Trailer Sway Control
The trailer sway control can be a mechanical
telescoping link that can be installed be-
tween the hitch receiver and the trailer
tongue that typically provides adjustable fric-
tion associated with the telescoping motion
to dampen any unwanted trailer swaying mo-
tions while traveling.
If equipped, the electronic Trailer Sway Con-
trol (TSC) recognizes a swaying trailer and
automatically applies individual wheel
brakes and/or reduces engine power to at-
tempt to eliminate the trailer sway.
Weight-Carrying Hitch
A weight-carrying hitch supports the trailer
tongue weight, just as if it were luggage
located at a hitch ball or some other connect-
ing point of the vehicle. These kinds of
hitches are the most popular on the market
today and they are commonly used to tow
small and medium sized trailers.
Weight-Distributing Hitch
A weight-distributing system works by apply-
ing leverage through spring (load) bars. They
are typically used for heavier loads to distrib-
ute trailer tongue weight to the tow vehicle's
front axle and the trailer axle(s). When used
in accordance with the manufacturer's direc-
tions, it provides for a more level ride, offer-
ing more consistent steering and brake con-
trol thereby enhancing towing safety. The
addition of a friction/hydraulic sway control
also dampens sway caused by traffic and
crosswinds and contributes positively to tow
vehicle and trailer stability. Trailer sway con-
trol and a weight distributing (load equaliz-
ing) hitch are recommended for heavier
Tongue Weights (TW) and may be required
depending on vehicle and trailer
configuration/loading to comply with Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) requirements.WARNING!
• An improperly adjusted Weight Distrib-
uting Hitch system may reduce han-
dling, stability, braking performance,
and could result in a collision.
• Weight Distributing Systems may not be
compatible with Surge Brake Couplers.
Consult with your hitch and trailer
manufacturer or a reputable Recre-
ational Vehicle dealer for additional in-
formation.
STARTING AND OPERATING
188
tire of identical size and service description
(Load Index and Speed Symbol). Replace the
tire pressure sensor as well as it is not de-
signed to be reused.
Run Flat Tires — If Equipped
Run Flat tires allow you the capability to drive
50 miles (80 km) at 50 mph (80 km/h) after
a rapid loss of inflation pressure. This rapid
loss of inflation is referred to as the Run Flat
mode. A Run Flat mode occurs when the tire
inflation pressure is of/or below 14 psi
(96 kPa). Once a Run Flat tire reaches the
run flat mode it has limited driving capabili-
ties and needs to be replaced immediately. A
Run Flat tire is not repairable. When a run flat
tire is changed after driving with underin-
flated tire condition, please replace the TPM
sensor as it is not designed to be reused when
driven under run flat mode (14 psi (96 kPa))
condition.
NOTE:
TPM Sensor must be replaced after driving
the vehicle on a flat tire condition.It is not recommended driving a vehicle
loaded at full capacity or to tow a trailer while
a tire is in the run flat mode.
See the tire pressure monitoring section for
more information.Tire Spinning
When stuck in mud, sand, snow, or ice con-
ditions, do not spin your vehicle's wheels
above 30 mph (48 km/h) or for longer than
30 seconds continuously without stopping.
Refer to “Freeing A Stuck Vehicle” in “In
Case Of Emergency” for further information.
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous.
Forces generated by excessive wheel
speeds may cause tire damage or failure. A
tire could explode and injure someone. Do
not spin your vehicle's wheels faster than
30 mph (48 km/h) for more than 30 sec-
onds continuously when you are stuck, and
do not let anyone near a spinning wheel,
no matter what the speed.
Tread Wear Indicators
Tread wear indicators are in the original
equipment tires to help you in determining
when your tires should be replaced.
These indicators are molded into the bottom
of the tread grooves. They will appear as
bands when the tread depth becomes a
1/16 of an inch (1.6 mm). When the tread is
worn to the tread wear indicators, the tire
should be replaced.
Refer to “Replacement Tires” in this section
for further information.
Tire Tread
1 — Worn Tire
2 — New Tire
253
Life Of Tire
The service life of a tire is dependent upon
varying factors including, but not limited to:
• Driving style.
• Tire pressure - Improper cold tire inflation
pressures can cause uneven wear patterns
to develop across the tire tread. These ab-
normal wear patterns will reduce tread life,
resulting in the need for earlier tire replace-
ment.
