Q:
Am
I
likely to
stall
when going downhill?
A:
It’s
much more likely
to
happen going uphill. But
if
it
happens going downhill, here’s what
to
do.
Stop your vehicle by applying the regular brakes.
Apply the parking brake.
Shift
to
PARK
(P)
and, while still braking, restart the
engine.
Shift back
to
a low gear, release the parking brake,
and drive straight down.
If
the engine won’t 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.
For reasons like these, you need
to
decide carefully
whether to
try
to
drive across an incline. Just because
the trail goes across the incline doesn’t mean you
have
to
drive it. The last vehicle
to
try it might have
rolled over.
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