Page 293 of 529

AUTOSTICK® ........................ .318
▫ Steering Wheel Mounted Paddle Shifters Or
Console Mounted Shifter ................318
SPORT MODE ........................ .321
LAUNCH MODE — IF EQUIPPED ..........322
DRIVING ON SLIPPERY SURFACES .........327
▫ Acceleration ........................ .327
▫ Traction ........................... .327
DRIVING THROUGH WATER .............328
▫ Flowing/Rising Water ..................328
POWER STEERING .....................330
▫ Power Steering Fluid Check ..............331
FUEL SAVER TECHNOLOGY —
IF EQUIPPED ......................... .332
PARKING BRAKE ..................... .332
▫ Manual Transmission — If Equipped ........333
▫ Automatic Transmission — If Equipped ......334
BRAKE SYSTEM ...................... .336
▫ Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) ............336
ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM . . . .339
▫ Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) ............339
▫ Traction Control System (TCS) ............340
▫ Brake Assist System (BAS) ...............340
▫ Hill Start Assist (HSA) .................341
▫ Electronic Stability Control (ESC) ..........343
▫ ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light And
ESC OFF Indicator Light ................346
292 STARTING AND OPERATING
Page 312 of 529
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.
The transmission shift lever has only PARK, REVERSE,
NEUTRAL, and DRIVE shift positions. Manual shifts can
be made using the AutoStick® shift control (refer to
“AutoStick®” in this section). Moving the shift lever to
the left or right (-/+) while in the DRIVE position, or
tapping one of the steering wheel-mounted shift paddles
(-/+) (if equipped), will manually select the transmission
gear, and will display the current gear in the instrument
cluster as 1, 2, 3, etc.
Shift Lever
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 311
Page 319 of 529

NOTE:Even if the transmission can be reset, we recom-
mend that you visit your authorized dealer at your
earliest possible convenience. Your authorized dealer has
diagnostic equipment to determine if the problem could
recur.
If the transmission cannot be reset, authorized dealer
service is required.
Overdrive Operation
The automatic transmission includes an electronically
controlled Overdrive (fifth gear). The transmission will
automatically shift into Overdrive if the following con-
ditions are present:
• The shift lever is in the DRIVE position.
• Vehicle speed is sufficiently high.
• The driver is not heavily pressing the accelerator.
AUTOSTICK®
Steering Wheel Mounted Paddle Shifters Or
Console Mounted Shifter
AutoStick® is a driver-interactive transmission feature
providing manual shift control, giving you more control
of the vehicle. AutoStick® allows you to maximize en-
gine braking, eliminate undesirable upshifts and down-
shifts, and improve overall vehicle performance.
This system can also provide you with more control
during passing, city driving, cold slippery conditions,
mountain driving, and many other situations.
318 STARTING AND OPERATING
Page 320 of 529

Operation
When the shift lever is in the DRIVE position, the
transmission will operate automatically, shifting between
the five available gears. To engage AutoStick®, simply
tap the shift lever to the right or left (+/-) while in theDRIVE position, or tap one of the steering wheel-
mounted shift paddles (+/-). Tapping (-) to enter
AutoStick® mode will downshift the transmission to the
next lower gear, while using (+) to enter AutoStick®
mode will retain the current gear. When AutoStick® is
active, the current transmission gear is displayed in the
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) portion of
the instrument cluster. In AutoStick® mode, the trans-
mission will shift up or down when (+/-) is manually
selected by the driver (using the shift lever, or the shift
paddles), unless an engine lugging or overspeed condi-
tion would result. It will remain in the selected gear until
another upshift or downshift is chosen, except as de-
scribed below.
•
If AutoStick® is engaged while in DRIVE mode, the
transmission will automatically shift up when maxi-
mum engine speed is reached.
1 — (–) Shift Paddle 2 — (+) Shift Paddle
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 319
Page 322 of 529
SPORT MODE
This vehicle is equipped with an electronic controlled
damping system. This system reduces body roll and pitch
in many driving situations including cornering, accelera-
tion and braking. In addition, the driver has the ability to
select a more aggressive shifting pattern. On the center
console, there is a “SPORT” button that when pressed
will cycle through three different driving modes. This is
the description of each mode of operation:•Off — This is the initial position. This mode will give
a sporty, but comfortable ride. Within this mode, the
suspension will adapt to the vehicle inputs, including
vehicle speed, steering inputs, braking and accelera-
tion. The transmission will be optimized for smooth,
SPORT Button
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 321
Page 324 of 529

