GMC 2004 Canyon Owner's Manual page 214

Q:
What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or is about
to stall, and I can not make it up the hill?
A:
If this happens, there are some things you should
do, and there are some things you must not do.
First, here is what you should do:
•
Push the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and keep it
from rolling backwards. Also, apply the parking brake.
•
If your engine is still running, shift the transmission to
REVERSE (R), release the parking brake, and slowly
back down the hill in REVERSE (R).
•
If your engine has stopped running, you will need to
restart it. With the brake pedal pressed and the
parking brake still applied, shift the transmission to
PARK (P) (or shift to neutral if your vehicle has a
manual transmission) and restart the engine. Then,
shift to REVERSE (R), release the parking brake,
and slowly back down the hill as straight as possible
in REVERSE (R).
•
As you are backing down the hill, put your left hand
on the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position.
This way, you will be able to tell if your wheels are
straight and maneuver as you back down. It is best
that you back down the hill with your wheels straight
rather than in the left or right direction. Turning the
wheel too far to the left or right will increase the
possibility of a rollover.
4-22
Here are some things you must not do if you stall, or
are about to stall, when going up a hill.
•
Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into
NEUTRAL (N) (or pressing the clutch, if you have a
manual transmission) to "rev-up" the engine and
regain forward momentum. This will not work.
Your vehicle will roll backwards very quickly and
you could go out of control.
Instead, apply the regular brake to stop the vehicle.
Then apply the parking brake. Shift to REVERSE (R),
release the parking brake, and slowly back straight
down.
•
Never attempt to turn around if you are about to stall
when going up a hill. If the hill is steep enough to stall
your vehicle, it is steep enough to cause you to roll
over if you turn around. If you can not make it up the
hill, you must back straight down the hill.
Q:
Suppose, after stalling, I try to back down the
hill and decide I just can not do it. What should
I do?
A:
Set the parking brake, put your transmission
in PARK (P) (or the manual transmission in
FIRST (1)) and turn off the engine. Leave the
vehicle and go get some help. Exit on the uphill
side and stay clear of the path the vehicle would
take if it rolled downhill.