Hill And Mountain Roads; Winter Driving - GMC Sierra 2500 HD2022 Owner's Manual

218 Driving and Operating
road is wet enough and you are going fast
enough. When the vehicle is hydroplaning, it
has little or no contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow
down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet weather
driving tips include:
Allow extra following distance.
Pass with caution.
Keep windshield wiping equipment in
good shape.
Keep the windshield washer fluid reservoir
filled.
Have good tires with proper tread depth.
See Tires 0 343.
Turn off cruise control.

Hill and Mountain Roads

Driving on steep hills or through mountains
is different than driving on flat or rolling
terrain. Tips include:
Keep the vehicle serviced and in good
shape.
Check all fluid levels and brakes, tires,
cooling system, and transmission.
Shift to a lower gear when going down
steep or long hills.
Warning
Using the brakes to slow the vehicle on a
long downhill slope can cause brake
overheating, can reduce brake
performance, and could result in a loss of
braking. Shift the transmission to a lower
gear to let the engine assist the brakes
on a steep downhill slope.
Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral) or with
the ignition off is dangerous. This can
cause overheating of the brakes and loss
of steering assist. Always have the engine
running and the vehicle in gear.
Drive at speeds that keep the vehicle in
its own lane. Do not swing wide or cross
the center line.
Be alert on top of hills; something could
be in your lane (e.g., stalled car, crash).
Pay attention to special road signs (e.g.,
falling rocks area, winding roads, long
grades, passing or no-passing zones) and
take appropriate action.

Winter Driving

Driving on Snow or Ice
Caution
To avoid damage to the wheels and
brake components, always clear snow and
ice from inside the wheels and
underneath the vehicle before driving.
Snow or ice between the tires and the road
creates less traction or grip, so drive
carefully. Wet ice can occur at about 0 °C
(32 °F) when freezing rain begins to fall.
Avoid driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
Accelerate gently. Accelerating too quickly
causes the wheels to spin and makes the
surface under the tires slick.
Turn on Traction Control. See Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control 0 247.
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) improves
vehicle stability during hard stops, but
the brakes should be applied sooner than
when on dry pavement. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) 0 244.