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 100 km/h).
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 transmission) or overdrive (automatic transmission).
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 car. Low tire pressure can seriously affect the handling.
Also check the spare tire.
7. The vehicle/trailer combination is more affected 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 transmission 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, check occasionally to be sure that the load is secure, and that the lights and any trailer brakes are still working.
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 transmission to a lower gear and reduce speed to reduce chances of engine overloading and/or overheating.
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 transmission to overheat. Use the parking brake or footbrake.

NOTE:
When towing, check transmission fluid more frequently.

CAUTION:
If overheating should occur when towing, (temperature gauge reads near red zone), taking the following action 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 selection in park or neutral and idle the engine at a higher speed.

IF THE ENGINE OVERHEATS
If your temperature gauge indicates overheating, you experience a loss of power, or hear loud pinging or knocking and the engine is probably too hot. If this happens to you, you should:

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