Pontiac 1996 Grand Am Owner's Manual page 172

If you drive regularly
in
steep country, or if you're
planning t'o visit there, here are some tips that
can
make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
!Keep
your
vehicle
in good shape. Check dl fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system and
transaxle.
These
parts
can
work hard on mountain
roads.
Know Bow 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.
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 ddwn a
hill. You could crash. Shift down to let jour
engine assist
your
brakes on
a
steep. downhill
..
slope.
Coasting downhill in
NEUTRAL
(N) or dvith 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
would then
haxe 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 uphill. Drive in the highest gear
possible.
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.
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.
0
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.