1.Grab the trailer hitch cover at the bottomand pull towards the rear of the vehicleuntil the bottom of the trailer hitch coverunsnaps from the bumper.
2. Grab the trailer hitch cover at the edgeand rotate until the top of the trailer hitchcover unsnaps from the bumper, thenremove the trailer hitch cover.
To install the trailer hitch cover:
1. Line up the snaps on the trailer hitchcover to the holes on the bumper andpush forward until it snaps into place.
Hitches
WARNING: Do not cut, drill, weld ormodify the trailer hitch. Modifying the trailerhitch could reduce the hitch rating.
Do not use a hitch that either clamps ontothe bumper or attaches to the axle.
Distribute the trailer load so 10-15% of thetotal trailer weight is on the tongue.
Integrated Hitch Rating
WARNING: Towing trailers beyondthe maximum recommended gross trailerweight exceeds the limit of your vehicleand could result in engine damage,transmission damage, structural damage,loss of vehicle control, vehicle rollover andpersonal injury.
The standard integrated hitch has two ratingsdepending on mode of operation:
•Weight-carrying mode requires a drawbar and hitch ball. The draw bar supportsall the vertical tongue load of the trailer.
•Weight-distributing mode requires anaftermarket weight-distributing system,which includes draw bar, hitch ball, springbars and snap-up brackets. This systemdistributes the vertical tongue load of thetrailer between the truck and the trailer.
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Maximum Tongue WeightMaximum Trailer WeightMode
600 lb (272 kg)6,000 lb (2,722 kg)Weight carrying
900 lb (408 kg)9,000 lb (4,082 kg)Weight distributing
Note:These are hitch ratings only. Actualvehicle ratings are dependent on engine,transmission and axle combinations.
Weight-distributing Hitch
WARNING: Do not adjust the springbars so that your vehicle's rear bumper ishigher than before attaching the trailer.Doing so will defeat the function of theweight-distributing hitch, which may causeunpredictable handling, and could resultin serious personal injury.
When hooking-up a trailer using aweight-distributing hitch, always use thefollowing procedure:
1. Park the loaded vehicle, without thetrailer, on a level surface.
2. Measure the height to the top of yourvehicle's front wheel opening on thefender. This is H1.
3. Attach the loaded trailer to your vehiclewithout the weight-distributing barsconnected.
4. Measure the height to the top of yourvehicle's front wheel opening on thefender a second time. This is H2.
5. Install and adjust the tension in theweight-distributing bars so that the heightof your vehicle's front wheel opening onthe fender is approximately half the waydown from H2, toward H1.
6. Check that the trailer is level or slightlynose down toward your vehicle. If not,adjust the ball height accordingly andrepeat Steps 2-6.
When the trailer is level or slightly nose downtoward the vehicle:
•Lock the bar tension adjuster in place.
•Check that the trailer tongue securelyattaches and locks onto the hitch.
•Install safety chains, lighting and trailerbrake controls as required by law or thetrailer manufacturer.
Safety Chains
Note:Do not attach safety chains to thebumper. Always connect the safety chainsto the frame or hook retainers of your trailerhitch.
Install trailer safety chains to the trailer hitchas recommended by the manufacturer. Crossthe chains under the trailer tongue and allowenough slack for turning tight corners. Donot allow the chains to drag on the ground.
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If the trailer safety chain hook has a latch,make sure the latch fully closes.
Trailer Brakes (If Equipped)
WARNING: Do not connect a trailer'shydraulic brake system directly to yourvehicle's brake system. Your vehicle maynot have enough braking power and yourchances of having a collision greatlyincrease.
Electric brakes and manual, automatic orsurge-type trailer brakes are safe if you installthem properly and adjust them to themanufacturer's specifications. The trailerbrakes must meet local and federalregulations.
The rating for the tow vehicle's brakingsystem operation is at the gross vehicleweight rating, not the gross combinedweight rating.
Separate functioning brake systems arerequired for safe control of towed vehiclesand trailers weighing more than 1500 lb(680 kg) when loaded.
