Driving Downhill - GMC Envoy Owner's Manual

Here are some things you must not do if you stall, or
are about to stall, when going up a hill.
•
Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into
NEUTRAL (N) to rev-up the engine and regain
forward momentum. This will not work. Your vehicle
will roll backwards very quickly and you could go out
of control.
Instead, apply the regular brake to stop the vehicle.
Then apply the parking brake. Shift to
REVERSE (R), release the parking brake, and slowly
back straight down.
•
Never attempt to turn around if you are about to stall
when going up a hill. If the hill is steep enough to stall
your vehicle, it is steep enough to cause you to roll
over if you turn around. If you cannot make it up the
hill, you must back straight down the hill.
Q:
Suppose, after stalling, I try to back down the
hill and decide I just cannot do it. What should
I do?
A:
Set the parking brake, put your transmission in
PARK (P) and turn off the engine. Leave the
vehicle and go get some help. Exit on the uphill
side and stay clear of the path the vehicle would
take if it rolled downhill. Do not shift the transfer
case to NEUTRAL when you leave the vehicle.
Leave it in some gear.
4-24
CAUTION:
{
Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL can
cause your vehicle to roll even if the
transmission is in PARK (P). This is because
the NEUTRAL position on the transfer case
overrides the transmission. You or someone
else could be injured. If you are going to leave
your vehicle, set the parking brake and shift
the transmission to PARK (P). But do not shift
the transfer case to NEUTRAL. Leave the
transfer case in the 2 Wheel High, 4 High or
4 Low position.

Driving Downhill

When off-roading takes you downhill, you will want to
consider a number of things:
•
How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain
vehicle control?
•
What is the surface like? Smooth? Rough?
Slippery? Hard-packed dirt? Gravel?