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 a lower gear, under heavy loads or hilly conditions.

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 also:

    Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
    Warning lights and gages can signal that something is wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to the warning lights and gages could p ...

    Fuel Gage
    The fuel gage shows about how much fuel is in the tank. An arrow on the fuel gage indicates the side of the vehicle the fuel door is on. The gage works only when the ignition is on. When the i ...

    Leaving Your Vehicle With theEngine Running
    CAUTION: It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the engine running. Your vehicle could move suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the parking brake firmly set. And, ...