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.
