STARTING
PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust
your seat, adjust the inside and out-
side mirrors, fasten your seat belt, and
if present, instruct all other occupants
to buckle their seat belts.WARNING!
Never leave children alone in avehicle, 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
EnterNGo™ 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 NEU-
TRAL or PARK position before you
can start the engine. Apply the brakes
before shifting into any driving gear.
CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may
occur if the following 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. Using Fob With Integrated Key
(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 run-
ning. 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.
227
KEYLESS ENTER-N-GO
(for versions/markets,
where provided)
This feature allows
the driver to operate
the ignition switch
with the push of a
button, as long as
the ENGINE
START/STOP but-
ton is installed and the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter is in the pas-
senger compartment.
Installing And Removing The
ENGINE START/STOP Button
Installing The Button
1. Remove the key fob from the igni-
tion switch.
2. Insert the ENGINE START/STOP
button into the ignition switch with
the lettering facing up and readable.
3. Press firmly on the center of the
button to secure it into position. Removing The Button
1. The ENGINE START/STOP but-
ton can be removed from the ignition
switch for key fob use.
2. Insert the metal part of the emer-
gency key under the chrome bezel at
the 6 o’clock position and gently pry
the button loose.
NOTE: The ENGINE START/
STOP button should only be re-
moved or inserted with the ignition
in the OFF position (OFF position
for Keyless EnterNGo™).
NORMAL STARTING —
GASOLINE ENGINE
Using The ENGINE START/STOP
Button
NOTE: Normal starting of either
a cold or a warm engine is ob-
tained without pumping or press-
ing the accelerator pedal.
To start the engine, the transmission
must be in PARK or NEUTRAL. Press
and hold the brake pedal while press-
ing the ENGINE START/STOP but-
ton once. The system takes over andattempts to start the vehicle. If the
vehicle fails to start, the starter will
disengage automatically after 10 sec-
onds. If you wish to stop the cranking
of the engine prior to the engine start-
ing, press the button again.
To Turn Off The Engine Using
ENGINE START/STOP Button
1. Place the shift lever in PARK, then
press and release the ENGINE
START/STOP button.
2. The ignition switch will return to
the OFF position.
3. If the shift lever is not in PARK and
the vehicle speed is above 8 km/h, the
ENGINE START/STOP button must
be held for two seconds before the
engine shuts off. The ignition switch
position will remain in the ACC posi-
tion until the shift lever is in PARK
and the button is pressed twice to the
OFF position. If the shift lever is not
in PARK and the ENGINE START/
STOP button is pressed once, the
EVIC will display a “Vehicle Not In
Park” message and the engine will228
remain running. Never leave a vehicle
out of the PARK position, or it could
roll.
NOTE: If the ignition switch is left
in the ACC or RUN (engine not run-
ning) position and the transmis-
sion is in PARK, the system will
automatically time out after 30
minutes of inactivity and the igni-
tion will switch to the OFF posi-
tion.
Keyless EnterNGo™ Functions –
With Driver’s Foot OFF The
Brake Pedal (In PARK Or
NEUTRAL Position)
The Keyless EnterNGo™ feature
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. Starting with the ignition switch in
the OFF position:
Press the ENGINE START/STOP button once to change the ignition
switch to the ACC position (EVIC
displays “IGNITION MODE
ACCESSORY”),
Press the ENGINE START/STOP button a second time to change the
ignition switch to the RUN position
(EVIC displays “IGNITION MODE
RUN”),
Press the ENGINE START/STOP button a third time to return the
ignition switch to the OFF position
(EVIC displays “IGNITION MODE
OFF”).
EXTREME COLD
WEATHER (BELOW 29°C)
To ensure reliable starting at these
temperatures, use of an externally
powered electric engine block heater
is recommended. IF ENGINE FAILS TO
START
WARNING!
Never pour fuel or other flam-
mable liquids into the throttle
body air inlet opening in an at-
tempt to start the vehicle. This
could result in a flash fire causing
serious personal injury.
Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get it started. Ve-
hicles equipped with an auto-
matic transmission cannot be
started this way. Unburned fuel
could enter the catalytic con-
verter 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 improp-
erly. Refer to “Jump Starting” in
“What To Do In Emergencies” for
further information.
