Special driving conditions

Hazardous conditions

If you encounter hazardous road conditions such as water, snow, ice, mud, sand, or others, follow these suggestions:

• Drive carefully and allow a greater braking distance.
• Avoid sudden braking and sharp maneuvers.
• If your vehicle does not have ABS brakes, pump the brake pedal with short, light strokes until the vehicle stops.

WARNING - ABS

Do not pump the brake pedal if the vehicle is equipped with ABS.

• If you become stuck in snow, mud, or sand, shift into second gear.

Accelerate slowly to avoid wheel spin.

Use sand, rock salt, or other anti-skid material under the driving wheels to provide traction when you are stuck on ice, in snow, or in mud.

WARNING - Downshifting

Downshifting an automatic transmission on a slippery road can cause an accident. A sudden change in wheel speed can cause a skid. Be careful when downshifting on slippery roads.

Rocking the vehicle

If you need to rock the vehicle to free it from snow, sand, or mud, turn the steering wheel left and right to clear the area around the front wheels. Then alternate between 1st and reverse in the case of a manual transmission, or between reverse and a forward gear in the case of an automatic transmission. Do not over-rev the engine or spin the wheels if possible. If you are still stuck after a few attempts, call a towing service to avoid overheating the engine and damaging the transmission.

CAUTION

Prolonged rocking can overheat the engine, damage the transmission, and damage the tires.

WARNING - Tire spin

Do not spin the tires, especially at speeds above 56 km/h.

Spinning the wheels at high speed while the vehicle is stationary can overheat a tire, which could then fail and injure people nearby.

NOTICE

The ESC system (if equipped) should be turned off if you are rocking the vehicle.

WARNING

If the vehicle gets stuck in snow, mud, sand or other material, you may try rocking the vehicle forward and backward. Do not attempt this if people or objects are near the vehicle. While rocking, the vehicle may suddenly jump forward or backward as it frees itself, which could injure people or damage nearby objects.

Take Corners Smoothly

Avoid braking or shifting gears in corners, especially on wet roads. Preferably, always take corners under smooth acceleration. If you follow these suggestions, tire wear will be kept to a minimum.

Night Driving

Driving at night presents more risks than driving during the day. Keep the following important points in mind:

• Slow down and keep a greater distance between you and other vehicles, because it is difficult to see well in the dark, especially where there is little lighting.
• Adjust the rear-view mirror to reduce glare from headlights.
• Keep the headlights clean and properly aimed on vehicles that are not equipped with an automatic headlight leveling device. Dirty or misaligned headlights reduce visibility at night.
• Avoid looking directly at the headlights of oncoming vehicles.

You may be temporarily blinded, and it takes a few seconds for your eyes to adjust to the darkness.

Driving in Rain

Rain and wet roads make driving dangerous, especially if you are not prepared for slippery pavement.

Consider the following points:

• A heavy downpour greatly reduces visibility and increases stopping distance: slow down.
• Keep the wiper blades in good condition.

Replace wiper blades that streak or do not wipe the entire windshield surface.

If the tires are not in good condition, sudden braking on a wet road may cause you to skid and possibly lead to an accident.

Make sure your tires are in good condition.

Turn on the headlights so that other drivers can see you better.

Driving too fast through deep puddles can affect the brakes.

If you must drive through puddles, do so slowly.

If you believe your brakes are wet, lightly press the brake pedal while driving normally until normal braking force returns.

Driving Through Flooded Areas

Avoid driving through flooded areas unless you are certain the water level will not reach the bottom of the wheel hubs. Drive through water slowly. Maintain a sufficient stopping distance, as braking performance may be affected.

After driving through water, dry the brakes by lightly pressing the brake pedal several times while driving slowly.

Driving on the Highway

Tires

Adjust tire pressure to specification. Underinflated tires may overheat and cause problems.

Worn or damaged tires may offer reduced traction and cause problems.

NOTICE

Never inflate a tire above the maximum pressure marked on the tire.

WARNING

• Underinflated or overinflated tires can affect handling, cause loss of control and fail, which could lead to an accident, injury or even death. Make sure your tires are properly inflated before driving. For the correct pressure, see "Tires and Wheels" in section 8.
• Driving on tires with worn tread can be dangerous. Worn tires can lead to loss of control, collisions, injury or even death. Worn tires should be replaced as soon as possible and should never be driven on. Always check the tread condition of your tires before driving. For more details and the tread wear limit, see "Tires and Wheels" in section 7.

Fuel, Engine Coolant, Engine Oil

Driving at cruising speed uses more fuel than driving in the city.

Remember to check the engine coolant and engine oil levels.

Drive Belt

A loose or damaged belt can cause the engine to overheat.