1997 GMC Suburban Owner's Manual - Page 203

@ What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or is about to stall, and I can't make it up the hill? A: If this happens, there aresome things you should do, and there are some things you must not do. First, here's what you should do: e Push the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and keep it from rolling backwards. Also, apply the parking brake. e If your engine is still running, shift the transmission As you are backing down the hill, put your left hand on the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position. This way, you'll be able to tell if your wheels are straight and maneuver as you back down. It's best that you back down the hill with your wheels straight rather than in the left or right direction. Turning the wheel too far to the left or right will increase the possibility of a rollover. 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 won't 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 tostall when going up a hill. If the hill is steep enough to stall your vehicle, it's steep enough to cause you to roll over if you turn around. If you can't make it up the hill, you must back straight down the hill. to REVERSE (R), release the parking brake, and slowly back down the hill in REVERSE (R). e If your engine has stopped running, you'll need to restart it. With the brake pedal depressed and the parking brake still applied, shift the transmission to PARK (P) and restart the engine. Then, shiftto REVERSE (R), releasethe parking brake, and slowly back down the hill as straight as possible in REVERSE (R). 4-21