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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. Starting And Operating Cautions
– Diesel Engine
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.
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
Temperature
Idle Time (in minutes)
Before Shut Down
Stop & Go EmptyCoolLess than 1
Stop & Go MediumWarm 1
Highway Speeds MediumWarm 2
City Traffic Max. GCWR Warm3
Highway Speeds Max. GCWR Warm4
Uphill Grade Max. GCWR Hot5
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AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may
occur if the following precautions
are not observed:
Shift into PARK only after thevehicle 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.
Do not shift between PARK, RE- VERSE, NEUTRAL, 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.
WARNING!
It is dangerous to shift out of PARK or NEUTRAL if the engine
speed is higher than idle speed. If
your foot is not firmly pressing
the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or in
reverse. You could lose control of
the vehicle and hit someone or
something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling nor-
mally and your foot is firmly
pressing the brake pedal.
Unintended movement of a ve- hicle could injure those in or near
the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle
while the engine is running. Be-
fore exiting a vehicle, always ap-
ply the parking brake, shift the
transmission into PARK, turn the
engine OFF, and remove the key
fob. When the ignition is in the
LOCK position, the transmission
is locked in PARK, securing the
vehicle against unwanted move-
ment.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
When leaving the vehicle, alwaysremove the key fob and lock your
vehicle.
Never leave children alone in a vehicle, 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 (or in a location acces-
sible to children), and do not
leave the ignition (in a vehicle
equipped with Keyless Enter-N-
Go™) in the ACC or ON/RUN
position. A child could operate
power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle.
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KEY IGNITION PARK
INTERLOCK
This vehicle is equipped with a Key
Ignition Park Interlock which re-
quires the transmission to be in PARK
before the ignition switch can be
turned to the LOCK position. The key
fob can only be removed from the
ignition when the ignition is in the
LOCK position, and the transmission
is locked in PARK whenever the igni-
tion switch is in the LOCK position.
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
PARK unless the brakes are applied.To shift the transmission out of PARK,
the ignition switch must be turned to
the ON/RUN position (engine run-
ning or not) and the brake pedal must
be pressed.
SIX-SPEED AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
The transmission gear position dis-
play (located in the instrument clus-
ter) indicates 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 down-
shifts can be made using the Elec-
tronic Range Select (ERS) shift con-
trol (described later in this section).
Moving the shift lever to the left or
right (–/ +) while in the DRIVE posi-
tion will select the highest available
transmission gear, and will display
that gear in the instrument cluster as
6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.Shift Lever
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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, otherwise the
load on the transmission locking
mechanism may make it difficult to
move the shift lever out of PARK. Asan added precaution, turn the front
wheels toward 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.
Your vehicle could move and in- jure you and others if it is not
completely in PARK. Check by
trying to move the shift lever out
of PARK with the brake pedal
released. Make sure the transmis-
sion is in PARK before leaving the
vehicle.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
It is dangerous to shift out ofPARK or NEUTRAL if the engine
speed is higher than idle speed. If
your foot is not firmly pressing
the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or in
reverse. You could lose control of
the vehicle and hit someone or
something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling nor-
mally and your foot is firmly
pressing the brake pedal.
Unintended movement of a ve- hicle could injure those in or near
the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle
while the engine is running. Be-
fore exiting a vehicle, always ap-
ply the parking brake, shift the
transmission into PARK, turn the
engine OFF, and remove the key
fob. When the ignition is in the
LOCK position, the transmission
is locked in PARK, securing the
vehicle against unwanted move-
ment.
(Continued)
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WARNING!(Continued)
When leaving the vehicle, alwaysremove the key fob and lock your
vehicle.
Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with access to an un-
locked vehicle.
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, (or in a location ac-
cessible to children), and do not
leave the ignition (in a vehicle
equipped with Keyless Enter-N-
Go™) in the ACC or ON/RUN
position A child could operate
power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle.
CAUTION!
Before moving the shift lever outof PARK, you must place the ig-
nition from the LOCK/OFF posi-
tion to the ON/RUN position, and
also press the brake pedal. Other-
wise, 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, firmly move the shift lever all the way
forward and to the left until it stops
and is fully seated.
