Driving Uphill - Hummer H3T Owner's Manual

04AKENG59_H3T.fm Page 232 Thursday, July 31, 2008 12:07 PM
Starting and Operating Instructions
Here are some other things to
consider as you approach a hill.
• Is there a constant incline, or
does the hill get sharply steeper
in places?
• Is there good traction on the
hillside, or will the surface
cause tire slipping?
• Is there a straight path up or
down the hill so you won't
have to make turning maneu-
vers?
. . . 232
• Are there obstructions on the
hill that can block your path
(boulders, trees, logs or ruts)?
• What's beyond the hill? Is there
a cliff, an embankment, a drop-
off, a fence? Get out and walk
the hill if you don't know. It's
the smart way to find out.
• Is the hill simply too rough?
Steep hills often have ruts, gul-
lies, troughs and exposed rocks
because they are more suscep-
tible to the effects of erosion.
Your vehicle is equipped with a Hill
Start Assist feature, which may be
useful when stopped on a grade.
See "Hill Start Assist" earlier in this
section.

DRIVING UPHILL

Once you decide you can safely
drive up the hill, you need to take
some special steps.
• Use low transmission and trans-
fer case gears and get a firm
grip on the steering wheel.
• Get a smooth start up the hill
and try to maintain your speed.
Don't use more power than
you need, because you don't
want your wheels to start spin-
ning or sliding.
• Let the traction control system
work to control wheel slippage.
The traction control system is
designed to allow moderate
wheel spin while maintaining
some capability of digging in
and powering up the hill.