
Ignition Positions
The vehicle has an
electronic keyless ignition
with a pushbutton start.
In order to shift out of P (Park), the vehicle must be
running or in Acc. mode and the regular brake pedal
must be applied.
/(START): Press this button while your foot is on the
brake for an automatic transmission, or while pressing
in the clutch for a manual transmission, to start the
engine. If the vehicle is in OFF or Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) mode, the keyless access transmitter
must be inside the vehicle to start the engine.
9Acc. (OFF/ACCESSORY): When the engine is
on or the vehicle is in accessory power mode, it is
recommended that a manual transmission be placed
in R (Reverse). An automatic transmission must be
placed in P (Park). Then press the Acc. button to
turn the engine off and place the vehicle in RAP.
See “Retained Accessory Power (RAP)” later for more
information. If an automatic vehicle is not correctly
placed in P (Park) a SHIFT TO PARK message will
display on the Driver Information Center (DIC).
For more information, see DIC Warnings and Messages
on page 4‑52.
When the engine is off, press this button to place the
vehicle in accessory mode. ACCESSORY MODE ON
will display on the Driver Information Center (DIC).
This mode allows you to use things like the radio
and the windshield wipers while the engine is off.
Use accessory mode if you must have the vehicle
in motion while the engine is off, for example, if the
vehicle is being pushed or towed.
After being in accessory mode for about 10 minutes, the
vehicle will automatically enter RAP or OFF, depending
on if the doors are opened or closed.
3-23

Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
These vehicle accessories can be used for up to
10 minutes after the engine is turned off:
.Audio System
.Power Windows
These features continue to work up to 10 minutes after
the engine is turned off or until either door is opened.
If a door is opened, the power windows and audio
system will shut off.
Starting the Engine
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or N (Neutral) for an
automatic transmission. For a manual transmission the
vehicle can be started in Neutral or any other gear as
long as the clutch pedal is pressed. To restart a vehicle
with a manual transmission when you are already
moving, use the Neutral position only. To restart a
vehicle with an automatic transmission when you
are already moving, use N (Neutral).
Notice: Do not try to shift to P (Park) if the vehicle
is moving. If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to P (Park) only when the
vehicle is stopped.
The keyless access transmitter must be inside the
vehicle for the ignition to work. Cell phone chargers can interfere with the operation of
the Keyless Access System. Battery chargers should
not be plugged in when starting or turning off the
engine.
To start the vehicle, do the following:
1. For vehicles with an automatic transmission, with your foot on the brake pedal, press the
START button located on the instrument panel.
For vehicles with a manual transmission, you must
also press in the clutch pedal while pressing the
START button.
If there is not a keyless access transmitter in
the vehicle or if there is something causing
interference with it, the DIC will display NO FOBS
DETECTED. See DIC Warnings and Messages
on
page 4‑52for more information.
2. When the engine begins cranking, let go of the button and the engine cranks automatically until
it starts. If the battery in the keyless access
transmitter is weak, the DIC displays FOB
BATTERY LOW. You can still drive the vehicle.
See “Battery Replacement” underKeyless Access
System Operation
on page 3‑5for more
information. If the fob battery is dead, you need to
insert the fob into the fob slot to enable engine
starting. See “No Fobs Detected” underDIC
Warnings and Messages on page 4‑52.
3-24

Stopping the Engine
If the vehicle has an automatic transmission, move
the shift lever to P (Park) and press and hold the
Acc. (Off/Accessory) button, located on the instrument
panel, until the engine shuts off. If the shift lever is not
in P (Park), the engine shuts off and the vehicle goes
into the Accessory Mode. The DIC displays SHIFT
TO PARK. Once the shifter is moved to P (Park),
the vehicle turns off. If the vehicle has a manual
transmission, it is recommended that you move the
shift lever to R (Reverse) and set the parking brake
after you turn off the engine by pressing and holding
the Acc. (Off/Accessory) button.
If the keyless access transmitter is not detected inside
the vehicle when it is turned to off, the DIC displays
NO FOB –OFF OR RUN?.
See DIC Warnings and Messages
on page 4‑52for
more information.
Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several
different positions for the
shift lever.
P (Park) : This position locks the rear wheels. It is the
best position to use when starting the engine because
the vehicle cannot move easily.
3-26

