Driving In Snow And Wet Grass; Driving In Mud And Sand; Hill Climbing; Traction Downhill - Maserati Levante 2019 Owner's Manual

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Driving
Maintenance
After driving through water, have your
vehicle fluids and lubricants inspected
at the Service Network to assure the
fluids have not been contaminated.

Driving in Snow and Wet Grass

In heavy snow, when pulling a load,
or for additional control at slower
speeds, set "I.C.E." drive mode with
transmission in M +/- (Manual) and
shift the transmission to a low gear.
See "Drive Mode" in this section for
further details. Do not shift to a lower
gear than necessary to maintain
forward motion. Over-revving the
5
engine can spin the wheels and
traction will be lost.
Avoid abrupt downshifts on icy or
slippery roads, because engine braking
may cause skidding and loss of control.
Follow these instructions even when
driving through a path section covered
with wet grass.

Driving in Mud and Sand

In general, when driving in mud and
sand, if your wheels spin, always
reduce the throttle in order to slow
the tires and regain traction.
• When driving in mud, avoid using
low gear that could cause wheel
spin. Follow the tyre and vehicle
262
manufacturer's advice on tire
pressure.
• When driving in sand, adopt lowest
gear possible. Tire pressure set at the
lower limits may help to increase the
vehicle capability. If you are driving
through sand dunes, avoid climbing
over them while try to go round
them.

Hill Climbing

Before climbing a hill, determine the
conditions at the crest and/or on the
other side and shift the transmission to
a lower gear.
The vehicle is equipped with Hill Start
Assist (HSA) that helps the driver
to manage the brake intervention
in acceleration when driving uphill
(for further details, refer to "Brake
and Stability Control System" in this
section).
If you stall or begin to lose forward
motion while climbing a steep hill,
allow your vehicle to come to a stop
and immediately apply the brakes. If
stalled, restart the engine, and shift
into R (Reverse). Back slowly down the
hill, allowing the compression braking
of the engine to help regulate your
speed. If the brakes are required to
control vehicle speed, apply them
lightly and avoid locking or skidding
the tires.
WARNING!
If you lose forward motion, or cannot
make it to the top of a hill or grade,
never attempt to turn around. To do
so may result in tipping and rolling
the vehicle. Always back carefully
straight down a hill in R (Reverse)
gear. Never back down a hill in N
(Neutral) using only the brake.
Remember, never drive diagonally
across a hill; always drive straight up or
down.
If the wheels start to slip as you
approach the crest of a hill, ease off
the accelerator and maintain forward
motion by turning the front wheels
slowly. This may provide a fresh "bite"
into the surface and will usually
provide traction to complete the climb.

Traction Downhill

When descending mountains or hills,
use Hill Descent Control (HDC) to avoid
repeated heavy braking (for further
details, refer to "Brake and Stability
Control System" in this section).
When descending mountains or hills,
repeated braking can cause brake fade
with loss of braking power. Avoid

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