2009 GMC ENVOY Owner's Manual

Automatic Transfer Case
If the vehicle has four-wheel drive, the transfer case knob
is located to the right of the steering wheel on the
instrument panel.
Use this knob to shift into
and out of four-wheel
drive.
2
m(Two-Wheel High):This setting is for driving in
most street and highway situations. The front axle is not
engaged in two-wheel drive. This provides the best fuel
economy.AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel Drive):This setting is
ideal for use when road conditions are variable. When
driving the vehicle in automatic four-wheel drive, the front
axle is engaged, but the vehicle’s power is sent to the
rear wheels. When the vehicle senses a loss of traction,
the system will automatically engage four-wheel drive.
Driving in this mode results in slightly lower fuel economy
than Two-Wheel High.
4
m(Four-Wheel High):This setting should be used
when you need extra traction, such as on snowy or icy
roads or in most off-road situations. This setting also
engages the front axle to help drive the vehicle.
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4n(Four-Wheel Low):This setting also engages the
front axle and delivers extra torque. It sends maximum
power to all four wheels. You might choose this setting if
you are driving off-road in deep sand, deep mud, and
climbing or descending steep hills.
{CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case to Neutral can cause the
vehicle to roll even if the transmission is in
P (Park). 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 2-33.
Neutral:Shift the vehicle’s transfer case to Neutral only
when towing the vehicle. SeeRecreational Vehicle
Towing on page 4-38for more information.An indicator light in the knob will show you which
position the transfer case is 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 the vehicle to your dealer/retailer for service. An
indicator light will ash while shifting the transfer case. It
will stay on when the shift is complete. If the transfer
case cannot make a requested shift, it will return to the
last chosen setting.
If the service Four-Wheel Drive Warning Light on the
instrument panel cluster stays on, you should take
the vehicle to your dealer/retailer for service. See
Service Four-Wheel Drive Warning Light on page 3-44
for further information.
Shifting Into Four-Wheel High or Automatic
Four-Wheel Drive
Turn the knob to Four-Wheel High or Automatic
Four-Wheel Drive. This can be done at any speed
unless you are shifting out of Four-Wheel Low. The
indicator light will ash while shifting. It will remain on
when the shift is complete.
2-30

Shifting Into Two-Wheel High
Turn the knob to Two-Wheel High. This can be done at
any speed unless you are shifting out of Four-Wheel Low.
Shifting Into Four-Wheel Low
To shift to Four-Wheel Low, the vehicle’s engine must
be running and the vehicle must be stopped or moving
less than 2 mph (3.2 km/h) with the transmission in
N (Neutral). The preferred method for shifting into
Four-Wheel Low is to have your vehicle moving 1 or
2 mph (1.6 to 3.2 km/h). Turn the knob to Four-Wheel
Low. You must wait for the Four-Wheel Low indicator light
to stop ashing and stay on before shifting the
transmission into gear.
If you turn the knob to Four-Wheel Low when the
vehicle is in gear and/or moving, the Four-Wheel Low
indicator light will ash for 30 seconds and not complete
the shift unless the vehicle is moving less than 2 mph
(3.2 km/h) and the transmission is in N (Neutral).
After 30 seconds, the transfer case will return to the
setting last chosen.
Shifting Out of Four-Wheel Low
To shift from Four-Wheel Low to Four-Wheel High, Auto
Four-Wheel Drive, or Two-Wheel High, the vehicle
must be stopped or moving less than 2 mph (3.2 km/h)
with the transmission in N (Neutral) and the engine
running. The preferred method for shifting out of
Four-Wheel Low is to have your vehicle moving
1 or 2 mph (1.6 to 3.2 km/h). Turn the knob to
Four-Wheel High, Auto Four-Wheel Drive, or Two-Wheel
High. You must wait for the Four-Wheel High, Auto
Four-Wheel Drive, or Two-Wheel High indicator light to
stop ashing and stay off before shifting your
transmission into gear.
If the knob is turned to Four Wheel-High, Auto
Four-Wheel Drive, or Two-Wheel High when the vehicle
is in gear and/or moving, the Four-Wheel High, Auto
Four-Wheel Drive, or Two-Wheel High indicator light will
ash for 30 seconds. It will not complete the shift
unless the vehicle is moving less than 2 mph (3.2 km/h)
with the transmission in N (Neutral).
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Shifting into Neutral
Before shifting the transfer case to Neutral, rst make
sure the vehicle is parked so that it will not roll.
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Start the vehicle.
3. Put the transmission in N (Neutral).
4. Shift the transfer case to Two-Wheel High.
5. Turn the transfer case knob all of the way past
Four-Wheel Low and hold it there for a minimum
of 10 seconds. The Neutral indicator light will
come on.
6. With the engine running, shift the transmission to
R (Reverse) for one second, then shift the
transmission to D (Drive) for one second, to ensure
that the transfer case is in Neutral.
7. Turn the engine off, by turning the key to
ACC/ACCESSORY.
8. Place the transmission shift lever in P (Park).
9. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
Shifting Out of Neutral
To shift the transfer case out of Neutral, do the following:
1. Set the parking brake and apply the regular brake
pedal.
2. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with the engine off.
3. Put the transmission in N (Neutral).
4. Turn the transfer case knob to the desired position
(Two-Wheel High, Four-Wheel High, or Auto
Four-Wheel Drive).
5. After the transfer case has shifted out of Neutral,
the indicator light will go out.
6. Release the parking brake.
7. Start the engine and shift the transmission to the
desired position.
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Parking Brake
To set the parking brake,
hold the regular brake
pedal down with your foot
and pull up on the parking
brake lever located
between the seats.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the parking brake lever up until you can
press in the button at the end of the lever. Hold the
button in as you move the parking brake lever all the
way down.If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light on
the instrument panel cluster will come on. SeeBrake
System Warning Light on page 3-35.
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 you must park on a hill,
seeTowing a Trailer on page 4-46.
2-33

