Buick 1993 Century Owner's Manual page 169

Know how to go down hills. The most important thing
to know
is
this: let your engine do some of the slowing
down. Don't make your brakes do it all. Shift to a
lower gear when you go down a steep or long hill.
That way, you will slow down without excessive use
of
your brakes.
I
A
CAUTION:
If you don't shift down, your brakes could get
so hot that they wouldn't work well. You would
then have poor braking or even none going
down a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let
your engine assist your brakes on a steep
downhil lope.
Coasting downhill in "N" (Neutral) o r with the
ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down. They could
get so hot that they wouldn't work well. You
could crash. Always have your engine running
and your vehicle in gear when you go
downhill.
Know how to go uphill.
You
may want
to
shift down to
a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transaxle, and you can climb the
h i l l
better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane roads
in hills or mountains. Don't swing wide or cut across
the center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let
you stay
in your own lane. That way, you won't be surprised by
a vehicle coming toward you in the same lane.
going uphill. You'll want to leave extra
room
to pass. If
a vehicle is passing you and doesn't have enough room,
slow down to make it easier for the other vehicle to get by.
be something in your lane, like a stalled car or
an
accident.
It takes longer to pass another vehicle when you're
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of
special problems. Examples are long grades, passing
or
no-passing zones, a Ming rocks area, or winding
roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action.
Winter driving can present special problems. See
"Winter Driving" in the Index.
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