2005 GMC CANYON transmission

Notice:Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
Use REVERSE (R), along with the parking brake,
for parking your vehicle.
Up-Shift Light
This light will show you
when to shift to the next
higher gear for best
fuel economy.
When this light comes on, you can shift to the next
higher gear if weather, road and traffic conditions permit.
For the best fuel economy, accelerate slowly and shift
when the light comes on.While you accelerate, it is normal for the light to go on
and off if you quickly change the position of the
accelerator. Ignore the shift light when you downshift.
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive and is equipped with
a manual transmission, disregard the shift light when
the transfer case is in four-wheel low.
For more information, seeUp-Shift Light (Manual
Transmission) on page 3-28.Shift Speeds
{CAUTION:
If you skip a gear when you downshift, you
could lose control of your vehicle. You could
injure yourself or others. Don’t shift down
more than one gear at a time when you
downshift.
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Four-Wheel Drive
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive, you can send your
engine’s driving power to all four wheels for extra
traction. To get the most satisfaction out of four-wheel
drive, you must be familiar with its operation. Read the
part that follows before using four-wheel drive.
You should use two-wheel-drive high for most normal
driving conditions.
Notice:Driving on clean, dry pavement in
four-wheel drive for an extended period of time may
cause premature wear on your vehicle’s powertrain.
Do not drive on clean, dry pavement in four-wheel
drive on pavement for extended periods of time.
The transfer case buttons are located to the right of the
steering wheel on the instrument panel.Use these buttons to shift into and out of four-wheel drive.
You can choose from the following:
2m(Two-Wheel High):This setting is for driving in
most street and highway situations. Your front axle is not
engaged in two-wheel drive.
N (Neutral):Shift the vehicle’s transfer case to
NEUTRAL only when towing your vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL can cause
your vehicle to roll even if the transmission is
in PARK (P). You or someone else could be
seriously injured. Be sure to set the parking
brake before placing the transfer case in
NEUTRAL. SeeParking Brake on page 2-29.
4m(Four-Wheel High):This setting engages your
front axle to help drive your vehicle. Use four-wheel high
when you need extra traction, such as on snowy or
icy roads, or in most off-road situations.
4
n(Four-Wheel Low):This setting also engages your
front axle to give you extra traction. It sends the
maximum power to all four wheels. You might choose
four-wheel low if you were driving off-road in sand, mud
or deep snow and climbing or descending steep hills.
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Indicator lights in the buttons show you which setting
you are in. The indicator lights will come on briey when
you turn on the ignition and one will stay on. If the
lights do not come on, you should take your vehicle in
for service. An indicator light will ash while shifting.
It will remain illuminated when the shift is completed.
If for some reason the transfer case cannot make
a requested shift, it will return to the last chosen setting.
Shifting from Two-Wheel High to
Four-Wheel High
Press and release the four-wheel high button. This can
be done at any speed, and the front axle will lock
automatically.
Shifting from Four-Wheel High to
Two-Wheel High
Press and release the two-wheel high button. This can
be done at any speed, and the front axle will unlock
automatically.
Shifting from Two-Wheel High or
Four-Wheel High to Four-Wheel Low
To shift from two-wheel high or four-wheel high to
four-wheel low, the vehicle must be stopped or moving
less than 1.2 mph (2 km/h) with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N) in vehicles equipped with an automatictransmission or the clutch pedal engaged in vehicles
equipped with a manual transmission. The preferred
method for shifting into four-wheel low is to have your
vehicle moving 1.2 mph (2 km/h). Press and release the
four-wheel low button. You must wait for the four-wheel
low indicator light to stop ashing and remain
illuminated before shifting your transmission into gear or
releasing the clutch pedal.
If the four-wheel low button is pressed when your
vehicle is in gear and/or moving faster than 1.2 mph
(2 km/h), the four-wheel low indicator light will ash for
30 seconds and not complete the shift.
On automatic transmission equipped vehicles, if your
transfer case does not shift into four-wheel low,
your transmission indicator switch may require
adjustment. With your transmission in NEUTRAL (N),
press and release the four-wheel low button.
While the four-wheel low indicator light is ashing,
shift your transmission into PARK (P). Press the
four-wheel low button again. Wait until the four-wheel
low indicator light remains illuminated before shifting
your transmission into gear. Press the four-wheel
low button again to complete the shift. This will get you
into four-wheel low, but you should take your vehicle
in for service to restore normal operation.
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Shifting from Four-Wheel Low to
Two-Wheel High or Four-Wheel High
To shift from four-wheel low to two-wheel high or
four-wheel high, your vehicle must be stopped or
moving less than 1.2 mph (2 km/h) with the transmission
in NEUTRAL (N) or the clutch pedal engaged.
The preferred method for shifting out of four-wheel low
is to have your vehicle moving 1.2 mph (2 km/h).
Press and release the four-wheel high button. You must
wait for the four-wheel high indicator light to stop
ashing and remain illuminated before shifting your
transmission into gear or releasing the clutch pedal.
If the four-wheel high button is pressed when your
vehicle is in gear and/or moving faster than 1.2 mph
(2 km/h), the four-wheel high indicator light will ash for
30 seconds but not complete the shift.
On vehicles with an automatic transmission, if your
transfer case does not shift into four-wheel high, your
transmission indicator switch may require adjustment.
With your transmission in NEUTRAL (N), press and
release the four-wheel high button. While the four-wheel
high indicator light is ashing, shift your transmission
into PARK (P). Wait until the four-wheel high indicator
light remains illuminated before shifting your
transmission into gear. Press the four-wheel high button
again to complete the shift. This will get you into
four-wheel high, but you should take your vehicle in for
service to restore normal operation.
Shifting to NEUTRAL
Use NEUTRAL when you plan to tow your vehicle.
SeeRecreational Vehicle Towing on page 4-50
for towing instructions. To shift the transfer case into
NEUTRAL do the following:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Start the vehicle.
3. Shift the transmission in NEUTRAL (N), or press in
the clutch for vehicles with a manual transmission.
4. Shift the transfer case to two-wheel high.
5. Press and hold the two-wheel high and four-wheel
low buttons at the same time for 10 seconds. The
NEUTRAL (N) light will come on when the
transfer case shift to NEUTRAL (N) is complete.
6. Shift the transmission to REVERSE (R) for one
second, then shift the transmission to DRIVE (D)
for one second, or FIRST (1) for vehicles with
manual transmissions.
7. Turn the ignition to LOCK.
8. Place the transmission shift lever in PARK (P), or
FIRST (1) for vehicles equipped with a manual
transmission.
2-28

