1996 Buick Riviera Owner's Manual - Page 180

If you drive ,regularly steep country, or if'you're in planning to visit there,here are some tips that can make yourtrips safer and more enjoyable. Keep y o u vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid levels. and also the brakes, tires,cooling system and trmsaxle. These parts can work hard on mountain roads. Know how. to down hills. The most important go of thing toknow is this: let your engine do somethe slowing down. Shift to lower gear when go a you down a steep orlong hill. 0 Coasthg downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the ignition off is dangerous. Yourbrakes will have to do alI the work of slowing down. They could getSO hot that they wouldn't work well. You would then' have poorbraking or even none going,down hill. a You could crash. Always haveyour engine r&ning and your vehiclein g&u- whenyou go downhill. 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 hill. a You could crash. Shift d o m ' t olet your engine assist your brakes on a steep downhill slope. 0 * 0 Know how to go uphill. Shift down to THIRD (3). This will help cool your engineand transaxle, and you can clirnb the lull better. Stay in your own lane when.dlriving on two-lane or roads in hills or mountains. Don't swing wide cut of at across the center the road. Drive speeds that let n you stay i your own lane. As you g.0 over thetop of a hill, be alert. There could be something in your lane, like stalled cmor an a accident. You may see highway signs mountains that wasn of on special problems. Examplesare long grades, passingor no-passing zones,,a falling rocks area or winding roads. Be alert tohese and take appropriate -action.