8-10
Driving tips/Winter driving
frost or snow etc. on the power rear
gate, remove it. If you forcibly
operate the power rear gate with
frost or snow, it may cause a malfunction.
& Driving on snowy and icy
roads
To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid
sudden braking, abrupt acceleration, highspeed driving, and sharp turning when
driving on snowy or icy roads.
Always maintain ample distance between
your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you
to avoid the need for sudden braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use the
engine brake effectively to control the
vehicle speed. (Shift into a lower gear
when necessary.)
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such behavior can cause the wheels to lock, possibly
leading to loss of vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) enhances your vehicle’s braking performance on snowy and icy roads. For
information on braking on slippery surfaces, refer to “ABS (Anti-lock Brake
System)” F7-33 and “Vehicle Dynamics
Control system” F7-36.
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control on
slippery roads such as snowy or icy
roads. This may cause loss of
vehicle control.
CAUTION
Avoid prolonged continuous driving
in snowstorms. Snow will enter the
engine’s intake system and may
hinder the airflow, which could result in engine shutdown or even
breakdown.
! Wiper operation when snowing
Before driving in cold weather, make sure
the wiper blades are not frozen to the
windshield or rear window.
If the wiper blades are frozen to the
windshield or rear window, perform the
following procedure.
. To thaw the windshield wiper blades,
use the defroster with the airflow selection
in “ ” and the temperature set for
maximum warmth until the wiper blades
are completely thawed. Refer to “Climate
control” F4-1.
. If your vehicle is equipped with a wiper
deicer, use it. It is helpful to thaw the
windshield wiper blades. Refer to “Defogger and deicer” F3-106.
. To thaw the rear wiper blade, use the
rear window defogger. Refer to “Defogger
and deicer” F3-106.
When driving in snow, if frozen snow starts
to stick on the surface of the windshield
despite wiper operation, use the defroster
with the airflow selection in “ ” and the
temperature set for maximum warmth.
After the windshield gets warmed enough
to melt the frozen snow on it, wash it away
using the windshield washer. Refer to
“Windshield washer” F3-95.
Snow stuck on the wiper arm prevents the
wiper from working effectively. If snow is
stuck on the wiper arm, pull off the road to
a safe place, then remove it. If you stop
the vehicle at road side, use the hazard
warning flasher to alert other drivers.
Refer to “Hazard warning flasher” F3-7.
We recommend use of non-freezing type
wiper blades (winter blades) during the
seasons you could have snow and freezing temperatures. Blades of this type give
superior wiping performance in snowy
conditions. Be sure to use blades that
are suitable for your vehicle.