Propickup Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/94279
make sure someone knows where you are going and when you expect to arrive. Leave as much information as you can at the shop or offi ce to facilitate search and rescue eff orts just as a pilot or boater does. EARLY AND EASY Start earlier than usual so you can clear snow and ice from the windows, hood and roof of the vehicle. Warm up the engine so defrosters are working well. Turn on your lights to be more visible to other vehicles. Adjust your seat for maximum control – upright and within easy reach of controls. The most important thing you can do in winter driving is adjust your speed to maintain grip. When grip is limited, mass and inertia are harder to handle. Slowing down makes a big diff erence. Wet roads, ice and snow mean your vehicle needs more distance to stop. More room allows you time to re- duce speed gradually, which is much better than getting on the brakes aggressively. If your truck is ABS equipped, you can usually stay on the brakes and let the computer do the rest. If not, pump the brakes rap- idly to stop quickly. Pump the brakes until they lock up and then let off . If you sense that you are sliding rather than roll- ing, let off on the brakes and then hit them again. HANDLE IT Should the steering not respond when you are trying to turn, don't turn sharper. In- stead, straighten up the front wheels until turning traction is regained. In the event of under steer- ing (when you turn the front wheels but the vehicle keeps Tires are the single-most important safety item on a pickup. Choosing dedicated ice/snow tires over other styles is a smart move. going straight), lift off the brake and turn back toward the center until the steering grip is restored. In an over steer situation, that's when the back end is coming around, steer into the skid. In other words, look where you want to go and steer toward it while smoothly accelerating. AVOID SPACE INVADERS Leave yourself space in every direction when you are driving. Rather than following close to other vehicles or fi lling up the lanes beside other vehicles, try to set your pace in the traffi c in such a way that you leave a big bubble around you where there are no other vehicles. Let that cluster of vehicles that are in front of you move on out ahead. When you see a big group of vehicles coming up behind you, make plans to let them pass. Always leave yourself an out. If you are approaching an area where there is a bunch of vehicles slowing down or stopping, always look for that space that you can fi t your vehicle into in case you are unable to stop or a vehicle coming up behind you is unable to stop. On banked to slanted road- ways, the best way to main- tain grip is to keep moving. So look for those openings that allow you to maintain a slow speed without stopping, if possible. SLOW TOW When it comes to towing in winter conditions all the other driving techniques apply. Tow slow and leave extra room to stop. Try to get as much space as you can for maneuvering. If the trailer starts sliding sideways, add some brake to the trailer with the controller while accelerating smoothly with the tow vehicle – and don't turn into the skid. Keep the tow vehicle's wheels pointed straight ahead while you add throttle to help pull the trailer back in line. Try to avoid situations where you are on icy, banked corners. When you go through these corners, make sure there is room to get through the corner before you proceed and try to maintain some momentum. Stopping on the corner could allow the trailer to come around. Towing or not, a little know-how can get you through a lot of the white stuff . Get a grip, but if you lose it, don't panic and go with the fl ow. Text INFO to 205-289-3781 or visit www.ppmrequest.com propickupmag.com PROPICKUP 31 mobildelvac.com 1-800-MOBIL-25. During the winter, all vehicle lubricants should be carefully monitored. Before starting your pickup trucks and/or heavy equip- ment in extremely cold temperatures, make sure the oils in If extreme cold weather is common where you live, you should also consider using Mobil Delvac™-branded synthetic lubricants. The enhanced circulation allows synthetic lubricants to At low temperatures, high-performance synthetic lubricants, like Mobil Delvac 1TM ESP 5W-40 heavy-duty reach engine components faster, protecting against wear, extending the life of your engine and saving money for you and your business. For added temperature protection, always park your truck out of the wind to help reduce the amount of exposure to the elements. Finally, check the label on the battery at the start of winter to see how old it is. Labels on the battery should indicate the month and year it was installed, as well as the life expec- tancy. If it appears that the battery will reach the end of its life cycle during the coming winter months, replace it at the start of the winter to avoid being left out in the cold. Just because the temperature starts to change doesn't mean the performance of your truck needs to. By following these simple tips, pickup truck owners and equipment operators can help their trucks and off-highway vehicles maintain peak performance even during some of the harshest winter months. Mobil DelvacTM is the only 15W-40 chosen by GM for their Dealer Oil Program. removing the dipsticks. If the oils drip, then the lubricants are ©2012 Exxon Mobil Corporation. Mobil, Mobil Delvac and the Mobil logotype are trademarks or registered trade- marks of Exxon Mobil Corpora- tion or one of its subsidiaries. Other trademarks and product names used herein are the prop- erty of their respective owners.