1993 Oldsmobile 88 Owner's Manual - Page 178

HilJ and Mountain Roads Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from driving in flat or rolling terrain. If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you're planningto visit there, here are some tips that can make your trips sakr and moreenjoyable. Keep your vehiclein good shape. I Check all fluid levels andalso the brakes, tires, cooling system and transaxle. These parts can work hard on mountain roads. Know how to go down hills. The most important thing to know is this: let your enginedo some of the slowing down. Don't make your brakesdo it al Shift to a lower gear when you go l. down a steepor long h l . That way, il you will slow down without excessive use of your brakes. A If you don't shift down, your brakes could getso hot that they wouldn't work well. You would then have poor braking or even none going down ahill. You could crash. Shift down to let your engine assist your brakeson a steep downhill slope. Know how to go uphill. Shift down to D (Drive). This will cool your help engine and transaxle, and can you climb the hill better. Stay in your,'own,lime when driving on two-lane roadsin hills or mountains. Don't swing wide or cut across the center of t h road. Drive at speeds that ~ let you stay inyour. own lane. That way; you wddt surpr&d by a vehicle corning toward you the in samelane. * : It takes longer topass another vehicle when you're gobg..uphill.You'll want to leave extra room-to pass. If a vehicle is passing you and doesn't have enough roo@,i & v v l down to make it easier forthe other vehicle to get by. b e , ; CAUTION A Coasting downhill in N (Neutral) or with the ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to do all the work of slowing down. They could getso hot that they wouldn't work well. You could crash. Always have your engine running and your vehicle in gear whenyou go downhill. 17 7