Pontiac Sunbird Owner's Manual page 149

Your Driving and the Road
Hili and Mountain Roads
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.
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. 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.
1 4 8
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 down a hill. You
could crash. Shift down to let your
engine assist your brakes on a
steep downhill slope.
L
Coasting downhill in
N
(Neutral) or with the
lgnition 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 could crash. Always
have your engine running and your
vehicle in gear whe
Know how to go uphill. You may want
to shift down to a lower gear. The
lower gears help cool your engine and
transaxle, and you can climb the hill
better.
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. That
way, you won't be surprised by a
vehicle coming toward you in the
same lane.
It takes longer to pass another vehicle
when you're going uphill. You'll want
to leave extra room to pass. If a
vehicle is passing you and doesn't have
enough room, slow down to make it
easier for the other vehicle to get
by.