Integrated Trailer Brake Controller (If
Equipped)
WARNING: Use the integrated trailerbrake controller to properly adjust thetrailer brakes and check all connectionsbefore towing a trailer. Failure to followthis instruction could result in the loss ofcontrol of your vehicle, personal injury ordeath.
When used properly, the trailer brakecontroller assists in smooth and effectivetrailer braking by powering the trailer’selectric or electric-over-hydraulic brakes witha proportional output based on the towingvehicle’s brake pressure.
The controller user interface consists of thefollowing:
A: + and - (Gain adjustment buttons): Pressingthese buttons adjusts the controller's poweroutput to the trailer brakes in 0.5 increments.You can increase the gain setting to 10.0(maximum trailer braking) or decrease it to0 (no trailer braking). The gain settingdisplays in the message center.
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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 when carryingheavy loads or in hilly terrain. The speedcontrol may turn off automatically whenyou are towing 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 has a Grade Assistor Tow/Haul feature, use this featurewhen towing. This provides enginebraking and helps eliminate excessivetransmission shifting for optimum fueleconomy and transmission cooling.
•If your vehicle has AdvanceTrac withRSC, this system may turn on duringtypical cornering maneuvers with aheavily loaded trailer. This is normal.Turning the corner at a slower speedwhile towing may reduce this tendency.
•If your vehicle has Adaptive suspension,you can select NORMAL or SPORT drivecontrol modes for better experiencewhen towing a trailer. See InformationDisplays (page 119).
•If you are towing a trailer frequently inhot weather, hilly conditions, at the grosscombined weight rating (or anycombination of these factors), considerrefilling your rear axle with synthetic gearlubricant (if the axle is not already filledwith it). See Capacities andSpecifications (page 422).
•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 the front and backof the trailer wheels.
Note:Chocks are not included with yourvehicle.
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There are also some things you may want toavoid doing because they reduce your fueleconomy:
•Avoid sudden or hard accelerations.
•Avoid revving the engine before turningoff the car.
•Avoid long idle periods.
•Do not warm up your vehicle on coldmornings.
•Reduce the use of air conditioning andheat.
•Avoid using speed control in hilly terrain.
•Do not rest your foot on the brake pedalwhile driving.
•Avoid carrying unnecessary weight.
•Avoid adding particular accessories toyour vehicle (e.g. bug deflectors,rollbars/light bars, running boards, skiracks).
•Avoid driving with the wheels out ofalignment.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
WARNING: Do not drive throughflowing or deep water as you may losecontrol of your vehicle.
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 wheel hubs.
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
WARNING: Use a floor mat designedto fit the footwell of your vehicle that doesnot obstruct the pedal area. Failure tofollow this instruction could result in theloss of control of your vehicle, personalinjury or death.
WARNING: Pedals that cannot movefreely can cause loss of vehicle control andincrease the risk of serious personal injury.
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We recommend towing a rear-wheel drivevehicle with the front wheels on a tow dollywhen towing your vehicle from the rear usingwheel lift equipment. This prevents damageto the front fascia.
TOWING POINTS
WARNING: Using recovery hooks isdangerous and should only be done by aperson familiar with proper vehiclerecovery safety practices. Improper use ofrecovery hooks may cause hook failure orseparation from the vehicle and couldresult in serious injury or death.
WARNING: Always slowly removethe slack from the recovery strap prior topulling. Failure to do so can introducesignificantly higher loads which can causethe recovery hooks to break off, or therecovery strap to fail which can causeserious injury or death.
WARNING: Never link two strapstogether with a clevis pin. These heavymetal objects could become projectiles ifthe strap breaks and can cause seriousinjury or death.
Your vehicle comes equipped withframe-mounted front recovery hooks. Thesehooks should never have a load applied tothem greater than the gross vehicle weightrating of your vehicle.
Before using recovery hooks:
•Make sure all attaching points are secureand capable of withstanding the appliedload.
•Never use chains, cables or tow strapswith metal hook ends.
•Only use recovery straps that have aminimum breaking strength two to threetimes the gross vehicle weight of thestuck vehicle.
•Make sure the recovery strap is in goodcondition and free of visible cuts, tearsor damage.
