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Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) range before
starting the engine. Your Aurora has a brake-transaxle
shift interlock. You have to fully
apply your regular
brakes
before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition key is in the
ON position. If you cannot shift
out of PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift lever--push
the shift lever all the way into PARK (P) and also
release the shift lever button as you maintain brake
application. Then move the shift lever into the gear you
wish. (Press the shift lever button.) See “Shifting Out of
PARK (P)” in the Index.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transaxle.
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 transaxle, see “If
You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow” in the Index.
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.
I NOTICE:
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL
(N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
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Forward Gears
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@): 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.
0 Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
NOTICE:
If your vehicle seems to start up rather slowly, or
if it seems not to shift gears as you go faster,
something may be wrong with a transaxle system
sensor.
If you drive very far that way, your
vehicle can be damaged.
So, if this happens, have
your vehicle serviced right away. Until then, you
can use
SECOND (2) when you are driving less
than
35 mph (56 km/h) and OVERDRIVE (a)
for higher speeds.
THIRD GEAR (3): This is like OVERDRIVE (a), but
you never
go into Overdrive. Here are some times you
might choose THIRD (3) instead of OVERDRIVE (@):
0 When driving on hilly, winding roads.
When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears.
0 When going down a steep hill.
SECOND GEAR (2): This position gives you
more power but lower fuel economy. You can use
SECOND
(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.
I NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than
5 miles (8 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(88 kndh), or you can damage your transaxle.
Use
OVERDRIVE (@) or THIRD (3) as much
as possible.
Don’t shift into
SECOND (2) unless you are going
lower than
65 mph (105 kmh), or you can
damage your engine.
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FIRST GEAR (1): This position gives you even more
power (but lower fuel economy) than
SECOND (2). You
can use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If
the selector lever is put in FIRST
(11, the transaxle
won’t shift into FIRST
(1) until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your front 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 transaxle.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transaxle. Use your brakes or shift into
PARK (P)
to hoId your vehicle in position on a hill.
Selectable Shift
This button lets you
change from a normal
driving mode to a
power mode. For
general driving
conditions, use the
normal mode.
Press the button on your shift lever
so that it’s either in
the NORMAL or POWER position. When it’s in the
NORMAL position, the line on the button will be
showing. When
in POWER, the line is not showing.
In the NORMAL position, the transaxle shifts at lower
engine speeds.
For increased performance, you may
choose the POWER mode.
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Page 76 of 372

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 parking brake indicator
light will come on.
If
you try to drive off with the parking brake on, the
parking brake indicator light stays on. The PARK
BRAKE SET message will appear in the Driver
Information Center, and a chime will sound until you
release the parking brake
or recycle the ignition. This
vehicle has
a PUSH TO RELEASE parking brake
pedal. To release
the parking brake, hold the regular
brake down and push
the parking brake pedal with your
left foot. This will unlock the pedal. When you lift your
left foot, the parking brake pedal will follow it
to the
released position.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have
to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts
of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That part shows
what
to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
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Shifting Into PARK (P)
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) positions as
follows:
0 Hold in the button on the lever.
Push the lever all the way toward the front of
your vehicle.
3. Move the ignition key to LOCK.
4. 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).
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I
i
I
I
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
*running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly
set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the PARK (P)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if
you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pushing the button.
If you can, it means the shift lever wasn’t fully locked
into PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle.
You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out
of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver’s
seat. To find out how, see “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index.
When you
are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P)
before you release the parking brake.
If “torque lock” does occur, you may need
to have
another vehicle push yours
a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the transaxle,
so you can pull the shift
lever out
of PARK (P).
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Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your Aurora has a brake-transaxle shift interlock. You
have to fully
apply your regular brake before you can
shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is in the
ON
position. See “Shifting the Automatic Transaxle” in the
Index.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure
on
the shift lever--push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into the gear you wish. Press the
shift lever button before moving the shift lever.
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. Open and close the driver’s
door to turn off the Retained Accessory Power
feature.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear you
want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
Parking Over Things That Burn
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Engine Exhaust Running Your Engine While You’re
Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
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