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STARTING PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust the
inside and outside mirrors, fasten your seat belt, and if
present, instruct all other occupants to buckle their seat
belts.
WARNING!
•Never leave children alone in a vehicle. Leaving
unattended children in a vehicle is dangerous for a
number of reasons. A child or others could be
seriously or fatally injured. Do not leave the key
fob in the ignition switch. A child could operate
power windows, other controls, or move the ve-
hicle.
•Do not leave animals or children inside parked
vehicles in hot weather; interior heat buildup may
cause serious injury or death.
Normal Starting
Tip Start
NOTE:Normal starting of either a cold or a warm
engine is obtained without pumping or pressing the
accelerator pedal.
Do not press the accelerator. Use the Fob with Integrated
Key to briefly turn the ignition switch to the START
position and release it as soon as the starter engages. The
starter motor will continue to run, and it will disengage
automatically when the engine is running. If the engine
fails to start, the starter will disengage automatically in
10 seconds. If this occurs, turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK position, wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat the
“Normal Starting” procedure.
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Extreme Cold Weather (Below20°F or29°C)
To ensure reliable starting at these temperatures, use of
an externally powered electric engine block heater (avail-
able from your authorized dealer) is recommended.
If Engine Fails To Start
WARNING!
•Never pour fuel or other flammable liquids into
the throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to
start the vehicle. This could result in a flash fire
causing serious personal injury.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get
it started. Vehicles equipped with an automatic
transmission cannot be started this way. Unburned
fuel could enter the catalytic converter and once
the engine has started, ignite and damage the
converter and vehicle. If the vehicle has a dis-
charged battery, booster cables may be used to
obtain a start from a booster battery or the battery
in another vehicle. This type of start can be dan-
gerous if done improperly. Refer to “Jump Start-
ing” in “What to Do In Emergencies” for further
information.
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If the engine fails to start after you have followed the
“Normal Starting” or “Extreme Cold Weather” proce-
dures, it may be flooded. To clear any excess fuel, push
the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and hold it.
Then, turn the ignition switch to the START position and
release it as soon as the starter engages. The starter motor
will disengage automatically in 10 seconds. Once this
occurs, release the accelerator pedal, turn the ignition
switch to the LOCK position, wait 10 to 15 seconds, then
repeat the “Normal Starting” procedure.
CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter, wait 10 to 15 sec-
onds before trying again.
After Starting
The idle speed is controlled automatically and it will
decrease as the engine warms up.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may occur if the follow-
ing precautions are not observed:
•Shift into PARK only after the vehicle has come to
a complete stop.
•Shift into or out of REVERSE only after the
vehicle has come to a complete stop and the engine
is at idle speed.
•Do not shift from REVERSE, PARK, or NEUTRAL
into any forward gear when the engine is above
idle speed.
•Before shifting into any gear, make sure your foot
is firmly on the brake pedal.
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WARNING!
It is dangerous to move the shift lever out of PARK or
NEUTRAL if the engine speed is higher than idle
speed. If your foot is not firmly on the brake pedal,
the vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in
reverse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when the
engine is idling normally and when your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal.
Key Ignition Park Interlock
This vehicle is equipped with a Key Ignition Park Inter-
lock which requires the shift lever to be placed in PARK
prior to rotating the ignition switch to the LOCK posi-
tion. The key fob can only be removed from the ignition
switch when the ignition switch is in the LOCK position
and once removed the shift lever is locked in PARK.
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake Transmission Shift
Interlock System (BTSI) that holds the shift lever in the
PARK position when the ignition switch is in the LOCK
position. To move the shift lever out of the PARK
position, the ignition switch must be turned to either the
ON or START position (engine running or not) and the
brake pedal must be pressed.
Brake/Transmission Interlock Manual Override
Your vehicle may be equipped with a shift lock manual
override. The manual override may be used in the event
that the shift lever should fail to move from PARK with
the ignition switch in the ON position and the brake
pedal pressed. To operate the shift lock manual override,
perform the following steps:
1. Turn the ignition switch to the ON position, but do not
start the engine.
2. Firmly set the parking brake.5
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WARNING!
It is dangerous to move the shift lever out of PARK or
NEUTRAL if the engine speed is higher than idle
speed. If your foot is not firmly on the brake pedal,
the vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in
reverse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when the
engine is idling normally and when your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal.
Gear Ranges
NOTE:After selecting any gear range, wait a moment to
allow the selected gear to engage before accelerating.
