2005 GMC Envoy Owner's Manual - Page 302

Hill and Mountain Roads If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make your trips safer and more enjoyable. See Off-Road Driving with Your Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicle on page 4-15 for information about driving off-road. • Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system, and transmission. These parts can work hard on mountain roads. • Know how to go down hills. The most important thing to know is this: let your engine do some of the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go down a steep or long hill. {CAUTION: Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from driving in flat or rolling terrain. If you do not shift down, your brakes could get so hot that they would not work well. You would then have poor braking or even none going down a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let your engine assist your brakes on a steep downhill slope. 4-36