
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSIONCAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may oc-
cur if the following precautions are
not observed:
Move the shift lever into PARKonly 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 move the shift lever be-
tween PARK, REVERSE, NEU-
TRAL, or DRIVE when the engine
is above idle speed.
Before moving the shift lever into
any gear, make sure your foot is
firmly pressing the brake pedal.
NOTE:
You must press and hold the brake
pedal down while shifting out of
PARK.
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 pressing 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 en-
gine is idling normally and when
your foot is firmly pressing the
brake pedal.
Unintended movement of a ve-
hicle could injure those in or near
the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle
while the engine is running. Be-
fore exiting a vehicle, always ap-
ply the parking brake, shift the
transmission into PARK, and re-
move the key fob. Once the key
fob is removed, the shift lever is
locked in the PARK position, se-
curing the vehicle against un-
wanted movement.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
Never leave children alone in a
vehicle, or with access to an un-
locked vehicle. Allowing children
to be in a vehicle unattended is
dangerous for a number of rea-
sons. A child or others could be
seriously or fatally injured. Chil-
dren should be warned not to
touch the parking brake, brake
pedal or the shift lever.
Do not leave the key fob in or near
the vehicle, and do not leave a
vehicle equipped with Keyless
Enter-N-Go in the ACC or ON/
RUN mode. A child could operate
power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle.
KEY IGNITION PARK
INTERLOCK
This vehicle is equipped with a Key
Ignition Park Interlock which re-
quires the shift lever to be placed in
PARK before the ignition switch can
be turned to the LOCK/OFF position.
The key fob can only be removed from
the ignition when the ignition is in the
230

LOCK/OFF position, and once re-
moved, the shift lever is locked in
PARK.
This system prevents the key fob from
being removed unless the shift lever is
in PARK.
NOTE:
If a malfunction occurs, the system
will trap the key fob in the ignition
cylinder to warn you that this
safety feature is inoperable. The
engine can be started and stopped
but the key fob cannot be removed
until you obtain service.
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 unless the brakes are
applied. To move the shift lever out of
the PARK position, the ignition switch
must be turned to the ON/RUN posi-
tion (engine running or not) and the
brake pedal must be pressed.SIX-SPEED AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
The shift lever position display (lo-
cated in the instrument panel cluster)
indicates the transmission gear range.
You must press the brake pedal to
move the shift lever out of the PARK
position (Refer to Brake/
Transmission Shift Interlock System
in this section). To drive, move the
shift lever from PARK or NEUTRAL
to the DRIVE position.
The electronically-controlled trans-
mission provides a precise shift sched-
ule. The transmission electronics are
self-calibrating; therefore, the first
few shifts on a new vehicle may be
somewhat abrupt. This is a normal
condition, and precision shifts will de-
velop within a few hundred kilome-
ters.
Shifting from DRIVE to PARK or RE-
VERSE should be done only after the
accelerator pedal is released and the
vehicle is stopped. Be sure to keep
your foot on the brake pedal when
moving the shift lever between these
gears.
The transmission shift lever has only
PARK, REVERSE, NEUTRAL, and
DRIVE shift positions. Manual shifts
can be made using the Electronic
Range Select (ERS) shift control (de-
scribed later in this section). Moving
the shift lever to the left or right (–/ +)
while in the DRIVE position will se-
lect the highest available transmission
gear, and will display that gear in the
instrument cluster as 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Shift Lever
231

