2013 Chevrolet Express 1500 Cargo Owner Manual - Page 215

Driving and Operating going down a steep hill. See "Range Selection Mode" under Manual Mode on page 9‑28. 2 (Second): This position reduces vehicle speed even more than 3 (Third) without using the brakes. You can use 2 (Second) on hills. It can help control vehicle speed as you go down steep mountain roads, but then you would also want to use the brakes off and on. See "Range Selection Mode" under Manual Mode on page 9‑28. If you manually select 2 (Second) in an automatic transmission, the transmission will start in second gear. You can use this feature for reducing the speed of the rear wheels when you are trying to start the vehicle from a stop on slippery road surfaces. 1 (First): This position reduces vehicle speed without using the brakes. You can use it for major/ severe downgrades where the vehicle would otherwise accelerate due to steepness of grade. When you shift to 1 (First) it provides the lowest gear appropriate to current road speed and continues to downshift as the vehicle slows, eventually downshifting to 1 (First) gear. The transmission can be held in 1 (First) gear using Range Selection Mode or the shift lever. See "Range Selection Mode" under Manual Mode on page 9‑28. Notice: Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle in one place on a hill using only the accelerator pedal may damage the transmission. The repair will not be covered by the vehicle warranty. If you are stuck, do not spin the tires. When stopping on a hill, use the brakes to hold the vehicle in place. 9-25 Normal Mode Grade Braking Vehicles with a 6-Speed automatic transmission have Normal Mode Grade Braking that is enabled when the vehicle is started, but is not enabled in Range Selection Mode. It assists in maintaining desired vehicle speeds when driving on downhill grades by using the engine and transmission to slow the vehicle. The first time the system activates for each ignition key cycle, a DIC message will be displayed. See Transmission Messages on page 5‑37. To disable or enable Normal Mode Grade Braking within the current ignition key cycle, press and hold the Tow/Haul button for three seconds. A DIC message displays. See Transmission Messages on page 5‑37. For other forms of grade braking, see Tow/Haul Mode on page 9‑29 and Cruise Control on page 9‑34.