1998 GMC Jimmy Owner's Manual - Page 203

Driving Downhill When off-roading takes you downhill, you'll want to consider anumber of things: I 'A CAUTION: How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain vehicle control? What's the surface like? Smooth'?Rough? Slippery? Hard-packed dirt? Gravel? 0 Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts? Logs? Boulders? What's at the bottom of the hill? Is there a hidden creek bank or even a riverbottom with large rocks? Heavy braking when going dowr!!hiUcan cause This your brakes to overheat and fade. could cause loss of control and a serious accident. Apply the a brakes lightly when descending hill and use a low gear to keep vehicle speed under control. Are there some things should not do when I driving downa hill? If you decide you can go down a hill safely, then try to keep your vehicle headed straight down, and use a low gear. This way, engine drag can help your brakes and they won't have to doall the work. Descend slowly, keeping your vehicle under control at all times. A: 0 Yes! These are important because if you ignore them you could losecontrol and have a serious accident. When driving downhill,avoid turns that take you across the incline of the hill. A hill that's not too steep to drive down may be too steepto drive across. You could roll over if you don't drive straight down. Never go downhill with the transmission in NEUTRAL (N), or with the clutch pedal depressed in a manual shift. This is called "free-wheeling." Your brakes will have to do all the work and could overheat and fade. 0 4-22