Owners Manual

Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow or Ice
When you drive in mud, snow or sand, your wheels
won’t get good traction. You can’t accelerate as quickly,
turning is more difficult, and you’ll need longer braking
distances.
It’s best to use a low gear when you’re in mud
- the
deeper the mud, the lower the gear. In really deep mud,
the idea is to keep your vehicle moving
so you don’t
get stuck.
When you drive on sand, you’ll sense a change in
wheel traction. But it will depend upon how loosely
packed the sand is. On loosely packed sand (as
on beaches or sand dunes) your tires will tend
to sink
into the sand. This has an effect on steering,
accelerating and braking. You may want to reduce the
air pressure in your tires slightly when driving on
sand. This will improve traction. Drive at a reduced
speed and avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers.
Hard packed snow and ice offer the worst tire traction.
On these surfaces, it’s very easy
to lose control. On
wet ice, for example, the traction is
so poor that you will
have difficulty accelerating. And
if you do get moving,
poor steering and difficult braking can cause you
to slide
out of control.
ing on frozen lakes, ponds or rivers can be
dangerous. Underwater springs, currents
under the ice, or sudden thaws can weaken the
ice. Your vehicle could fall through the ice and
you and
your passengers could drown. Drive
your vehicle on safe surfaces only.
Driving in Water
Heavy rain can mean flash flooding, and flood waters
demand extreme caution.
Find out how deep the water is before you drive through
it. If it’s deep enough
to cover your wheel hubs, axles
or exhaust pipe, don’t
try it - you probably won’t
get through. Also, water that deep can damage your
axle and other vehicle parts.
If the water isn’t too deep, drive slowly through it. At faster
speeds, water splashes on your ignition system and your
vehicle can stall. Stalling can also occur
if you get your
tailpipe under water. And, as long as your tailpipe is
under water, you’ll never be able
to start your engine.
When you go through water, remember that when your
brakes get wet,
it may take you longer to stop.
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