WARNING!(Continued)
When leaving the vehicle, always
remove the key fob and lock your
vehicle.
Never leave children alone in a
vehicle, or with access to an un-
locked vehicle.
Allowing children to be in a ve-
hicle unattended is dangerous for
a number of reasons. A child or
others could be seriously or fatally
injured. Children should be
warned not to touch the parking
brake, brake pedal or the shift
lever.
Do not leave the key fob in or near
the vehicle. A child could operate
power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle.CAUTION!
Before moving the shift lever outof PARK, you must turn the igni-
tion switch from the LOCK/OFF
position to the ON/RUN position,
and also press the brake pedal.
Otherwise, damage to the shift le-
ver could result.
(Continued)
CAUTION!(Continued)
DO NOT race the engine when
shifting from PARK or NEUTRAL
into another gear range, as this
can damage the drivetrain.
The following indicators should be
used to ensure that you have engaged
the shift lever into the PARK position:
When shifting into PARK, firmly move the shift lever all the way
forward and to the left until it stops
and is fully seated.
Look at the shift lever position dis- play and verify that it indicates the
PARK position.
With brake pedal released, verify that the shift lever will not move out
of PARK.
REVERSE
This range is for moving the vehicle
backward. Shift into REVERSE only
after the vehicle has come to a com-
plete stop.
NEUTRAL
Use this range when the vehicle is
standing for prolonged periods with
engine running. The engine may be started in this range. Set the parking
brake and shift the transmission into
PARK if you must leave the vehicle.
WARNING!
Do not coast in NEUTRAL and
never turn off the ignition to coast
down a hill. These are unsafe prac-
tices that limit your response to
changing traffic or road conditions.
You might lose control of the vehicle
and have a collision.CAUTION!
Towing the vehicle, coasting, or
driving for any other reason with the
transmission in NEUTRAL can re-
sult in severe transmission damage.
Refer to “Recreational Towing” in
“Starting And Operating” and
“Towing A Disabled Vehicle” in
What To Do In Emergencies” for
further information.
DRIVE
This range should be used for most
city and highway driving. It provides
the smoothest upshifts and down-
shifts, and the best fuel economy. The
transmission automatically upshifts
233

but will shift down into second and
first gear normally.
You can switch between DRIVE and
ERS mode at any vehicle speed. When
the shift lever is in the DRIVE posi-
tion, the transmission will operate au-
tomatically, shifting between all
available gears. Tapping the shift le-
ver to the left (-) will activate ERS
mode, display the current gear in theinstrument cluster, and maintain that
gear as the top available gear. Once in
ERS mode, tapping the shift lever to
the left (-) or right (+) will change the
top available gear.
To exit ERS mode, simply press and
hold the shift lever to the right (+)
until “D” is once again displayed in
the shift lever position indicator in the
instrument cluster.
WARNING!
Do not downshift for additional en-
gine braking on a slippery surface.
The drive wheels could lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid,
causing an accident or personal in-
jury.
Odometer Screen Display
1 2 3 4 5 6 D
Actual Gear(s) Allowed 1 1-2 1-3 1-4 1-5 1-6 1-6
NOTE:
To select the proper gear position
for maximum deceleration (engine
braking), tap the shift lever to the
left (-) repeatedly as the vehicle
slows. The transmission will shift
to the range from which the vehicle
can best be slowed down. Overdrive Operation
The automatic transmission includes
an electronically controlled Overdrive
(sixth gear). The transmission will
automatically shift into the Overdrive
gear if the following conditions are
present:
the shift lever is in the DRIVE po-
sition,
the transmission fluid has reached an adequate temperature,
the engine coolant has reached an adequate temperature,
vehicle speed is sufficiently high, and the driver is not heavily pressing
the accelerator
Torque Converter Clutch
A feature designed to improve fuel
economy has been included in the au-
tomatic transmission on your vehicle.
A clutch within the torque converter
engages automatically at calibrated
speeds. This may result in a slightly
different feeling or response during
normal operation in the upper gears.
When the vehicle speed drops or dur-
ing some accelerations, the clutch au-
tomatically disengages.
235