Look at the transmission gear posi- tion display and verify that it indi-
cates the PARK position.
With brake pedal released, verify that the shift lever will not move out
of PARK.
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.
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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 ElectronicRange 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 is
inhibited 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 thatcould 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 ignition switch to the
LOCK/OFF position.
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.
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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.
Electronic Range Select (ERS)
Operation
The Electronic Range Select (ERS)
shift control allows the driver to limit
the highest available gear when the
shift lever is in the DRIVE position.
For example, if you shift the transmis-
sion into 3 (third gear), the transmis-
sion will not shift above third gear(except to prevent engine overspeed),
but will shift down into second and
first gears normally.
You can switch between DRIVE and
ERS mode at any vehicle speed. When
the shift lever is in the DRIVE posi-
tion, the transmission will operate au-
tomatically, shifting between all
available gears. Tapping the shift le-
ver to the left (-) will activate ERS
mode, display the current gear in the
instrument cluster, and maintain that
gear as the top available gear. Once in
ERS mode, tapping the shift lever to
the left (-) or right (+) will change the
top available gear.
To exit ERS mode, simply press and
hold the shift lever to the right (+)
until “D” is once again displayed in
the instrument cluster.
WARNING!
Do not downshift for additional en-
gine braking on a slippery surface.
The drive wheels could lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid,
causing a collision or personal in-
jury.
Transmission Gear Position Display
123456D
Actual Gear(s) Allowed 1 1–2 1–3 1–4 1–5 1–6 1–6
NOTE: To select the proper gear
position for maximum decelera-
tion (engine braking), tap the shift
lever to the left (-) repeatedly as the
vehicle slows. The transmission
will shift to the range from which the vehicle can best be slowed
down.
Overdrive Operation
The automatic transmission includes
an electronically controlled Overdrive
(sixth gear). The transmission willautomatically shift into Overdrive if
the following conditions are present:
The shift lever is in the DRIVE po-
sition.
The transmission fluid has reached an adequate temperature.
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The engine coolant has reached anadequate temperature.
The vehicle speed is sufficiently high.
The driver is not heavily pressing the accelerator.
Torque Converter Clutch
A feature designed to improve fuel
economy has been included in the au-
tomatic transmission on your vehicle.
A clutch within the torque converter
engages automatically at calibrated
speeds. This may result in a slightly
different feeling or response during
normal operation in the upper gears.
When the vehicle speed drops or dur-
ing some accelerations, the clutch au-
tomatically disengages.
NOTE: The torque converter
clutch will not engage until the
transmission fluid and engine
coolant are warm [usually after 2
to 5 km of driving]. Because the
engine speed is higher when the torque converter clutch is not en-
gaged, it may seem as if the trans-
mission is not shifting into Over-
drive when cold. This is normal.
Using the Electronic Range Select
(ERS) shift control, when the
transmission is sufficiently warm,
will demonstrate that the trans-
mission is able to shift into and out
of Overdrive.
DRIVING ON SLIPPERY
SURFACES
ACCELERATION
Rapid acceleration on snow covered,
wet, or other slippery surfaces may
cause the driving wheels to pull errati-
cally to the right or left. This phenom-
enon occurs when there is a difference
in the surface traction under the front
(driving) wheels.
WARNING!
Rapid acceleration on slippery sur-
faces is dangerous. Unequal trac-
tion can cause sudden pulling of the
front wheels. You could lose control
of the vehicle and possibly have a
collision. Accelerate slowly and
carefully whenever there is likely to
be poor traction (ice, snow, wet,
mud, loose sand, etc.).
TRACTION
When driving on wet or slushy roads,
it is possible for a layer of water to
build up between the tire and road
surface. This is known as hydroplan-
ing and may cause partial or complete
loss of vehicle control and stopping
ability. To reduce this possibility, the
following precautions should be ob-
served:
1. Slow down during rainstorms or
when roads are slushy.
2. Slow down if the road has standing
water or puddles.
242