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 clear the area around the front wheels. Then alternate between 1st gear and Reverse (for manual transmission vehicles) or R (Reverse) and D (Drive) (for automatic transmission vehicles). Try to avoid wheel spin or engine racing.

To avoid transmission wear, wait until the wheels stop moving before shifting gears. Release the accelerator pedal while shifting, then lightly press the accelerator pedal with the transmission in gear. Slowly rocking the vehicle by alternating forward and reverse motion may free the vehicle.

NOTICE

If the tires spin at high speed, they may explode and cause injury to you or others. Do not attempt this if people or objects are near the vehicle.

The vehicle may overheat, causing a fire in the engine compartment or other damage. Spin the wheels as little as possible and avoid exceeding 56 km/h as shown on the speedometer.

NOTICE

If you are still stuck after several attempts, call a towing service to free your vehicle to avoid overheating and possible damage to the engine and transmission. See "Towing a Trailer" in chapter 6.