Caution – GMC 2009 Sierra User Manual

Page 277

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Attach a flag to the vehicle to make you more
visible to approaching traffic on trails or hills.

Sound the horn as you approach the top of the hill
to let opposing traffic know you are there.

Use the headlamps even during the day. They
make your vehicle more visible to oncoming traffic.

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CAUTION:

Driving to the top (crest) of a hill at full speed
can cause an accident. There could be a
drop-off, embankment, cliff, or even another
vehicle. You could be seriously injured or
killed. As you near the top of a hill, slow down
and stay alert.

There are some things you should do if the vehicle stalls,
or is about to stall, and you cannot make it up the hill:

Push the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and keep if
from rolling backwards. Also, apply the parking
brake.

If the engine is still running, shift the transmission 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 the wheels are straight
and maneuver as you back down. It is best that you
back down the hill with the 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.

There are also 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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