Driving on Grades

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.

The vehicle can tow in D (Drive).

Use a lower gear if the transmission shifts too often.

When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades, engine coolant boils at a lower temperature than at normal altitudes. If the engine is turned off immediately after towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades, the vehicle could show signs similar to engine overheating.

To avoid this, let the engine run while parked, preferably on level ground, with the transmission in P (Park) for a few minutes before turning the engine off. If the overheat warning comes on, see Engine Overheating.

    See also:

    Safety
    In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests, the Lucerne rates Good, the best possible score, in the frontal-offset test and Acceptable in the side impact. Acceptable is, well, acceptabl ...

    Navigation System
    If the vehicle has a navigation system, use of the system may result in the storage of destinations, addresses, telephone numbers, and other trip information. Refer to the navigation manual for in ...

    Services Not Included in Roadside Assistance
    • Impound towing caused by violation of any laws. • Legal fines. • Mounting, dismounting, or changing of snow tires, chains, or other traction devices. • Towing or services for vehicl ...