1998 Pontiac Grand Am Owner's Manual - Page 182

If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you're planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make CAUTION: your trips safer and more enjoyable. e e Keep your vehicle in good shape. Checkfluid all Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL ( ) or with the N levels andalso the brakes, tires, cooling system ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to and transaxle. These parts can work hard on do all the workof slowing down. They could get so mountain roads. hot thatthey wouldn't work well. You would then e Know how to go down hills. The most important have poor braking or even nonegoing down a of the thing to know is this: let your engine do some You could crash. Alwayshave your engine running go slowing down.Shift to a lower gear when you and your vehiclein gear when you go downhill. down a steep or long hill. A hill. -A CAUTION: e Know how to go uphill. Drive the highest in 0 I you don't shift down, yourbrakes could f ~ You get so hot that they wouldn't work well. would then have poor braking or even none going down ahill. You could crash. Shift down to let your engine assist your brakes on a steep downhill slope. gear possible. Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane or or roads in hills mountains. Don't swing wide cut across the center the road. Drive at speeds that let of you stay in your own lane. As you go over the top a hill,be alert. There could of be something in your lane, like a stalled car oran accident. 0 0 You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of special problems. Examples are longg d s passing or r e, a no-passing zones, a falling rocks area or winding roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action. 4-25