{WARNING:
It is dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the shift
lever is not fully in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly 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). See Shifting Into
Park (Automatic Transmission) on page 3‑35.
Be 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 the brakes and
then press the shift lever button before you can shift
from P (Park) when the vehicle is running. 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.
See
Shifting Out of Park on page 3‑36.
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, see
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow
on
page 5‑27.
3-27

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.
If the vehicle needs towing, see Towing Your Vehicle
on
page 5‑33.
{WARNING:
Shifting into a drive gear while the engine is
running at high speed is dangerous. Unless your
foot is firmly 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. It provides
the best fuel economy. If you need more power for
passing, push the pedal down to achieve the desired
level of acceleration.
Downshifting the transmission in slippery road
conditions could result in skidding, see “Skidding”
under Loss of Control on page 5‑18.
S (Sport Mode) : When in S (Sport Mode), the
transmission will work as an automatic until you use
the Manual Paddle Shift Controls, which activates driver
manual gear selection. See Manual Paddle Shift later in
this section. While in S (Sport Mode), the transmission
will have more noticeable upshifts for sportier vehicle
performance.
3-28

Shift Speeds (Manual Transmission)
{WARNING:
If you skip a gear when you downshift, you could
lose control of the vehicle. You could injure
yourself or others. Do not shift down more than
one gear at a time when you downshift.
This chart shows when to shift to the next higher gear
for the best fuel economy.
Manual Transmission Recommended Shift Speeds in mph (km/h)
Engine Acceleration Shift Speed
1 to 2 2 to 3 3 to 4 4 to 5 5 to 6
All
Engines 15 (24) 25 (40) 40 (64) 45 (72) 50 (80)
If the engine speed drops below 900 rpm, or if the
engine is not running smoothly, you should downshift to
the next lower gear. You may have to downshift two or
more gears to keep the engine running smoothly or for
good engine performance.
Notice:
When shifting gears, do not move the shift
lever around unnecessarily. This may damage the
transmission. Shift directly into the next gear.
One to Four Shift Light
(Manual Transmission)
When this light comes on,
you can only shift from
1 (First) to 4 (Fourth)
instead of 1 (First) to
2 (Second).
See One-to-Four Shift Light (Manual Transmission)
on
page 4‑36for more information.
3-33

Downshifting (Manual Transmission)
Do not downshift into the gear shown below at a speed
greater than shown in the table:
1 (First)50 mph (80 km/h)
2 (Second) 74 mph (119 km/h)
3 (Third) 101 mph (163 km/h)
4 (Fourth) 130 mph (209 km/h)
Notice: If you skip more than one gear when you
downshift, or if you race the engine when you
release the clutch pedal while downshifting, you
could damage the engine, clutch, driveshaft or the
transmission. Do not skip gears or race the engine
when downshifting.
The six-speed transmission has a spring that centers
the shift lever near 3 (Third) and 4 (Fourth). This
spring helps you know which gear you are in when
you are shifting. Be careful when shifting from 1 (First)
to 2 (Second) or downshifting from 6 (Sixth) to 5 (Fifth).
The spring will try to pull the shift lever toward 4 (Fourth)
and 3 (Third). Make sure you move the lever into
2 (Second) or 5 (Fifth). If you let the shift lever move
in the direction of the pulling, you may end up shifting
from 1 (First) to 4 (Fourth) or from 6 (Sixth) to 3 (Third).
Parking Brake
The parking brake lever is located to the right of the
center console.
To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down.
Pull the parking brake lever up. If the ignition is on, the
brake system warning light will come on.
To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal
down. Then push the release button in as you move the
parking brake lever all the way down.
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.
3-34

Shifting Into Park
(Automatic Transmission)
{WARNING:
It can be dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly 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.
1. Hold the brake pedal set the parking brake. See Parking Brake
on page 3‑34for more
information.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park) by holding in the button on the lever and pushing the lever all the
way toward the front of the vehicle.
3. Press the Acc. button (ignition switch) to turn the engine off.
Leaving the Vehicle With the Engine
Running (Automatic Transmission)
{WARNING:
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 firmly set. And, if you leave the
vehicle with the engine running, it could overheat
and even catch fire. You or others could be
injured. Do not leave the vehicle with the engine
running.
If you have to leave the vehicle with the engine running,
be sure the vehicle is in P (Park) and the parking brake
is firmly set before you leave it. After you have moved
the shift lever into P (Park), hold down the regular brake
pedal. See if you can move the shift lever away from
P (Park) without first pushing the button on the lever.
If you can, it means that the shift lever was not fully
locked into P (Park).
3-35