Page 84 of 338

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Third-Gear Start
Press this button to
provide more traction when you are starting
on ice or other slippery
surfaces. It only
operates when the shift lever is in DRIVE (D).
The button is located next to the shift lever
on the console.
The transmission will be in THIRD
(3) when the vehicle
begins to move. After starting in THIRD
(3), the vehicle
will upshift normally. This
feature is for improved traction only when the road
surface is slippery and is not intended for continuous use
or when the vehicle is stuck in sand,
mud, ice, snow or
gravel. Drive as usual for normal road conditions.
This feature automatically turns off when
any of the
following conditions occur:
When the ignition is turned off.
If the shift lever is placed in PARK (P), THIRD (3),
SECOND (2) or FIRST (1).
If you press and hold the accelerator pedal past its
resistance point for more than two seconds.
When speed falls below 25 mph (40 km/h).
0 Once the vehicle reaches 67 mph (108 kdh).
To turn this feature off, press the button again.
Whenever you start your vehicle, the transmission is
in
the normal mode.
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Page 87 of 338

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine
running unless you have to.
L
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transmission into PARK (P) properly, the weight
of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl
in
the transmission. 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.
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 parking pawl in the transmission,
so
you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and the
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into PARK
(P), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the
shift lever away from PARK
(P) without first pulling it
toward you. If you can, it means that the shift lever
wasn’t fully locked into PARK (P).
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Page 88 of 338

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your Catera has a Brake-Transmission Shift Interlock
(BTSI). You have to fully apply the regular brakes
before you can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is
in RUN. See “Automatic Transmission” 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 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. Open and close the driver’s
door to
turn off the Retained Accessory Power
(RAP) feature.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 8.
3. With both hands, squeeze the base of the console
4. Pull the upper part of the base out first and then slide
shift lever
together (as shown).
out the lower part of the base.
5. Lift the shift lever cover up to get it out of your way.
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Page 101 of 338

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Wiper Activated Headlamps
This feature activates the low-beam headlamps, parking
lamps, sidemarker lamps and taillamps after the
windshield wipers have been in use for about
20 seconds.
The wiper activated headlamps light the way in poor
weather and also make your vehicle more visible to
other drivers.
If the wipers are on and the ignition switch
is turned off, the headlamps will immediately turn off.
The headlamps will also deactivate if the windshield
wipers have been turned
off for about 20 seconds.
Lamps On Reminder
You will hear a warning buzzer if you open the door
while leaving the lamps
on, if the manual headlamp
control is activated. An exception to this is when you’re
using the twilight sentinel.
Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others
to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
The DRL system will make the high-beam headlamps
come
on at reduced brightness when:
0 your vehicle’s ignition is in RUN or START,
0 the low-beam headlamps are off (the manual lamp
switch is in the
off or park lamp position) and
0 your vehicle’s transmission is shifted out of
PARK (P).
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Page 102 of 338

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When DRL are on, only the high-beam headlamps (at
reduced brightness) will be on.
No other exterior lamps
such as the parking lamps, taillamps, etc. will be on
when the
DRL are being used. The instrument panel
won’t be lit up either.
When the twilight sentinel is on and it’s dark enough
outside, the high-beam headlamps (at reduced intensity)
will change to low-beam headlamps. When it’s bright
enough outside, the regular lamps will go off, and the
high-beam headlamps change to the reduced brightness
of DRL.
To idle your vehicle with the headlamps off, turn off the
twilight sentinel switch and shift the transmission into
PARK (P). Placing your vehicle in PARK
(P) disables
the DRL. The DRL will stay
off until you shift out of
PARK
(P).
If you’re not in PARK (P)
and the twilight sentinel
system
is turned off (and it’s
dark enough outside), the
DRL will remain active and
this light on the instrument
panel will appear as a
reminder that headlamps
are required.
The following conditions will override the DRL:
your vehicle’s transmission is shifted back into
PARK
(P) with the ignition in RUN or START,
the low-beam headlamps are turned on (using the
manual lamp control dial),
the wiper activated headlamps are in use (DRL will
come back on
20 seconds after wipers have turned off),
using the flash-to pass feature and
turning on twilight sentinel.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
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Page 104 of 338

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Twilight Sentinel
This feature is below the
lamp control dial on the left
side
of the instrument panel.
It automatically switches
the parking lamps and
low-beam headlamps on
and
off by sensing how dark
it is outside.
To operate the twilight sentinel, the ignition must be in
the
RUN or START position and the twilight sentinel
must be turned
on by pressing the OFF button (an
indicator light
in the button will be off when the twilight
sentinel
is activated). If the system senses it is dark
outside, the lamps will turn on. The lamps turn off when
the system detects that it is bright outside.
If you rotate the control dial all the way up, the lamps
will remain
on for about three minutes after the ignition
has been turned to the
OFF or LOCK position. If you
rotate the control dial all the way down, the lamps will
go off quickly. You can adjust the delay time from a few
seconds up to three minutes.
To turn twilight sentinel off, press the OFF button again.
The indicator light
in the button will be on. This lets the
driver know that the system has been turned
off.
Twilight sentinel also turns off if the ignition is turned to
OFF or to LOCK.
1
This light in the instrument
panel will come on if the
-
ignition is on and:
the headlamps have not b een manually turned 1
the twilight sentinel senses it is dark outside,
the twilight sentinel is off and
the transmission is not in PARK (P).
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Page 118 of 338

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Be sure to keep the original hand-held transmitter
in case you need to erase and reprogram the
universal transmitter.
Note to Canadian Owners: During programming, the
hand-held transmitter may stop transmitting after one or
two seconds. If you
are programming from one of these
transmitters,
you should press and re-press the button on
the hand-held transmitter every two seconds without
ever releasing the button on the universal transmitter.
Release both buttons when the red light on the universal
transmitter begins to flash rapidly.
Operating the Transmitter
Press and hold the appropriate button on the universal
transmitter. The red light comes on while the signal is
being transmitted.
Note that the effective transmission range
of the
universal transmitter may differ from your hand-held
transmitter and from one channel to another.
Erasing Channels
To erase all three programmed channels, hold down the
two outside buttons until the red light begins to flash.
Individual channels cannot be erased, but can be
reprogrammed using the procedure for programming
the transmitter explained earlier.
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Page 136 of 338

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Fuel Gage Low Fuel Light
The fuel
gage shows
approximately how much
fuel is in the tank. It works
only when the ignition is in
the
RUN position.
Rere
are a few concerns some owners have had about
the fuel gage. All of these situations are normal and do
not indicate that anything is wrong with the fuel gage.
At the gas station the gas pump shuts off before the
The gage may change when you turn, stop or
gage reads
E
speed
up. If
the
fuel level is low
(approximately
two gallons
of fuel remain in the fuel
tank),
a light will come on
and stay on until you add
fuel. It will also come on for
a few seconds when you
first turn
on the ignition as a
check to show it’s working.
If it doesn’t come on then,
have it fixed.
--
--nsmission Warning Light
0
This light comes on briefly
when the ignition is turned
on. If the light remains on
or lights up while driving,
there may be a fault in the
automatic transmission.
Have your vehicle serviced.
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