06
6-45
WARNING
Do not drive across the contour of steep
hills. A slight change in the wheel angle
can destabilize the vehicle, or a stable
vehicle may lose stability if the vehicle
stops its forward motion. Your vehicle
may roll over and lead to a serious injury
or death.
Additional driving conditions
[ Become familiar with the off-road
conditions before driving.
[ Always pay attention when driving off-
road and avoid dangerous areas.
[ Drive slowly when driving in heavy
wind.
[ Reduce vehicle speed when
cornering. The center of gravity
of AWD vehicles is higher than
conventional 2WD vehicles, making
them more likely to roll over when you
rapidly turn corners.
[ Always hold the steering wheel firmly
when you are driving off-road.
WARNING
Do not grab the inside of the steering
wheel when you are driving off-road.
You may hurt your arm by a sudden
steering maneuver or from steering
wheel rebound due to an impact with
objects on the ground. You could lose
control of the steering wheel which may
lead to serious injury or death.
Emergency Precautions
Tires
When replacing tires, be sure to equip
all four tires with the same size, type,
tread patterns, brand and load-carrying
capacity.
WARNING
Do not use tire and wheel with different
size and type from the one originally
installed on your vehicle. It can affect
the safety and performance of your
vehicle, which could lead to steering
failure or rollover causing serious injury.
Driving Your Vehicle
6-46
WARNING
ONE1061023K
Never start or run the vehicle while
an AWD vehicle is raised on a jack.
The vehicle can slip or roll off of a jack
causing serious injury or death to you or
those nearby.
Towing
AWD vehicles must be towed with
a wheel lift and dollies or flatbed
equipment with all the wheels off the
ground. For more details, refer to
"Towing" section in chapter 8.
Vehicle inspection
[ If the vehicle needs to be operated on
a vehicle lift do not attempt to stop
any of the four wheels from turning.
This could damage the AWD system.
[ Never engage the parking brake while
running the vehicle on a car lift. This
may damage the AWD system.
Dynamometer testing
An AWD vehicle must be tested on a
special four wheel chassis dynamometer.
ONE1061024JP[A] : Roll tester (Speedometer),
[B] : Temporary free roller
An AWD vehicle should not be tested
on a 2WD roll tester. If a 2WD roll tester
must be used, perform the following
procedure:
1. Check the tire pressures
recommended for your vehicle.
2. Place the rear wheels on the roll tester
for a speedometer test as shown in
the illustration.
3. Release the parking brake.
4. Place the front wheels on the
temporary free roller as shown in the
illustration.
WARNING
Keep away from the front of the vehicle
while the vehicle is in gear on the
dynamometer. The vehicle can jump
forward and cause serious injury or
death.
06
6-53
Rocking the Vehicle
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle to
free it from snow, sand, or mud, first turn
the steering wheel right and left to clear
the area around your front wheels. Then,
shift back and forth between R (Reverse)
and a forward gear.
Try to avoid spinning the wheels, and do
not race the vehicle.
To prevent reduction gear wear, wait
until the wheels stop spinning before
shifting gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press lightly on
the accelerator pedal while the reduction
gear is in gear. Slowly spinning the
wheels in forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that may free
the vehicle.
WARNING
If the vehicle is stuck and excessive
wheel spin occurs, the temperature
in the tires can increase very quickly.
If the tires become damaged, a tire
blow out or tire explosion can occur.
This condition is dangerous - you and
others may be injured. Do not attempt
this procedure if people or objects are
anywhere near the vehicle.
If you attempt to free the vehicle, the
vehicle can overheat quickly, possibly
causing an motor compartment fire or
other damage. Try to avoid spinning the
wheels as much as possible to prevent
overheating of either the tires or the
motor. DO NOT allow the vehicle to spin
the wheels above 35 mph (56 km/h).
Hazardous Driving Conditions
When hazardous driving elements
are encountered such as water, snow,
ice, mud and sand, take the following
precautions:
[ Drive cautiously and maintain a longer
braking distance.
[ Avoid abrupt braking or steering.
[ When your vehicle is stuck in snow,
mud, or sand, accelerate slowly to
avoid unnecessary wheel spin.
[ Put sand, rock salt, tire chains or other
non-slip materials under the wheels to
provide additional traction while the
vehicle becomes stuck in ice, snow,
or mud.
WARNING
Changing the tire speed suddenly could
cause the tires to skid while driving
on slippery surface. Be careful when
driving on slippery surfaces.
6 3 ( &