GM Chevrolet Avalanche - Manual (Page 284)

Q:
What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or
is about to stall, and I cannot make it up
the hill?
A:
If this happens, there are some things you should
do, and there are some things you must not do.
First, here is what you should do:
• Push the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and
keep it from rolling backwards. Also, apply the
parking brake.
• If your engine is still running, shift the transmission
to REVERSE (R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill in REVERSE (R).
• If your engine has stopped running, you will need to
restart it. With the brake pedal pressed and the
parking brake still applied, shift the transmission to
PARK (P) and restart the engine. Then, shift to
REVERSE (R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill as straight as possible in
REVERSE (R).
• As you are backing down the hill, put your left hand
on the steering wheel at the 12 o’clock position.
This way, you will be able to tell if your wheels are
straight and maneuver as you back down. It is
best that you back down the hill with your wheels
straight rather than in the left or right direction.
Turning the wheel too far to the left or right
will increase the possibility of a rollover.
Here are some things you must not do if you stall, or
are about to stall, when going up a hill.
• Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into
NEUTRAL (N) to rev-up the engine and regain
forward momentum. This will not work. Your vehicle
will roll backwards very quickly and you could go
out of control.
Instead, apply the regular brake to stop the vehicle.
Then apply the parking brake. Shift to
REVERSE (R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back straight down.
• Never attempt to turn around if you are about to
stall when going up a hill. If the hill is steep
enough to stall your vehicle, it is steep enough to
cause you to roll over if you turn around. If you
cannot make it up the hill, you must back straight
down the hill.
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