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ITICE: 
If your key  seems  stuck in LOCK and you can’t  turn it, be  sure 
it  is  all  the 
way in. If it is,  then  turn  the steering  wheel left and 
right  while  you  turn the key  hard.  But turn  the key  only  with 
your hand.  Using 
a tool to force it could break  the key  or the 
ignition  switch. 
If none  of this works, then your  vehicle needs 
service. 
Key Release Button 
The  ignition  key  cannot  be removed 
from  the  ignition 
of 
manual  transmission 
vehicles  unless  the 
key  release  button  is 
used. 
To Remove  the Key 
On  manual  transmission  vehicles,  turn  the  key  to  the LOCK position  while 
pressing  the  key  release  button  in  (see  the  caution  earlier  i\
n  this  section  about  the  key  release  lever).  Keeping  your  finger  on  the  butt\
on,  pull  the  key straight  out. 
On  automatic  transmission  vehicles, 
turn the  key  to LOCK and  pull  it 
straight  cwt. 
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NOTICE: 
After  you’ve  used  the  coolant  heater, be  sure  to  store  the  cord  as 
it  was  before  to keep 
it away from moving  engine  parts.  If  you 
don’t, 
it could  be  damaged. 
How  long should  you keep  the coolant  heater plugged in? The  answer 
depends  on  the weather,  the  kind  of  oil  you  have. and  some other things. 
Inste.ad  of  trying 
to list everything  here, we ask  that  you  contact your GM 
dealer in the area  where  you‘ll be parking your vehicle. The dealer can give 
you  the  best  advice  for that particular  area. 
Automatic  Transmission 
There  are several different positions  for your  shift lever. 
If your vehicle  is equipped with an  automatic  transmission, it now  features 
an  electronic  shift position  indicator 
within the instrument cluster.  This 
display  must  be  powered  anytime the shift lever is  capable 
of being moved 
out  of  the 
PARK (P) position.  This means that if your  key  is in the OFF 
position, but  not locked,  there will be a small current drain on your battery 
which  could discharge your battery  over 
a period  of time. If you  have  a need 
to  leave  your key 
in the ignition in the OFF position  for an extended  period 
for  any  reason, 
it is recommended  that you disconnect  the battery  cable 
from  the battery  to prevent  discharging  your battery. 
PARK  (P) -This  locks your rear wheels.  It’s  the best position to use 
when  you start  your  engine  because your vehicle can’t move easily. 
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Your vehicle has a brake-transmission  shift  interlock. With  the ignition in 
the RUN  position,  you  must fully apply your regular brakes before  you can 
shift from  PARK (P). 
If you cannot  shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure  on the shift lever  and 
push  the 
shift lever  all  the  way  into PARK (P) as you continue pressing the 
brake pedal. 
Then move the shift lever into the  gear  you want. If you  still 
cannot  shift the shift lever out  of 
PARK (P), see ”Shifting Out of PARK (P)” 
later in this section. 
REVERSE (R) - Use  this gear  to  back  up. 
NOTICE: 
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while  your  vehicle is moving  forward 
could  damage  your  transmission.  Shift  to  REVERSE 
(R) only 
after  your  vehicle  is  stopped. 
To rock your vehicle back  and forth to get out  of snow, ice or sand 
without  damaging  your transmission,  see 
“If You‘re Stuck: In Sand, 
Mud,  Ice or  Snow” 
in the Index. 
a NEUTRAL  (N) - In this position, your  engine doesn’t connect with 
the wheels. To restart when you’re already moving,  use NEUTRAL (N) 
only. Also, use NEUTRAL (N) when  your vehicle is being towed. 
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A CAUTION: 
Shifting out of PARK (f) or NEUTRAL (N) while  your engine is 
“racing”  (running at high speed) is dangerous.  Unless your foot 
is firmly  on  the brake pedal, your  vehicle could move  very 
rapidly. 
You could  lose control  and hit people  or objects.  Don’t 
shift out  of 
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while  your engine is 
racing. 
NOTICE: 
Damage  to  your transmission caused  by shifting out of PARK 
(P) or NEUTRAL (N) with  the engine racing  isn’t  covered  by 
your warranty. 
AUTOMATIC  OVERDRIVE (a) - This  position  is for  normal 
driving.  If  you need more power  for passing,  and you’re: 
- Going  less  than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your accelerator 
pedal  about  halfway  down. 
the  way  down. 
You’ll  shift down to the next  gear and have  more power. 
- Going  about 35 mph (56 kdh)  or more, push the  accelerator all 
0 should not be used  when  towing  a  trailer, carrying a heavy load, 
driving  on steep hills,  or for  off-road  driving.  Select  THIRD 
GEAR 
(3) when  operating  the  vehicle under any  of these 
conditions. 
THIRD  GEAR (3) - This is like 63, but you never  go into  Overdrive. 
You  should  use 
THIRD GEAR (3) when towing a trailer. carrying  a 
heavy  load,  driving on steep  hills,  or 
for off-road  driving. 
0 SECOND  GEAR (2) - This position  gives  you more power  but lower 
fuel  economy.  You can use 
SECOND GEAR (2) on hills.  It can  help 
control 
your speed  as you go down  steep  mountain roads, but then  you 
would also want 
to use your brakes  off and  on. 
If you  manually  select  SECOND GEAR (2), the transmission will drive 
in second gear. You may use this  feature  for  reducing  torque  to the  rear 
wheels  when  you are trying 
to start  your  vehicle from a stop on 
slippery road  surfaces. 