The foot operated parking brake is
positioned below the lower left corner
of the instrument panel. To apply the
park brake, firmly push the park
brake pedal fully. To release the park-
ing brake, press the park brake pedal
a second time and let your foot up as
you feel the brake disengage.
When the parking brake is applied
with the ignition switch in the ON
position, the “Brake Warning Light”
in the instrument cluster will illumi-
nate.
NOTE:
When the parking brake is ap-plied and the automatic trans-
mission is placed in gear, the
“Brake Warning Light” will
flash. If vehicle speed is de-
tected, a chime will sound to alert the driver. Fully release the
parking brake before attempting
to move the vehicle.
This light only shows that the parking brake is applied. It does
not show the degree of brake ap-
plication.
When parking on a hill, it is important
to turn the front wheels toward the
curb on a downhill grade and away
from the curb on an uphill grade. For
vehicles equipped with an automatic
transmission, apply the parking brake
before placing the shift lever in PARK,
otherwise the load on the transmis-
sion locking mechanism may make it
difficult to move the shift lever out of
PARK. The parking brake should al-
ways be applied whenever the driver
is not in the vehicle.
WARNING!
Never use the PARK position as a substitute for the parking brake.
Always apply the parking brake
fully when parked to guard
against vehicle movement and
possible injury or damage.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
When leaving the vehicle, always
remove the key fob from the igni-
tion and lock your vehicle.
Never leave children alone in a
vehicle, or with access to an un-
locked vehicle. Allowing children
to be in a vehicle unattended is
dangerous for a number of rea-
sons. A child or others could be
seriously or fatally injured. Chil-
dren should be warned not to
touch the parking brake, brake
pedal or the shift lever.
Do not leave the key fob in or near
the vehicle, and do not leave a
vehicle equipped with Keyless
Enter-N-Go in the ACC or ON/
RUN mode. A child could operate
power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle.CAUTION!
If the Brake System Warning Light
remains on with the parking brake
released, a brake system malfunc-
tion is indicated. Have the brake
system serviced by an authorized
dealer immediately.
Parking Brake
239

WARNING!(Continued)
Vehicles with trailers should not
be parked on a grade. When park-
ing, apply the parking brake on
the tow vehicle. Put the tow ve-
hicle automatic transmission in
PARK. Always block or "chock"
the trailer wheels.
GCWR must not be exceeded.
Total weight must be distrib-
uted between the tow vehicle
and the trailer such that the
following four ratings are not
exceeded:
1. GVWR
2. GTW
3. GAWR
4. Trailer tongue weight rating for
the trailer hitch utilized.
Towing Requirements – Tires
Do not attempt to tow a trailer while using a compact spare tire.
Proper tire inflation pressures are essential for the safe and satisfac-
tory operation of your vehicle. Re-
fer to “Tires – General Informa-
tion” in “Starting and Operating”
for proper tire inflation procedures. Check the trailer tires for proper
tire inflation pressures before
trailer usage.
Check for signs of tire wear or vis- ible tire damage before towing a
trailer. Refer to “Tires – General
Information” in “Starting and Op-
erating” for the proper inspection
procedure.
When replacing tires, refer to “Tires – General Information” in “Start-
ing and Operating” for proper tire
replacement procedures. Replacing
tires with a higher load carrying
capacity will not increase the vehi-
cle's GVWR and GAWR limits.
Towing Requirements – Trailer
Brakes
Do notinterconnect the hydraulic
brake system or vacuum system of
your vehicle with that of the trailer.
This could cause inadequate brak-
ing and possible personal injury.
When towing a trailer equipped with a hydraulic surge actuated
brake system, an electronic brake
controller is not required. Trailer brakes are recommended
for trailers over 450 kg and re-
quired for trailers in excess of
750 kg.
CAUTION!
If the trailer weighs more than
450 kg loaded, it should have its
own brakes and they should be of
adequate capacity. Failure to do this
could lead to accelerated brake lin-
ing wear, higher brake pedal effort,
and longer stopping distances.WARNING!
Do not connect trailer brakes to
your vehicle's hydraulic brake
lines. It can overload your brake
system and cause it to fail. You
might not have brakes when you
need them and could have an ac-
cident.
Towing any trailer will increase
your stopping distance. When
towing you should allow for addi-
tional space between your vehicle
and the vehicle in front of you.
Failure to do so could result in an
accident.
263

