Page 344 of 636

Driving your vehicle
6-56
For safe 4WD operation
Before driving
•	Make sure all passengers are wearing 
seat belts.
•	 Sit upright and closer to the steering 
wheel than usual. Adjust the steering 
wheel to a position comfortable for 
you to drive.
Driving on snow-covered or icy roads
•	 Start off slowly by applying the 
accelerator pedal gently.
•	 Use snow tires or tire chains.
•	 Keep sufficient distance between your 
vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.
•	 Apply engine braking during 
deceleration by using the paddle 
shifter (manual shift mode) and 
manually selecting a lower gear.
•	 Avoid speeding, rapid acceleration, 
sudden brake applications, and sharp 
turns to prevent skids.
 Information
When using Snow Tires, mount them on 
all four wheels.
If a full set of chains is not available for 
an 4WD vehicle when using tire chains, 
chains may be installed on the front wheels 
only.
For more details on Snow Tires and Tire 
Chains, refer to "Winter Driving" section 
later in this chapter.
 CAUTION
Mud or snow
If one of the front or rear wheels 
begins to spin in mud, snow, etc. the 
vehicle can sometimes be driven out by 
engaging the accelerator pedal further; 
however avoid running the engine 
continuously at high rpm because doing 
so could damage the AWD system.
Driving in sand or mud
•	Maintain slow and constant speed. 
Operate the accelerator pedal slowly 
to ensure safe driving (wheel-slip 
prevention).
•	 Keep sufficient distance between your 
vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.
•	 Reduce vehicle speed and always 
check the road condition.
•	 Avoid speeding, rapid acceleration, 
sudden brake applications, and sharp 
turns to prevent getting stuck.
•	 When the vehicle is stuck in snow, 
sand or mud, the tires may not 
operate.
•	 This is to protect the transmission and 
not a malfunction.
NOTICE
Moving the vehicle forcibly to get out 
of mud or sand can cause damage/
overheat of the engine or damage/
breakdown of the transmission, 
differential or 4WD system as well as 
damage to tires. If excessive wheel slip 
occurs after entering a sandy/muddy 
road, the vehicle may fall into the sand/
mud. When it happens, put a stone or 
a tree branch under the tire, and then 
try to pull out the vehicle, or try to get it 
unstuck by repeatedly moving forwards 
and backwards.    
     
        
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06
6-75
The severe weather conditions of winter quickly wear out tires and cause other 
problems. To minimize winter driving problems, you should take the following 
suggestions:
Snow or icy conditions
You need to keep sufficient distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of 
you.
Apply the brakes gently. Speeding, rapid acceleration, sudden brake applications, and 
sharp turns are potentially very hazardous practices. During deceleration, use engine 
braking to the fullest extent. Sudden brake applications on snowy or icy roads may 
cause the vehicle to skid.
To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it may be necessary to use snow tires or to install 
tire chains on your tires.
Always carry emergency equipment. Some of the items you may want to carry include 
tire chains, tow straps or chains, a flashlight, emergency flares, sand, a shovel, jumper 
cables, a window scraper, gloves, ground cloth, coveralls, a blanket, etc.
Snow tires
 WARNING
Snow tires should be equivalent in size and type to the vehicle’s standard tires. 
Otherwise, the safety and handling of your vehicle may be adversely affected.
We recommend that you use snow tires when road temperature is below 45°F (7°C). 
Refer to the below chart, and mount the recommended snow tire for your vehicle.
If you mount snow tires on your vehicle, make sure to use the same Inflation pressure 
as the original tires. Mount snow tires on all four wheels to balance your vehicle’s 
handling in all weather conditions. The traction provided by snow tires on dry roads 
may not be as high as your vehicle’s original equipment tires. Check with the tire dealer 
for maximum speed recommendations.
WINTER DRIVING   
     
        
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08
8-11
Low tire pressure 
warning light
Low tire pressure position and 
tire pressure telltale
OTM080028L
When the tire pressure monitoring 
system warning indicators are 
illuminated and a warning message 
displayed on the cluster LCD display, 
one or more of your tires is significantly 
under-inflated. The Low Tire Pressure 
Position Telltale will indicate which 
tire is significantly underinflated by 
illuminating the corresponding position 
light.
If either telltale illuminates, immediately 
reduce your speed, avoid hard cornering 
and anticipate increased stopping 
distances. You should stop and check 
your tires as soon as possible. Inflate the 
tires to the proper pressure as indicated 
on the vehicle’s placard or tire inflation 
pressure label located on the driver’s 
side center pillar outer panel. If you cannot reach a service station or 
if the tire cannot hold the newly added 
air, replace the low pressure tire with the 
spare tire.
The Low Tire Pressure Telltale will remain 
on and the TPMS Malfunction Indicator 
may blink for one minute and then 
remain illuminated (when the vehicle 
is driven approximately 10 minutes at 
speed above 15.5 mph (25 km/h)) until 
you have the low pressure tire repaired 
and replaced on the vehicle.
 CAUTION
In winter or cold weather, the Low Tire 
Pressure Telltale may be illuminated if 
the tire pressure was adjusted to the 
recommended tire inflation pressure 
in warm weather. It does not mean 
your TPMS is malfunctioning because 
the decreased temperature leads to a 
proportional lowering of tire pressure.
When you drive your vehicle from a 
warm area to a cold area or from a cold 
area to a warm area, or the outside 
temperature is greatly higher or lower, 
you should check the tire inflation 
pressure and adjust the tires to the 
recommended tire inflation pressure.
 WARNING
Low pressure damage
Significantly low tire pressure makes 
the vehicle unstable and can contribute 
to loss of vehicle control and increased 
braking distances.
Continued driving on low pressure tires 
can cause the tires to overheat and fail.