every impact causes ashutoff.
Should your vehicle shut off after a crash,you may restart your vehicle.
If your vehicle has a key system:
1. Switch off the ignition.
2. Switch to start position.
3. Switch off the ignition.
4. Switch on the ignition to re-enable thefuel pump.
5.If the vehicle does not start, repeat steps1 through 4.
If your vehicle has a push button startsystem:
1. Press START/STOP to switch off yourvehicle.
2.Press the brake pedal and START/STOPto switch on your vehicle.
3. Remove your foot from the brake pedaland press START/STOP to switch offyour vehicle.
4. You can attempt to start the vehicle bypressing the brake pedal andSTART/STOP, or press START/STOPwithout pressing the brake pedal.
5.If the vehicle does not start, repeat steps1 through 4.
JUMP STARTING THE VEHICLE
WARNINGS
Keep batteries out of reach of children.Batteries contain sulfuric acid. Avoidcontact with skin, eyes or clothing. Shieldyour eyes when working near the battery toprotect against possible splashing of acidsolution. In case of acid contact with skin oreyes, flush immediately with water for aminimum of 15 minutes and get promptmedical attention. If acid is swallowed, call aphysician immediately.
Batteries normally produce explosivegases which can cause personal injury.Therefore, do not allow flames, sparks orlighted substances to come near the battery.When working near the battery, always shieldyour face and protect your eyes. Alwaysprovide correct ventilation.
Use only the specified jacking points.If you use other positions, you maydamage the body, steering, suspension,engine, braking system or the fuel lines.
Use only adequately sized cables withinsulated clamps.
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Roadside Emergencies
How Fail-Safe Cooling Works
If the engine begins to overheat, the enginecoolant temperature gauge will move to thered (hot) area and:
A high engine temperaturemessage will appear in theinformation display.
The service engine soon indicatorwill light.
If the engine reaches a presetover-temperature condition, the engine willautomatically switch to alternating cylinderoperation. Each disabled cylinder acts as anair pump and cools the engine.
When this occurs the vehicle will still operate.However:
•The engine power will be limited.
•The air conditioning system will bedisabled.
Continued operation will increase the enginetemperature and the engine will completelyshut down, causing steering and brakingeffort to increase.
Once the engine temperature cools, theengine can be re-started. Take your vehicleto an authorized dealer as soon as possibleto minimize engine damage.
When Fail-Safe Mode Is Activated
WARNINGS
Fail-safe mode is for use duringemergencies only. Operate yourvehicle in fail-safe mode only as long asnecessary to bring your vehicle to rest in asafe location and seek immediate repairs.When in fail-safe mode, the vehicle will havelimited power, will not be able to maintainhigh-speed operation, and may completelyshut down without warning, potentially losingengine power, power steering assist, andpower brake assist, which may increase thepossibility of a crash resulting in seriousinjury.
Never remove the coolant reservoircap while the engine is running or hot.
You have limited engine power when in thefail-safe mode, so drive your vehicle withcaution. Your vehicle will not be able tomaintain high-speed operation and theengine will run rough. Remember that theengine is capable of completely shuttingdown automatically to prevent enginedamage, therefore:
1. Pull off the road as soon as safelypossible and switch the engine off.
2. Arrange for your vehicle to be taken toan authorized dealer.
3.If this is not possible, wait a short periodfor the engine to cool.
4. Check the coolant level and replenish iflow.
5.Re-start the engine and take your vehicleto an authorized dealer.
Note:Driving your vehicle without repairingthe engine problem increases the chance ofengine damage. Take your vehicle to anauthorized dealer as soon as possible.
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Maintenance
•Brake and rear lamps.
•Rear direction indicators.
•Reversing lamps.
•Central high mounted brake lamp.
License Plate Lamp
1. Use a suitable tool, for example ascrewdriver, to carefully remove thelamp.
2. Remove the lamp.
3. Turn the bulb holder counterclockwiseand remove it.
4.Remove the bulb by pulling it straight out.
BULB SPECIFICATION CHART
The specified replacement bulbs are in thechart below. Headlamp bulbs must bemarked with an authorized D.O.T.(Department of Transportation) for NorthAmerica to affirm lamp performance, lightbrightness and pattern and safe visibility. Thecorrect bulbs will not damage the lampassembly or void the lamp assembly warrantyand will provide quality bulb burn time.
Trade numberFunction
D3S* Headlamp (high intensity discharge) Low/High
LED* Sidemarker - front
LED* Park lamp - front
7444NA* Turn lamp - front
LEDSignal indicator mirror lamp
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Maintenance3
2
1
E72789
Trade numberFunction
LEDWelcome light
LEDApproach lamp
LED* Tail/brake lamp
LED* Turn lamp - rear
LED* Backup lamp
W5WLicense plate lamp
LED* High-mount brake lamp
LED* Interior lamps
* To replace these lamps, see your authorized dealer.
To replace instrument panel lights, see your authorized dealer.
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Maintenance