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AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WARNINGS
Always set the parking brake fully
and make sure the gearshift is
latched in P (Park). Turn the ignition
to the off position and remove the key
whenever you leave your vehicle.
Do not apply the brake pedal and
accelerator pedal simultaneously.
Applying both pedals simultaneously
for more than three seconds will limit
engine rpm, which may result in difficulty
maintaining speed in traffic and could lead
to serious injury.
Automatic Transmission Putting your vehicle in gear:
1. Fully press down the brake pedal.
2. Press and hold the button on the front
of the gearshift lever.
3. Move the gearshift lever into the
desired gear.
4. Release the button and your
transmission will remain in the selected
gear.
E144820 P (Park)
This position locks the transmission and
prevents the front wheels from turning.
Come to a complete stop before putting
your vehicle into and out of P (Park)
R (Reverse)
With the gearshift lever in R (Reverse), the
vehicle will move backward. Always come
to a complete stop before shifting into and
out of R (Reverse).
N (Neutral)
With the gearshift lever in N (Neutral), the
vehicle is free to roll; hold the brake pedal
down while in this position.
D (Drive)
The normal driving position for the best
fuel economy.
D (Drive) with Grade Assist (If
Equipped)
Press the transmission control switch on
the side of the gearshift lever to activate
grade assist.
E146092
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Grade assist:
• Provides additional grade braking with
a combination of engine motoring and
high-voltage battery charging to help
maintain vehicle speed when
descending a grade.
• As the vehicle determines the amount
of engine motoring and high-voltage
battery charging, you may notice the
engine speed increasing and
decreasing to help maintain your
vehicle speed when descending a
grade.
• The grade assist lamp in the instrument
cluster is illuminated. E144523
The grade assist lamp will
appear in the instrument cluster
when grade assist is turned on.
Press the transmission control switch
again to return to normal D (Drive).
L (Low)
• Provides maximum engine braking.
• The transmission may be shifted into
L (Low) at any vehicle speed.
Brake-Shift Interlock WARNINGS
Do not drive your vehicle until you
verify that the brake lamps are
working.
When doing this procedure, you will
be taking the vehicle out of park
which means the vehicle can roll
freely. To avoid unwanted vehicle
movement, always fully set the parking
brake prior to doing this procedure. Use
wheel chocks if appropriate.
If the parking brake is fully released,
but the brake warning lamp remains
illuminated, the brakes may not be
working properly. See your authorized
dealer. Note: See your authorized dealer as soon
as possible if this procedure is used.
Note: For some markets this feature will be
disabled.
Use the brake shift interlock lever to move
the gearshift lever from the park position
in the event of an electrical malfunction or
if your vehicle has a dead battery.
Apply the parking brake and turn the
ignition off before performing this
procedure. E155984
1. Remove the side panel on the right side
of the gearshift lever.
E155985
2. Locate the access hole.
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E155983
3. Insert the screwdriver (or similar tool)
into the access hole and press the lever
foreword while pulling the gearshift
lever out of the P (Park) position and
into the N (Neutral) position.
4. Remove the tool and reinstall the
panel.
5. Start the vehicle and release the
parking brake.
If Your Vehicle Gets Stuck In Mud
or Snow Note: Do not rock the vehicle if the engine
is not at normal operating temperature or
damage to the transmission may occur.
Note: Do not rock the vehicle for more than
a minute or damage to the transmission and
tires may occur, or the engine may overheat.
If your vehicle gets stuck in mud or snow,
it may be rocked out by shifting between
forward and reverse gears, stopping
between shifts in a steady pattern. Press
lightly on the accelerator in each gear.
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GENERAL INFORMATION Note: Occasional brake noise is normal. If
a metal-to-metal, continuous grinding or
continuous squeal sound is present, the
brake linings may be worn-out. Have the
system checked by an authorized dealer. If
the vehicle has continuous vibration or
shudder in the steering wheel while braking,
have it checked by an authorized dealer.
