the proper equipment and to have it
installed.
Trailer lights should comply with federal and/or
local regulations. When wiring the vehicle for
towing, connect the stop and tail light pickup
into the vehicle electrical circuit at a point be-
tween the sensor and stop light or light switch.
Trailer brakesIf your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
make sure it conforms to federal and/or local
regulations and that it is properly installed.
WARNING
Never connect a trailer brake system
directly to the vehicle brake system.
Pre-towing tips쐌Becertain a vehicle maintains a level position
when a loaded and/or unloaded trailer is
hitched. Do not drive the vehicle if it has an
unusual nose-up or nose-down condition;
check for improper tongue load, overload,
wornsuspension or other possible causes of
these conditions.
쐌Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shifts while driving.
쐌Load the trailer so approximately 60% of the
trailer load is in the front half and 40% is in
the back half.
쐌Checkyour hitch, trailer tire pressure, vehicle
tirepressure, trailer light operation, and trailer
wheel lug nuts every time you attach a trailer
to the vehicle.
쐌Be certain your rear view mirrors conform to
all federal, state and/or local regulations. If
not, install any mirrors required for towing
before driving the vehicle.
Trailer towing tipsInorder to gain skill and an understanding of the
vehicle’s behavior, you should practice turning,
stoppingand backing up in an area which is free
from traffic. Steering stability, and braking per-
formance will be somewhat different than under
normal driving conditions.
쐌Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
쐌Avoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.
쐌Avoid sharp turns or lane changes.
쐌Always drive a vehicle at a moderate speed.
Some states or provinces have specific
speed limits for vehicles that are towing
trailers. Obey the local speed limits.
쐌When backing up, hold the bottom of the
steering wheel with one hand. Move your
hand in the direction in which you want the
trailerto go. Make small corrections and back
up slowly. If possible, have someone guide
you when you are backing up.
쐌Alwaysblock the wheels on both vehicle and
trailerwhen parking. Parking on a slope is not
recommended; however, if you must do so,
and if a vehicle is equipped with automatic
transmission, first apply the parking brake
and block the wheels, and then move the
transmission selector lever into the P (Park)
position.If you move the selector lever to the
P (Park) position before blocking the wheels
andapplying the parking brake, the transmis-
sion may get damaged.
쐌When going down a hill, shift into a lower
gear and use the engine braking effect.
When going up a long grade, downshift the
transmission to a lower gear and reduce
speedto reduce chances of engine overload-
ing and/or overheating.
쐌If the engine coolant rises to an extremely
high temperature when the air conditioning
system is on, turn off the air conditioner.
Coolant heat can be additionally vented by
Technical and consumer information 9-21
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