• Distance driven.
• Performance tires, tires with a speed rating
of V or higher, and Summer tires typically
have a reduced tread life. Rotation of these
tires per the vehicle scheduled mainte-
nance is highly recommended.
WARNING!
Tires and the spare tire should be replaced
after six years, regardless of the remaining
tread. Failure to follow this warning can
result in sudden tire failure. You could lose
control and have a collision resulting in
serious injury or death.NOTE:
Wheel Valve Stem must be replaced as well
when installing new tires due to wear and tear
in existing tires.
Keep dismounted tires in a cool, dry place
with as little exposure to light as possible.
Protect tires from contact with oil, grease,
and gasoline.
Replacement Tires
The tires on your new vehicle provide a bal-
ance of many characteristics. They should be
inspected regularly for wear and correct cold
tire inflation pressures. The manufacturer
strongly recommends that you use tires
equivalent to the originals in size, quality and
performance when replacement is needed.
Refer to the paragraph on “Tread Wear Indi-
cators” in this section. Refer to the Tire and
Loading Information placard or the Vehicle
Certification Label for the size designation of
your tire. The Load Index and Speed Symbol
for your tire will be found on the original
equipment tire sidewall.It is recommended to replace the two front
tires or two rear tires as a pair. Replacing just
one tire can seriously affect your vehicle’s
handling. If you ever replace a wheel, make
sure that the wheel’s specifications match
those of the original wheels.
It is recommended you contact an authorized
tire dealer or original equipment dealer with
any questions you may have on tire specifi-
cations or capability. Failure to use equiva-
lent replacement tires may adversely affect
the safety, handling, and ride of your vehicle.
WARNING!
• Do not use a tire, wheel size, load rating,
or speed rating other than that specified
for your vehicle. Some combinations of
unapproved tires and wheels may
change suspension dimensions and per-
formance characteristics, resulting in
changes to steering, handling, and brak-
ing of your vehicle. This can cause un-
predictable handling and stress to steer-
ing and suspension components. You
could lose control and have a collisionSERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
254
WARNING!
resulting in serious injury or death. Use
only the tire and wheel sizes with load
ratings approved for your vehicle.
• Never use a tire with a smaller load index
or capacity, other than what was origi-
nally equipped on your vehicle. Using a
tire with a smaller load index could re-
sult in tire overloading and failure. You
could lose control and have a collision.
• Failure to equip your vehicle with tires
having adequate speed capability can
result in sudden tire failure and loss of
vehicle control.
CAUTION!
Replacing original tires with tires of a
different size may result in false speedom-
eter and odometer readings.
Tire Types
All Season Tires — If Equipped
All Season tires provide traction for all sea-
sons (Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter).
Traction levels may vary between different all
season tires. All season tires can be identified
by the M+S, M&S, M/S or MS designation on
the tire sidewall. Use all season tires only in
sets of four; failure to do so may adversely
affect the safety and handling of your vehicle.
Summer Or Three Season Tires —
If Equipped
Summer tires provide traction in both wet
and dry conditions, and are not intended to
be driven in snow or on ice. If your vehicle is
equipped with Summer tires, be aware these
tires are not designed for Winter or cold
driving conditions. Install Winter tires on your
vehicle when ambient temperatures are less
than 40°F (5°C) or if roads are covered with
ice or snow. For more information, contact an
authorized dealer.
Summer tires do not contain the all season
designation or mountain/snowflake symbol
on the tire sidewall. Use Summer tires only insets of four; failure to do so may adversely
affect the safety and handling of your vehicle.
WARNING!
Do not use Summer tires in snow/ice con-
ditions. You could lose vehicle control,
resulting in severe injury or death. Driving
too fast for conditions also creates the
possibility of loss of vehicle control.
Snow Tires
Some areas of the country require the use of
snow tires during the Winter. Snow tires can
be identified by a “mountain/snowflake”
symbol on the tire sidewall.
If you need snow tires,
select tires equivalent
in size and type to the
original equipment
tires. Use snow tires
only in sets of four;
failure to do so may
adversely affect the
safety and handling of
your vehicle.
