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Dri
ving y
o
ur v
ehicle
5
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, use the second
gear. Accelerate slowly to avoid
unnecessary wheel spinning.
• Put sand, rock salt, tire chains or
other non-slip materials under the
wheels to provide additional trac-
tion while being stuck in ice, snow,
or mud.
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 for-
ward gear.
Try to avoid spinning the wheels, and
do not race the engine.
To prevent transmission wear, wait
until the wheels stop spinning before
shifting gears. Release the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal while
the transmission is in gear. Slowly
spinning the wheels in forward and
reverse directions causes a rocking
motion that may free the vehicle.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
Downshifting with an a auto-
matic transmission while driv-
ing on slippery surfaces can
cause an accident. The sudden
change in tire speed could
cause the tires to skid. Be care-
ful when downshifting on slip-
pery surfaces.
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 vehi-
cle, the vehicle can overheat
quickly, possibly causing an
engine compartment fire or
other damage. Try to avoid spin-
ning the wheels as much as
possible to prevent overheating
of either the tires or the engine.
DO NOT allow the vehicle to
spin the wheels above 56 km/h
(35 mph).
WARNING