Driving on Grades

Notice: Do not tow on steep continuous grades exceeding 6 miles (9.6 km). Extended, higher than normal engine and transmission temperatures may result and damage the vehicle. Frequent stops are very important to allow the engine and transmission to cool.

Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before starting down a long or steep downgrade. If the transmission is not shifted down, the brakes might have to be used so much that they would get hot and no longer work well.

On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce the vehicle’s speed to around 45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the possibility of the engine and the transmission overheating. If the engine does overheat, see Engine Overheating.

    See also:

    OnStar®
    For vehicles with an active OnStar subscription, OnStar uses several innovative technologies and live Advisors to provide a wide range of safety, security, navigation, diagnostics, and calling servi ...

    Compass
    Compass Operation There is a compass display in the upper right corner of the mirror. Compass Calibration Press and hold to activate the compass calibration mode. CAL displays in the compass ...

    Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
    For vehicles with LDW, it is intended to help avoid lane change collisions. It provides a warning if the vehicle is crossing a lane without using a turn signal. LDW uses a camera to detect the l ...