Hazardous Driving Conditions

When hazardous driving elements are encountered such as water, snow, ice, mud and sand, take the below suggestions:

• Drive cautiously and keep a longer braking distance.
• Avoid abrupt braking or steering.
• When your vehicle is stuck in snow, mud, or sand, use second gear. 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

Downshifting with an intelligent variable transmission while driving on slippery surfaces can cause an accident. The sudden change in tire speed could cause the tires to skid. Be careful when downshifting on slippery surfaces.

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 engine.

To prevent transmission 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 transmission 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 of 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 engine compartment fire or other damage. Try to avoid spinning 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 35 mph (56 km/h).

Information

The ESC system must be turned OFF before rocking the vehicle.

NOTICE

If you are still stuck after rocking the vehicle a few times, have the vehicle pulled out by a tow vehicle to avoid engine overheating, possible damage to the transmission, and tire damage. See "Towing" in chapter 7.

Smooth Cornering

Avoid braking or gear changing in corners, especially when roads are wet. Ideally, corners should always be taken under gentle acceleration.

Driving at Night

Night driving presents more hazards than driving in the daylight. Here are some important tips to remember:

• Slow down and keep more distance between you and other vehicles, as it may be more difficult to see at night, especially in areas where there may not be any street lights.
• Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glare from other driver's headlamps.
• Keep your headlamps clean and properly aimed. Dirty or improperly aimed headlamps will make it much more difficult to see at night.
• Avoid staring directly at the headlamps of oncoming vehicles. You could be temporarily blinded, and it will take several seconds for your eyes to readjust to the darkness.

Driving in the Rain

Rain and wet roads can make driving dangerous. Here are a few things to consider when driving in the rain or on slick pavement:

• Slow down and allow extra following distance. A heavy rainfall makes it harder to see and increases the distance needed to stop your vehicle.
• Turn OFF your Cruise Control.
• Replace your windshield wiper blades when they show signs of streaking or missing areas on the windshield.
• Tires should be properly maintained with at least 2/32nds of an inch of tread depth. If your tires do not have enough tread, making a quick stop on wet pavement can cause a skid and possibly lead to an accident. See "Tire Tread" in chapter 8.
• Turn on your headlamps to make it easier for others to see you.
• Driving too fast through large puddles can affect your brakes. If you must go through puddles, try to drive through them slowly.
• If you believe your brakes may be wet, apply them lightly while driving until normal braking operation returns.

Hydroplaning

If the road is wet enough and you are going fast enough, your vehicle may have little or no contact with the road surface and actually ride on the water. The best advice is SLOW DOWN when the road is wet.

The risk of hydroplaning increases as the depth of tire tread decreases, refer to "Tire Tread" in chapter 8.

Driving in Flooded Areas

Avoid driving through flooded areas unless you are sure the water is no higher than the bottom of the wheel hub. Drive through any water slowly. Allow adequate stopping distance because brake performance may be reduced.

After driving through water, dry the brakes by gently applying them several times while the vehicle is moving slowly.

Highway Driving

Tires

Adjust the tire inflation, as specified. Under-inflation may overheat or damage the tires.

Do not install worn-out or damaged tires, which may reduce traction or adversely affect vehicle handling. This could lead to sudden tire failure that may cause loss of vehicle control resulting in an accident.

Information

Never over-inflate your tires above the maximum inflation pressure, as specified on your tires.

Fuel, engine coolant and engine oil

Driving at higher speeds on the highway consumes more fuel and is less efficient than driving at a slower, more moderate speed. Maintain a moderate speed in order to conserve fuel when driving on the highway.

Be sure to check both the engine coolant level and the engine oil before driving.

Drive belt

A loose or damaged drive belt may overheat the engine.