255
Snow tires generally have lower speed ratings
than what was originally equipped with your
vehicle and should not be operated at sus-
tained speeds over 75 mph (120 km/h). For
speeds above 75 mph (120 km/h) refer to
original equipment or an authorized tire
dealer for recommended safe operating
speeds, loading and cold tire inflation pres-
sures.
While studded tires improve performance on
ice, skid and traction capability on wet or dry
surfaces may be poorer than that of non-
studded tires. Some states prohibit studded
tires; therefore, local laws should be checked
before using these tire types.
Spare Tires — If Equipped
NOTE:
For vehicles equipped with Tire Service Kit
instead of a spare tire, please refer to “Tire
Service Kit” in “In Case Of Emergency” in
the Owner’s Manual for further information.
CAUTION!
Because of the reduced ground clearance,
do not take your vehicle through an auto-
matic car wash with a compact or limited
use temporary spare installed. Damage to
the vehicle may result.
Refer to the “Towing Requirements - Tires” in
“Starting And Operating” in the Owner’s
Manual for restrictions when towing with a
spare tire designated for temporary emer-
gency use.
Spare Tire Matching Original Equipped Tire
And Wheel — If Equipped
Your vehicle may be equipped with a spare
tire and wheel equivalent in look and func-
tion to the original equipment tire and wheel
found on the front or rear axle of your vehicle.
This spare tire may be used in the tire rota-
tion for your vehicle. If your vehicle has this
option, refer to an authorized tire dealer for
the recommended tire rotation pattern.
Compact Spare Tire — If Equipped
The compact spare is for temporary emer-
gency use only. You can identify if your ve-
hicle is equipped with a compact spare by
looking at the spare tire description on the
Tire and Loading Information Placard located
on the driver’s side door opening or on the
sidewall of the tire. Compact spare tire de-
scriptions begin with the letter “T” or “S”
preceding the size designation. Example:
T145/80D18 103M.
T,S=Temporary Spare Tire
Since this tire has limited tread life, the
original equipment tire should be repaired (or
replaced) and reinstalled on your vehicle at
the first opportunity.
Do not install a wheel cover or attempt to
mount a conventional tire on the compact
spare wheel, since the wheel is designed
specifically for the compact spare tire. Do not
install more than one compact spare tire and
wheel on the vehicle at any given time.
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
256
WARNING!
Compact and collapsible spares are for
temporary emergency use only. With these
spares, do not drive more than 50 mph
(80 km/h). Temporary use spares have lim-
ited tread life. When the tread is worn to
the tread wear indicators, the temporary
use spare tire needs to be replaced. Be
sure to follow the warnings, which apply to
your spare. Failure to do so could result in
spare tire failure and loss of vehicle con-
trol.
Full Size Spare — If Equipped
The full size spare is for temporary emer-
gency use only. This tire may look like the
originally equipped tire on the front or rear
axle of your vehicle, but it is not. This spare
tire may have limited tread life. When the
tread is worn to the tread wear indicators, the
temporary use full size spare tire needs to be
replaced. Since it is not the same as your
original equipment tire, replace (or repair)
the original equipment tire and reinstall on
the vehicle at the first opportunity.
Limited Use Spare — If Equipped
The limited use spare tire is for temporary
emergency use only. This tire is identified by
a label located on the limited use spare
wheel. This label contains the driving limita-
tions for this spare. This tire may look like the
original equipped tire on the front or rear axle
of your vehicle, but it is not. Installation of
this limited use spare tire affects vehicle
handling. Since it is not the same as your
original equipment tire, replace (or repair)
the original equipment tire and reinstall on
the vehicle at the first opportunity.
WARNING!
Limited use spares are for emergency use
only. Installation of this limited use spare
tire affects vehicle handling. With this tire,
do not drive more than the speed listed on
the limited use spare wheel. Keep inflated
to the cold tire inflation pressures listed on
your Tire and Loading Information Placard
located on the driver’s side B-Pillar or the
rear edge of the driver’s side door. Replace
(or repair) the original equipment tire at
the first opportunity and reinstall it on your
WARNING!
vehicle. Failure to do so could result in loss
of vehicle control.
Tire Chains (Traction Devices)
Use of traction devices require sufficient tire-
to-body clearance. Follow these recommen-
dations to guard against damage:
• Traction device must be of proper size for
the tire, as recommended by the traction
device manufacturer.
• Install on front tires only.