Shifting Into Park
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake rmly set. The vehicle can roll. If you have
left the engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured. To be
sure the vehicle will not move, even when you are
on fairly level ground, use the steps that follow.
With four-wheel drive, the vehicle will be free to
roll — even if the shift lever is in P (Park) — if your
transfer case is in Neutral. So, be sure the transfer
case is in a drive gear — not in Neutral. See
Four-Wheel Drive on page 2-28. Always put the
shift lever fully in P (Park) with the parking brake
rmly set. If you are pulling a trailer, seeTowing a
Trailer on page 4-46.To shift into P (Park):
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your foot and set
the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park) by pressing the
button on the side of the shift lever and pushing
the lever all the way toward the front of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to OFF/LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. You know the
vehicle is in P (Park) if the key can be removed
from the ignition.
2-34

Leaving the Vehicle With the Engine
Running
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave the vehicle with the
engine running. The vehicle could move suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in P (Park) with the
parking brake rmly set.
If you have four-wheel drive, the vehicle will be
free to roll – even if your lever is in P (Park) – if
the transfer case is in Neutral. So be sure the
transfer case is in a drive gear – not Neutral. See
Four-Wheel Drive on page 2-28.
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 the
vehicle with the engine running unless you
have to.If you have to leave the vehicle with the engine running,
be sure the vehicle is in P (Park) and the parking
brake is rmly set before you leave it. After you have
moved the shift lever into P (Park), hold the regular
brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the shift
lever away from P (Park) without rst pressing the
button on the console shift lever. If you can, it means
that the shift lever was not fully locked into P (Park).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift your
transmission into P (Park) 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 P (Park). This is called “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into P (Park) properly before you leave the driver
seat. To nd out how, seeShifting Into Park on
page 2-34.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
P (Park) 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 P (Park).
2-35

Shifting Out of Park
The vehicle has an electronic shift lock release system.
The shift lock release is designed to:
Prevent ignition key removal unless the shift lever
is in P (Park) with the shift lever button fully
released, and
Prevent movement of the shift lever out of P (Park),
unless the ignition is in ON/RUN 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 the vehicle has an uncharged battery or a battery with
low voltage, try charging or jump starting the battery.
SeeJump Starting on page 5-39for more information.
To shift out of P (Park) use the following:
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Press the shift lever button.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position.If you still are unable to shift out of P (Park):
1. Fully release the shift lever button.
2. Hold the brake pedal down and press the shift lever
button again.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If you still cannot move the shift lever from P (Park),
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 the vehicle and ignite. Do not park
over papers, leaves, dry grass, or other things that
can burn.
2-36