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Q: Am I likely to stall when going downhill?
A: It is much more likely to happen going uphill.
But if it happens going downhill, here is what to do.
1. Stop your vehicle by applying the regular brakes.
Apply the parking brake.
2. Shift to PARK (P), or NEUTRAL if you have a
manual transaxle, 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
Sooner or later, an off-road trail will probably go
across the incline of a hill. If this happens, you have
to decide whether to try to drive across the incline.
Here are some things to consider:
• A hill that can be driven straight up or down may
be too steep to drive across. When you go
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 you
drive across an incline, the much more narrow
track width — the distance between the left
and right wheels — may not prevent the vehicle
from tilting and rolling over. Also, driving across an
incline puts more weight on the downhill wheels.
This could cause a downhill slide or a rollover.
• Surface conditions can be a problem when you
drive across a hill. Loose gravel, muddy spots,
or even wet grass can cause your 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, your vehicle can tilt
even more.
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