Driving on Grades

Notice: Do not tow on steep continuous grades exceeding 6 miles (9.6 km). Extended, higher than normal engine and transmission temperatures may result and damage the vehicle. Frequent stops are very important to allow the engine and transmission to cool.

Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before starting down a long or steep downgrade. If the transmission is not shifted down, the brakes might have to be used so much that they would get hot and no longer work well.

On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce the vehicle’s speed to around 45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the possibility of the engine and the transmission overheating. If the engine does overheat, see Engine Overheating.

    See also:

    Engine Fan Noise
    Your vehicle has a clutched engine cooling fan. When the clutch is engaged, the fan spins faster to provide more air to cool the engine. In most everyday driving conditions the clutch is not eng ...

    Brake Wear
    Your vehicle has four-wheel disc brakes. Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make a high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads are worn and new pads are needed. The sound ma ...

    TPMS Malfunction Light and Message
    The TPMS will not function properly if one or more of the TPMS sensors are missing or inoperable. When the system detects a malfunction, the low tire warning light flashes for about one minute a ...