1998 Buick Riviera Owner's Manual - Page 190

If you drive regularlyin 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. Checkall fluid levels and alsothe brakes, tires, cooling system and transaxle. These parts can work hard on mountain roads. Know how to go downhills. The most important thing to knowis this: let your engine do some the of slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you g~o down a steep or long hill. 0 0 Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) with the or ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to do all the work slowing down. They could get of so hot that they wouldn't work well. You would then have poor braking even none going down or a hill. You could crash.Always have your engine running and your vehicle in gearwhen you go downhill. I you don't shiftdown, your brakescould getso f hot thatthey wouldn't work well. You would then have poor braking or even none going down a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let your engine assistyour brakeson a steep downhill slope. 0 0 0 Know how to go uphill. Drive the highest in gear possible. Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane roads in hills or mountains. Don't swing wide cut or across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let you stay in your own lane. As you go over the top aof be alert. There could be hill, something in your lane, likestalled car or an accident. a of You may see highway signs on mountains that warn special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area winding or roads. Be alert to these and appropriate action. take 4-23