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 get hot and no longer work well.

Vehicles can tow in D (Drive). Shift the transmission to a lower gear if the transmission shifts too often under heavy loads and/or hilly conditions.

The Tow/Haul Mode may be used if the transmission shifts too often.

See Tow/Haul Mode on page 9‑42.

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 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 automatic transmission in P (Park) for a few minutes before turning the engine off. If the overheat warning comes on, see Engine Overheating on page 10‑23.

    See also:

    Compass
    The vehicle may have a compass display on the Driver Information Center (DIC). The compass receives its heading and other information from the Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna, StabiliTrak, ...

    Fog Lamps
    The fog lamps control is located on the turn/lane change lever. Use the fog lamps for better vision in foggy or misty conditions. FOG (Fog Lamps): Turn the fog lamp band on the lever to and re ...

    Towing the Vehicle
    Notice: To avoid damage, the disabled vehicle should be towed with all four wheels off the ground. Care must be taken with vehicles that have low ground clearance and/or special equipment. Always flat ...