Driving on Grades

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.

The vehicle can tow in D (Drive). Use a lower gear if the transmission shifts too often.

When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades, engine coolant will boil at a lower temperature than at normal altitudes. If the engine is turned off immediately after towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades, the vehicle may show signs similar to engine overheating. To avoid this, let the engine run while parked, preferably on level ground, with the transmission in P (Park) for a few minutes before turning the engine off. If the overheat warning comes on, see Engine Overheating on page 10‑20.

    See also:

    Rear Towing (Rear Wheels Off the Ground)
    Two-Wheel-Drive Vehicles Use the following procedure to dolly tow a two-wheel-drive vehicle from the rear: 1. Attach the dolly to the tow vehicle following the dolly manufacturer's instructions. ...

    Shifting from Two-Wheel Drive High to Four-Wheel Drive High
    • Shifts between Two-Wheel Drive High and Four-Wheel Drive High can be made at any vehicle speed. • Shift the transfer case lever in one continuous motion into either the Four-Wheel Drive High or ...

    Automatic Transmission
    The automatic transmission shift lever is located on the console between the seats. P (Park): This position locks the front wheels. Use P (Park) when starting the engine because the vehicle can ...