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FIRST GEAR (1) - This position  gives you even more power (but 
lower 
fuel economy)  than SECOND GEAR (2). You  can use it on very 
steep hills,  or in deep  snow or mud. If the selector lever  is  put  in FIRST 
GEAR  (1)  while the vehicle  is moving  forward,  the transmission won’t 
shift  into  FIRST  GEAR 
(1) until the vehicle  is going slowly enough. 
NOTICE: 
If your rear wheels  can’t  rotate,  don’t  try  to  drive.  This  might 
happen  if you  were  stuck  in  very deep  sand 
or mud  or  were  up 
against  a  solid object. 
You could  damage  your  transmission. 
Also,  if you  stop  when  going  uphill,  don’t  hold  your  vehicle there 
with  only  the  accelerator  pedal.  This  could  overheat  and  damage 
the  transmission. 
Use your  brakes  or  shift  into PARK (P) to  hold 
your vehicle  in  position  on  a hill. 
Five-Spa-ld  Manual  Transmission  (With Low 
Gear) 
If you have a five 
speed  manual 
transmission  with 
low 
gear (RPO MW3), this 
is  your  shift pattern. 
Here’s  how  to  operate 
your transmission: 
LOW GEAR (1) is 
intended only  for 
heavy  loads and  is 
not 
recommended  for 
normal  driving. 
LOW GEAR (1) - Press the clutch  pedal  and shift into LOW GEAR 
(1). Then, slowly  let up on  the clutch pedal as you press  the accelerator 
pedal.  Shift into 
LOW GEAR (1) only  when  the  vehicle speed is below 
5 mph (8 km/h). If you  try to shift into LOW GEAR (I ) at excessive 
vehicle  speeds, the shift lever 
will not move into  the LOW GEAR (1) 
position until vehicle speed is reduced. 
FIRST  GEAR (2) - Press the clutch  pedal  and shift into FIRST 
GEAR (2). Then, slowly let  up on the clutch  pedal as you press the 
accelerator  pedal. 
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NOTICE: 
Shift  to  REVERSE (R) only  after  your  vehicle  is  stopped. 
Shifting  to  REVERSE 
(R) while  your  vehicle  is  moving  could 
damage 
your transmission. 
Also,  use REVERSE (R), along  with the parking  brake, when turning 
off  your  engine  and parking  your vehicle. 
SHIFT Light 
If you have a manual 
transmission,  you  may 
have 
a SHIFT light. 
This  light will show 
you  when 
to shift to 
the 
next higher gear 
for  best 
fuel economy. 
When  this light  comes  on,  you can shift  to the 
next higher gear  if weather, 
road and traffic  conditions  let  you. 
For the best fuel economy, accelerate 
slowly and shift when the  light  comes  on. 
While  you accelerate, 
it is normal  for the light to  go on and off  if  you 
quickly  change the position  of the accelerator.  Ignore the 
SHIFT light when 
you  downshift. 
Four-wheel  Drive  Vehicles  Only: If your vehicle has  four-wheel  drive 
and  is  equipped  with a manual  transmission,  disregard  the 
SHIFT light 
when 
the transfer  case is in 4-LOW. 
Manual  Transmission  Shift Speeds 
If  you  have a five  speed manual  transmission  with  low gear (RPO MW3) 
and one  of the  following  engines,  this chart shows when to shift to the  next 
higher gear  for best  fuel economy. 
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Locking Rear Axle 
If  you have this  feature.  your rear axle can  give you additional  traction  on 
snow,  mud,  ice,  sand or  gravel.  It works  like  a standard  axle most 
of the 
time.  but when  one 
of the rear  wheels has no traction  and the  other  does, the 
locking  feature will allow the wheel with traction to move the  vehicle. 
Parking  Brake 
To set  the  parking  brake: 
Hold the regular brake 
pedal down  with your 
right  foot. Push  down 
the parking brake 
pedal  with your left 
foot. 
If the  ignition is on.  the brake system  warning light will come on. 
To release  the  parking  brake: 
Hold the regular brake 
pedal  down.  Pull  the 
lever. located  just 
above  the parking 
brake pedal,  marked 
BRAKE RELEASE, 
to release  the parking 
brake. 
If the  ignition is on when the parking  brake is released,  the brake system 
warning  light will  go off. 
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I. Hold the brake 
pedal down 
with 
your  right  foot 
and  set  the 
parking brake. 
2. Move the shift lever  into PARK (P) position  like this: 
0 Pull  the  lever toward you. 
0 Move  the lever  up as  far  as it will go. 
3. If you  have four-wheel  drive, be sure  the transfer  case is in a  drive  gear 
- not in NEUTRAL (N) 
4. Move the ignition  key to LOCK. 
5. Remove  the key  and take it with  you. If you can walk away from your 
vehicle 
with the ignition  key in your hand,  your vehicle  is in PARK (P). 
Shifting  Out  of PARK (P) 
Your vehicle has a brake-transmission  shift interlock  system. You have  to 
fully apply your regular brakes before  you can shift  from PARK  (P). See 
“Automatic  Transmission” 
in the Index. 
If you  cannot  shift out  of  PARK  (P), ease  pressure on the shift lever  and 
push the  shift lever all the  way  up  into PARK  (P) as you maintain brake 
application.  Then,  move the shift lever  into the gear  you want. 
If you ever  hold the brake  pedal down  but still can’t shift out  of  PARK (P), 
try this: 
1. Turn the key to OFF. 
2. Apply and hold  the  brake until the end  of Step 4. 
3. Shift  to  NEUTRAL (N). 
3. Start  the vehicle  and then  shift to the  drive gear you want. 
5. Have  the brake-transmission  shift interlock system fixed as soon as 
you can. 
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