
•Driver door must be closed.
• The vehicle must be on a sufficient grade.
• The gear selection must match vehicle uphill direc-
tion (i.e., vehicle facing uphill is in forward gear;
vehicle backing uphill is in REVERSE gear).
• HSA will work in REVERSE gear and all forward
gears. The system will not activate if the transmission
is in PARK or NEUTRAL. For vehicles equipped with
a manual transmission, if the clutch is pressed, HSA
will remain active.
WARNING!
There may be situations where the Hill Start Assist
(HSA) will not activate and slight rolling may occur,
such as on minor hills or with a loaded vehicle, or
while pulling a trailer. HSA is not a substitute for
active driving involvement. It is always the driver ’s
responsibility to be attentive to distance to other
vehicles, people, and objects, and most importantly
brake operation to ensure safe operation of the
vehicle under all road conditions. Your complete
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
attention is always required while driving to main-
tain safe control of your vehicle. Failure to follow
these warnings can result in a collision or serious
personal injury.
Disabling And Enabling HSA
This feature can be turned on or turned off. To change
the current setting, proceed as follows:
•For vehicles equipped with the instrument cluster
display, refer to “Instrument Cluster Display” in
“Getting To Know Your Instrument Panel” for fur-
ther information.
• If disabling HSA using Uconnect Settings, refer to
“Uconnect Settings” in the “Multimedia” section for
further information.
For vehicles not equipped with the instrument cluster
display, perform the following steps:
1. Center the steering wheel (front wheels pointing straight forward).
2. Shift the transmission into PARK.
3. Apply the parking brake.
158 SAFETY

•Understeer - when the vehicle is turning less than
appropriate for the steering wheel position.
The “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” lo-
cated in the instrument cluster will start to flash as soon
as the ESC system becomes active. The “ESC
Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” also flashes
when the TCS is active. If the “ESC Activation/
Malfunction Indicator Light” begins to flash during
acceleration, ease up on the accelerator and apply as
little throttle as possible. Be sure to adapt your speed
and driving to the prevailing road conditions.
NOTE: The ESC Off switch is located below the radio
screen.
WARNING!
When in “Partial Off” mode, the TCS functionality
of ESC, (except for the limited slip feature de-
scribed in the TCS section), has been disabled and
the “ESC Off Indicator Light” will be illuminated.
When in “Partial Off” mode, the engine power
reduction feature of TCS is disabled, and the en-
hanced vehicle stability offered by the ESC system
is reduced.
WARNING!
• Electronic Stability Control (ESC) cannot prevent
the natural laws of physics from acting on the
vehicle, nor can it increase the traction afforded
by prevailing road conditions. ESC cannot pre-
vent accidents, including those resulting from
excessive speed in turns, driving on very slippery
surfaces, or hydroplaning. ESC also cannot pre-
vent accidents resulting from loss of vehicle con-
trol due to inappropriate 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 dangerous manner which could
jeopardize the user ’s safety or the safety of others.
• Vehicle modifications, or failure to properly
maintain your vehicle, may change the handling
characteristics of your vehicle, and may nega-
tively affect the performance of the ESC system.
Changes to the steering system, suspension, brak-
ing system, tire type and size or wheel size may
adversely affect ESC performance. Improperly
(Continued)
160 SAFETY

CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter, do not continu-
ously crank the engine for more than 25 seconds at
a time. Wait 60 seconds before trying again.
Cold Weather Operation
To ensure reliable starting under extreme cold condi-
tions an externally powered electric block heater (avail-
able from your authorized dealer) is required for the
1.4L Turbo engine below -20°F (-29°C) and for the 2.4L
engine below -31°F (-35°C) and is recommended for the
2.4L engine below -20°F (-29°C).
To prevent possible engine damage while starting at
low temperatures, this vehicle will inhibit engine crank-
ing when the ambient temperature is less than -20°F
(-29°C) for the 1.4L Turbo engine, and -31°F (-35°C) for
the 2.4L engine, and the oil temperature sensor reading
indicates an engine block heater has not been used. The
message “plug in engine heater” will be displayed in
the instrument cluster when the ambient temperature is
below -4°F (-20°C) at the time the engine is shut off as a
reminder to avoid possible crank delays at the next cold
start.
Extended Park Starting
NOTE:Extended Park condition occurs when the ve-
hicle has not been started or driven for at least 30 days.
1. Install a battery charger or jumper cables to the battery to ensure a full battery charge during the
crank cycle.
2. Cycle the ignition to the START mode and release it when the engine starts.
3. If the engine fails to start within 10 to 15 seconds, cycle the ignition to the OFF mode, wait five seconds
to allow the starter to cool, then repeat the Extended
Park Starting procedure.
4. If the engine fails to start after eight attempts, allow the starter to cool for at least 10 minutes, then repeat
the procedure.
CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter, do not crank
continuously for more than 10 seconds at a time.
Wait 10 to 15 seconds before trying again.
216 STARTING AND OPERATING

To apply the EPB manually, pull up on the switch
momentarily. You may hear a slight whirring sound
from the back of the vehicle while the EPB engages.
Once the parking brake is fully engaged, the BRAKE
warning lamp in the instrument cluster and an indica-
tor on the switch will illuminate. If your foot is on the
brake pedal while you apply the EPB, you may notice a
small amount of brake pedal movement. The EPB can
be applied even when the ignition switch is in the OFF
mode but the BRAKE warning lamp will not illuminate,
however, it can only be released when the ignition is in
the RUN mode.NOTE:
The EPB fault lamp will illuminate if the EPB
switch is held for longer than 20 seconds in either the
released or applied position. The light will extinguish
upon releasing the switch.
If the Auto Park Brake feature is enabled, the EPB will
automatically engage whenever the transmission is
placed into PARK, or with a manual transmission, when
the ignition switch is in the STOP/OFF position. If your
foot is on the brake pedal, you may notice a small
amount of brake pedal movement while the EPB is
engaging.
The EPB will be automatically released if the driver ’s
seat belt is buckled and driver’s intention to start (in
forward or reverse direction) is recognized by the
system
To release the EPB manually, the ignition must be in the
RUN mode. Put your foot on the brake pedal, then push
the EPB switch down momentarily. You may hear a
slight whirring sound from the back of the vehicle while
the parking brake disengages. You may also notice a
small amount of movement in the brake pedal. Once the
EPB is fully disengaged, the BRAKE warning lamp in
the instrument cluster and the LED indicator on the
switch will extinguish.
Electric Park Brake Switch7
STARTING AND OPERATING 219

CAUTION!(Continued)
speeds to cause engine and clutch damage are
significantly lower.
• Failure to follow the maximum recommended
downshifting speeds may cause the engine dam-
age and/or damage the clutch, even if the clutch
pedal is pressed.
• Descending a hill in low range with clutch pedal
depressed could result in clutch damage.
Maximum Recommended Downshift Speeds
CAUTION!
Failure to follow the maximum recommended
downshifting speeds may cause the engine to over-
speed and/or damage the clutch disc, even if the
clutch pedal is pressed.
Manual Transmission Shift Speeds in MPH (KM/H)
Gear Selection 6 to 5 5 to 44 to 3 3 to 2 2 to 1
Maximum Speed 80 (129)
70 (113) 50 (81)30 (48) 15 (24)
CAUTION!
If you skip a gear while downshifting or downshift
at too high of a vehicle speed, these conditions may
cause the engine to overspeed if too low of a gear is
selected and the clutch pedal is released. Damage to
the clutch and the transmission can result from
skipping a gear while downshifting or downshift-
ing at too high of a vehicle speed even if the clutch
pedal is held pressed (i.e., not released).
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Your vehicle is equipped with a state of the art, fuel
efficient nine-speed transmission.
The transmission gear range (PRND) is displayed both
beside the gear selector and in the instrument cluster. To
select a gear range, press the lock button on the gear
selector and move the lever rearward or forward. You
must also press the brake pedal to shift the transmission
out of PARK, or to shift from NEUTRAL into DRIVE or
226 STARTING AND OPERATING