This is especially important when the engine is cold. If
there is a need to restart the engine, be sure to turn the
ignition switch to the LOCK position before restarting. Transmission gear engagement may be delayed after
restarting the engine if the ignition switch is not turned to
the LOCK position first.
PARK
This range supplements the parking brake by locking the
transmission. The engine can be started in this range.
Never use PARK while the vehicle is in motion. Apply
the parking brake when leaving the vehicle in this range.
Always apply the parking brake first, then place the shift
lever into the PARK position.
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WARNING!
Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in and near the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running. Before exiting a vehicle, you should apply
the park brake, shift the transmission into PARK,
and remove the key fob from the ignition switch.
Once the key fob is removed from the ignition
switch, the shift lever is locked in the PARK position,
securing the vehicle against unwanted movement.
Furthermore, you should never leave children unat-
tended inside a vehicle.
REVERSE
This range is for moving the vehicle backward. Use only
after the vehicle has come to a complete stop.
NEUTRAL
This range is used when vehicle is standing for pro-
longed periods with engine running. Engine may be
started in this range. Set the parking brake if you must
leave the vehicle.
DRIVE
This range should only be selected when the vehicle is at
a complete stop and the brakes are firmly applied. The
transmission automatically upshifts through fifth gear.
The DRIVE position provides optimum driving charac-
teristics under all normal operating conditions. For addi-
tional shifting information, refer to “AutoStick”in
“Starting and Operating” for further information.
Rocking the Vehicle
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, sand, or mud, it can
often be moved by a rocking motion. Move the shift lever
between DRIVE and REVERSE, while applying slight
pressure to the accelerator.
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NOTE:The Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and
Traction Control (if equipped) should be turned OFF
before attempting to rock the vehicle. Refer to “Electronic
Brake Control System” in “Starting and Operating” for
further information.
The least amount of accelerator pedal pressure to main-
tain the rocking motion without spinning the wheels or
racing the engine is most effective. Racing the engine or
spinning the wheels, due to the frustration of not freeing
the vehicle, may lead to transmission overheating and
failure. Allow the engine to idle with the shift lever in
NEUTRAL for at least one minute after every five
rocking-motion cycles. This will minimize overheating
and reduce the risk of transmission failure during pro-
longed efforts to free a stuck vehicle.CAUTION!
When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by moving between
DRIVE and REVERSE, do not spin the wheels faster
than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drivetrain damage may
result.
AUTOSTICK
AutoStick is a driver-interactive transmission that offers
manual gear shifting capability to provide the driver
with more control. AutoStick allows the driver to in-
crease engine braking ability, control upshift and down-
shift points, and enhance the driving experience. This
system can also provide the driver with more control
during passing, city driving, mountain driving, trailer
towing, and many other situations.
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Operation
By placing the shift lever in the DRIVE position, the shift
lever can be moved from side to side. This allows the
driver to engage the AutoStickmode. Moving the shift
lever to the right (+) or the left (-) will engage the
AutoStick mode. In normal driving mode (Boxed “D”
displayed in the PRNDL), moving the shift lever to the
right (+) will engage the AutoStick mode putting the
transmission in the currently engaged gear. Moving the
shift lever to the Left (-) will engage the AutoStick mode
and downshift the transmission one gear. For example, if
the transmission is in Drive mode (a boxed Dis
displayed in the cluster) and is operating in third gear,
tapping the shift lever to the right (+) will engage
AutoStick mode (while remaining in third gear) and a
boxed 3will be displayed in the cluster. Tapping the
shift lever to the left (-) would also engage AutoStick
mode, but would force a downshift to second gear, and display a boxed
2in the cluster. Once AutoStick mode
is engaged, a move to the right (+) or left (-) will trigger
a upshift (+) or trigger a downshift (-).
NOTE: In the AutoStick mode, the transmission will
shift up and down when left or right (D-/D+) is manu-
ally selected by the driver.
The transmission will not allow a downshift if the
downshift would result in an engine overspeed condi-
tion. The transmission will always allow a upshift from
first to second gear, however 2nd - 3rd, 3rd - 4th, and 4th
– 5th upshifts will not be allowed if the vehicle speed is
too low to maintain operation in the selected gear. The
transmission will automatically downshift as the vehicle
slows to a stop (to prevent engine lugging) and will
display the current gear. After a stop, the driver should
manually upshift (D+) the transmission as the vehicle is
accelerated.
246 STARTING AND OPERATING