Caution, Driving on grades, Parking on hills – GM Chevrolet Avalanche User Manual

Page 330

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Driving On Grades

Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.

You can tow in DRIVE (D). You may want to shift the
transmission to THIRD (3) or, if necessary, a lower gear
selection if the transmission shifts too often (e.g.,
under heavy loads and/or hilly conditions).

You may also want to activate the tow/haul mode if the
transmission shifts too often. See “Tow/Haul Mode”
earlier in this section.

When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a lower
temperature than at normal altitudes. If you turn your
engine off immediately after towing at high altitude
on steep uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs
similar to engine overheating. To avoid this, let the
engine run while parked (preferably on level ground)
with the automatic transmission in PARK (P) for a
few minutes before turning the engine off. If you do get
the overheat warning, see Engine Overheating on
page 5-30
.

Parking on Hills

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CAUTION:

You really should not park your vehicle, with a
trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People
can be injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged.

But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:

1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into

PARK (P) yet.

2. Have someone place chocks under the

trailer wheels.

3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the

regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.

4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your

parking brake and shift into PARK (P).

5. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure the

transfer case is in a drive gear and not in
NEUTRAL (N).

6. Release the regular brakes.

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