1998 Pontiac Grand Prix Owner's Manual - Page 219

If you drive regularly in steep country, if you're or planning to visit there, here are some that can make tips your trips safer and more enjoyable. Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid levels andalso the brakes, tires, cooling system and transaxle. These parts can work hard on mountain roads. I /I\ A CAUTION: Know how to go down hills. The most important thing to know is this: let your enginedo some of the slowing down. Shift to lower gear when go a you 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 of slowing down. They could get so hot that they wouldn't work well. You would then il have poor braking or even none going down a hl. You could crash. Always have your engine running and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill. e Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine and transaxle, and you can climb thehill better. /I\ CAUTION: I you don't shift down, your brakescould f get so hot thatthey wouldn't work well. You would then have poor braking oreven none going down a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let your engine assist your brakeson a steep downhill slope. e Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane roads in hills or mountains. Don't swing wide or cut across the centerof the road. Drive at speeds that let you stay in your own lane. e As you go over the top a hill, be alert. There couldbe of something in your lane, like stalled car or an accident. a e You may see highway signs on mountains thatwarn of special problems. Examples are longgrades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area or winding roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action. 4-26