Hi folks. I just wanted to respond to the downshifting comments. The
transmission mechanic did say that when going down a 'very long
grade' (he gave the example of Oregon's Mt. Hood, probably since
Oregon City is so close to it, but it's what, 10,000 ft. high or so),
that it's okay to downshift some, but that the majority of the
braking should be handled by the brakes. He said you don't want to
overheat the brakes, so you can downshift and use the engine a
little, but that the brakes should really carry most of the braking
load. Thanks for pointing this out, I didn't mean to mislead anyone
or misconstrue his points. He did stress the importance of not
braking with the engine too much, so this is what I mentioned, though
he did acknowledge the need to downshift on some long, steep grades.
best,
Rosannah
