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:

    When to Inspect the Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
    Inspect the air cleaner/filter at the scheduled maintenance intervals and replace it at the first oil change after each 80 000 km (50,000 mile) interval. See Maintenance Schedule, for more inf ...

    Engine Fan
    The vehicle has electric cooling fans. The fans spinning at low speed during most everyday driving might be heard. The fans can turn off if no cooling is required. Under heavy vehicle loading, tra ...

    Brake Adjustment
    Every time the brakes are applied, with or without the vehicle moving, the brakes adjust for wear. ...