2008 Suzuki XL7 Owner's Manual - Page 154
2008 Suzuki XL7 Manual
Page 154 highlights
DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE Winter Driving Here are some tips for winter driving: • Have your vehicle in good shape for winter. • You might want to put winter emergency supplies in your vehicle. Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth, and a couple of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag of sand, a piece of old carpet, or a couple of burlap bags to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure these items in your vehicle. Also refer to "Tires" in the "Service and Appearance Care" section. Driving on Snow or Ice Most of the time, those places where the tires meet the road probably have good traction. However, if there is snow or ice between the tires and the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You have a lot less traction, or grip, and need to be very careful. have a traction system, slow down and adjust your driving to the road conditions. Under certain conditions, you might want to turn the traction system off, such as when driving through deep snow and loose gravel, to help maintain vehicle motion at lower speeds. Refer to "Traction Control System (TCS)" and "Electronic Stability Control (ESC)" in this section. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) improves your vehicle's stability when you make a hard stop on a slippery road. Even though you have ABS, begin stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement. Refer to "Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)" in this section. • Allow greater following distance on any slippery road. • Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine until you hit a spot that is covered with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches can appear in shaded areas where the sun cannot reach, such as around clumps of trees, behind buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes the surface of a curve or an overpass can remain icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you are on it. Try not to brake while you are actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers. 808402 What is the worst time for this? Wet ice. Very cold snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet ice can be even more trouble because it can offer the least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it is about freezing, 32°F (0°C), and freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews can get there. Whatever the condition - smooth ice, packed, blowing, or loose snow - drive with caution. Traction control improves your ability to accelerate when driving on a slippery road. But you can turn the traction system off if you ever need to. You should turn the traction system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow. Refer to "If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow" in this section. Even though you 4-9