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Never go downhill with the transmission in
N (Neutral), called free-wheeling. The brakes will
have to do all the work and could overheat
and fade.
Vehicles are much more likely to stall when going uphill,
but if it happens when going downhill:
1. Stop the vehicle by applying the regular brakes
and apply the parking brake.
2. Shift to P (Park) and, while still braking, restart the
engine.
3. Shift back to a low gear, release the parking brake,
and drive straight down.
4. If the engine will not start, get out and get help.
Driving Across an Incline
An off-road trail will probably go across the incline of a
hill. To decide whether to try to drive across the incline,
consider the following:
{
WARNING:
Driving across an incline that is too steep will
make your vehicle roll over. You could be
seriously injured or killed. If you have any doubt
about the steepness of the incline, do not drive
across it. Find another route instead.
.
A hill that can be driven straight up or down
might be too steep to drive across. When going
straight up or down a hill, the length of the wheel
base — the distance from the front wheels to the
rear wheels — reduces the likelihood the vehicle
will tumble end over end. But when driving across
an incline, the narrower track width — the distance
between the left and right wheels — might not
prevent the vehicle from tilting and rolling over.
Driving across an incline puts more weight on the
downhill wheels which could cause a downhill slide
or a rollover.
.
Surface conditions can be a problem. Loose
gravel, muddy spots, or even wet grass can cause
the tires to slip sideways, downhill. If the vehicle
slips sideways, it can hit something that will
trip it — a rock, a rut, etc. — and roll over.
.
Hidden obstacles can make the steepness of the
incline even worse. If you drive across a rock with
the uphill wheels, or if the downhill wheels drop
into a rut or depression, the vehicle can tilt
even more.
For these reasons, carefully consider whether to try to
drive across an incline. Just because the trail goes
across the incline does not mean you have to drive it.
The last vehicle to try it might have rolled over.
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