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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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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Cruise control does not work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 kmh).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control shuts
off.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. (See “Traction
Control System” in the Index.) When road conditions
allow you to safely use it again, you may turn the cruise
control back on.
To Set Cruise Control
1. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
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Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
ANT’- (@)
LOCK
With the anti-lock
brake system, this light
will come
on when
you start your engine
and may stay
on for
several seconds. That’s
normal. If the light
doesn’t come on, have
it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if
there is a problem.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition off. Or, if the light
comes on when you’re driving, stop as soon as possible
and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to
reset the system.
If the light still stays on, or comes on
again while you’re driving, your Aurora needs service.
If
the regular brake system warning light isn’t on, you
still have brakes, but you don’t have anti-lock brakes. If
the regular brake system warning light is also on, you
don’t have anti-lock brakes and there’s a problem with
your regular brakes. See “Brake System Warning Light’’
earlier in this part.
Traction Control System Warning Light
TRACTION
OFF
This warning light should come on briefly as you start
the engine.
If the warning light doesn’t come on then,
have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a
problem. If it stays
on, or comes on when you’re
driving, there may be a problem with your traction
control system and your vehicle may need service.
When this warning light
is on, the system will not limit
wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
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The traction control system warning light may come on
for the following reasons:
0
0
0
If you turn the system off by pressing the
TRACTION CONTROL button located on
the
center console, the warning light will come on and
stay
on. To turn the system back on, press the button
again. The warning light should go
off. (See
“Traction Control System” in the Index for more
information.)
If there’s
a brake system problem that is specifically
related
to traction control, the traction control system
will turn off and the warning light will come on.
If
your brakes begin to overheat, the traction control
system will turn off and the warning light will come
on until your brakes cool down.
If the traction control system is affected
by an
engine-related problem,
the system will turn off and
the warning light will come on.
If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on
for an extended period of time when the
system
is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
Traction Control System Active Light
TRACTION
ACTIVE
When your traction control system is limiting wheel
spin, the TRACTION ACTIVE light will come on.
Slippery road conditions may exist if this light comes
on, so adjust your driving accordingly. The light will
stay on for a few seconds after the traction control
system stops limiting
wheel spin.
The TRACTION ACTIVE light also comes on briefly,
as a bulb check, when the engine is started. If the light
doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed so it will be there to
tell
you when the system is active.
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Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator.
All three systems have to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you're driving
on snow or ice, it's
easy to ask n~ore
of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means
~OLI can lose control
of your vehicle.
Braking
First. you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That's
perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That's
rem-tion time.
Average remtio/1 time is about 3/4 of a second. But
that's only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long
as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness. coordination,
and eyesight all play
a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration.
But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle
moving at 60
lnph ( 100 km/h) travels 66 feet
(20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an emergency,
so keeping enough space between your vehicle and
others is important.
And,
of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it's pavement or
tread; and the condition
of your brakes.
e (mvel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy): tire
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