Page 392 of 631

▫Operation – Five-Speed Transmission .......420
SPORT MODE (5.7L ONLY) — IF EQUIPPED . . .422
ALL-WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) — IF EQUIPPED . .423
DRIVING ON SLIPPERY SURFACES .........424
▫ Acceleration ........................ .424
▫ Traction ........................... .425
DRIVING THROUGH WATER .............425
▫ Flowing/Rising Water ..................425
▫ Shallow Standing Water .................426
POWER STEERING .....................427
FUEL SAVER TECHNOLOGY 5.7L ENGINE
ONLY – IF EQUIPPED ...................428
PARKING BRAKE ..................... .429
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM .............431
ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM . . . .433
▫ Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) ............433
▫ Traction Control System (TCS) ............434
▫ Brake Assist System (BAS) ...............434
▫ Electronic Stability Control (ESC) ..........435
▫ Hill Start Assist (HSA) .................437
▫ Ready Alert Braking ...................439
▫ Rain Brake Support ....................439
▫ ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator
Light And ESC OFF Indicator Light ........440
▫ Synchronizing ESC ....................441
390 STARTING AND OPERATING
Page 396 of 631

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!
•When leaving the vehicle, always remove the key
fob from the ignition and lock your vehicle.
• Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Allowing children to
be in a vehicle 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.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not leave the key fob in or near the vehicle (or
in a location accessible to children), 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.
Automatic Transmission
The shift lever must be in the NEUTRAL or PARK
position before you can start the engine. Apply the brakes
before shifting into any driving gear.
394 STARTING AND OPERATING
Page 397 of 631
CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may occur if the follow-
ing precautions are not observed:
•Do not shift from REVERSE, PARK, or NEUTRAL
into any forward gear when the engine is above
idle speed.
• 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.
• Before shifting into any gear, make sure your foot
is firmly on the brake pedal.
Keyless Enter-N-Go™
This feature allows the driver to oper-
ate the ignition switch with the push
of a button, as long as the Remote
Start/Keyless Enter-N-Go™ FOBIK is
in the passenger compartment.
Normal Starting
Using The ENGINE START/STOP Button
1. The transmission must be in PARK or NEUTRAL.
2. Press and hold the brake pedal while pressing the ENGINE START/STOP button once.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 395
Page 399 of 631

ENGINE START/STOP Button Functions – With
Driver ’s Foot OFF The Brake Pedal (In PARK Or
NEUTRAL Position)
The ENGINE START/STOP button operates similar to an
ignition switch. It has four positions, OFF, ACC, RUN
and START. To change the ignition switch positions
without starting the vehicle and use the accessories
follow these steps.
1. Starting with the ignition switch in the OFF position:
2. Press the ENGINE START/STOP button once tochange the ignition switch to the ACC position (EVIC
displays “ACC”),
3. Press the ENGINE START/STOP button a second time to change the ignition switch to the RUN position
(EVIC displays “RUN”), 4. Press the ENGINE START/STOP button a third time
to return the ignition switch to the OFF position (EVIC
displays “OFF”).
Extreme Cold Weather (Below –20°F Or 29°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 liquid into the
throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to start
the vehicle. This could result in flash fire causing
serious personal injury.
(Continued)
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 397
Page 400 of 631

WARNING!(Continued)
•Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get it
started. Vehicles equipped with an automatic trans-
mission 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 discharged 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 dangerous if done improperly. Refer
to “Jump Starting” in “What To Do In Emergen-
cies” for further information.
Clearing A Flooded Engine (Using ENGINE
START/STOP Button)
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:
1. Press and hold the brake pedal.
2. Press the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and hold it.
3.
Press and release the ENGINE START/STOP button
once.
The starter motor will engage automatically, run for 10 sec-
onds, and then disengage. Once this occurs, release the
accelerator pedal and the brake pedal, wait 10 to 15 sec-
onds, then repeat the “Normal Starting” procedure.
398 STARTING AND OPERATING
Page 402 of 631

CAUTION!(Continued)
•Do not shift between PARK, REVERSE, NEU-
TRAL, or DRIVE when the engine is above idle
speed.
• Before shifting into any gear, make sure your foot
is firmly pressing the brake pedal.
NOTE: You must press and hold the brake pedal while
shifting out of PARK.
WARNING!
•Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure those
in or near the vehicle. As with all vehicles, you should
never exit a vehicle while the engine is running.
Before exiting a vehicle, always apply the parking
brake, shift the transmission into PARK, and turn the
engine OFF. When the ignition is in the LOCK/OFF
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
position, the shift lever is locked in PARK, securing
the vehicle against unwanted movement.
•It is dangerous to shift 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 re-
verse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when
the engine is idling normally and your foot is
firmly pressing the brake pedal.
• When leaving the vehicle, always remove the key
fob and lock your vehicle.
(Continued)
400 STARTING AND OPERATING
Page 403 of 631

WARNING!(Continued)
•Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Allowing children to
be in a vehicle 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 park-
ing brake, brake pedal or the shift lever. Do not
leave the key fob in or near the vehicle (or in a
location accessible to children), and do not leave
Keyless Enter-N-Go™ in the ACC or ON/RUN
position. 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 Inter-
lock which requires the shift lever to be placed in PARK
before the key fob can be removed. This system also locks
the shift lever in PARK whenever the ignition switch is in
the LOCK/OFF position.
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake Transmission Shift
Interlock system (BTSI) that holds the shift lever in PARK
unless the brakes are applied. To shift the transmission
out of PARK, the ignition switch must be turned to the
ON/RUN position (engine running or not) and the brake
pedal must be pressed.5
STARTING AND OPERATING 401
Page 404 of 631

Eight-Speed Automatic Transmission – If Equipped
Your vehicle is equipped with a state of the art, fuel
efficient eight-speed transmission. The electronic shift
lever in this vehicle does not slide like a conventional
shifter. Instead, the shift lever is spring loaded and moves
forward and rearward, always returning to the center
position after each gear is selected.
The transmission gear (PRND) is displayed both on the
shift lever and in the Electronic Vehicle Information
Center (EVIC).
To select a gear range, press the lock button on the shift lever
and move the lever rearward or forward. You must also
press the brake pedal to shift the transmission out of PARK
(refer to “Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System” in thissection). To shift past multiple gear ranges at once (such as
PARK to DRIVE), move the lever past the first (or second)
detent. Select the DRIVE range for normal driving.
The electronically-controlled transmission provides a
precise shift schedule. 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 develop within a few
hundred miles (kilometers).
Only shift from DRIVE to PARK or REVERSE when the
accelerator pedal is released and the vehicle is stopped.
Be sure to keep your foot on the brake pedal when
shifting between these gears.
402 STARTING AND OPERATING