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STARTING AND OPERATING
GETTING HIGH-CENTERED
If you get hung up or high-centered on an object, get
out of the vehicle and try to determine what the vehicle
is hung up on, where it is contacting the underbody and
what is the best direction to recover the vehicle.
Depending on what you are in contact with, jack the
vehicle up and place a few rocks under the tires so the
weight is off of the high point when you let the vehicle
down. You can also try rocking the vehicle or winching
the vehicle off the object.
CAUTION!
Winching or rocking the vehicle off hard objects
increases the risk of underbody damage.
Hill Climbing
Hill climbing requires good judgment and a good under-
standing of your abilities and your vehicle's limitations.
Hills can cause serious problems. Some are just too
steep to climb and should not be attempted. You should
always feel confident with the vehicle and your abilities.
You should always climb hills straight up and down.
Never attempt to climb a hill on an angle.
BEFORE CLIMBING A STEEP HILL
As you approach a hill, consider its grade or steepness.
Determine if it is too steep. Look to see what the trac-
tion is on the hill side trail. Is the trail straight up and
down? What is on top and the other side? Are there
ruts, rocks, branches or other obstacles on the path?
Can you safely recover the vehicle if something goes
wrong? If everything looks good and you feel confident,
shift the transmission into a lower gear with 4L
engaged, and proceed with caution, maintaining your
momentum as you climb the hill.
DRIVING UP HILL
Once you have determined your ability to proceed and
have shifted into the appropriate gear, line your vehicle up
for the straightest possible run. Accelerate with an easy
constant throttle and apply more power as you start up
the hill. Do not race forward into a steep grade; the abrupt
change of grade could cause you to lose control. If the
front end begins to bounce, ease off the throttle slightly to
bring all four tires back on the ground. As you approach
the crest of the hill, ease off the throttle and slowly pro-
ceed over the top. If the wheels start to slip as you
approach the crest of a hill, ease off the accelerator and
maintain headway by turning the steering wheel no more
than a 1/4 turn quickly back and forth. This will provide
fresh traction into the surface and will usually provide
enough traction to complete the climb. If you do not make
it to the top, place the vehicle in REVERSE and back
straight down the grade using engine resistance along
with the vehicle brakes.
WARNING!
Never attempt to climb a hill at an angle or turn around
on a steep grade. Driving across an incline increases
the risk of a rollover, which may result in severe injury.
DRIVING DOWNHILL
Before driving down a steep hill, you need to determine
if it is too steep for a safe descent. What is the surface
traction? Is the grade too steep to maintain a slow, con-
trolled descent? Are there obstacles? Is it a straight
descent? Is there plenty of distance at the base of the
hill to regain control if the vehicle descends to fast?
If you feel confident in your ability to proceed, then make
sure you are in 4L and proceed with caution. Allow
engine braking to control the descent and apply your
brakes, if necessary, but do not allow the tires to lock.
WARNING!
Do not descend a steep grade in NEUTRAL. Use
vehicle brakes in conjunction with engine braking.
Descending a grade too fast could cause you to lose
control and be seriously injured or killed.
DRIVING ACROSS AN INCLINE
If at all possible, avoid driving across an incline. If it is
necessary, know your vehicle's abilities. Driving across
an incline places more weight on the downhill wheels,
which increases the possibilities of a downhill slide or
rollover. Make sure the surface has good traction with
firm and stable soils. If possible, transverse the incline
at an angle heading slightly up or down.
WARNING!
Driving across an incline increases the risk of a roll-
over, which may result in severe injury.
IF YOU STALL OR BEGIN TO LOSE HEADWAY
If you stall or begin to lose headway while climbing a
steep hill, allow your vehicle to come to a stop and
immediately apply the brake. Restart the engine and
shift into REVERSE. Back slowly down the hill allowing
engine braking to control the descent and apply your
brakes, if necessary, but do not allow the tires to lock.
WARNING!
If the engine stalls or you lose headway or cannot
make it to the top of a steep hill or grade, never
attempt to turn around. To do so may result in tipping
(Continued)
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