similar equipment even if the
other two wheels are raised off
the ground. Make sure you inform
test facility personnel that your
vehicle is equipped with AWD
before it is placed on a dynam-
ometer. Using the wrong test
equipment may result in drive-
train damage or unexpected ve-
hicle movement which could
result in serious vehicle damage
or personal injury.
. When a wheel is off the ground
due to an unlevel surface, do not
spin the wheel excessively (AWD
model).
. Accelerating quickly, sharp steer-
ing maneuvers or sudden braking
may cause loss of control.
. If at all possible, avoid sharp
turning maneuvers, particularly
at high speeds. Your vehicle has
a higher center of gravity than a
conventional passenger car. The
vehicle is not designed for cor-
nering at the same speeds as
conventional passenger cars.
Failure to operate this vehicle
correctly could result in loss of
control and/or a rollover acci-
dent. .
Always use tires of the same type,
size, brand, construction (bias,
bias-belted or radial), and tread
pattern on all four wheels. Install
traction devices on the front
wheels when driving on slippery
roads and drive carefully.
. Be sure to check the brakes im-
mediately after driving in mud or
water. See “Brake system” (P.5-
129) for wet brakes.
. Avoid parking your vehicle on
steep hills. If you get out of the
vehicle and it rolls forward, back-
ward or sideways, you could be
injured.
. Whenever you drive off-road
through sand, mud or water as
deep as the wheel hub, more
frequent maintenance may be
required. See the maintenance
schedule shown in the “9. Main-
tenance and schedules” section.
. Spinning the front wheels on
slippery surfaces may cause the
AWD warning message to display
and the AWD system to automa-
tically switch from the AWD mode
to the 2WD mode. This could
reduce traction. (AWD models)
occasional brake squeak, squeal or other
noise may be heard. Occasional brake
noise during light to moderate stops is
normal and does not affect the function
or performance of the brake system.
Proper brake inspection intervals
should be followed.For additional infor-
mation, see the maintenance schedule
shown in the “9. Maintenance and sche-
dules” section.
