2008 HUMMER H2 Shift

When in this mode you can also choose to lock the rear
axle for additional traction in extreme off-road situations.
SeeLocking Rear Axle on page 4-6.
Notice:Operating your vehicle in
Four-Wheel-Low Lock above 50 mph (80 km/h) for
any extended period of time could cause damage to
the transfer case. Do not operate your vehicle in
Four-Wheel-Low Lock above 50 mph (80 km/h)
for extended periods.
{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 2-40.N (NEUTRAL):Shift the vehicle’s transfer case to
NEUTRAL only when towing your vehicle. See
Recreational Vehicle Towing on page 4-51orTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-51for more information.
Indicator lights in the dial shows which mode 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, take your vehicle to your dealer/retailer
for service. An indicator light will ash while shifting
the transfer case. It will remain on when the shift
is complete. If for some reason the transfer case
cannot make a requested shift, it will return to the last
chosen setting.
If the SERVICE 4WD message stays on, you should
take your vehicle to your dealer/retailer for service.
See “Service 4WD message” underDriver Information
Center (DIC) on page 3-49.
2-37

Shifting between Four-Wheel High and
Four-Wheel-High Lock
With the vehicle traveling less than 40 mph
(64 km/h), turn the dial to the Four-Wheel High or
Four-Wheel-High Lock position. The indicator light on
the dial will ash while shifting. It will remain on
when the shift is complete.
It may be necessary to drive backwards for a short
distance of 25 feet (7.5 m) to get the lock feature
to disengage.
Shifting into Four-Wheel-Low Lock
To shift into Four-Wheel-Low Lock, the ignition must be
in RUN and the vehicle must be stopped or moving
less than 3 mph (5 km/h) with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N). The preferred method for shifting into
Four-Wheel Low is to have your vehicle moving
1 to 2 mph (1.6 to 3.2 km/h). Turn the dial to the
Four-Wheel-Low Lock position. You must wait for the
Four-Wheel-Low Lock indicator light on the dial to
stop ashing and remain lit before shifting the
transmission in gear.When the transfer case is shifted into Four-Wheel-Low
Lock position a StabiliTrak
®indicator light will come
on to show that the system has been turned off and a
message will show in the DIC. SeeDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 3-56for more information.
Notice:Shifting the transmission into gear before
the indicator light stops ashing could cause
damage to the transfer case. Always wait until the
indicator light stops ashing before putting the
transmission back in gear.
It is normal for your vehicle to have engagement noise
and bump when shifting between Four-Wheel Low
and Four-Wheel High or Four-Wheel-High Lock ranges
or from NEUTRAL with the engine running.
If the Four-Wheel-Low Lock position is selected when
your vehicle is in gear and/or moving, the Four-Wheel
Low Lock indicator light will ash for 15 seconds and not
complete the shift unless your vehicle is moving less
than 3 mph (5 km/h) and the transmission is in
NEUTRAL (N). After 15 seconds the transfer case will
return to the setting last chosen.
2-38

