STARTING
PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust
your seat, adjust the inside and out-
side mirrors, fasten your seat belt, and
if present, instruct all other occupants
to buckle their seat belts.
WARNING!
Never leave children alone in avehicle, 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.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
Do not leave the key fob in or nearthe vehicle, or in a location acces-
sible to children, and do not leave
the ignition of a vehicle equipped
with Keyless Enter-N-Go™ in the
ACC or ON/RUN mode. A child
could operate power windows,
other controls, or move the ve-
hicle.
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
The shift lever must be in the NEU-
TRAL or PARK position before you
can start the engine. Apply the brakes
before shifting into any driving gear.
CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may
occur if the following precautions
are not observed:
Do not shift from REVERSE,PARK, or NEUTRAL into any
forward gear when the engine is
above idle speed.
(Continued)
CAUTION!(Continued)
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.
Before shifting into any gear, make sure your foot is firmly on
the brake pedal.
Using Fob With Integrated Key
(Tip Start)
NOTE: Normal starting of either a
cold or a warm engine is obtained
without pumping or pressing the
accelerator pedal.
Do not press the accelerator. Use the
Fob with Integrated Key to briefly
turn the ignition switch to the START
position and release it as soon as the
starter engages. The starter motor will
continue to run, and it will disengage
automatically when the engine is run-
ning. If the engine fails to start, the
starter will disengage automatically in
10 seconds. If this occurs, turn the
231
ignition switch to the LOCK position,
wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat the
“Normal Starting” procedure.
KEYLESS ENTER-N-GO™
(for versions/markets,
where provided)
This feature allows
the driver to oper-
ate the ignition
switch with the
push of a button,
as long as the EN-
GINE START/
STOP button is installed and the Re-
mote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter is in the passenger
compartment.
Installing And Removing The
ENGINE START/STOP Button
Installing The Button
1. Remove the key fob from the igni-
tion switch.
2. Insert the ENGINE START/STOP
button into the ignition switch with
the lettering facing up and readable. 3. Press firmly on the center of the
button to secure it into position.
Removing The Button
1. The ENGINE START/STOP but-
ton can be removed from the ignition
switch for key fob use.
2. Insert the metal part of the emer-
gency key under the chrome bezel at
the 6 o’clock position and gently pry
the button loose.
NOTE: The ENGINE START/
STOP button should only be re-
moved or inserted with the ignition
in the OFF position (OFF position
for Keyless Enter-N-Go™).
NORMAL STARTING —
GASOLINE ENGINE
Using The ENGINE START/STOP
Button
NOTE: Normal starting of either
a cold or a warm engine is ob-
tained without pumping or press-
ing the accelerator pedal.
To start the engine, the transmission
must be in PARK or NEUTRAL. Press
and hold the brake pedal while press-
ing the ENGINE START/STOP but-
ton once. The system takes over and
attempts to start the vehicle. If the
vehicle fails to start, the starter will
disengage automatically after 10 sec-
onds. If you wish to stop the cranking
of the engine prior to the engine start-
ing, press the button again.
To Turn Off The Engine Using
ENGINE START/STOP Button
1. Place the shift lever in PARK, then
press and release the ENGINE
START/STOP button.
2. The ignition switch will return to
the OFF position.
3. If the shift lever is not in PARK and
the vehicle speed is above 8 km/h, the
ENGINE START/STOP button must
be held for two seconds before the
engine shuts off. The ignition switch
position will remain in the ACC posi-
tion until the shift lever is in PARK
and the button is pressed twice to the
OFF position. If the shift lever is not
in PARK and the ENGINE START/
STOP button is pressed once, the
232
EVIC will display a “Vehicle Not In
Park” message and the engine will
remain running. Never leave a vehicle
out of the PARK position, or it could
roll.
NOTE: If the ignition switch is left
in the ACC or RUN (engine not run-
ning) position and the transmis-
sion is in PARK, the system will
automatically time out after 30
minutes of inactivity and the igni-
tion will switch to the OFF posi-
tion.
Keyless Enter-N-Go™ Functions –
With Driver’s Foot OFF The
Brake Pedal (In PARK Or
NEUTRAL Position)
The Keyless Enter-N-Go™ feature
operates similar to an ignition switch.
It has four positions, OFF, ACC, RUN
and START. To change the ignition
switch positions without starting the
vehicle and use the accessories follow
these steps. Starting with the ignition switch in
the OFF position:
Press the ENGINE START/STOP button once to change the ignition
switch to the ACC position (EVIC
displays “IGNITION MODE
ACCESSORY”),
Press the ENGINE START/STOP button a second time to change the
ignition switch to the RUN position
(EVIC displays “IGNITION MODE
RUN”),
Press the ENGINE START/STOP button a third time to return the
ignition switch to the OFF position
(EVIC displays “IGNITION MODE
OFF”).
EXTREME COLD
WEATHER (BELOW 29°C)
To ensure reliable starting at these
temperatures, use of an externally
powered electric engine block heater
is recommended.
IF ENGINE FAILS TO
START
WARNING!
Never pour fuel or other flam-mable liquids into the throttle
body air inlet opening in an at-
tempt to start the vehicle. This
could result in a flash fire causing
serious personal injury.
Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get it started. Ve-
hicles equipped with an auto-
matic transmission cannot be
started this way. Unburned fuel
could enter the catalytic con-
verter and once the engine has
started, ignite and damage the
converter and vehicle.
(Continued)
233
WARNING!(Continued)
If the vehicle has a dischargedbattery, booster cables may be
used to obtain a start from a
booster battery or the battery in
another vehicle. This type of start
can be dangerous if done improp-
erly. Refer to “Jump Starting” in
“What To Do In Emergencies” for
further information.
Clearing A Flooded Engine (Using
ENGINE START/STOP Button)
If the engine fails to start after you
have followed the “Normal Starting”
or “Extreme Cold Weather" proce-
dures, it may be flooded. To clear any
excess fuel:
1. Press and hold the brake pedal.
2. Press the accelerator pedal all the
way to the floor and hold it.
3. Press and release the ENGINE
START/STOP button once.
The starter motor will engage auto-
matically, run for 10 seconds, and then
disengage. Once this occurs, release the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal,
wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat the
“Normal Starting” procedure.
Clearing A Flooded Engine (Using
Fob With Integrated Key)
If the engine fails to start after you
have followed the “Normal Starting”
or “Extreme Cold Weather” proce-
dures, it may be flooded. To clear any
excess fuel:
1. Press the accelerator pedal all the
way to the floor and hold it.
2. place the ignition in the START
position and release it as soon as the
starter engages.
The starter motor will disengage auto-
matically in 10 seconds. Once this oc-
curs, release the accelerator pedal, turn
the ignition switch to the LOCK posi-
tion, wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat
the “Normal Starting” procedure.
CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter,
wait 10 to 15 seconds before trying
again.
AFTER STARTING
The idle speed is controlled automati-
cally and it will decrease as the engine
warms up.
NORMAL STARTING –
DIESEL ENGINE
1. Turn the ignition switch to the ON
position.
2. Watch for the “Wait To Start
Light” in the instrument cluster. Refer
to “Instrument Cluster” in “Under-
standing Your Instrument Panel” for
further information. It will illuminate
for two to ten seconds or more, de-
pending on engine temperature.
When the “Wait To Start Light” goes
out, the engine is ready to start.
3. DO NOT press the accelerator.
Turn the ignition switch to the START
position and release when the engine
starts.
234
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.
236
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
237
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)
238
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.
239