•Use a damper device such as a tarp,heavy blanket or piece of carpet drapedover the recovery strap to help absorbthe energy in the event the strap breaks.
•Make sure the stuck vehicle is not loadedheavier than its gross vehicle weightrating specified on the certification label.
•Always align the tow vehicle and stuckvehicle in a straight line (within 10degrees).
•Keep bystanders to the sides of thevehicle, at a distance of at least twice thelength of the recovery strap. This helpsavoid injury from the hazard of a recoveryhook or strap breaking, or a vehiclelurching into their path.
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Roadside Emergencies
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparativerating based on the wear rate of the tirewhen tested under controlled conditionson a specified government test course.For example, a tire graded 150 wouldwear one and one-half (1 ½) times as wellon the government course as a tiregraded 100. The relative performanceof tires depends upon the actualconditions of their use, however, andmay depart significantly from the normdue to variations in driving habits,service practices, and differences inroad characteristics and climate.
Traction AA A B C
WARNING: The traction gradeassigned to this tire is based onstraight-ahead braking traction tests,and does not include acceleration,cornering, hydroplaning or peaktraction characteristics.
The traction grades, from highest tolowest are AA, A, B, and C. The gradesrepresent the tire’s ability to stop on wetpavement as measured under controlledconditions on specified government testsurfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tiremarked C may have poor tractionperformance.
Temperature A B C
WARNING: The temperaturegrade for this tire is established for atire that is properly inflated and notoverloaded. Excessive speed,underinflation, or excessive loading,either separately or in combination,can cause heat buildup and possibletire failure.
The temperature grades are A (thehighest), B and C, representing the tire’sresistance to the generation of heat andits ability to dissipate heat when testedunder controlled conditions on aspecified indoor laboratory test wheel.Sustained high temperature can cause
the material of the tire to degenerateand reduce tire life, and excessivetemperature can lead to sudden tirefailure. The grade C corresponds to alevel of performance which allpassenger car tires must meet under theFederal Motor Vehicle Safety StandardNo. 139. Grades B and A representhigher levels of performance on thelaboratory test wheel than the minimumrequired by law.
Glossary of Tire Terminology
*Tire label: A label showing the originalequipment tire sizes, recommendedinflation pressure and the maximumweight the vehicle can carry.
*Tire Identification Number (TIN): A
number on the sidewall of each tireproviding information about the tirebrand and manufacturing plant, tire sizeand date of manufacture. Also referredto as DOT code.
*Inflation pressure: A measure of theamount of air in a tire.
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Wheels and Tires
Information on P Type Tires
P215/65R15 95H is an example of a tiresize, load index and speed rating. Thedefinitions of these items are listedbelow. (Note that the tire size, load indexand speed rating for your vehicle maybe different from this example.)
A. P: Indicates a tire, designated by theTire and Rim Association, that may beused for service on cars, sport utilityvehicles, minivans and light trucks. Note:If your tire size does not begin with aletter this may mean it is designated byeither the European Tire and RimTechnical Organization or the Japan TireManufacturing Association.
B. 215: Indicates the nominal width ofthe tire in millimeters from sidewall edgeto sidewall edge. In general, the largerthe number, the wider the tire.
C. 65: Indicates the aspect ratio whichgives the tire's ratio of height to width.
D. R: Indicates a radial type tire.
E. 15: Indicates the wheel or rim
diameter in inches. If you change yourwheel size, you will have to purchasenew tires to match the new wheeldiameter.
F. 95: Indicates the tire's load index. Itis an index that relates to how muchweight a tire can carry. You may find thisinformation in your owner’s manual. Ifnot, contact a local tire dealer.
Note:You may not find this informationon all tires because it is not required byfederal law.
G. H: Indicates the tire's speed rating.The speed rating denotes the speed atwhich a tire is designed to be driven forextended periods of time under astandard condition of load and inflationpressure. The tires on your vehicle mayoperate at different conditions for loadand inflation pressure. These speedratings may need to be adjusted for thedifference in conditions. The ratings
range from 81 mph (130 km/h) to186 mph (299 km/h). These ratings arelisted in the following chart.
Note:You may not find this informationon all tires because it is not required byfederal law.
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