Pontiac 1998 Grand Am Owner's Manual page 182

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.
e
e
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system
and transaxle. 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. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
-A
CAUTION:
I f
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
down a
hill.
You could crash. Shift down to let
your engine assist your brakes on a steep
~
downhill slope.
A
CAUTION:
e
Coasting downhill in
NEUTRAL
( N ) or with 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
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.
e
0
0
0
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
h i l l ,
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 g r a d e s , passing or
no-passing zones, a falling rocks
area
or winding
roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action.
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