GEAR RANGES
DO NOT race the engine when shift-
ing from PARK or NEUTRAL into
another gear range.
PARK
This range supplements the parking
brake by locking the transmission.
The engine can be started in this
range. Never attempt to use PARK
while the vehicle is in motion. Apply
the parking brake when leaving the
vehicle in this range.
When parking on a level surface, you
may place the shift lever in the PARK
position first, and then apply the
parking brake.
When parking on a hill, apply the
parking brake before placing the shift
lever in PARK, otherwise the load on
the transmission locking mechanism
may make it difficult to move the shift
lever out of PARK. As an added pre-
caution, turn the front wheels toward
the curb on a downhill grade, and
away from the curb on an uphill
grade.
WARNING!
Never use the PARK position as asubstitute for the parking brake.
Always apply the parking brake
fully when parked to guard
against vehicle movement and
possible injury or damage.
Your vehicle could move and in-
jure you and others if it is not
completely in PARK. Check by
trying to move the shift lever rear-
ward (with the brake pedal re-
leased) after you have placed it in
PARK. Make sure the transmis-
sion is in PARK before leaving the
vehicle.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
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 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)
232
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
through underdrive first, second,
third, and fourth gears, direct fifth
gear and overdrive sixth gear. The
DRIVE position provides optimum
driving characteristics under all nor-
mal operating conditions.
When frequent transmission shifting
occurs (such as when operating the
vehicle under heavy loading condi-
tions, in hilly terrain, traveling into
strong head winds, or while towing
heavy trailers), use the Electronic
Range Select (ERS) shift control (de-
scribed below) to select a lower gear
range. Under these conditions, using a
lower gear range will improve perfor-
mance and extend transmission life
by reducing excessive shifting and
heat buildup.
During cold temperatures, transmis-
sion operation may be modified de-
pending on engine and transmission
temperature as well as vehicle speed.
This feature improves warm up time
of the engine and transmission to
achieve maximum efficiency. Engage-
ment of the torque converter clutch is
inhibited until the transmission fluid
is warm (refer to the “Note” under“Torque Converter Clutch” in this
section). During extremely cold tem-
peratures (27°C or below), operation
may briefly be limited to third gear
only. Normal operation will resume
once the transmission temperature
has risen to a suitable level.
Transmission Limp Home Mode
Transmission function is monitored
electronically for abnormal condi-
tions. If a condition is detected that
could result in transmission damage,
Transmission Limp Home Mode is ac-
tivated. In this mode, the transmis-
sion remains in third gear regardless
of which forward gear is selected.
PARK, REVERSE, and NEUTRAL
will continue to operate. The Mal-
function Indicator Light (MIL) may
be illuminated. Limp Home Mode al-
lows the vehicle to be driven to an
authorized dealer for service without
damaging the transmission.
In the event of a momentary problem,
the transmission can be reset to regain
all forward gears by performing the
following steps:
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Shift the transmission into PARK.
3. Turn the engine OFF.
4. Wait approximately 10 seconds.
5. Restart the engine.
6. Shift into the desired gear range. If
the problem is no longer detected, the
transmission will return to normal op-
eration.
NOTE:
Even if the transmission can be
reset, we recommend that you visit
your authorized dealer at your
earliest possible convenience.
Your authorized dealer has diag-
nostic equipment to determine if
the problem could recur.
If the transmission cannot be reset,
authorized dealer service is required.
Electronic Range Select (ERS)
Operation
The Electronic Range Select (ERS)
shift control allows the driver to limit
the highest available gear when the
shift lever is in the DRIVE position.
For example, if you shift the transmis-
sion into 3 (third gear), the transmis-
sion will never shift above third gear,
234
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
NOTE:
The torque converter clutch will
not engage until the transmission
fluid and engine coolant are warm
[usually after 1.6 to 4.8 km of driv-
ing]. Because the engine speed is
higher when the torque converter
clutch is not engaged, it may seem
as if the transmission is not shift-
ing into Overdrive when cold. This
is normal. Using the Electronic
Range Select (ERS) feature, when
the transmission is sufficiently
warm, will demonstrate that the
transmission is able to shift into
and out of Overdrive.
