Hummer 2010 H3 - Manual (Page 199)

Driving and Operating 9-15
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WARNING
Many hills are simply too steep
for any vehicle. If you drive up
them, you will stall. If you drive
down them, you cannot control
your speed. If you drive across
them, you will roll over. You could
be seriously injured or killed.
If you have any doubt about the
steepness, do not drive the hill.
Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, decide if
it is too steep to climb, descend,
or cross. Steepness can be hard to
judge. On a very small hill, for
example, there may be a smooth,
constant incline with only a small
change in elevation where you can
easily see all the way to the top.
On a large hill, the incline may get
steeper as you near the top, but you
might not see this because the crest
of the hill is hidden by bushes,
grass, or shrubs.
Consider this as you approach a hill:
. Is there a constant incline,
or does the hill get sharply
steeper in places?
. Is there good traction on the
hillside, or will the surface cause
tire slipping?
. Is there a straight path up or
down the hill so you will not
have to make turning
maneuvers?
. Are there obstructions on the hill
that can block your path, such
as boulders, trees, logs, or ruts?
. What is beyond the hill? Is there
a cliff, an embankment, a
drop-off, a fence? Get out and
walk the hill if you do not know.
It is the smart way to find out.
. Is the hill simply too rough?
Steep hills often have ruts,
gullies, troughs, and exposed
rocks because they are more
susceptible to the effects of
erosion.
See Hill Start Assist (HSA) on
page 9‑52 for information on
vehicles stopped on a grade.
Driving Uphill
Once you decide it is safe to drive
up the hill:
. Use transmission and transfer
case low gear and get a firm grip
on the steering wheel.
. Get a smooth start up the hill
and try to maintain speed. Not
using more power than needed
can avoid spinning the wheels or
sliding.
. Let the traction system work to
control any wheel slippage. The
traction control system allows for
moderate wheel spin with some
capability to dig in and power up
the hill.