CITROEN C3 Picasso 2011 Owner's Handbook Manual page 162

TOWING A TRAILER, ...
Towbar suitable for the attachment of a
trailer with additional lighting and sig-
nalling.
Your vehicle is primarily designed for
transporting people and luggage, but it
may also be used for towing a trailer.
We recommend the use of gen-
uine CITROËN towbars and
their harnesses that have been
tested and approved from the
design stage of your vehicle,
and that the fi tting of the tow-
bar is entrusted to a CITROËN
dealer or a qualifi ed workshop.
If the towbar is not fi tted by a
11
CITROËN dealer, it is impera-
tive that it is fi tted in accordance
with the vehicle manufacturer's
instructions.
160
P R A C T I C A L I N F O R M A T I O N
Driving with a trailer places greater de-
mands on the towing vehicle and the
driver must take particular care.
Driving advice
Distribution of loads
Distribute the load in the trailer so
that the heaviest items are as close
as possible to the axle and the nose
weight approaches the maximum
permitted without exceeding it.
Air density decreases with altitude, thus
reducing engine performance. Above
1 000 metres, the maximum towed load
must be reduced by 10 % for every
1 000 metres of altitude.
Refer to the "Technical Data" section for
details of the weights and towed loads
which apply to your vehicle.
Side wind
Take into account the increased
sensitivity to side wind.
Cooling
Towing a trailer on a slope increases
the temperature of the coolant.
As the fan is electrically controlled, its
cooling capacity is not dependent on
the engine speed.
To lower the engine speed, reduce
your speed.
The maximum towed load on a long in-
cline depends on the gradient and the
ambient temperature.
In all cases, keep a check on the coolant
temperature.
If the warning lamp and the
STOP warning lamp come
on, stop the vehicle and
switch off the engine as
soon as possible.
Braking
Towing a trailer increases the braking
distance.
To avoid overheating of the brakes on a
long mountain type of descent, the use
of engine braking is recommended.
Tyres
Check the tyre pressures of the towing
vehicle and of the trailer, observing the
recommended pressures.
Lighting
Check the electrical lighting and sig-
nalling on the trailer.
The rear parking sensors will
be deactivated automatically if
a genuine CITROËN towbar is
used.