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•
The
higher the speed, the more difficult
it becomes for
the driver
to control the
rig
.
Do not drive at the maximum per-
missible speed.
Reduce
your speed even
more
under
unfavorable load, weather or
w ind conditions -
particularly
when going
downhill.
Be especially
careful
when
passing other
vehicles.
Reduce
vehicle speed immediately
if the
trailer shows the
slightest
sign
of swaying.
Do
not try to stop the swaying by accelerat-
ing.
Observe
speed
limits.
In
some
areas
speeds for
vehicles
towing trailers are low-
er than for regular vehicles.
•
Always apply brakes
early.
When
driving dow
nhill, shift into
lower
gear
(selector
lever
position
3, 2 or
1)
to use the
engine braking
effect to slow down
the
ve-
hicle.
Use
of the brakes alone can cause
them to overheat and fail.
• The cooling effect o
f
the radiator
fan cannot be increased by down-
shifting because fan speed is inde-
pendent of engine speed. Therefore,
when driving uphill, you can always
drive in the highest possible gear
with low engine
speed.
If
t
he coolant temperature warning
light in the instrument cluster starts
flashing in red, pull off the road,
stop and let the engine idle
f
or about
2 minutes to prevent a heat
build-
up.
TIPS AND
ADVICE
Trailer towing tips
Your vehicle handles differently when
tow-
ing a
trailer
because of the additional weight
and
weight
distribution.
Safety,
perfor-
mance
and economy w
ill
greatly depend
on
how carefully you load your
trailer
and
oper-
ate your rig.
Before you actually tow
your t
railer.
practice
turning, stopping
and
backing up in
an
area
away
from tra ffic
until
you learn the
f
eel
of
your
vehic le and trailer
unit.
Backing up is
difficult and
requires practice.
Steering while backing up is
generally
oppo-
site of
that when
backing
your
vehicle
with-
out
a
trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between
your
vehicle
and
the one
in
front of
you.
You will
need
more
room to stop.
To compensate
for
the t railer,
you
w
ill need
a larger than
norm
al
turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot
accelerate
as
fast
as you
normally
would be-
cause of
the
added load.
Make
sure
you
have enough room
to
pass. After
passing,
allow plenty of
room
for your
tra
iler before
changing
lanes again.
Avoid jerky
starts,
sharp turns
or
rapid lane
changes.
DRIVING AND
PROTECTING OUR
ENVIRONMENT
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23
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