Contents: Preparing for movement ⬇ Driving tips ⬇
Preparing for movement
Despite the fact that any passenger car is designed primarily for the transportation of people and hand luggage, with the use of appropriate technical equipment it is possible to tow a trailer.
Under no circumstances should the trailer be overloaded beyond the permissible value.
Note: The maximum permissible trailer weights given in the Specifications are valid only for areas located at an altitude of no more than 1000 m above sea level. Since the engine efficiency gradually decreases with increasing altitude due to the thinner air, the maximum permissible trailer weight should be reduced by 10% for each additional 1000 m of elevation, starting from the first.
The maximum permissible vertical load on the ball head of the towing hitch should also not be exceeded - ensure that the load is distributed correctly in the trailer, placing the heaviest objects, if possible, above the axle. Ensure that the load is securely secured.
Don't forget to adjust the tire pressure of the vehicle being prepared for towing a trailer, raising it to the value corresponding to the maximum loads. Also check the tire inflation pressure of the trailer.
After loading the trailer, check the adequacy of the tilt of the optical axis of the headlights and make the appropriate adjustments if necessary.
When coupling and uncoupling, the vehicle's parking brake must be fully engaged.
Driving tips
To maintain maximum control over the handling of the vehicle towing a trailer, try to distribute the total weight of the load on the trailer and vehicle as evenly as possible. Avoid towing a heavy trailer with an empty vehicle. If this situation cannot be avoided, do not exceed safe driving speeds.
Since the directional stability of the automatic coupling decreases with increasing speed, avoid unreasonably fast driving, especially when driving in unfavorable road or weather conditions. Try to drive at a speed not exceeding 80 km/h, even if this is not stipulated by the traffic regulations adopted in the region.
Start braking in advance! If the trailer is equipped with an inertial braking system, it is better to brake in two stages and very smoothly, which will help to avoid jerks associated with the trailer wheels locking.
When driving downhill, shift into a lower gear early, making full use of engine braking.
The need to make a steep climb in hot weather forces you to engage a lower gear and increase engine speed as much as possible. While driving in this mode, carefully monitor the coolant temperature gauge. If the pointer enters the red range of the gauge scale, the car should be stopped and the engine should be allowed to cool down for several minutes at idle speed. Remember that the rotation speed of the cooling system fan does not depend on the crankshaft speed, so excessively lowering the gear with an increase in engine speed will only lead to rapid overheating of the latter.
If you frequently use your vehicle to tow a trailer, try to perform routine maintenance procedures on your vehicle more frequently than specified in the Schedule (see Chapter Routine maintenance).