Note: Brake dust may accumulate on the
wheels, even under normal driving
conditions. Some dust is inevitable as the
brakes wear and does not contribute to
brake noise. See Cleaning the Alloy
Wheels (page 264).E144522
See Warning Lamps and
Indicators (page 81).
Wet brakes result in reduced braking
efficiency. Gently press the brake pedal a
few times when driving from a car wash or
standing water to dry the brakes.
Brake Over Accelerator In the event the accelerator pedal
becomes stuck or entrapped, apply steady
and firm pressure to the brake pedal to
slow the vehicle and reduce engine power.
If you experience this condition, apply the
brakes and bring your vehicle to a safe
stop. Move the transmission selector lever
to position P, switch the engine off and
apply the parking brake. Inspect the
accelerator pedal for any interference. If
none are found and the condition persists,
have your vehicle towed to the nearest
authorized dealer. Brake Assist Brake assist detects when you brake
heavily by measuring the rate at which you
press the brake pedal. It provides
maximum braking efficiency as long as you
press the pedal. Brake assist can reduce
stopping distances in critical situations.
Anti-lock Brake System This system helps you maintain steering
control during emergency stops by keeping
the brakes from locking.
This lamp momentarily
illuminates when you turn the
ignition on. If the light does not
illuminate during start up, remains on or
flashes, the anti-lock braking system may
be disabled. Have the system checked by
an authorized dealer. E144522
If the system is disabled, normal
braking is still effective. If the
brake warning lamp illuminates
when you release the parking brake, have
your system checked by an authorized
dealer.
Regenerative Braking System This feature is used to simulate the engine
braking of an internal combustion engine
and assist the standard brake system while
recovering some of the energy of motion
and storing it in the battery to improve fuel
economy. The standard brake system is
designed to fully stop the car if
regenerative braking is not available.
During regenerative braking, the motor is
spun as a generator to create electrical
current. This recharges the battery and
slows the vehicle. In effect, once the
accelerator pedal is released, the motor
changes from an energy user to an energy
producer.
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When you release the accelerator pedal or
press the brake pedal, the brake controller
automatically detects the amount of
deceleration requested and optimizes how
much of the deceleration will be produced
by regenerative braking. The remaining
portion is generated by standard friction
braking. When the battery is almost fully
charged, the amount of regenerative
braking is limited to avoid overcharging,
and the requested deceleration is
produced by standard friction braking
alone.
Regenerative braking does not take the
place of the standard friction brakes; it only
assists them. Regenerative braking has
also been designed to interact with the
anti-lock brake system. Regenerative
braking is disabled when the anti-lock
brake system is activated or the battery is
fully charged.
HINTS ON DRIVING WITH
ANTI-LOCK BRAKES Note: When the system is operating, the
brake pedal will pulse and may travel
further. Maintain pressure on the brake
pedal. You may also hear a noise from the
system. This is normal.
The anti-lock braking system will not
eliminate the risks when:
• you drive too closely to the vehicle in
front of you
• your vehicle is hydroplaning
• you take corners too fast
• the road surface is poor.
ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE The electric parking brake replaces the
conventional handbrake. The operating
switch is located in the center console. WARNING
Always set the parking brake and
leave your vehicle with the
transmission selector lever in
position P.
Note: When you apply the electric parking
brake in certain conditions, for example, on
a steep hill, the electric parking brake may
reapply the brakes within three to ten
minutes.
Note: You may notice various noises when
you apply and release the electric parking
brake. This is normal and no cause for
concern.
Applying the electric parking brake WARNING
If the brake system warning lamp
does not illuminate or flashes, there
could be a problem with your electric
parking brake. Have the system checked
by an authorized dealer as soon as
possible.
Note: The brake system warning lamp will
illuminate for ten seconds, if the ignition is
turned off after the electric parking brake
has been applied, or the electric parking
brake has been applied after the ignition has
been turned off.
Note: The electric parking brake will not
automatically apply. You must apply the
electric parking brake using the electric
parking brake switch.
