1997 Oldsmobile Achieva Owner's Manual - Page 179

If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you're planning to visit there, here are some tips can make that your trips safer and more enjoyable. 0 A CAUTION: Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid levels and also the brakes, tires, coolingsystem and transaxle. These parts work hard on can mountain roads. Know how to go down hills. The most important thing toknow is this: letyour engine do some of the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go down a steep or long hill. Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the 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 You would well. then have poor braking or even none going down a hill. You could crash. Always have your engine running and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill. 0 Know how to gouphill. Drive in the highest gear possible. Stay in your own lanewhen 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 inyour 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 You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks areaor winding roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action. 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 a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let your engine assist your brakes on steep a downhill slope. 0 0 0 4-25