• For a 215/65R16 tire, use of a snow trac-
tion device with a maximum projection of
7 mm beyond the tire profile is recom-
mended.
• No other tire sizes are recommended for
use with a tire chain or traction device.
NOTE:
Any aftermarket tire add on like tire chains
may effect the Tire Pressure Monitoring Sys-
tem (TPMS) feature performance.
257
WARNING!
Using tires of different size and type
(M+S, Snow) between front and rear axles
can cause unpredictable handling. You
could lose control and have a collision.
CAUTION!
To avoid damage to your vehicle or tires,
observe the following precautions:
• Because of restricted traction device
clearance between tires and other sus-
pension components, it is important
that only traction devices in good condi-
tion are used. Broken devices can cause
serious damage. Stop the vehicle imme-
diately if noise occurs that could indi-
cate device breakage. Remove the dam-
aged parts of the device before further
use.
• Install device as tightly as possible and
then retighten after driving about ½ mile
(0.8 km).
• Do not exceed 30 mph (48 km/h).
CAUTION!
• Drive cautiously and avoid severe turns
and large bumps, especially with a
loaded vehicle.
• Do not drive for a prolonged period on
dry pavement.
• Observe the traction device manufactur-
er’s instructions on the method of instal-
lation, operating speed, and conditions
for use. Always use the suggested oper-
ating speed of the device manufacturer’s
if it is less than 30 mph (48 km/h).
• Do not use traction devices on a com-
pact spare tire.
Tire Rotation Recommendations
The tires on the front and rear of your vehicle
operate at different loads and perform differ-
ent steering, handling, and braking func-
tions. For these reasons, they wear at unequal
rates.
These effects can be reduced by timely rota-
tion of tires. The benefits of rotation are espe-
cially worthwhile with aggressive tread designs
such as those on On/Off Road type tires.Rotation will increase tread life, help to main-
tain mud, snow, and wet traction levels, and
contribute to a smooth, quiet ride.
Refer to the “Maintenance Plan” for the
proper maintenance intervals. The reasons
for any rapid or unusual wear should be
corrected prior to rotation being performed.
The suggested Front Wheel Drive (FWD) rota-
tion method is the “forward cross” shown in
the following diagram. This rotation pattern
does not apply to some directional tires that
must not be reversed.
Front Wheel Drive (FWD) Tire Rotation
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
258
The suggested Four Wheel Drive (4WD) Tire
rotation method is the “rearward cross”
shown in the following diagram.
CAUTION!
Proper operation of four-wheel drive ve-
hicles depends on tires of equal size, type
and circumference on each wheel. Any
difference in tire size can cause damage to
the power transfer unit. Tire rotation
schedule should be followed to balance
tire wear.
STORING THE VEHICLE
If the vehicle should remain stationary for
more than a month, observe the following
precautions:
• Park your vehicle in a covered, dry and
possibly airy location the windows open
slightly.
• Check that the Electric Park Brake is not
engaged.
• Disconnect the negative (-) terminal from
the battery post and be sure that the battery
is fully charged. During storage check bat-
tery charge quarterly.
• If you do not disconnect the battery from
the electrical system, check the battery
charge every 30 days.
• Clean and protect the painted parts by
applying protective waxes.
• Clean and protect polished metal parts by
applying protective waxes.
• Apply talcum powder to the front and rear
wiper blades and leave raised from the
glass.• Cover the vehicle with an appropriate cover
taking care not to damage the painted sur-
face by dragging across dirty surfaces. Do
not use plastic sheeting which will not allow
the evaporation of moisture present on the
surface of the vehicle.
• Inflate the tires at a pressure of +7.25 psi
(+0.5 bar) higher than recommended on
the tire placard and check it periodically.
• Do not drain the engine cooling system.
• Whenever you leave the vehicle stationary
for two weeks or more, idle the engine for
approximately five minutes, with the air
conditioning system on and high fan speed.
This will ensure proper lubrication of the
system, thus minimizing the possibility of
damage to the compressor when the vehicle
is put back into operation.
NOTE:
When the vehicle has not been started or
driven for at least 30 days, an Extended Park
Start Procedure is required to start the ve-
hicle.
Refer to “Starting The Engine” in “Starting
And Operating” for further information.
Four Wheel Drive (4WD) Tire Rotation
259