Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before starting down a long or steep downgrade. If the transmission is not shifted down, the brakes might have to be used so much that they would get hot and no longer work well. See “Automatic Engine Grade Braking” within Tow/Haul Mode on page 9‑26.
The vehicle can tow in D (Drive).
Use a lower gear if the transmission shifts too often.
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades, engine coolant will boil at a lower temperature than at normal altitudes. If the engine is turned off immediately after towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades, the vehicle may show signs similar to engine overheating.
To avoid this, let the engine run while parked, preferably on level ground, with the transmission in P (Park) for a few minutes before turning the engine off. If the overheat warning comes on, see Engine Overheating on page 10‑18.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce the vehicle speed to around 88 km/h (55 mph) to reduce the possibility of the engine and the transmission overheating.
See also:
Footnotes — Maintenance Schedule Additional Required Services — Severe
a) Extreme service. For vehicles mainly driven off-road in four-wheel drive or used in farming, mining, forestry, Department of Natural Resources (DNR), or snow plowing.
b) Check all fuel and vapor l ...
Battery Load Management
The vehicle has Electric Power Management (EPM) that estimates the battery's
temperature and state of charge. It then adjusts the voltage for best performance
and extended life of the battery. ...
Engine Oil Change
When the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON message displays, have the engine oil and filter changed within the next 1 000 km/600 mi. If driven under the best conditions, the engine oil life system might not indi ...





