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REVERSE (R):Use this gear to back up.
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.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of
snow, ice, or sand without damaging your
transmission, seeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 368.
NEUTRAL (N):In this position, your engine does
not connect with the wheels. To restart when
you are already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only.
Also, use NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is
being towed.
{CAUTION:
Shifting into a drive gear while your
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is rmly on
the brake pedal, your vehicle could move
very rapidly. You could lose control and
hit people or objects. Do not shift into a
drive gear while your engine is running at
high speed.
Notice:Shifting out of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) with the engine running at high
speed may damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Be sure the engine is not running at high
speed when shifting your vehicle.
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DRIVE (D):This position is for normal driving.
It provides the best fuel economy for your vehicle.
If you need more power for passing, and you are:
Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push
your accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push
the accelerator all the way down.
By doing this, the vehicle shifts down to the next
gear and has more power.
DRIVE (D) can be used when towing a trailer,
carrying a heavy load, driving on steep hills, or for
off-road driving. You may want to shift the
transmission to a lower gear selection if the
transmission shifts too often.
Downshifting the transmission in slippery road
conditions could result in skidding, see Skidding
underLoss of Control on page 337.MANUAL MODE (M):This position lets drivers
select the range of gears appropriate for current
driving conditions. If your vehicle has this feature,
see Driver Shift Control (DSC) later in this section.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the
vehicle in one place on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage the
transmission. If you are stuck, do not spin the
tires. When stopping on a hill, use the
brakes to hold the vehicle in place.
Your vehicle has a shift stabilization feature that
adjusts the transmission shifting to the current
driving conditions in order to reduce rapid upshifts
and downshifts. This shift stabilization feature is
designed to determine, before making an upshift, if
the engine will be able to maintain vehicle speed by
analyzing things such as vehicle speed, throttle
position and vehicle load. If the shift stabilization
feature determines that a current vehicle speed
cannot be maintained, the transmission does not
upshift and instead holds the current gear. In some
cases, this may appear to be a delayed shift,
however the transmission is operating normally.
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Your vehicle’s transmission uses adaptive shift
controls. Adaptive shift control continually
compares key shift parameters to pre-programmed
ideal shifts stored in the transmissions computer.
The transmission constantly makes adjustments to
improve vehicle performance according to how the
vehicle is being used, such as with a heavy load or
when temperature changes. During this adaptive
shift controls process, shifting may feel different as
the transmission determines the best settings.
When temperatures are very cold, the
Hydra-Matic
®6L80 automatic transmission’s gear
shifting may be delayed providing more stable
shifts until the engine warms up. Shifts may
be more noticeable with a cold transmission. This
difference in shifting is normal.
Driver Shift Control (DSC)
Your vehicle has a Driver Shift Control (DSC). The
DSC controls the vehicle’s transmission and vehicle
speed while driving down hill or towing a trailer by
allowing you to select a desired range of gears.
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To use this feature, do the following:
1. Move the shift lever to the MANUAL
MODE (M).
2. Press the plus/minus button, to upshift or
downshift selecting the desired range of
gears for your current driving conditions.
When in the MANUAL MODE (M) a number will
display next to the M, indicating the current gear
that has been selected. The DIC display will show
the message MANUAL SHIFT on the rst line and
the current gear will be displayed on the second
line. SeeDriver Information Center (DIC) on
page 245andDIC Operation and Displays on
page 245for more information. The number
displayed in the DIC is the highest gear that can be
used. However, your vehicle can automatically shift
to lower gears as it adjusts to driving conditions.This means that all gears below that number are
available. When FIFTH (5) is selected, FIRST (1)
through FIFTH (5) gears are automatically shifted
by the vehicle, but SIXTH (6) cannot be used until
the plus/minus button located on the steering
column lever is used to change to the gear.
The transmission will prevent a gear range until a
speed that is appropriate for current driving
conditions is achieved. If shifting is prevented for
any reason, the current selected gear will ash
multiple times in the DIC.
Grade Braking is not available when the Driver
Shift Control is active. SeeTow/Haul Mode
on page 150for more information.
While using the DSC, cruise control and the
tow/haul mode can be used.
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Tow/Haul Mode
Your vehicle has a tow/haul mode. The tow/haul
mode adjusts the transmission shift pattern to
reduce shift cycling, providing increased
performance, vehicle control, and transmission
cooling when towing or hauling heavy loads.
Press the button located on the end of the shift
lever to turn the tow/haul on or off. When the
tow/haul is on, a light on the instrument panel
cluster will come on.SeeTow/Haul Mode Light on page 244for more
information.
Also see “Tow Haul Mode” underTowing a Trailer
on page 379for more information.
The tow/haul mode works with the Autoride
®
feature, if the vehicle has this, to enhance the ride
when trailering or with a loaded vehicle. See
Autoride
®on page 378.
Grade Braking
Grade Braking assists when driving on a downhill
grade. It maintains the vehicle’s speed by
automatically implementing a shift schedule that
uses the engine and the transmission to slow
the vehicle. This reduces wear on the brakes
system and increases control of the vehicle. The
system constantly monitors the vehicle’s speed,
acceleration, throttle position, and whether
the brake pedal is being pressed, and determines
when to keep the current vehicle speed or to
slow down.The system will then automatically
command downshifts that reduces the vehicles
speed, until the brake pedal is no longer
being pressed. This indicates the desired vehicle
speed has been reached.
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The tow/haul mode and grade braking shift modes
can be activated by pressing the button on the
end of the shift control stalk. While in the
DSC mode, grade braking is deactivated, allowing
the driver to select a gear.
SeeAutomatic Transmission Operation on
page 144for more information.
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.
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.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 379.
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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) on page 152.
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, then you will be able to
pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
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.
You have to fully apply your regular brakes before
you can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition
is in RUN. SeeAutomatic Transmission Operation
on page 144.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure
on the shift lever and push the shift lever all the
way up into PARK (P) as you maintain brake
application. Then, move the shift lever into
the desired gear.
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Read the instructions completely before attempting
to program the Universal Home Remote.
Because of the steps involved, it may be helpful to
have another person available to assist you in
the programming steps.
Keep the original hand-held transmitter for use in
other vehicles as well as for future Universal
Home Remote programming. It is also
recommended that upon the sale of the vehicle,
the programmed Universal Home Remote buttons
should be erased for security purposes. See
“Erasing Universal Home Remote Buttons” later in
this section or, for assistance, seeCustomer
Assistance Offices on page 544.
Be sure that people and objects are clear of the
garage door or gate operator you are
programming. When programming a garage door,
it is advised to park outside of the garage.
It is recommended that a new battery be installed
in your hand-held transmitter for quicker and
more accurate transmission of the radio-frequency
signal.Programming Universal Home Remote
Follow these steps to program up to three
channels:
1. Press and hold down the two outside
Universal Home Remote buttons, releasing
only when the Universal Home Remote
indicator light begins to ash, after
20 seconds. Do not hold down the buttons for
longer than 30 seconds and do not repeat
this step to program a second and/or
third hand-held transmitter to the remaining
two Universal Home Remote buttons.
2. Position the end of your hand-held transmitter
about 1 to 3 inches (3 to 8 cm) away from the
Universal Home Remote buttons while
keeping the indicator light in view.
3. Simultaneously press and hold both the
desired Universal Home Remote button
and the hand-held transmitter button. Do not
release the buttons until Step 4 has been
completed.
Some entry gates and garage door openers
may require you to substitute Step 3 with
the procedure noted in “Gate Operator and
Canadian Programming” later in this section.
175