Chevrolet Spark Owners Manual: Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through mountains is different than driving on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for driving in these conditions include:
- Keep the vehicle serviced and in good shape.
- Check all fluid levels and brakes, tires, cooling system, and transmission.
- Shift to a lower gear when going down steep or long hills.
Warning
Using the brakes to slow the vehicle on a long downhill slope can cause brake overheating, can reduce brake performance, and could result in a loss of braking.
Shift the transmission to a lower gear to let the engine assist the brakes on a steep downhill slope.
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral) or with the ignition off is dangerous. This can cause overheating of the brakes and loss of steering. Always have the engine running and the vehicle in gear.
- Stay in your own lane. Do not swing wide or cut across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let you stay in your own lane.
- Be alert on top of hills; something could be in your lane (stalled car, accident).
- Pay attention to special road signs (falling rocks area, winding roads, long grades, passing or no-passing zones) and take appropriate action.
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce vehicle traction and affect your ability to stop
and accelerate.
Always drive slower in these types of driving conditions and avoid driving through
large puddles and ...
Winter Driving
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Other materials:
Driver Information Center (DIC)
The DIC has different displays, which can be accessed by using the DIC buttons
on the right side of the instrument cluster. The DIC displays trip, fuel, and warning
messages if a system problem is detected.
DIC Buttons
MENU: Press to display the DIC menus.
or
: Use to scroll through th ...
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
This vehicle has an HSA feature, which may be useful when the vehicle is stopped
on a grade sufficient enough to activate HSA.
This feature is designed to prevent the vehicle from rolling, either forward
or rearward, during vehicle drive off. After the driver completely stops and holds
the ve ...
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
This vehicle has ABS, an advanced electronic braking system that helps prevent
a braking skid.
When the vehicle begins to drive away, ABS checks itself.
A momentary motor or clicking noise might be heard while this test is going on,
and it might even be noticed that the brake pedal moves a lit ...
