Filter
Top Products
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
The arrows on the instrument panel flash whenever
signaling a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up, the
trailer lamps also flash, telling other drivers the vehicle
is turning, changing lanes or stopping.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on the instrument
panel flash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. For this reason you may think other
drivers are seeing the signal when they are not. It is
important to check occasionally to be sure the
trailer bulbs are still working.
Driving on Grades
Notice: Do not tow on steep continuous grades
exceeding 6 miles (9.6 km). Extended, higher
than normal engine and transmission temperatures
may result and damage the vehicle. Frequent
stops are very important to allow the engine and
transmission to cool.
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before starting
down a long or steep downgrade. If the transmission is
not shifted down, the brakes might have to be used so
much that they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce the
vehicle’s speed to around 45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce
the possibility of the engine and the transmission
overheating.
Vehicles can tow in D (Drive). Shift the transmission to
a lower gear if the transmission shifts too often under
heavy loads and/or hilly conditions.
Pay attention to the engine coolant gage. If the indicator
is in the red area, turn off the air conditioning to reduce
engine load. See Engine Overheating on page 5-27.
When towing under severe conditions such as hot
ambient temperatures or steep grades, the vehicle may
experience more transmission shifting. A COOLING
MODE ON message may also appear in the DIC. This
alerts the driver that the shifting mode is in progress
and is aiding engine cooling. See DIC Warnings
and Messages on page 3-42 DIC Warnings and
Messages for more information.
4-38