229
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 auto-
matically, run for 10 seconds, and
then disengage. Once this occurs, re-
lease the accelerator pedal and the
brake pedal, wait 10 to 15 seconds,
then repeat the “Normal Starting”
procedure.
Clearing A Flooded Engine (Using
Fob With Integrated Key)
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 the accelerator pedal all the
way to the floor and hold it.
2. Turn the ignition switch to the
START position and release it as soon
as the starter engages.
The starter motor will disengage au-
tomatically 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” proce-
dure.
CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter,
wait 10 to 15 seconds before trying
again.
AFTER STARTING
The idle speed is controlled automati-
cally and it will decrease as the engine
warms up.
NORMAL STARTING –
DIESEL ENGINE
1. Turn the ignition switch to the ON
position. 2. Watch for the “Wait To Start
Light” in the instrument cluster. Refer
to “Instrument Cluster” in “Under-
standing Your Instrument Panel” for
further information. It will illuminate
for two to ten seconds or more, de-
pending on engine temperature.
When the “Wait To Start Light” goes
out, the engine is ready to start.
3. DO NOT press the accelerator.
Turn the ignition switch to the START
position and release when the engine
starts.
CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter,
DO NOT crank the engine for more
than 15–second intervals at one
time. Wait 10 to 15 seconds before
trying again.
4. After the engine starts, allow it to
idle for approximately 30 seconds be-
fore driving. This allows oil to circu-
late and lubricate the turbocharger.
230
Starting And Operating Cautions
– Diesel EngineWARNING!
NEVER pour fuel or other flam-
mable liquid into the air inlet open-
ing in an attempt to start the ve-
hicle. This could result in a flash
fire causing serious personal injury.
Running a cold engine at high speeds during driving or idling may
damage engine components. Before turning off your turbo diesel
engine, always allow the engine to
return to normal idle speed and run
for several seconds. This assures
proper lubrication of the turbo-
charger. This is particularly neces-
sary after any period of hard driv-
ing. Turbocharger Cool Down
NOTE: Letting the engine idle
af-
ter extended operation allows the
turbine housing to cool to normal
operating temperature.
The following chart should be used as
a guide in determining the amount of
engine idle time required to suffi-
ciently cool down the turbocharger
before shut down, depending upon
the type of driving and the amount of
cargo.
Turbocharger "Cool Down" Chart
Driving
Conditions Load Turbocharger
TemperatureIdle Time (in minutes)
Before Shut Down
Stop & Go EmptyCoolLess than 1
Stop & Go MediumWarm1
Highway Speeds MediumWarm2
City Traffic Max. GCWRWarm3
Highway Speeds Max. GCWRWarm4
Uphill Grade Max. GCWRHot5
231
LOCK/OFF position, and once re-
moved, the shift lever is locked in
PARK.
NOTE: If a malfunction occurs,
the system will trap the key fob in
the ignition switch to warn you
that this safety feature is inoper-
able. The engine can be started
and stopped but the key fob cannot
be removed until you obtain ser-
vice.
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
PARK, the ignition switch must be
turned to the ON/RUN position (en-
gine running or not) and the brake
pedal must be pressed.SIX-SPEED AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
The shift lever position display (lo-
cated in the instrument cluster) indi-
cates the transmission gear range. You
must press the brake pedal to move
the shift lever out of PARK (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.
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 be-
tween 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
233
WARNING!(Continued)
Allowing children to be in a ve- hicle unattended is dangerous for
a number of reasons. A child or
others could be seriously or fa-
tally 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
lever could result.
DO NOT race the engine when
shifting from PARK or NEU-
TRAL 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
the engine running. The engine may
be started in this range. Apply the parking brake and shift the transmis-
sion 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 ve-
hicle and have a collision.CAUTION!
Towing the vehicle, coasting, or
driving for any other reason with
the transmission in NEUTRAL can
cause 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
235
transmission automatically upshifts
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 isinhibited 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 conve-
nience. Your authorized dealer has
diagnostic equipment to deter-
mine if the problem could recur.
If the transmission cannot be reset,
authorized dealer service is required.
236