feature in low traction (cold, wet, gravel, etc) conditions
may results in excess wheel slip outside this systems
control resulting in an aborted launch.
Preconditions:
•Launch control should not be used on public roads.
Always check track conditions and the surrounding
area.
• Launch Control is not available for the first 500 miles
of vehicle life.
• Launch Control should only be used when the engine
and transmission are at operating temperature.
• Launch Control is intended to be used on dry, paved
road surfaces only. Use on slippery or loose surfaces
may cause damage to vehicle components. Automatic Transmission (If Equipped):
Launch Control is only available when the following
procedure is followed:
1. Press the “ESC OFF” button to put the vehicle into
ESC Partial mode. The “ESC OFF” lamp will illumi-
nate in the cluster.
2. Press the “ESC OFF” button a second time to put the vehicle into Launch Control. The “ESC OFF” lamp will
remain lit, and the cluster display will read “Launch
Control Enabled”.
3. Make sure the vehicle is not moving.
4. Make sure the steering wheel is pointing straight.
5. Hold the brake and make sure the vehicle is in “Drive”.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 323
Page 326 of 529

Manual Transmission (If Equipped):
Vehicles with a manual transmission have an adjustable
launch RPM controlled through the EVIC Performance
Features. Set the desired launch rpm before entering
launch control. Details of this feature can be found under
Performance Features – Launch RPM Set.
Launch Control is only available when the following
procedure is followed:
1. Press the “ESC OFF” button to put the vehicle intoESC Partial mode. The “ESC OFF” lamp will illumi-
nate in the cluster.
2. Press the “ESC OFF” button a second time to put the vehicle into Launch Control. The “ESC OFF” lamp will
remain lit, and the cluster display will read “Launch
Control Enabled”.
3. Make sure the vehicle is not moving. 4. Make sure the steering wheel is pointing straight.
5. Fully depress the clutch pedal and make sure the
vehicle is in first gear.
6. While holding the clutch depressed, rapidly apply the accelerator pedal to wide open throttle. The engine
speed will hold at the pre-selected launch rpm. The
default engine speed is 3500 rpm.
• Messages will appear in the cluster EVIC display to
inform the driver if one or more of the above
conditions (3 through 6) have not been met.
7.
When conditions 3 through 6 have been met, the cluster
EVIC display will read “Launch Ready Release Clutch”.
Release the clutch quickly and continue to hold wide
open throttle to launch Execute shifts as described in the
section: Manual Transmission – Shifting.
8. Keep the vehicle pointed straight.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 325
Page 331 of 529

CAUTION!(Continued)
•Determine the condition of the road or the path
that is under water and if there are any obstacles in
the way before driving through the standing water.
• Do not exceed 5 mph (8 km/h) when driving
through standing water. This will minimize wave
effects.
• Driving through standing water may cause damage
to your vehicle’s drivetrain components. Always
inspect your vehicle’s fluids (i.e., engine oil, trans-
mission, axle, etc.) for signs of contamination (i.e.,
fluid that is milky or foamy in appearance) after
driving 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 covered by the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
•Getting water inside your vehicle’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.
POWER STEERING
The standard power steering system will give you good
vehicle response and increased ease of maneuverability
in tight spaces. The system will provide 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.
330 STARTING AND OPERATING