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To shift the selector lever from the “P” to the any other position, you
have to depress the brake pedal fully when the ignition switch is in the
“ON” position. This prevents the vehicle from lurching when it is
started.
If the shift lever does not move from the “P” position with the brake
pedal depressed, refer to the “Shift lock release ” section in this chap-
ter. R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle.
To shift from the “N” to “R” position, first stop the vehicle completely
then move the lever to the “R” position.
N (Neutral)
WARNING
Do not drive the vehicle with the selector lever in the “N” (neutral)
position. Engine braking has no effect in this condition and the risk of an accident is consequently increased.
This position is for restarting a stalled engine.
In this position the wheels and transmission are not locked. In this
position, the transmission is neutral; the vehicle will roll freely, even onthe slightest incline unless the parking brake or foot brake is on. D (Drive)
This position is for normal driving.
The transmission automatically shifts into a suitable gear from 1st to
4th according to the vehicle speed and the acceleration you require.
When more acceleration is required in this position, press the acceler- ator pedal fully to the floor and hold that position. The transmission
will automatically downshift to 3rd, 2nd or 1st gear. When you release
the pedal, the transmission will return to the original gear position. n While climbing a grade
When driving up a hill, undesired upshift to 4th gear is prevented from
Starting and operating7-17
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CONTINUED –
taking place when the accelerator is released. This minimizes the
chance of subsequent downshifting to a lower gear when accelerat-
ing again. This prevents repeated upshifting and downshifting result-ing in a smoother operation of the vehicle. NOTE
The transmission may downshift to 2nd or 1st gear, depending on the way the accelerator pedal is pressed to accelerate the vehicleagain. nWhile going down a hill
When descending a steep hill, depressing the brake pedal will cause
the transmission to downshift to 3rd gear, thus applying engine brak-
ing. Reacceleration for a short time will cause the transmission to up-
shift normally. NOTE In some cases, depressing the brake pedal on a downhill grade
does not result in an automatic downshift to 3rd gear. This canhappen when the automatic transmission fluid temperature is
very low, for example, during driving shortly after the vehicle has
been parked for an extended period of time. When the ATF tem-perature has risen to a certain level, automatic downshift normal-ly takes place. In the meantime, downshift manually for enginebraking as required.Also, downshifting when braking downhill will not occur at
speeds above approximately 50 mph (80 km/h). 3 (Third)
This position is for using engine braking when going down a hill or for
climbing a grade.
The transmission automatically shifts into a suitable gear from 1st to
3rd according to the vehicle speed and the acceleration you require.
When more acceleration is required in this position, press the acceler- ator pedal fully to the floor and hold that position. The transmission
will automatically downshift to 2nd or 1st gear. When you release the
pedal, the transmission will return to the original gear position.