LEARNING TO OPERATE YOUR VEHICLEYou should become familiar with the perfor-mance characteristics of the vehicle in a large,flat area that is free of obstacles and other ve-hicles. Practice control of the accelerator ped-al, brakes, steering, and drive select lever.Drive first at slow speed and become comfort-able at that speed before gradually increasingyour speed. Become familiar with the way thevehicle feels in low and high ranges, first intwo-wheel drive (2WD) and then in four-wheeldrive (4WD) and four-wheel drive with the dif-ferential locked (DIFF. LOCK). Also practicedriving in reverse. Take the time to learn basicoperation before attempting more difficult ma-neuvers.Perform the Pre-Operation Checks on pages5-1–5-11. Set the parking brake, shift to neu-tral, and follow the instructions on page 6-1 tostart the engine. Once it has warmed up andyou have turned the choke off, you are readyto begin driving your vehicle. With the engineidling, shift the drive select lever into low orhigh. Then release the parking brake. Pressthe accelerator pedal slowly and smoothly.The centrifugal clutch will engage and you willstart to accelerate. Avoid higher speeds untilyou are thoroughly familiar with the operationof your vehicle.When slowing down or stopping, take yourfoot off the accelerator pedal and smoothlypress the brake pedal. Improper use of thebrakes can cause the tires to lose traction, re-ducing control and increasing the possibility ofU5UG10.book Page 5 Friday, August 1, 2003 7:40 PM
