1997 Chevrolet Blazer Owner's Manual - Page 184

Driving Downhill When off-roading takes you downhill, you'll want to consider a number of things: 0 I1 A CAUTION: &= A: 0 How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain vehicle control? What's the surface like? Smooth? Rough'?Slippery'? Hard-pac ked dirt '? Gravel? Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts'? Logs? Boulders'? What's at the bottom of the hill? Is there a hidden creek bank or even a river bottom with large rocks? 0 0 I Heavy braking when going aown a hill can cause your brakes to overheat and fade. This could cause loss of control and a serious accident. Apply the brakes lightly when descending a hill and use a low gear to keep vehicle speed under control. Are there some things I should not do when driving down a hill? Yes! These are important because if you ignore them you could lose control and have a serious accident. 0 If you decide you can go down a hill safely, then try to keep your vehicle headed straight down, anduse a low gear. This way. engine drag can help your brakes and they won't have t o do all the work. Descend slowly, keeping y ) u r \rehick under control at all times. When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you across the incline of the hill. A hill that's not too steep to drive down may be too steep to drive across. You could roll over if you don't drive straight down. Never go downhill with the transmission in NEUTRAL (N). or with the clutch pedal depressed in a manual shift. This is called "free-wheeling." Your brakes will have to do all the work and could overheat and fade. 0 4-23