Caution – GMC 2001 Envoy User Manual

Page 240

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CAUTION:

Heavy braking when going down a hill can cause
your brakes to overheat and fade. This could cause
loss of control and a serious accident. Apply the
brakes lightly when descending a hill and use a
low gear to keep vehicle speed under control.

Q:

Are there some things I should not do
when driving down a hill?

A:

Yes! These are important because if you ignore
them you could lose control and have a
serious accident.

D When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you

across the incline of the hill. A hill that’s not too
steep to drive down may be too steep to drive across.
You could roll over if you don’t drive straight down.

D Never go downhill with the transmission in

NEUTRAL (N), or with the clutch pedal
pressed down in a manual shift. This is called
“free

-

wheeling.” Your brakes will have to do

all the work and could overheat and fade.

Q:

Am I likely to stall when going downhill?

A:

It’s much more likely to happen going uphill.
But if it happens going downhill, here’s what to do.

D Stop your vehicle by applying the regular brakes.

Apply the parking brake.

D Shift to PARK (P) (or to NEUTRAL (N) with the

manual transmission) and, while still braking, restart
the engine.

D Shift back to a low gear, release the parking brake,

and drive straight down.

D If the engine won’t start, get out and get help.

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