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Battery Blanket Usage
A battery loses 60% of its cranking
power as the battery temperature de-
creases to -18°C. For the same de-
crease in temperature, the engine re-
quires twice as much power to crank
at the same RPM. The use of battery
blankets will greatly increase starting
capability at low temperatures.
Engine Starting Procedure
WARNING!
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.
1. The shift lever must be in the
NEUTRAL or PARK position before
you can start the engine.
2. With your foot on the brake pedal,
press the ENGINE START/STOP
button. 3. Watch the “Wait To Start Light” in
the instrument cluster. Refer to “In-
strument Cluster” in “Understanding
Your Instrument Panel” for further
information. It may glow for up to
three seconds, depending on engine
temperature.
4. When the “Wait To Start Light”
goes out, the engine will automati-
cally start.
5. 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.
Engine Warm Up
Avoid full throttle operation when the
engine is cold. When starting a cold
engine, bring the engine up to operat-
ing speed slowly to allow the oil pres-
sure to stabilize as the engine warms
up.
NOTE: High-speed, no-load run-
ning of a cold engine can result in
excessive white smoke and poor
engine performance. No-load en-
gine speeds should be kept under
1,200 RPM during the warm-up
period, especially in cold ambient
temperature conditions.
If temperatures are below 0°C, oper-
ate the engine at moderate speeds for
five minutes before full loads are ap-
plied.
Engine Idling – In Cold Weather
Avoid prolonged idling in ambient
temperatures below -18°C. Long pe-
riods of idling may be harmful to your
engine because combustion chamber
temperatures can drop so low that the
fuel may not burn completely. Incom-
plete combustion allows carbon and
varnish to form on piston rings and
injector nozzles. Also, the unburned
fuel can enter the crankcase, diluting
the oil and causing rapid wear to the
engine.
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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.
Standard Shifter
The standard shift lever has PARK,
REVERSE, NEUTRAL, DRIVE, and
LOW shift positions. Using the LOW
position manually downshifts the
transmission to a lower gear based on
vehicle speed.
Optional Shifter With AutoStick®
The optional shift lever (with
AutoStick® shift paddles mounted on
the steering wheel) provides PARK,
REVERSE, NEUTRAL, DRIVE, andSPORT shift positions. Once in the
DRIVE range, tapping the shift lever
rearward will toggle between SPORT
mode and DRIVE mode. You do not
need to press the shift lever button
when toggling between DRIVE and
SPORT modes. Manual shifts can be
made using the AutoStick® shift con-
trol (refer to "AutoStick®" in this sec-
tion). Pressing the shift paddles (-/+)
while in the DRIVE or SPORT posi-
tion will manually select the transmis-
sion gear, and will display the current
gear in the instrument cluster as 8, 7,
6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
GEAR RANGES
DO NOT race the engine when shift-
ing from PARK or NEUTRAL into
another gear range.
NOTE: After selecting any gear
range, wait a moment to allow the
selected gear to engage before ac-
celerating. This is especially im-
portant when the engine is cold.
PARK (P)
This range supplements the parking
brake by locking the transmission.The engine can be started in this
range. Never attempt to use PARK
while the vehicle is in motion. Apply
the parking brake when leaving the
vehicle in this range.
When parking on a level surface, you
may shift the transmission into PARK
first, and then apply the parking
brake.
When parking on a hill, apply the
parking brake before shifting the
transmission to PARK. As an added
precaution, turn the front wheels to-
ward the curb on a downhill grade
and away from the curb on an uphill
grade.
WARNING!
Never use the PARK position as a
substitute for the parking brake.
Always apply the parking brake
fully when parked to guard
against vehicle movement and
possible injury or damage.
(Continued)
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CAUTION!
Before moving the shift lever outof PARK, you must start the en-
gine, 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 transmission into the PARK posi-
tion:
When shifting into PARK, press the lock button on the shift lever and
push the lever all the way forward
until it stops. When released, the
lever will return to its home posi-
tion.
With brake pedal released, look at the transmission gear position dis-
play and verify that it indicates the
PARK position.
REVERSE (R)
This range is for moving the vehicle
backward. Shift into REVERSE only
after the vehicle has come to a com-
plete stop.
NEUTRAL (N)
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 (D)
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
transmission automatically upshifts
through all forward gears. 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 AutoStick®
shift control (if equipped) or the LOW
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