2009 SATURN VUE shift

Automatic Transmission
Operation (Base)
The shift lever is located on the
console between the seats.
There are several different positions
for the automatic transmission.
P (Park):This position locks the
front wheels. It is the best position
to use when you start the engine
because the vehicle cannot move
easily.
{CAUTION
It is 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.
Do not leave the 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 the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, always set the
parking brake and move the shift
lever to P (Park). SeeShifting Into
Park (Automatic Transmission) on
page 2-25. If you are pulling a
trailer, seeTowing a Trailer on
page 4-35.
Make sure the shift lever is fully in
P (Park) before starting the engine.
The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control
system. You have to fully apply theregular brakes rst and then press
the shift lever button before you can
shift from P (Park) when the ignition
key is in ON/RUN. If you cannot shift
out of P (Park), ease pressure on the
shift lever and push the shift lever all
the way into P (Park) as you maintain
brake application. Then press the
shift lever button and move the shift
lever into another gear. SeeShifting
Out of Park on page 2-27.
R (Reverse):Use this gear to
back up.
Notice:Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse)
only after the vehicle is stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and forth
to get out of snow, ice or sand
without damaging the transmission,
seeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 4-27.
2-22 Features and Controls
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N (Neutral):In this position, the
engine does not connect with
the wheels. To restart the engine
when the vehicle is already moving,
use N (Neutral) only. Also, use
N (Neutral) when the vehicle
is being towed.
{CAUTION
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
rmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift into
a drive gear while the engine is
running at high speed.Notice:Shifting out of P (Park)
or N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure the
engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle.
D (Drive):This position is for
normal driving with the automatic
transmission. It provides the best
fuel economy. If you need more
power for passing, and you are:
Going less than about 35 mph
(55 km/h), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h),
push the accelerator all the
way down.Downshifting the transmission in
slippery road conditions could result
in skidding, see “Skidding” under
Loss of Control on page 4-12.
M (Manual):This position allows
you to change gears similar to a
manual transmission. If the vehicle
has this feature, see Manual
Shift Mode.
Notice:Spinning the tires
or holding the vehicle in one
place on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage
the transmission. The repair will
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. If you are stuck, do not
spin the tires. When stopping on
a hill, use the brakes to hold the
vehicle in place.
Features and Controls 2-23
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Manual Shift Mode (MSM)
(Automatic Transmission)
To use this feature, do the following:
1. Move the shift lever from
D (Drive) rearward to M (Manual).
The six-speed transmission will
downshift to a lower gear and the
instrument panel will display the
gear range selected. If equipped
with a 4-speed transmission it will
display a 3 for third gear range.
When coming to a stop in
the manual position, the vehicle
will automatically shift to
1 (First) gear.
2. Press the plus (+) button to
upshift or the minus (−) button
to downshift.While using the MSM feature
the vehicle will have sportier
performance. You can use this
when driving hilly roads to stay
in gear longer or to downshift for
more power or engine braking.
The transmission will only allow you
to shift into a gear range appropriate
for the vehicle speed.
The transmission will not
automatically shift to the next
higher gear range without
pressing the button on the
shifter handle.
The transmission will not allow
shifting to the next lower gear if
the vehicle speed is too high.
If the vehicle does not respond
to a gear change, or detects a
problem with the transmission, the
range of gears may be reduced and
the Malfunction Indicator Lamp will
come on. SeeMalfunction Indicator
Lamp on page 3-35.
Parking Brake
The parking brake lever is located
in the center console 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 in ON/RUN, the brake system
warning light will come on.
2-24 Features and Controls
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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.
Release the parking brake before
driving the vehicle.
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.Shifting Into Park
(Automatic Transmission)
{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. If you are pulling a
trailer, seeTowing a Trailer on
page 4-35.To shift into P (Park):
1. Hold the brake pedal down
and set the parking brake.
SeeParking Brake on page 2-24
for more information.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park)
by holding in 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.
Features and Controls 2-25
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Leaving the Vehicle With
the Engine Running
(Automatic Transmission)
{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. 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.If you have to leave an automatic
transmission 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 brake pedal down.
Then, see if you can move the shift
lever away from P (Park) without rst
pushing the button. If you can, it
means that the shift lever was not
fully locked into P (Park).
Torque Lock
(Automatic Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you
do not shift 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 (Automatic
Transmission) on page 2-25.
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).
2-26 Features and Controls
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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.
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 5-31for more information.To shift out of P (Park):
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.
Features and Controls 2-27
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{CAUTION
It can be dangerous to get out
of the vehicle if the automatic
transmission shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
rmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the 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 the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, always set the
parking brake and move the shift
lever to P (Park).
Follow the proper steps to be
sure the vehicle will not move.
SeeShifting Into Park (Automatic
Transmission) on page 2-25.
If parking on a hill and pulling a
trailer, seeTowing a Trailer
on page 4-35.
Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror
If the vehicle has the manual
rearview mirror, it can be adjusted
by holding the mirror in the center
to move it for a clearer view behind
your vehicle. Reduce the glare of
headlamps from behind by pushing
the lever forward or pulling it back
for daytime/nighttime use.
Automatic Dimming
Rearview Mirror
The vehicle may have an automatic
dimming inside rearview mirror.
Vehicles with OnStar
®have three
additional control buttons for the
OnStar
®system. See your dealer/
retailer for more information about
OnStar
®and how to subscribe to it.
SeeOnStar®System on page 2-33
for more information about the
services OnStar
®provides.
O(On/Off):Press to turn the
dimming feature on or off.Your vehicle may also have a Rear
Vision Camera. SeeRear Vision
Camera (RVC) on page 2-31
for more information.
Automatic Dimming Mirror
Operation
The automatic dimming mirror
reduces the glare from the
headlamps of the vehicle behind you.
The dimming feature comes on and
the indicator light illuminates each
time the ignition is turned to start.
Outside Power Mirrors
Controls for the outside power
mirrors are located on the driver door.
Features and Controls 2-29
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Object Detection
Systems
Rear Vision
Camera (RVC)
The vehicle may have a Rear Vision
Camera system. Read this entire
section before using it.
{CAUTION
The Rear Vision Camera (RVC)
system does not replace driver
vision. RVC does not:
Detect objects that are
outside the camera’s eld
of view, below the bumper,
or underneath the vehicle.
Detect children, pedestrians,
bicyclists, or pets.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
Do not back the vehicle by only
looking at the rear vision camera
screen, or use the screen during
longer, higher speed backing
maneuvers or where there could
be cross-traffic. Your judged
distances using the screen will
differ from actual distances.
So if you do not use proper care
before backing up, you could hit a
vehicle, child, pedestrian, bicyclist,
or pet, resulting in vehicle damage,
injury, or death. Even though the
vehicle has the RVC system,
always check carefully before
backing up by checking behind
and around the vehicle.
The rear vision camera system is
designed to help the driver when
backing up by displaying a view of
the area behind the vehicle.When the key is in the ON/RUN
position and the driver shifts the
vehicle into R (Reverse), the video
image automatically appears on the
inside rear view mirror. Once the
driver shifts out of R (Reverse),
the video image automatically
disappears from the inside rear
view mirror.
Turning the Rear Vision Camera
System Off or On
To turn off the rear vision camera
system, press and hold
z, located
on the inside rearview mirror, until
the left indicator light turns off.
The rear vision camera display
is now disabled.
To turn the rear vision camera
system on again, press and
hold
zuntil the left indicator light
illuminates. The rear vision camera
system display is now enabled and
the display will appear in the mirror
normally.
Features and Controls 2-31
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