
Driving on Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up, down, or
across a hill. Driving safely on hills requires good
judgment and an understanding of what your
vehicle can and cannot do. There are some hills
that simply cannot be driven, no matter how
well built the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Many hills are simply too steep for any
vehicle. If you drive up them, you will
stall. If you drive down them, you cannot
control your speed. If you drive across
them, you will roll over. You could be
seriously injured or killed. If you have
any doubt about the steepness, do not
drive the hill.
Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it
is one of those hills that is just too steep to climb,
descend, or cross. Steepness can be hard to judge.
On a very small hill, for example, there may be a
smooth, constant incline with only a small change in
elevation where you can easily see all the way to
the top. On a large hill, the incline may get steeper
as you near the top, but you may not see this
because the crest of the hill is hidden by bushes,
grass, or shrubs.
Here are some other things to consider as you
approach a hill:
Is there a constant incline, or does the hill get
sharply steeper in places?
Is there good traction on the hillside, or will
the surface cause tire slipping?
Is there a straight path up or down the hill so
you will not have to make turning maneuvers?
Are there obstructions on the hill that can
block your path, such as boulders, trees, logs,
or ruts?
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If your engine has stopped running, you will
need to restart it. With the brake pedal
pressed, apply the parking brake. If you
have an automatic transmission, shift the
transmission to PARK (P). Restart the engine.
Then, shift to REVERSE (R), release the
parking brake, and slowly back down the hill
as straight as possible in REVERSE (R).
As you are backing down the hill, put your
left hand on the steering wheel at the
12 o’clock position. This way, you will be
able to tell if your wheels are straight
and maneuver as you back down. It is
best that you back down the hill with your
wheels straight rather than in the left or
right direction. Turning the wheel too far
to the left or right will increase the possibility
of a rollover.Here are some things youmust notdo if you stall,
or are about to stall, when going up a hill:
Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting
into NEUTRAL (N) to rev-up the engine
and regain forward momentum. This will
not work. Your vehicle will roll backwards very
quickly and you could go out of control.
Instead, apply the regular brake to stop the
vehicle. Then apply the parking brake. Shift to
REVERSE (R), release the parking brake,
and slowly back straight down.
Never attempt to turn around if you are
about to stall when going up a hill. If the hill
is steep enough to stall your vehicle, it is steep
enough to cause you to roll over if you turn
around. If you cannot make it up the hill,
you must back straight down the hill.
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Q:Suppose, after stalling, I try to back down
the hill and decide I just cannot do it.
What should I do?
A:Set the parking brake. If you have an
automatic transmission, shift to PARK (P).
Turn off the engine. Leave the vehicle and
go get some help. Exit on the uphill side
and stay clear of the path the vehicle would
take if it rolled downhill. Do not shift the
transfer case to NEUTRAL when you leave
the vehicle. Leave it in some gear.
{CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL
can cause your vehicle to roll even if the
transmission is in PARK (P), or, if you
have a manual transmission, even if you
are in gear. This is because the NEUTRAL
position on the transfer case overrides
the transmission. You or someone else
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
could be injured. If you are going to leave
your vehicle, set the parking brake and
shift the transmission to PARK (P), or,
put the manual transmission in FIRST (1).
But do not shift the transfer case to
NEUTRAL. Leave the transfer case in the
Four-Wheel High, Four-Wheel-High Lock,
or Four-Wheel-Low Lock position.
Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you will want
to consider a number of things:
How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to
maintain vehicle control?
What is the surface like? Smooth? Rough?
Slippery? Hard-packed dirt? Gravel?
Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts?
Logs? Boulders?
What is at the bottom of the hill? Is there a
hidden creek bank or even a river bottom
with large rocks?
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Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed,
blowing, or loose snow — drive with caution.
The Traction Control System (TCS) improves your
ability to accelerate when driving on a slippery
road. It will improve your ability to accelerate.
SeeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice, or Snow on page 286. Even though your
vehicle has TCS, you will want to slow down
and adjust your driving to the road conditions.
Under certain conditions, you may want to
turn your traction system off, such as when
driving through deep snow and loose gravel,
to help maintain vehicle motion at lower speeds.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on page 241
andStabiliTrak
®System on page 244.The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) improve your
vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop
on a slippery road. Even though you have ABS,
you will want to begin stopping sooner than
you would on dry pavement. SeeAnti-Lock Brake
System (ABS) on page 239.
Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be
ne until you hit a spot that is covered with ice.
On an otherwise clear road, ice patches may
appear in shaded areas where the sun cannot
reach, such as around clumps of trees, behind
buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes the
surface of a curve or an overpass may remain
icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If you
see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before
you are on it. Try not to brake while you are
actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering
maneuvers.
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{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You cannot see
it or smell it, so you might not know it is in
your vehicle. Clear away snow from around
the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And
check around again from time to time to
be sure snow does not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of
the vehicle that is away from the wind.
This will help keep CO out.Run your engine only as long as you must.
This saves fuel. When you run the engine, make it
go a little faster than just idle. That is, push the
accelerator slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat
that you get and it keeps the battery charged.
You will need a well-charged battery to restart the
vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with
your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window
almost all the way to preserve the heat. Start
the engine again and repeat this only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the cold. But do it
as little as possible. Preserve the fuel as long
as you can. To help keep warm, you can get out
of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous
exercises every half hour or so until help comes.
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