Special Driving Conditions

Hazardous Driving Conditions

When encountering hazardous driving conditions such as water, snow, ice, mud, and sand, follow these recommendations:

• Drive carefully and allow a longer braking distance.
• Avoid sudden braking or steering.
• If your vehicle becomes stuck in snow, mud, or sand, use second gear. Accelerate slowly to avoid unnecessary wheel spin.
• Place sand, rock salt, traction chains, or other non-slip materials under the wheels to provide additional traction when the vehicle is stuck in ice, snow, or mud.

WARNING

Downshifting with the dual clutch transmission on a slippery road surface may cause an accident. A sudden change in engine speed may 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 the front tires. Then shift between R (Reverse) and a forward gear.

Avoid wheel spin and do not over-rev the engine.

To avoid transmission damage, wait until the wheels stop spinning before shifting gears. Release the accelerator pedal when shifting, and lightly depress the accelerator pedal with the gear engaged. Slowly rotating the wheels forward and in reverse causes rocking, which may free the vehicle.

WARNING

If the vehicle is stuck and excessive wheel spin occurs, tire temperature may increase very rapidly. If the tires are damaged, a tire may burst or an explosion may occur. This condition is dangerous - you and others may be injured. Do not attempt this procedure if people or objects are located anywhere near the vehicle.

If you attempt to free the vehicle, it may overheat quickly, possibly causing an engine compartment fire or other damage. Avoid wheel spin as much as possible to prevent overheating of the tires or engine. DO NOT allow the vehicle wheels to spin at speeds 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 several times, have the vehicle towed to avoid engine overheating, possible transmission damage, and tire damage. See "Towing" in chapter 6.

Cornering Smoothly

Avoid braking or shifting gears in turns, especially on wet roads. Ideally, turns should always be taken with gentle acceleration.

Night Driving

Night driving presents more hazards than driving during daytime. Here are some important tips to remember:

• Reduce speed 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 the mirrors to reduce glare from other drivers' headlights.
• Keep the headlights clean and properly aimed. Dirty or improperly aimed headlights will make it much more difficult to see at night.
• Try not to look directly at the headlights of oncoming vehicles. You may be temporarily blinded, and your eyes will need a few seconds to adjust to the darkness.

Driving in the Rain

Rain and wet roads can make driving hazardous. Here are some things to consider when driving in rain or on slippery pavement:

• Reduce speed and allow extra distance. Heavy precipitation makes it harder to see and increases the distance required to stop the vehicle.
• Turn off Cruise Control (if equipped).
• Replace the windshield wiper blades when streaks appear or when areas of the windshield are not wiped clean.
• Tires must be kept in proper condition with at least 2/32 in. tread depth. If your tires do not have sufficient tread, a sudden stop on a wet road may cause skidding and possibly an accident. See "Tire Tread" in chapter 7.
• Turn on the headlights so that others can see you more easily.
• Driving too fast through large puddles may affect brake performance. If you must drive through puddles, drive through them slowly.
• If you believe your brakes may be wet, lightly apply them while driving until normal braking performance returns.

Hydroplaning

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