Cadillac 2006 CTS Owner's Manual page 260

If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can
make your trips safer and more enjoyable.
•
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system,
and transmission. These parts can work hard
on mountain roads.
CAUTION:
{
If you do not shift down, your brakes could get
so hot that they would not 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
downhill slope.
CAUTION:
{
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with
the ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes
will have to do all the work of slowing down.
4-26
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
They could get so hot that they would not
work well. You would then have poor braking
or even none going down a hill. You could
crash. Always have your engine running and
your vehicle in gear when you go downhill.
•
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some of
the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
•
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to
a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transmission, and you can climb the hill better.
•
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Do not swing wide or cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
•
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could
be something in your lane, like a stalled car or an
accident.
•
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn
of special problems. Examples are long grades,
passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area,
or winding roads. Be alert to these and take
appropriate action.