1996 Pontiac Bonneville Owner's Manual - Page 191

~f drive regularlyi steep country,or if you're you n planning to visit there, here some tips that make are can your trips safer and more enjoyable. Keep you vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid levels and also the brakes, tires,cooling system and transaxle. These partscan work hard on mountain roads. 0 Know how to go down hills. The most important thing to know is this: let your engine do some of the slowing down. Shift toa lower gear when you go down a steepor long h l . il ~ Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the brakes will have to ignition off is dangerous. Your do all the work of slowing down. They could getso hot that they wouldn't work well. You would then a il have p m braking or even none going down hl. 1 You could crash. Always have your engine running and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill. Know how to go uphill. Shift down to THIRD (3). This will helpcool your engine and transaxle, and hill you can climb the better. Stay in your own h e when drivingon two-lane roads inhills or mountains. Don't swing wide or cut across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let you stayi your own lane. n As you go over the top of a hill, be dert. There could be something i your lane, like a stalled car o an accident. n r You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of specid 'problems. Examples long grades, passing or are no-passing zones, a fallingrwkx area orwinding roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action. If 'you don'tshift down, your brakes could getso hot that they wouldn'f work well. You would then have poor braking or even none going down a hl. il You could crash. Shift down to let your engine assist yourbrakes on a steep downhill slope. 0 0 : I' ,:\. ..