DRIVING ON SLIPPERY
SURFACES
ACCELERATION
Rapid acceleration on snow covered,
wet, or other slippery surfaces may
cause the driving wheels to pull errati-
cally to the right or left. This phenom-
enon occurs when there is a difference
in the surface traction under the front
(driving) wheels.
WARNING!
Rapid acceleration on slippery sur-
faces is dangerous. Unequal traction
can cause sudden pulling of the front
wheels. You could lose control of the
vehicle and possibly have a collision.
Accelerate slowly and carefully
whenever there is likely to be poor
traction (ice, snow, wet mud, loose
sand, etc.).
TRACTION
When driving on wet or slushy roads,
it is possible for a layer of water to
build up between the tire and road
surface. This is known as hydroplan-
ing and may cause partial or complete
loss of vehicle control and stopping
ability. To reduce this possibility, the
following precautions should be ob-
served:
1. Slow down during rainstorms or
when roads are slushy.
2. Slow down if the road has standing
water or puddles.
3. Replace the tires when tread wear
indicators first become visible.
4. Keep the tires properly inflated. 5. Maintain sufficient distance be-
tween your vehicle and the vehicle in
front of you to avoid a collision in a
sudden stop.
DRIVING THROUGH
WATER
Driving through water more than a
few centimeters deep will require ex-
tra caution to ensure safety and pre-
vent damage to your vehicle.
FLOWING/RISING WATER
WARNING!
Do not drive on or across a road or
path where water is flowing and/or
rising (as in storm run-off). Flowing
water can wear away the road or
path's surface and cause your
ve-
hicle to sink into deeper water. Fur-
thermore, flowing and/or rising wa-
ter can carry your vehicle away
swiftly. Failure to follow this warn-
ing may result in injuries that are
serious or fatal to you, your passen-
gers, and others around you.
236
SHALLOW STANDING
WATER
Although your vehicle is capable of
driving through shallow standing wa-
ter, consider the following Caution
and Warning before doing so.CAUTION!
Always check the depth of thestanding water before driving
through it. Never drive through
standing water that is deeper than
the bottom of the tire rims
mounted on the vehicle.
Determine the condition of the
road or the path that is under
water and if there are any ob-
stacles in the way before driving
through the standing water.
Do not exceed 8 km/h when driv-
ing through standing water. This
will minimize wave effects.
(Continued)
CAUTION!(Continued)
Driving through standing water
may cause damage to your vehi-
cle’s drivetrain components. Al-
ways inspect your vehicle’s fluids
(i.e., engine oil, transmission,
axle, etc.) for signs of contamina-
tion (i.e., fluid that is milky or
foamy in appearance) after driv-
ing through standing water. Do
not continue to operate the vehicle
if any fluid appears contami-
nated, as this may result in further
damage. Such damage is not cov-
ered by the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
Getting water inside your vehi-
cle’s engine can cause it to lock up
and stall out, and cause serious
internal damage to the engine.
Such damage is not covered by the
New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
WARNING!
Driving through standing waterlimits your vehicle’s traction ca-
pabilities. Do not exceed 8 km/h
when driving through standing
water.
Driving through standing water
limits your vehicle’s braking ca-
pabilities, which increases stop-
ping distances. Therefore, after
driving through standing water,
drive slowly and lightly press on
the brake pedal several times to
dry the brakes.
Getting water inside your vehi-
cle’s engine can cause it to lock up
and stall out, and leave you
stranded.
Failure to follow these warnings
may result in injuries that are se-
rious or fatal to you, your passen-
gers, and others around you.
237
POWER STEERING
The standard power steering system
will give you good vehicle response
and increased ease of maneuverability
in tight spaces. The system will pro-
vide mechanical steering capability if
power assist is lost.
