1998 GMC Suburban Owner's Manual - Page 246

Making Turns Driving On Grades Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear h~fi>re start you down a long or steep downgrade. If you don't shift down, you might have to use your brakes so much that they would get hot and no longer work well. On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your speed to around 45 mph (70 km/h) toreduce the possibility of engine and transmission overheating. If you have an automatic transmission, you can tow in AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE You may want to shift the transmission to THIRD ( 3 ) or, if necessary, a lower gear selection if the transmission shifts too often (e.g., under heavy loads and/or hilly conditions). I NOTICE: Making very sharp turns while trailering could cause the trailer to come in contact with the vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged.Avoid making very sharp turns while trailering. When you're turning with a trailer, n ~ k wider turns than e nolmal. Do this so your trailer won't strike soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, treesor other objects. Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance. (a). Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer The arrows on your instrument panel will flash whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other drivers you're about to turn, change lanes or stop. When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind you are seeing your signal when they are not. It's important t o check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs are still working. When towing a t high altitude on steep uphill grades, consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a lower temperature than at normal altitudes. I f you turn your engine off immediately after towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs similar to engine overheating. To avoid this, let the engine run while parked (preferably on level ground) with the automatic transmission in PARK ( P j for a few minutes before turning the engine off. I f you do get the overheat warning. see "Engine Overheating" in the Index. 4-54