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Hill Climbing
NOTE:
Before attempting to climb a hill, determine the condi-
tions at the crest and/or on the other side.
Before climbing a steep hill, shift the transmission to a
lower gear and shift the transfer case to AWD Low. Use
FIRST gear and AWD Low for very steep hills.
If you stall or begin to lose forward motion while climb-
ing a steep hill, allow your vehicle to come to a stop and
immediately apply the brakes. Restart the engine, and
shift into REVERSE. Back slowly down the hill, allowing
the compression braking of the engine to help regulate
the speed. If the brakes are required to control vehicle
speed, apply them lightly and avoid locking or skidding
the tires.
WARNING!
If the engine stalls, you lose forward motion, or can-
not make it to the top of a steep hill or grade, never
attempt to turn around. To do so may result in tipping
and rolling the vehicle. Always back carefully straight
down a hill in REVERSE gear. Never back down a hill
in NEUTRAL using only the brake.
Remember, never drive diagonally across a hill; always
drive straight up or down.
If the wheels start to slip as you approach the crest of a
hill, ease off the accelerator and maintain forward
motion by turning the front wheels slowly. This may pro-
vide a fresh “bite” into the surface and will usually pro-
vide traction to complete the climb.
Traction Downhill
Shift the transmission into a low gear, and the transfer
case into AWD Low. Let the vehicle go slowly down the
hill with all four wheels turning against engine compres-
sion drag. This will permit you to control the vehicle
speed and direction.
When descending mountains or hills, repeated braking
can cause brake fade with loss of braking control. Avoid
repeated heavy braking by downshifting the transmis-
sion whenever possible.
After Driving Off-Road
Off-road operation puts more stress on your vehicle
than does most on-road driving. After going off-road, it
is always a good idea to check for damage. That way
you can get any problems taken care of right away and
have your vehicle ready when you need it.
•
Completely inspect the underbody of your vehicle.
Check tires, body structure, steering, suspension,
and exhaust system for damage.
•
Inspect the radiator for mud and debris and clean
as required.
•
Check threaded fasteners for looseness, particularly
on the chassis, drivetrain components, steering, and
suspension. Retighten them, if required, and torque
to the values specified in the Service Manual.
•
Check for accumulations of plants or brush. These
things could be a fire hazard. They might hide dam-
age to fuel lines, brake hoses, axle pinion seals, and
propeller shafts.
•
After extended operation in mud, sand, water, or
similar dirty conditions, have the radiator, fan, brake
rotors, wheels, brake linings, and axle yokes
inspected and cleaned as soon as possible.
WARNING!
Abrasive material in any part of the brakes may cause
excessive wear or unpredictable braking. You might
not have full braking power when you need it to pre-
vent a collision. If you have been operating your
vehicle in dirty conditions, get your brakes checked
and cleaned as necessary.
•
If you experience unusual vibration after driving in
mud, slush or similar conditions, check the wheels
for impacted material. Impacted material can cause
a wheel imbalance and freeing the wheels of it will
correct the situation.
134 STARTING AND OPERATING
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