Chevrolet TRACKER 2003 Manual page 176

Are there any hidden surface obstacles? Ruts?
What's at the bottom of the hill? Is there a hidden
Logs? Boulders?
creek bank or even a river bottom with large
rocks?
If you decide you can go down a hill safely, then try to
keep your vehicle headed straight down, and use a
low gear. This way, engine drag can help your brakes
and they won't have to do all the work. Descend slowly,
keeping your vehicle under control at all times.
Heavy braking when going down a hill can
cause your brakes to overheat and fade. This
could cause
loss o f
control and a serious
accident. Apply the brakes lightly when
descending a hill and use a low gear to keep
vehicle speed under control.
Q:
Are there some things I should not do when
At
Yes! These are important because if you ignore
driving down a hill?
e
0
them you could lose control and have a serious
accident.
When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you
across the incline of the hill. A hill that's not too
steep to drive down may be too steep to drive
across. You could roll over if you don't drive
straight down.
Never go downhill with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N), or with the clutch pedal pressed
down in a manual shift. This is called
"free-wheeling." Your brakes will have to do all the
work and could overheat and fade.
Unless you have anti-lock: Avoid braking so hard
that you lock the wheels when going downhill. If
your wheels are locked, you can't steer your vehicle.
If your wheels lock up during downhill braking,
you may feel the vehicle starting to slide sideways.
To regain your direction, just ease off the brakes
and steer to keep the front of the vehicle pointing
straight downhill.
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