Shifting Out of Four-Wheel Low Lock
To shift from Four-Wheel-Low Lock to Four-Wheel High
or Four-Wheel-High Lock, your vehicle must be
stopped or moving less than 3 mph (5 km/h) with the
transmission in NEUTRAL (N) and the ignition
in RUN. The preferred method for shifting out of
Four-Wheel-Low Lock is to have your vehicle moving
1 to 2 mph (1.6 to 3.2 km/h). Turn the dial to the
Four-Wheel High or Four-Wheel-High Lock position.
You must wait for the Four-Wheel High or
Four-Wheel-High Lock indicator light to stop ashing
and remain lit before shifting your transmission into gear.
It is normal for your vehicle to have engagement
noise and bump when shifting between Four-Wheel Low
and Four-Wheel High or Four-Wheel-High Lock ranges
or from NEUTRAL with the engine running.
If the Four-Wheel High or Four-Wheel-High Lock position
is selected when your vehicle is in gear and/or moving,
the Four-Wheel High or Four-Wheel-High Lock indicator
light will ash for 30 seconds but will not complete the
shift unless your vehicle is moving less than 3 mph
(5 km/h) and the transmission is in NEUTRAL (N).
Notice:Shifting the transmission into gear before
the indicator light stops ashing could cause
damage to the transfer case. Always wait until the
indicator light stops ashing before putting the
transmission back in gear.
Shifting into NEUTRAL
To shift the transfer case to NEUTRAL do the following:
1. Make sure the vehicle is parked so that it will not roll.
2. Set the parking brake and apply the regular brake
pedal. SeeParking Brake on page 2-40
3. Start the vehicle or turn the ignition to ON/RUN.
4. Put the transmission in NEUTRAL (N).
5. Shift the transfer case to Two-Wheel Drive High.
6. Turn the transfer case dial clockwise to NEUTRAL
position. The transfer case will not shift to NEUTRAL
unless this position is held for 10 seconds.
The NEUTRAL light will come on and then the dial
can be slowly released. The dial will be in the
Four-Wheel Low Lock position but the transfer case
will be in NEUTRAL with the NEUTRAL light on.
7. If the engine is running, make sure that the transfer
case is in NEUTRAL (N) by shifting the transmission
to REVERSE (R) for one second, then shift the
transmission to DRIVE (D) for one second.
8. Turn the ignition to ACC/ACCESSORY, which will
turn the engine off.
9. Place the transmission shift lever in PARK (P).
10. Release the parking brake prior to moving
the vehicle.
11. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
2-39

Shifting Out of NEUTRAL
To shift out of NEUTRAL do the following:
1. Set the parking brake and apply the regular brake
pedal.
2. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N) and turn
the ignition to RUN with the engine off.
3. Turn the transfer case dial to Four-Wheel High,
Four-Wheel High Lock or Four-Wheel Low Lock.
After the transfer case has shifted out of NEUTRAL
the NEUTRAL light will go out.
4. Release the parking brake prior to moving the
vehicle.
Notice:Shifting the transmission into gear before
the requested mode indicator light has stopped
ashing could damage the transfer case. To help
avoid damaging your vehicle, always wait for the
mode indicator lights to stop ashing before shifting
the transmission into gear.
5. Start the engine and shift the transmission to the
desired position.
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. Make sure
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 4-55.
2-40

Shifting Into PARK (P)
{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 4-55.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your foot and set
the parking brake. SeeParking Brake on page 2-40
for more information.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) by pressing 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/OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the key, your vehicle is
in PARK (P).
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. Then, see if you can move
the shift lever away from PARK (P) without rst pressing
the button on the console shift lever. If you can, it
means that the shift lever was not fully locked into
PARK (P).
2-41

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 2-41.
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)
This vehicle is equipped with an electronic shift lock
release system. The shift lock release is designed to:
Prevent ignition key removal unless the shift
lever is in PARK (P) with the shift lever button
fully released, and
Prevent movement of the shift lever out of
PARK (P), unless the ignition is in ON/RUN or
ACC/ACCESSORY and the regular brake pedal
is applied.
The shift lock release is always functional except in the
case of an uncharged or low voltage (less than 9 volt)
battery.
If your vehicle has an uncharged battery or a battery
with low voltage, try charging or jump starting the
battery. SeeJump Starting on page 5-40for more
information.
To shift out of PARK (P) use the following:
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Then press the shift lever button.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
2-42

If you still are 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 position.
If you still cannot move the shift lever from PARK (P),
consult your dealer/retailer or a professional towing
service.
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.
Engine Exhaust
{CAUTION:
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide (CO), which you cannot see or
smell. It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
The exhaust system sounds strange or
different.
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving
over high points on the road or over
road debris.
Repairs were not done correctly.
Your vehicle or the exhaust system has
been modied improperly.
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
Drive it only with all the windows down to
blow out any CO; and
Have your vehicle xed immediately.
2-43

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 under
Engine Exhaust on page 2-43.
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 4-36.
{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. 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 you are on fairly level ground, always set
the parking brake and move the shift lever
to PARK (P).
2-44