2008 GMC Sierra 1500 Pickup Owner's Manual - Page 104

To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow, ice, or sand without damaging your transmission, see If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 4-32. NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine does not connect with the wheels. To restart when you are already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed. DRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving. It provides the best fuel economy for your vehicle. If you need more power for passing, and you are: • Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push your accelerator pedal about halfway down. • Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the accelerator all the way down. DRIVE (D) can be used when towing a trailer, carrying a heavy load, driving on steep hills, or for off-road driving. You may want to shift the transmission to a lower gear selection if the transmission shifts too often. Downshifting the transmission in slippery road conditions could result in skidding, see "Skidding" under Loss of Control on page 4-10 When temperatures are very cold, the Hydra-Matic® Automatic Transmission's gear shifting may be delayed providing more stable shifts until the engine warms up. Shifts may be more noticeable with a cold transmission. This difference in shifting is normal. {CAUTION: Shifting into a drive gear while the engine is running at high speed is dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the brake pedal, your vehicle could move very rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or objects. Do not shift into a drive gear while your engine is running at high speed. Notice: Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine running at high speed may damage the transmission. The repairs would not be covered by your warranty. Be sure the engine is not running at high speed when shifting your vehicle. 2-28