Before Leaving on a Long TripTo prepare your vehicle for a long trip, consider havingit serviced by your dealer/retailer before departing.Things to check on your own include:• Windshield Washer Fluid: Reservoir full? Windowsclean — inside and outside?• Wiper Blades: In good shape?• Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: All levels checked?• Lamps: Do they all work and are lenses clean?• Tires: Are treads good? Are tires inflated torecommended pressure?• Weather and Maps: Safe to travel? Haveup-to-date maps?Highway HypnosisAlways be alert and pay attention to your surroundingswhile driving. If you become tired or sleepy, find asafe place to park your vehicle and rest.Other driving tips include:• Keep the vehicle well ventilated.• Keep interior temperature cool.• Keep your eyes moving — scan the road aheadand to the sides.• Check the rearview mirror and vehicle instrumentsoften.Hill and Mountain RoadsDriving on steep hills or through mountains is differentthan driving on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for drivingin these conditions include:• Keep the vehicle serviced and in good shape.• Check all fluid levels and brakes, tires, coolingsystem, and transmission.• Going down steep or long hills, shift to alower gear.{ CAUTION:If you do not shift down, the brakes could get sohot that they would not work well. You would thenhave poor braking or even none going down a hill.You could crash. Shift down to let the engineassist the brakes on a steep downhill slope.4-26
