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When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs
on
the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind you
are seeing your signal when they are not. It's important
to
check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs are
still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear byfilw you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don't shift
down. you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade. shift down and reduce your
speed to around 45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility of engine and transmission overheating.
if you have an automatic transmission. you should use
DRIVE (D) when towing a trailer. Operating
your
vehicle in DRIVE ( D ) when towing
a
trailer will
minimize heat buildup and extend the life of your
transmission. Or. if you have a manual transmission. it's
better not to use FIFTH ( 5
j
gear. just drive
i n
FOURTH (4) gear (or. as you need
to.
a lower gear).
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades.
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a
lower temperature than at normal altitudes. If you turn
your engine off immediately after towing at high altitude
on steep uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs
similar to engine overheating. To avoid this. let the
engine run while parked (preferably on level ground)
w i t h
the automatic transmission in PARK (P) (or the
rnanual transmission out of gear and the parking brake
applied) for a few minutes before turning the engine off.
If you do get the overheat warning, see "Engine
Overheating" in the Index.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle. with a trailer
attached.
on
; I
hill. I f something goes wrong, your ris
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
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