Thirteen - Pin Connector DetailsPin Function Wire
Color
6 Stop Lights Red
7 Left Rear Posi-
tion, Side
Marker Lights,
and Rear Regis-
tration Plate
Illumination
Device
1
Black
8 Reverse Lights Red/ Black
9 Permanent
Power Supply
(+12V) Brown/
White
10 Power Supply Controlled by
Ignition Switch
(+12V) Red
11
a
Return for Con-
tact (Pin) 10
2
White
12 Reserve for Fu- ture Allocation
3
Red/
Blue
13 Return for Con-
tact (Pin) 9
2
White
Thirteen - Pin Connector DetailsPin Function Wire
Color1The rear position registration
plate illumination device shall be
connected such that no light of the
device has a common connection
with both pins 5 and 7.2The three return circuits shall not
be connected electrically in the
trailer.3The allocation pin 12 has been
changed from “Coding for coupled
Trailer” to “Reserve for Future Al-
location.”
TOWING TIPS
Before setting out on a trip, practice
turning, stopping and backing the
trailer in an area away from heavy
traffic.
Automatic Transmission
The DRIVE gear can be selected when
towing. However, if frequent shifting
occurs while in DRIVE, select a lower
gear range using the Electronic Range
Select (ERS) shift control. NOTE:
Using a lower gear range while op-
erating the vehicle under heavy
operating conditions will improve
performance and extend transmis-
sion life by reducing excessive
shifting and heat build up. This
action will also provide better en-
gine braking.
The automatic transmission fluid and
filter should be changed if you REGU-
LARLY tow a trailer for more than
45 minutes of continuous operation.
Refer to the “Maintenance Schedule”
for the proper maintenance intervals.
Electronic Speed Control (for
versions/markets, where
provided)
Do not use in hilly terrain or with
heavy loads.
When using the speed control, if you experience speed drops greater
than 16 km/h, disengage until you
can get back to cruising speed.
Use speed control in flat terrain and with light loads to maximize fuel
efficiency.
265

NOTE:
If either front tire is flat it may be
necessary to jack up the vehicle to
remove the compact spare tire/
cover assembly from under the ve-
hicle.
4. Stand the tire/cover assembly up-
right and remove the wheel spacer by
squeezing the winch retaining tabs to-
gether. Push the retainer through the
spare tire to release it from the wheel.
PREPARATIONS FOR
JACKING
1. Park the vehicle on a firm, level
surface. Avoid ice or slippery areas.
WARNING!
Do not attempt to change a tire on
the side of the vehicle close to mov-
ing traffic, pull far enough off the
road to avoid being hit when operat-
ing the jack or changing the wheel.
2. Turn on the Hazard Warning
flasher.
3. Set the parking brake.
4. Place the shift lever into PARK.
5. Turn OFF the ignition. 6. Block both the
front and rear of
the wheel diago-
nally opposite the
jacking position.
For example, if
changing the right
front tire, block the left rear wheel.
NOTE:
Passengers should not remain in
the vehicle when the vehicle is be-
ing jacked. JACKING INSTRUCTIONS
WARNING!
Carefully follow these tire changing
warnings to help prevent personal
injury or damage to your vehicle:
Always park on a firm, level sur-
face as far from the edge of the
roadway as possible before raising
the vehicle.
Turn on the Hazard Warning
flasher.
Block the wheel diagonally oppo-
site the wheel to be raised.
Set the parking brake firmly and
set an automatic transmission in
PARK; a manual transmission in
REVERSE.
Never start or run the engine with
the vehicle on a jack.
Do not let anyone sit in the vehicle
when it is on a jack.
Do not get under the vehicle when
it is on a jack.
Only use the jack in the positions
indicated and for lifting this ve-
hicle during a tire change.
(Continued)
Removing Wheel Spacer
272