Shifting Out of NEUTRAL
After towing your vehicle, you will have to shift out of
NEUTRAL in order to drive. To shift out of NEUTRAL,
do the following:
1. Set the parking brake and apply the regular brake
pedal. SeeParking Brake on page 2-29for
more information.
2. Start a vehicle with an automatic transmission in
PARK (P). Use FIRST (1) for vehicles with a
manual transmission.
3. Put an automatic transmission in NEUTRAL (N) or
press the clutch pedal for vehicles with a manual
transmission.
4. Press the button for the desired transfer case
position (two-wheel high, four-wheel high or
four-wheel low).
5. After the transfer case has shifted out of NEUTRAL,
the indicator light will go out.
6. Release the parking brake.
7. Shift the transmission to the desired gear.
It is normal for your vehicle to exhibit a signicant
engagement noise and bump when shifting in and out
of Neutral (N) and four-wheel low.
Parking Brake
The parking brake pedal is
located to the left of the
regular brake pedal,
near the driver’s door.
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.
A chime will activate and the warning light will ash
when the parking brake is applied and the vehicle
is moving at least 3 mph (5 km/h) for at least three
seconds. The chime will deactivate and the light will turn
off when the parking brake is set and the vehicle is
moving below 3 mph (5 km/h). SeeBrake System
Warning Light on page 3-28.
2-29

To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the bottom edge of the lever, located
above the parking brake pedal, with the parking
brake symbol, to release the parking brake.
If the ignition is on when the parking brake is released,
the brake system warning light will go off.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Verify that
the parking brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
seeTowing a Trailer on page 4-56.
Shifting Into Park (P)
(Automatic Transmission)
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake rmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine running, the
vehicle can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure your vehicle will
not move, even when you are on fairly level
ground, use the steps that follow. If you are
pulling a trailer, seeTowing a Trailer on
page 4-56.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot
and set the parking brake.
2-30

Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you do not 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 nd 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 nd out how, seeShifting
Into Park (P) (Automatic Transmission) on page 2-30.
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 parking pawl in the transmission,
so you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
(Automatic Transmission)
Your vehicle has an automatic transmission shift lock
control system which locks the shift lever in PARK (P)
when the ignition is in the LOCK position. In addition,
you have to fully apply the regular brakes before you
can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is in ON.
SeeAutomatic Transmission Operation on page 2-21.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure
on the shift lever by pushing 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 cannot
shift out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to ACC. There is no shift interlock in
this key position.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the gear you want.
5. Have the system xed as soon as you can.
2-32

Parking Your Vehicle
(Manual Transmission)
Your vehicle has a manual transmission. Before you
get out of your vehicle, move the shift lever into
REVERSE (R), and rmly apply the parking brake.
Once the shift lever has been placed into REVERSE (R)
with the clutch pedal pressed in, you can turn the
ignition key to LOCK, remove the key and release
the clutch.
If you are parking on a hill, or if your vehicle is pulling a
trailer, seeTowing a Trailer on page 4-56.
Parking Over Things That Burn
{CAUTION:
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Do not
park over papers, leaves, dry grass or other
things that can burn.
2-33