2008 Acura RL Owner's Manual - Page 386

Main Menu Table Of Contents Towing a Trailer Driving Safely With a Trailer The added weight, length, and height of a trailer will affect your vehicle's handling and performance, so driving with a trailer requires some special driving skills and techniques. For your safety and the safety of others, take time to practice driving maneuvers before heading for the open road, and follow the guidelines below. Towing Speeds and Gears When driving uphill and downhill, use the Sequential SportShift mode to provide the proper engine power and engine braking on each gear. Select fourth, third, second, or first gear; depending on the vehicle speeds and road condition. Do not use fifth gear. The recommended speed range for each gear position is shown in the table. Gear position 1 2 3 4 Speed range 0 (0 19 (30 31 (50 19 mph 30 km/h) 31 mph 50 km/h) 41 mph 65 km/h) Making Turns and Braking Make turns more slowly and wider than normal. The trailer tracks a smaller arc than your vehicle, and it can hit or run over something the vehicle misses. Allow more time and distance for braking. Do not brake or turn suddenly as this could cause the trailer to jackknife or turn over. Driving Drive slower than normal in all driving situations, and obey posted speed limits for vehicles with trailers. Use D position when towing a trailer on level roads. D3 is the proper shift lever position to use when towing a trailer in hilly terrain. (See '' Driving on Hills'' on the next page for additional gear information.) over 41 mph (over 65 km/h) CONTINUED 2008 RL 383