1998 Oldsmobile 88 Owner's Manual - Page 177

If you drive regularly in steep country,or if you're planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make your trips safer and more enjoyable. 0 Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system and transaxle. 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 somethe of slowing down.Shift to a lower gear when you go down steep or long hill. a ' 0 Coasting downhillin NEUTRAL (N) or with the ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to do a l the work of slowing down. They could get l so hot that they wouldn't workwell. You would then have poor braking or even none going downa hl. il You could crash. Always have your engine running and yourvehicle in gear when you go downhill. 0 I1 L U T i 3 N : . If you don't shift down, your brakes could get so hot thatthey wouldn't work well. You would then have poor braking even none going or down ahill. You could crash. Shift down to let your engineassist your brakes on steep a downhill slope. Know how togo uphill. Drivein the highest gear possible. Stay in your own lane when driving two-lane on roads in hillsor mountains. Don't swing wide or cut across the centerof the road. Drive at speeds that let you stay in your own lane. As you go over the top of hill, be alert. There could be a something in your lane, like stalled car or an accident. a 0 0 0 You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area or winding roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action.