Automatic Transmission
Set the parking brake and move your shift lever to
NEUTRAL (N) or PARK (P), if so equipped. Your engine
will not start in any other position — that is a safety
feature.
Manual Transmission
Set the parking brake, shift to neutral NEUTRAL (N)
and hold the clutch pedal to the floor while starting
the engine.
Starter Motor Operation
•The starter motor will disengage if you release
the key or the engine reaches a predetermined
engine speed.
•To prevent overheating, the starter motor will
disengage after continuously operating for
15 seconds. You must release the key from the
start position to re-engage the starter.
•The starter motor will not engage if the engine
is already running.
•The starter motor will disengage if, after
two seconds, the starter pinion gear does not
engage the flywheel or there is no engine
rpm signal from the engine speed sensor.
Starting Your Engine
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When the engine starts,
let go of the key. The idle speed will go down as
your engine gets warm.
2. If the engine does not start in 10 seconds, push the
accelerator pedal all the way down and crank the
engine for five more seconds, unless it starts sooner.
3. If your engine still will not start, or starts but then
stops, it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Wait 15 seconds to let the starter motor cool down.
Do Steps 1 through 3 again.
When the engine starts, let go of the key and the
accelerator pedal.
Notice:Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way the
engine operates. Before adding electrical equipment,
check with your dealer. If you do not, your engine
might not perform properly. Any resulting damage
would not be covered by your vehicle’s warranty.
If you ever need to have your vehicle towed,
seeTowing Your Vehicle on page 4-35.
2-13
Gasoline Engine Warm-Up
When you have started your engine, let it run for
20 or 30 seconds to warm up before you put a load
on the engine.
Drive at moderate speeds for the first 2 to 3 miles
(3.2 to 4.8 km), especially in cold weather. SeeHigh
Idle System (Caterpillar
®Diesel/Gasoline Engine)
on page 2-19.
Restarting the Gasoline Engine While
Moving (Automatic Transmission)
If you have to restart the engine while the vehicle is
moving, you will first have to shift to NEUTRAL (N).
This safety feature prevents starting the engine when
the transmission is in a drive gear.
Stopping the Gasoline Engine
Let your engine idle for a few seconds before turning it
off after you have finished driving your vehicle.
If you shift to NEUTRAL (N) or PARK (P), set the
parking brake.
If your vehicle has a two-speed axle, put the range
selector in LOW. To be sure the axle has shifted into
LOW, engage the clutch and transmission; the vehicle
may move slightly when you do this.While your engine is idling and before you turn it off,
you can make a list of any operational or handling
concerns to give to responsible maintenance personnel
so they can handle them right away.
Moisture will condense in a fuel tank that is almost
empty if the engine has not run for a while, even just
overnight under some conditions. So, it is always best
to refuel your vehicle at the end of each run.
Starting the Diesel Engine
Your vehicle’s diesel engine starts differently than a
gasoline engine. Read the following pages to learn how
to start, restart, warm-up, and stop your diesel engine.
The information applies to both Caterpillar
®diesel
engine and DURAMAX®diesel engine unless
otherwise noted.
If you have a Caterpillar
®diesel engine, also refer to
your Caterpillar®diesel engine Operation & Maintenance
Manual for the starting procedure.
2-14
Automatic Transmission
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine will not start in any other position — that is
a safety feature. To restart when you are already
moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only.
Notice:Do not try to shift to PARK (P) if your
vehicle is moving. If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to PARK (P) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
Manual Transmission
Move your shift lever to NEUTRAL and hold the
clutch pedal to the floor while starting the engine.
Your vehicle will not start if the clutch pedal is not
all the way down — that is a safety feature.
Starting Your Engine
1. Turn your ignition key to RUN.
Observe the wait to start light. SeeWait to
Start Indicator (Diesel Engine) on page 3-36.
This light may not come on if the engine is hot.
2. As soon as the wait to start light goes off,
immediately turn the ignition key to START.
When the engine starts, let go of the key.
If your vehicle is equipped with a DURAMAX
®6600
engine, it has a fast warm-up glow plug system.
The wait to start light will illuminate for a much
shorter time than most diesel engines, due to the
rapid heating of the glow plug system.
Notice:Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to
be drained much sooner. And the excessive heat
can damage your starter motor.
Notice:If the wait to start light stays on after
starting your vehicle, your vehicle may not run
properly. Have your vehicle serviced right away.
3. If the engine does not start after 15 seconds
of cranking, turn the ignition key to OFF. Wait
one minute for the starter to cool, then try the same
steps again.
2-15
If the system senses low engine coolant, the five beat
per second alarm and the low coolant warning light
will come on.
The five beats per second tone alarm means that your
engine will shut down in about 25 to 30 seconds.
There is also an engine shutdown light to indicate that
the engine will shut down. SeeEngine Shutdown
Warning Light on page 3-39.
Pull off the road and shut off the engine. Do not start it
until the reason for the problem is known, and the
problem is fixed. If the engine shuts down when you are
still in traffic, you can restart the engine and get
another 25 to 30 seconds of operation. Do this only if
you have to, since there is a problem that can harm the
engine if it is not fixed. Engine automatic shutdown,
for gasoline engines, requires activation by your dealer.
Notice:If you try to operate the vehicle after the
engine automatically shuts down, you may damage
the vehicle. Have your vehicle repaired as soon
as possible.High Idle System
(Caterpillar
®Diesel/Gasoline Engine)
Automatic High Idle System
(Diesel Engines)
The automatic high idle feature will engage whenever
you start your vehicle and the engine is below the preset
operating temperature. This will help decrease engine
warm-up time.