If for some reason the power assist is
interrupted, it will still be possible to
steer your vehicle. Under these condi-
tions, you will observe a substantial
increase in steering effort, especially
at very low vehicle speeds and during
parking maneuvers.
NOTE:
Increased noise levels at the endof the steering wheel travel are
considered normal and do not
indicate that there is a problem
with the power steering system.
Upon initial start-up in cold weather, the power steering
pump may make noise for a
short amount of time. This is due
to the cold, thick fluid in the
steering system. This noise
should be considered normal, and it does not in any way dam-
age the steering system.
WARNING!
Continued operation with reduced
power steering assist could pose a
safety risk to yourself and others.
Service should be obtained as soon
as possible.CAUTION!
Prolonged operation of the steering
system at the end of the steering
wheel travel will increase the steer-
ing fluid temperature and it should
be avoided when possible. Damage
to the power steering pump may oc-
cur.
POWER STEERING FLUID
CHECK
Checking the power steering fluid
level at a defined service interval is
not required. The fluid should only be
checked if a leak is suspected, abnor-
mal noises are apparent, and/or the
system is not functioning as antici-
pated. Coordinate inspection efforts
through an authorized dealer.
CAUTION!
Do not use chemical flushes in your
power steering system as the chemi-
cals can damage your power steering
components. Such damage is not
covered by the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.WARNING!
Fluid level should be checked on a
level surface and with the engine off
to prevent injury from moving parts
and to ensure accurate fluid level
reading. Do not overfill. Use only
manufactur er's recommended
power steering fluid.
If necessary, add fluid to restore to the
proper indicated level. With a clean
cloth, wipe any spilled fluid from all
surfaces. Refer to “Fluids, Lubri-
cants, and Genuine Parts” in “Main-
taining Your Vehicle” for further in-
formation.
PARKING BRAKE
Before leaving the vehicle, make sure
that the parking brake is fully applied
and place the shift lever in the PARK
position.
238
WARNING!(Continued)
ESC cannot prevent accidents, in-
cluding those resulting from ex-
cessive speed in turns, driving on
very slippery surfaces, or hydro-
planing. ESC also cannot prevent
accidents resulting from loss of
vehicle control due to inappropri-
ate driver input for the conditions.
Only a safe, attentive, and skillful
driver can prevent accidents.
The capabilities of an ESC
equipped vehicle must never be
exploited in a reckless or danger-
ous manner which could jeopar-
dize the user’s safety or the safety
of others.
ESC Operating Modes The “ESC Off” switch is lo-
cated in the center switch
bank, next to the hazard
flasher switch. ESC On
This mode is the normal operating
mode for ESC on two-wheel drive ve-
hicles. Whenever the vehicle is
started, the ESC system will be in this
mode. This mode should be used for
most driving situations. ESC should
only be turned off for specific reasons
as noted below.
ESC Partial Off
This mode is entered by momentarily
pressing the “ESC Off” switch.
When in the “Partial Off” mode, the
TCS portion of ESC, except for the
“limited slip” feature described in the
TCS section, has been disabled and
the “ESC Activation/Malfunction In-
dicator Light” will be illuminated.
When in the “Partial Off” mode, ESC
will operate without engine torque
management. This mode is intended
to be used if the vehicle is in deep
snow, sand or gravel conditions and
more wheel spin than ESC would nor-
mally allow is required to gain trac-
tion. To turn ESC on again, momen-
tarily press the “ESC Off” switch.
This will restore the normal “ESC
On” mode of operation. NOTE:
To improve the vehicle's traction
when driving with snow chains, or
starting off in deep snow, sand or
gravel, it may be desirable to
switch to the “Partial Off” mode by
pressing the “ESC Off” switch.
Once the situation requiring ESC
to be switched to the “Partial Off”
mode is overcome, turn ESC back
on by momentarily pressing the
“ESC Off” switch. This may be
done while the vehicle is in mo-
tion.
WARNING!
In partial ESC mode, the engine
power reduction feature of ESC is
disabled. Therefore, enhanced ve-
hicle stability offered by the ESC
system is reduced.
243