2007 PONTIAC SOLSTICE 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.
REVERSE (R):Use this gear to back up.
At low vehicle speeds, you can also use
REVERSE (R) 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 224for
additional information.
NEUTRAL (N):In this position, the engine does
not connect with the wheels. To restart when
you are already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only.
You can 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 better fuel economy for your vehicle.
If you need more power for passing, and you are:
Going less than 35 mph (55 km/h), push the
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push
the accelerator all the way down.
The transmission will shift down to a lower gear
and have more power.
Downshifting the transmission in slippery road
conditions could result in skidding, see “Skidding”
underLoss of Control on page 208.
Notice:If your vehicle seems to start up
rather slowly or not shift gears when you go
faster, and you continue to drive your vehicle
that way, you could damage the transmission.
Have your vehicle serviced right away. You
can drive in LOW (L) when you are driving less
than 35 mph (55 km/h) and DRIVE (D) for
higher speeds until then.
FOURTH (4):This position is also used for
normal driving. However, it reduces vehicle speed
more than DRIVE (D) without using your brakes.
You might choose FOURTH (4) instead of
DRIVE (D) when driving on hilly, winding roads
and when going down a steep hill.INTERMEDIATE (I):This position is also used for
normal driving. However, it reduces the vehicle’s
speed without using your brakes, for slight
downgrades where the vehicle would otherwise
accelerate due to steepness of grade. If constant
upshifting or downshifting occurs while driving
on steep hills, this position can be used to prevent
repetitive types of shifts. You might choose
INTERMEDIATE (I) instead of DRIVE (D) when
driving on hilly and winding roads.
LOW (L):This position reduces vehicle speed
more than INTERMEDIATE (I) without using your
brakes. You can use it on very steep hills, or
in deep snow or mud. If the shift lever is put in
LOW (L), the transmission will not shift into
low gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
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.
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Manual Transmission Operation
This is the shift pattern
for a manual
transmission.
Here is how to operate your manual transmission:
FIRST (1):Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST (1). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal
as you press the accelerator pedal.You can shift into FIRST (1) when you are going
less than 20 mph (32 km/h). If you have come to a
complete stop and it is hard to shift into FIRST (1),
put the shift lever in NEUTRAL and let up on
the clutch pedal. Press the clutch pedal back
down. Then shift into FIRST (1).
SECOND (2):Press the clutch pedal as you let
up on the accelerator pedal and shift into
SECOND (2). Then, slowly let up on the clutch
pedal as you press the accelerator pedal.
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5):Shift into
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5) the
same way you do for SECOND (2).
To stop, let up on the accelerator pedal and press
the brake pedal. Just before the vehicle stops,
press the clutch pedal and the brake pedal,
and shift to NEUTRAL.
NEUTRAL:Use this position when you start or
idle your engine.
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REVERSE (R):To back up, press the clutch
pedal. After the vehicle stops, shift into
REVERSE (R). Slowly let up on the clutch pedal
as you press the accelerator pedal. If it is hard
to shift, let the shift lever return to NEUTRAL and
release the clutch pedal. Then press the clutch
pedal again and shift into REVERSE (R). Do
not attempt to shift into the fth gear position prior
to shifting into REVERSE (R). Your transmission
has a lock out feature which prevents a fth
gear to reverse gear shift.
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.
Also, use FIRST (1) or REVERSE (R), along with
the parking brake, for parking your vehicle.Parking Brake
The parking brake lever is located between the
front seats.
To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal
down and pull up on the parking brake lever. If the
ignition is on, the brake system warning light will
come on. SeeBrake System Warning Light
on page 134.
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To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal
down. Pull the parking brake lever up until you can
press the release button. Hold the release button in
as you move the brake lever all the way down.
If you forget to release your parking brake, a chime
will sound and a warning message will be
displayed in the Driver Information Center (DIC)
when the vehicle is moving faster than 5 mph
(8 kph). SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 148.
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.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.
1. Hold the brake pedal down and set the
parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) by holding
the button on the shift lever and pushing the
lever all the way toward the front of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you
can leave your vehicle with the ignition key in
your hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).
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Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
{CAUTION:
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 rmly set. And, if you leave the
vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch re. You or
others could be injured. Do not leave your
vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and
your parking brake is rmly set before you leave it.
After you have moved the shift lever into PARK (P),
hold the regular brake pedal down. If the vehicle
has an automatic transmission, see if you can move
the shift lever away from PARK (P) without rst
pushing the shift lock release button. If you can, it
means that the shift lever was not fully locked into
PARK (P).
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 87.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift
lever out of PARK (P)beforeyou 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).
88

Shifting Out of Park (P)
Your vehicle has an automatic transmission shift
lock control system.
To shift out of PARK (P):
1. Apply the regular brake pedal.
2. Then press the shift lever button.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired gear.
If you are still unable to shift out of PARK (P):
1. Fully release the shift lever button.
2. While holding down the brake pedal, press
the shift lever button again.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired gear.
If you still cannot move the shift lever from
PARK (P), consult your dealer.
Parking Your Vehicle
(Manual Transmission)
Before leaving your manual transmission vehicle,
fully press the clutch pedal in, move the shift
lever in either FIRST (1) gear or REVERSE (R),
and rmly apply the parking brake. SeeManual
Transmission Operation on page 85.
89

Running the Engine While Parked
It is better not to park with the engine running. But if
you ever have to, here are some things to know.
{CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the climate control
system off could allow dangerous exhaust
into your vehicle. See the earlier caution
underEngine Exhaust on page 91.
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let
deadly carbon monoxide (CO) into your
vehicle even if the climate control fan is at
the highest setting. One place this can
happen is a garage. Exhaust — with
CO — can come in easily. NEVER park in
a garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard.
SeeWinter Driving on page 220.
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your
vehicle if the automatic transmission shift
lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake rmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. Do not leave your vehicle when the
engine is running unless you have to.
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 it is on fairly
level ground, always set the parking brake
and move the automatic transmission
shift lever to PARK (P), or the manual
transmission shift lever to NEUTRAL.
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle
will not move. SeeShifting Into Park (P)
(Automatic Transmission) on page 87andParking
Your Vehicle (Manual Transmission) on page 89.
92