1996 Oldsmobile Silhouette Owner's Manual - Page 196

If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you're planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make your trips safer and more enjoyable. Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system and transaxle. These parts can work hard on mountain roads. Know how to go down hills. Themost important thing to know is this: let your engine some of the do slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go down a steep or longhill. ' A CA,TIO,/: Coasting downhill inNEUTRAL (N) or with the ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to do all the workof slowing down. They could get so hot that they wouldn't work well. You would then have poor braking or even none going down hill. a You could crash. Always have your engine running and your vehicle in gear whenyou go downhill. Know how to go uphill. Youmaywant to shift down to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine and transaxle, and you can climb the hll better. Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane roads in hills or mountains. Don't swing wide or cut across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let you stay in your own lane. As you go over the topof a hill, be alert. There could be something in your lane, like stalled car or an accident. a Youmay see highway signs on mountains that warn of special problems. Examples are long grades, passingor no-passing zones, a falling rocks area or winding roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action. I I If you don't shift down, your brakes could get so hot that they wouldn't work well. You would then have poor braking or even none going down hill. a You could crash. Shift down to let your engine assist your brakes on a steep downhill slope. 4-22