Chevrolet kodiak 2004, Owner'S Manual

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Here are some tips that can make your drive through
steep country safer:
•
Keep the vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system
and transmission. These parts can work hard
on mountain roads.
•
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some of
the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
{
CAUTION:
If you do not shift down, your brakes could get
so hot that they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or even none
going down a hill. You could crash. Shift down
to let your engine assist your brakes on a
steep downhill slope.
{
CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down. They could
get so hot that they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or even none
going down a hill. You could crash. Always
have your engine running and your vehicle in
gear when you go downhill.
•
Know how to go uphill. Use lower gears. They help
cool your engine and transmission, and you can
climb the hill better.
•
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Do not swing wide
or cut across the center of the road. Drive at speeds
that let you stay in your own lane.
•
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There
could be something in your lane, like a stalled car or
an accident.
•
You may se highway signs on mountains that warn
of special problems. Examples are long grades,
passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area,
winding roads and special truck lanes. Be alert
to these and take appropriate action.
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