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.
Gear Selector
The transmission gear selector has PARK, REVERSE,
NEUTRAL, DRIVE, and AutoStick (+/-) shift positions.
Manual shifts can be made using the AutoStick shift
control (refer to “AutoStick” in this section for further
information). Toggling the gear selector forward (-) or
rearward (+) while in the AutoStick position (beside the
DRIVE position) will manually select the transmission
gear, and will display the current gear in the instrument
cluster as 1, 2, 3, etc. NOTE:
If the gear selector cannot be moved to the
PARK, REVERSE, or NEUTRAL position (when pushed
forward) it is probably in the AutoStick (+/-) position
(beside the DRIVE position). In AutoStick mode, the
transmission gear is displayed in the instrument cluster
without the Dindicator (i.e. as 1, 2, 3, etc. rather than
D1, D2, D3, etc.). Move the gear selector to the right
(into the DRIVE [D] position) for access to PARK,
REVERSE, and NEUTRAL.
The electronically-controlled transmission adapts its
shift schedule based on driver inputs, along with envi-
ronmental and road conditions. The transmission elec-
tronics are self-calibrating. 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).
228 STARTING AND OPERATING

and improve overall vehicle performance. This system
can also provide you with more control during passing,
city driving, cold slippery conditions, mountain driv-
ing, trailer towing and many other situations.
Operation
When the gear selector is in the AutoStick position
(beside the DRIVE position), it can be moved forward
and rearward. This allows the driver to manually select
the transmission gear being used. Moving the gear
selector forward (-) triggers a downshift, and rearward
(+) an upshift. The current gear is displayed in the
instrument cluster.
NOTE:In AutoStick mode, the transmission will only
shift up or down when the driver moves the gear
selector rearward (+) or forward (-), except as described
below.
• The transmission will automatically upshift when
necessary to prevent engine overspeed.
• The transmission will automatically downshift as the
vehicle slows (to prevent engine lugging) and will
display the current gear.
• The transmission will automatically downshift to
first or second gear (depending on model) when coming to a stop. After a stop, the driver should
manually upshift (+) the transmission as the vehicle
is accelerated.
• You can start out (from a stop) in first or second gear.
Starting out in second gear can be helpful in snow or
icy conditions. Tap the gear selector forward or
rearward to select the desired gear after the vehicle is
brought to a stop.
• If a requested downshift would cause the engine to
overspeed, that shift will not occur.
• The system will ignore attempts to upshift at too low
of a vehicle speed.
• Avoid using speed control when AutoStick is en-
gaged because the transmission will not shift auto-
matically.
• Transmission shifting will be more noticeable when
AutoStick is enabled.
• The system may revert to automatic shift mode if a
fault or overheat condition is detected.
To disengage AutoStick mode, return the gear selector
to the DRIVE position. You can shift in or out of the
7
STARTING AND OPERATING 233

Activation
Push the on/off button to activate the Speed Control.
The cruise indicator light in the instrument cluster
display will illuminate. To turn the system off, push the
on/off button a second time. The cruise indicator light
will turn off. The system should be turned off when not
in use.
WARNING!
Leaving the Speed Control system on when not in
use is dangerous. You could accidentally set the
system or cause it to go faster than you want. You
could lose control and have an accident. Always
leave the system off when you are not using it.
Setting A Desired Speed
Turn the Speed Control on.
NOTE:The vehicle should be traveling at a steady
speed and on level ground before pushing the SET (+)
or SET (-) button. When the vehicle has reached the desired speed, push
the SET (+) or SET (-) button and release. Release the
accelerator and the vehicle will operate at the selected
speed.
Deactivation
A soft tap on the brake pedal, pushing the CANC
button, ESC intervention, brake control mitigation, elec-
tronic park brake intervention, or normal brake pres-
sure while slowing the vehicle will deactivate the Speed
Control without erasing the set speed from memory.
Pushing the on/off button or turning the ignition
switch to STOP erases the set speed from memory.
Resume Speed
To resume a previously set speed, push the RES button
and release. Resume can be used at any speed above
20 mph (32 km/h).
Varying The Speed
To Increase Speed
When the Speed Control is set, you can increase speed
by pushing the SET
(+)button.
236 STARTING AND OPERATING