Idle speed will then return to normal under any of the
following conditions:
•The engine reaches the preset operating
temperature or has been operating for at least
10 minutes.
•The brake pedal is pressed.
•The manual transmission clutch pedal is pressed
or, the automatic transmission (if equipped) is
shifted from NEUTRAL (N) or PARK (P).
•The vehicle speed exceeds about 5 mph (8 km/h).
•The throttle is pressed.
2-19
Manual High Idle System
If your vehicle has this
feature, the manual high
idle switch is located in
the instrument panel
switchbank.
This system can be used to increase your engine idle
speed whenever the following conditions are met:
•The brake pedal is not pressed.
•The vehicle speed is below about 5 mph (8 km/h)
for vehicles with diesel engines. The vehicle must
not be moving and the accelerator must not be
pressed for vehicles with gasoline engines.
•The manual transmission (if equipped) clutch pedal
is not pressed or, the automatic transmission
(if equipped) is in NEUTRAL (N) or PARK (P).The manual high idle feature is activated by pressing
the switch on the instrument panel. When the switch is
pressed again, or any of the previous conditions are
not met, manual high idle will be deactivated.
The manual high idle has been preset at the factory.
Your dealer may change the setting to fit your needs.
For vehicles with Caterpillar
®diesel engines, manual
high idle can be used to set any desired high idle speed.
To set a new temporary engine idle speed do the
following:
1. Make sure all of the previously described
conditions are met.
2. Press the accelerator pedal to the desired
engine speed.
3. Momentarily press the manual high idle switch.
The temporary high idle speed will be set. This new high
idle rpm level will be remembered by the system until
either the ignition is turned to OFF or a new high idle
speed is set.
2-20
The high idle speed will be temporarily interrupted and
the engine speed will return to normal if any of the
following conditions occur:
•The brake pedal is applied.
•The accelerator pedal is pressed.
•The automatic transmission is shifted out of
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
•The clutch pedal on the manual transmission is
pressed.
•Vehicle speed is detected.
Once these inputs are removed, the engine idle speed
will slowly ramp back up to high idle after the normal
delay, if the conditions for engine coolant temperature
and air intake temperature are still met.
If this feature is turned off, by doing the brake stomp
procedure described above, and then the engine
is started the exhaust brake/restrictor light will flash for
10 seconds and then it will turn off.
Engine Checks Before Operating
When you have started your engine, let it run for
20 to 30 seconds before you put a load on the engine.
But do not leave the vehicle while the engine is running.
Avoid unnecessary idling of diesel engine equipped
vehicles.
If the engine idles too long, the temperature of the
engine coolant will fall below the normal operating
range. Low engine operating temperature causes
several conditions which affect engine operation and
reduce engine life.
The engine should be permitted to go through a
warm-up period. Operate the vehicle at a minimum of
600 rpm during the warm-up period. During this
period and during operation, the following observations
should be made.
2-22
Diesel Engine Exhaust Brake
If your vehicle is equipped with a diesel engine,
it may have an exhaust brake, which is located in the
exhaust system.
The exhaust brake is used to help slow the vehicle and
may assist the vehicle’s foundation brakes. The use of
the exhaust brake will assist the braking of the vehicle
and prolong the life of the foundation brake lining
material.
The exhaust brake switch
is located in the instrument
panel switchbank.
Push the bottom of the switch to turn the exhaust brake
on. When you push the top of the switch, the exhaust
brake will turn off.
There is an indicator light on the instrument panel similar
to the symbol on the switch, that will come on when the
exhaust brake is active. SeeExhaust Brake Indicator
Light on page 3-40for more information.When using the exhaust brake, the proper gear range
selection is important. The exhaust brake will be
most effective if the gear range selected is the lowest
possible range that does not allow the engine rpm to go
more than 200 rpm above rated (full load) rpm. If you
have a Caterpillar
®diesel engine, do not exceed
2900 rpm. If you have a DURAMAX®7800 diesel
engine, do not exceed 2550 rpm. If you have a
DURAMAX
®6600 diesel engine, do not exceed
3600 rpm.
If you have an Allison
®1000/2000/2200/2400/2500
series automatic transmission and press this button,
the transmission will downshift to a factory default
setting of fourth gear. To change the default setting,
or for more information on factory default settings,
contact your dealer for assistance.
The accelerator and clutch pedals must be released in
order for the exhaust brake to engage. The exhaust
brake will not function when the cruise control feature
is active with a DURAMAX
®6600 engine, and will
automatically shut off when the anti-lock brake system
is active.
When equipped with a Caterpillar
®diesel engine,
the exhaust brake will become active in cruise control
when you exceed the set speed by 3 mph.
2-25
Two-Speed Rear Axle Electric
Shift Control
If your vehicle is equipped with this feature, you will find
a label on the headliner above the windshield or in
another place near the driver that shows how to use it.
Be sure to follow the directions carefully.
Use the following directions based on the type of shift
control you have.
The rear axle shift control
switch for a manual
transmission is located
on the shift lever.When the switch is up, the rear axle is in the high
range. Push the switch down to change to low range.
The two-speed axle should be in low when you park
the vehicle. You will need to engage the transmission,
even move the vehicle a little, to be sure the axle is
in the low range. Then apply the parking brake, shift into
NEUTRAL and shut off the engine.
Also, always start the vehicle in motion with the
two-speed axle in the low range. To shift up from low
to high, do the following:
1. Move the switch up for the high range,
2. disengage the clutch, and
3. after a brief pause, engage the clutch and then
press down on the accelerator.
To shift down from high to low, do the following:
1. Move the switch down to low,
2. release the accelerator and then quickly
apply it again.
2-26