Driving and Operating 9-29
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP)
These vehicle accessories may be
used for up to 10 minutes after the
ignition key is turned to the LOCK
position:
.Outside Mirror
.Power Windows
.Sunroof (if equipped)
.Radio
The outside mirror, power windows
and sunroof will function until a door
is opened.
The radio will function until the
driver door is opened.
Starting the Engine
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). The engine will not start
in any other position. To restart the
engine when the vehicle is already
moving, use N (Neutral) only.
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.
Starting Procedure
1. With your foot off the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition to START.
When the engine starts, let go of
the key. The idle speed will slow
down as the engine warms. Do
not race the engine immediately
after starting it. Operate the
engine and transmission gently
to allow the oil to warm up and
lubricate all moving parts.
The vehicle has a
Computer-Controlled Cranking
System. This feature assists in
starting the engine and protects components. If the ignition key is
turned to the START position,
and then released when the
engine begins cranking, the
engine will continue cranking for
a few seconds or until the
vehicle starts. If the engine does
not start and the key is held in
START, cranking will be stopped
after 15 seconds to prevent
cranking motor damage. To
prevent gear damage, this
system also prevents cranking if
the engine is already running.
Engine cranking can be stopped
by turning the ignition switch to
the ACC/ACCESSORY or
LOCK/OFF position.
Notice: Cranking the engine for
long periods of time, by returning
the key to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
ProCarManuals.com
Driving and Operating 9-31
{WARNING
Plugging the cord into an
ungrounded outlet could cause an
electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could
overheat and cause a fire. You
could be seriously injured. Plug
the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet.
If the cord will not reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension
cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and store the
cord as it was before to keep it
away from moving engine parts.
If you do not, it could be
damaged.
The length of time the heater should
remain plugged in depends on
several factors. Ask a dealer/retailer
in the area where you will be
parking the vehicle for the best
advice on this.
Shifting Into Park
{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. If you are pulling a
trailer, see Trailer Towing
on
page 9‑56
. To shift into P (Park):
1. Hold the brake pedal down and
set the parking brake. See
Parking Brake
on page 9‑39for
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.
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Driving and Operating 9-33
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. See
Jump Starting
on
page 10‑74for 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
{WARNING
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.
ProCarManuals.com
9-36 Driving and Operating
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 9‑33.
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
the Vehicle is Stuck on page 9‑22. 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.
{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 with the automatic
transmission. It provides the best
fuel economy. If you need more
power for passing, and you are:
.Going less than about 55 km/h
(35 mph), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
.Going about 55 km/h (35 mph),
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 9‑7.
ProCarManuals.com
Driving and Operating 9-39
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. The ABS pump or motor
might be heard operating, and the
brake pedal might be felt to pulsate,
but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.
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.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.
ProCarManuals.com
9-44 Driving and Operating
Reducing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already engaged,
.Move the thumbwheel toward
−SET and hold until the desired
lower speed is reached, then
release it.
.To slow down in very small
amounts, move the thumbwheel
toward−SET briefly. Each time
this is done, the vehicle goes
about 1.6 km/h (1 mph) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While
Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to
increase the vehicle's speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, the
vehicle will slow down to the
previously set cruise control speed.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control works
on hills depends upon the vehicle's
speed, load, and the steepness of
the hills. When going up steep hills, you might have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain the
vehicle's speed. When going
downhill, you might have to brake or
shift to a lower gear to maintain the
vehicle's speed. For some vehicles
the transmission may automatically
downshift when going down hills to
help maintain the vehicle's speed.
When the brakes are applied the
cruise control shuts off.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to disengage
the cruise control:
.Step lightly on the brake pedal;
when cruise control disengages,
the indicator light on the
instrument panel cluster
goes out.
.PressEto turn off the cruise
control system.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed
memory is erased when the cruise
control or the ignition is turned off.
Object Detection
Systems
Rear Vision
Camera (RVC)
The vehicle may have a Rear Vision
Camera system. Read this entire
section before using it.
{WARNING
The Rear Vision Camera (RVC)
system does not replace driver
vision. RVC does not:
.Detect objects that are
outside the camera's field of
view, below the bumper,
or underneath the vehicle.
.Detect children, pedestrians,
bicyclists, or pets. (Continued)
ProCarManuals.com
Driving and Operating 9-45
WARNING (Continued)
Do not back the vehicle by only
looking at the RVC 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 after
a four second delay.
Turning the Rear Vision Camera
System Off or On
To turn off the rear vision camera
system, the vehicle must be in
R (Reverse), then press and release
the button located on the back of
the mirror on the passenger side.
The video display will default back
to on when the ignition is cycled,
or the vehicle is put back in
R (Reverse).
ProCarManuals.com
Driving and Operating 9-47
.The back of the vehicle is in an
accident, the position and
mounting angle of the camera
can change or the camera can
be affected. Be sure to have the
camera and its position and
mounting angle checked at your
dealer/retailer.
The rear vision camera system
display in the rearview mirror may
turn off or not appear as expected
due to one of the following
conditions. If this occurs the video
display will turn blue.
During any wire harness or camera
fault condition, the display will be
blue while the vehicle is in
R (Reverse) or until the conditions
return to normal.
If the display is turned off by
pressing and releasing the button
located the back of the inside rear
view mirror on the passenger side, it
will default back to on when the
ignition is cycled, or the vehicle is
put back in R (Reverse).Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is an
important part of the proper
maintenance of this vehicle. To help
keep the engine clean and maintain
optimum vehicle performance, we
recommend the use of gasoline
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline.
Look for the TOP TIER label on the
fuel pump to ensure gasoline meets
enhanced detergency standards
developed by auto companies. A list
of marketers providing TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline can be found at
www.toptiergas.com.
The 8th digit of the Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN) shows
the code letter or number that
identifies the vehicle's engine. The
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