Driving Off-Road With Truck And Utility Vehicles; Basic Operating Principles; If Your Vehicle Goes Off The Edge Of The Pavement - Mazda 2005 Tribute Owner's Manual

Driving
• Blinks several times every minute when 4WD system requires
service. Please bring your vehicle to your local dealer for service.

Driving off-road with truck and utility vehicles

4WD vehicles are specially equipped for driving on sand, snow, mud and
rough terrain and have operating characteristics that are somewhat
different from conventional vehicles, both on and off the road.
How your vehicle differs from other vehicles
Truck and utility vehicles can differ from some other vehicles. Your
vehicle may be higher to allow it to travel over rough terrain without
getting hung up or damaging underbody components.
The differences that make your vehicle so versatile also make it handle
differently than an ordinary passenger car.
Maintain steering wheel control at all times, especially in rough
terrain. Since sudden changes in terrain can result in abrupt
steering wheel motion, make sure you grip the steering wheel
from the outside. Do not grip the spokes.
Drive cautiously to avoid vehicle damage from concealed objects
such as rocks and stumps.
You should either know the terrain or examine maps of the area before
driving. Map out your route before driving in the area. To maintain
steering and braking control of your vehicle, you must have all four
wheels on the ground and they must be rolling, not sliding or spinning.

Basic operating principles

• Drive slower in strong crosswinds which can affect the normal steering
characteristics of your vehicle.
• Be extremely careful when driving on pavement made slippery by
loose sand, water, gravel, snow or ice.

If your vehicle goes off the edge of the pavement

• If your vehicle goes off the edge of the pavement, slow down, but
avoid severe brake application, ease the vehicle back onto the
pavement only after reducing your speed. Do not turn the steering
wheel too sharply while returning to the road surface.
• It may be safer to stay on the apron or shoulder of the road and slow
down gradually before returning to the pavement. You may lose
control if you do not slow down or if you turn the steering wheel too
sharply or abruptly.
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2005 Mazda Tribute (j14), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt) (own2002),
Market: USA_English (fus)