2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Owner Manual - Page 252

252 STARTING AND OPERATING If you stall or begin to lose headway while climbing a steep hill, allow your vehicle to come to a stop and immediately apply the brakes. Restart the engine and shift to R (Reverse). Back slowly down the hill allowing the compression braking of the engine to help regulate your speed. If the brakes are required to control vehicle speed, apply them lightly and avoid locking or skidding the tires. Remember, never drive diagonally across a hill-always drive straight up or down. If the wheels start to slip as you approach the crest of a hill, ease off the accelerator and maintain headway by turning the front wheels slowly. This may provide a fresh "bite" into the surface and will usually provide traction to complete the climb. Traction Downhill Shift the transmission into a low gear and the transfer case to 4WD LOW range. Let the vehicle go slowly down the hill with all four wheels turning against engine compression drag. This will permit you to control the vehicle speed and direction. When descending mountains or hills, repeated braking can cause brake fade with loss of braking control. Avoid repeated heavy braking by downshifting the transmission whenever possible. WARNING! If the engine stalls or you lose headway or cannot make it to the top of a steep hill or grade, never attempt to turn around. To do so may result in tipping and rolling the vehicle. Always back carefully straight down a hill in R (Reverse) gear. Never back down a hill in N (Neutral) using only the brake.