1996 Cadillac Eldorado Owner's Manual - Page 207

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 andmore enjoyable. 0 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 do thing to know is this: let your engine some of the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go down a steep or long hill. 0 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. 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 wideor cut across the center of the road. Drive atspeeds that let you stay in your own lane. As you go over thetop of a hill, be alert. There couldbe 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 grades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area or winding roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action. If you don't shift down, your brakes could get so hot thatthey wouldn't work well. You would then have poor braking or even none down a going hill. You could crash. Shift downto let your engine assist your brakes on steep downhill a slope. 0 0 0 4-24