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E147230
Pull the switch up to apply the electric
parking brake.
The brake system warning lamp will
illuminate to confirm that the electric
parking brake has been applied. See
Information Displays (page 86).
Applying the electric parking brake
when the vehicle is moving WARNINGS
Applying the electric parking brake
while moving will result in use of the
anti-lock braking system. Do not use
the electric parking brake system when the
vehicle is moving unless the normal brake
system is unable to stop the vehicle.
With the exception of emergency
conditions (for example, the brake
pedal does not work or is blocked),
do not apply the electric parking brake
while the vehicle is moving. On bends, or
poor road surfaces or weather conditions,
emergency braking can cause the vehicle
to skid out of control or off the road.
If you apply the electric parking brake when
your vehicle is moving, the brake system
warning lamp will illuminate and a warning
chime will sound. See Information
Displays (page 86). If your vehicle speed is above 4 mph (6
km/h), the braking force is applied ias long
as the switch is applied. Releasing or
pressing the switch or pressing the
accelerator pedal will stop the braking
force.
Releasing the electric parking
brake E147231
You can release the electric parking brake
either manually by pressing the switch or
automatically.
Manual release
WARNING
If the brake system warning light
remains illuminated or flashes after
you have released the parking brake,
there could be a problem with you braking
system. Have the system checked by an
authorized dealer as soon as possible.
You can manually release the electric
parking brake by turning the ignition on,
pressing the brake pedal and then pressing
the electric parking brake switch.
When the electric parking brake is released,
the brake system warning lamp will turn
off.
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Automatic release - drive away release
Note: The driver's door must be closed and
the driver's safety belt must be fastened
before this feature will operate.
Note: If the electric parking brake warning
lamp stays illuminated, the electric parking
brake will not automatically release. You
must release the electric parking brake using
the electric parking brake switch.
Note: The engine must be running and the
accelerator pedal must be pressed before
the drive away release feature will operate.
Note: On hybrid vehicles, the vehicle must
be Ready-to-Drive as indicated by the green
Ready indicator light.
The brake system warning lamp will go off
to confirm that the electric parking brake
has been released.
Note: The electric parking brake drive away
release makes starting on a hill easier. This
feature will release the parking brake
automatically when the vehicle has
sufficient drive force to move up the hill. To
assure drive away release when starting
uphill, press the accelerator pedal quickly.
Battery With No Charge WARNING
You will not be able to apply or
release the electric parking brake if
the battery is low or has no charge.
If the battery is low or has no charge, use
jumper cables and a booster battery.
HILL START ASSIST WARNINGS
The system does not replace the
parking brake. When you leave your
vehicle, always apply the parking
brake and put the vehicle in position P. WARNINGS
You must remain in your vehicle once
you have activated the system.
During all times, you are responsible
for controlling your vehicle,
supervising the system and
intervening, if required.
If the engine is revved excessively, or
if a malfunction is detected, the
system will be deactivated.
The system makes it easier to pull away
when your vehicle is on a slope without the
need to use the parking brake.
When the system is active, your vehicle will
remain stationary on the slope for two to
three seconds after you release the brake
pedal. This allows you time to move your
foot from the brake to the accelerator
pedal. The brakes are released
automatically once the engine has
developed sufficient drive to prevent your
vehicle from rolling down the slope. This
is an advantage when pulling away on a
slope, (for example from a car park ramp,
traffic lights or when reversing uphill into
a parking space).
The system will activate automatically on
any slope that will cause significant vehicle
rollback.
Using Hill Start Assist 1. Press the brake pedal to bring your
vehicle to a complete standstill. Keep
the brake pedal pressed.
2. If the sensors detect that your vehicle
is on a slope, the system will activate
automatically.
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3. When you remove your foot from the
brake pedal, your vehicle will remain
on the slope without rolling away for
approximately two or three seconds.
This hold time will automatically be
extended if you are in the process of
driving off.
4. Drive off in the normal manner. The
brakes will release automatically.
173Brakes