Hyundai 2006 Elantra - Manual (Page 165)

DRIVING YOUR HYUNDAI
21
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C190F01S-AAT
Trailer or Vehicle Towing Tips
1. Before towing, check hitch and safety chain
connections as well as proper operation of
the trailer running lights, brake lights, and
turn signals.
2. Always drive your vehicle at a moderate
speed. (Less than 60 mph)
3. Trailer towing requires more fuel than normal
conditions.
4. To maintain engine braking efficiency and
electrical charging performance, do not use
fifth gear (manual transaxle) or overdrive
(automatic transaxle).
5. Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
6. Check the condition and air pressure of all
tires on the trailer and your vehicle. Low tire
pressure can seriously affect the handling.
Also check the spare tire.
7. The vehicle/trailer combination is more af-
fected by crosswind and buffeting.
When being passed by a large vehicle, keep
a constant speed and steer straight ahead.
If there is too much wind buffeting, slow down
to get out of the other vehicle's air turbulence.
!
8. When parking your car and trailer, especially
on a hill, be sure to follow all the normal
precautions. Turn your front wheel into the
curb, set the parking brake firmly, and put the
transaxle in 1st or Reverse (manual) or Park
(automatic). In addition, place wheel chocks
at each of the trailer's tires.
9. If the trailer has electric brakes, start your
vehicle and trailer moving, and then apply the
trailer brake controller by hand to be sure the
brakes are working. This lets you check
your electrical connection at the same time.
10. During your trip, occasionally check to be
sure that the load is secure, and that the
lights and any trailer brakes are still work-
ing.
11. Avoid jerky starts, sudden acceleration or
sudden stops.
12. Avoid sharp turns and rapid lane changes.
13. Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long
or too frequently. This could cause the
brakes to overheat, resulting in reduced
braking efficiency.
14. When going down a hill, shift into a lower
gear and use the engine braking effect.
When ascending a long grade, downshift
the transaxle to a lower gear and reduce
speed to reduce chances of engine over-
loading and/or overheating.
CAUTION:
If overheating should occur when towing,
(the temperature gauge reads near the red
zone), taking the following actions may
reduce or eliminate the problem.
1. Turn off the air conditioner.
2. Reduce highway speed.
3. Select a lower gear when going uphill.
4. While in stop and go traffic, place the
gear selector in park or neutral and idle
the engine at a higher speed.
15. If you have to stop while going uphill, do not
hold the vehicle in place by pressing on the
accelerator. This can cause the automatic
transaxle to overheat. Use the parking
brake or footbrake.
NOTE:
When towing check transaxle fluid more
frequently.