1999 GMC Sonoma Owner's Manual - Page 172

yellowblue If you decide you can go down a hill safely, then try to keep your vehicle headed straight down, and use a low gear. This way, engine drag can help your brakes and they won't have to do all the work. Descend slowly, keeping your vehicle under control at all times. D 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. D Never go downhill with the transmission in CAUTION: Heavy braking when going down 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. 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. Am I likely to stall when going downhill? It's much more likely to happen going uphill. But if it happens going downhill, here's what to do. Q: A: D Stop your vehicle by applying the regular brakes. Apply the parking brake. Q: A: 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. D Shift to PARK (P) (or to NEUTRAL (N) with the manual transmission) and, while still braking, restart the engine. and drive straight down. D Shift back to a low gear, release the parking brake, D If the engine won't start, get out and get help. 4-22