Hill And Mountain Roads - GMC 1999 Sierra 1500 Pickup Owner's Manual

As in any driving situation, keep pace with traffic and allow adequate
following distances.
Hill and Mountain Roads
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Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from driving in flat or rolling
terrain. If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you're planning to visit
there, here are some tips that can make your trips safer and more enjoyable.
(See "Off-Road" in the Index for information about driving off-road.)
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.
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 f you don't shift down,' your brakes could get so hot
that
they -
b
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 downhill slope.
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