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 re-
verse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when
the engine is idling normally and your foot is
firmly pressing the brake pedal.
•
Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in or near the vehicle. As with all vehicles, you
should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running. Before exiting a vehicle, always apply the
parking brake, shift the transmission into PARK,
turn the engine OFF, and remove the Key Fob. When
the ignition is in the OFF mode, the transmission is
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
locked in PARK, securing the vehicle against un-
wanted movement.
•When leaving the vehicle, always make sure the
ignition is in the OFF mode, remove the Key Fob
from the vehicle, and lock the vehicle.
• Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Allowing children to
be in a vehicle unattended is dangerous for a
number of reasons. A child or others could be
seriously or fatally injured. Children should be
warned not to touch the parking brake, brake pedal
or the transmission gear selector.
• Do not leave the Key Fob in or near the vehicle (or
in a location accessible to children), and do not
leave the ignition in the ACC or ON/RUN position.
A child could operate power windows, other con-
trols, or move the vehicle.
452 STARTING AND OPERATING
NOTE:You must press and hold the brake pedal while
shifting out of PARK.
Key Ignition Park Interlock
This vehicle is equipped with a Key Ignition Park Interlock
which requires the transmission to be in PARK before the
engine can be turned off. This helps the driver avoid
inadvertently leaving the vehicle without placing the trans-
mission in PARK. This system also locks the transmission in
PARK whenever the ignition switch is in the OFF position.
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake Transmission Shift
Interlock system (BTSI) that holds the transmission gear
selector in PARK unless the brakes are applied. To shift
the transmission out of PARK, the engine must be
running and the brake pedal must be pressed. The brake
pedal must also be pressed to shift from NEUTRAL into
DRIVE or REVERSE when the vehicle is stopped or
moving at low speeds.
Nine-Speed Automatic Transmission
The transmission is controlled using a rotary electronic
gear selector located on the center console. The transmis-
sion gear range (PRNDL/S) is displayed both above the
gear selector and in the Electronic Vehicle Information
Center (EVIC) or the Driver Information Display (DID).
To select a gear range, simply rotate the gear selector.
Push down on the gear selector and then rotate it, to
access the L or S position. You must also press the brake
pedal to shift the transmission out of PARK, or to shift
from NEUTRAL into DRIVE or REVERSE when the
vehicle is stopped or moving at low speeds (refer to
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System in this sec-
tion). To shift past multiple gear ranges at once (such as
PARK to DRIVE), simply rotate the gear selector to the
appropriate detent. Select the DRIVE range for normal
driving.
The electronically-controlled transmission provides a
precise shift schedule. The transmission electronics are
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 453
When parking on a hill, apply the parking brake before
shifting the transmission to PARK. As an added precau-
tion, 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 move-
ment and possible injury or damage.
• Your vehicle could move and injure you and others
if it is not in PARK. Make sure the transmission is
in PARK before leaving the vehicle.
• 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
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in re-
verse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when
the engine is idling normally and your foot is
firmly pressing the brake pedal.
• Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in or near the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running. Before exiting a vehicle, always apply the
parking brake, shift the transmission into PARK,
turn the engine OFF, and remove the Key Fob.
When the ignition is in the OFF position, the
transmission is locked in PARK, securing the ve-
hicle against unwanted movement.
(Continued)
456 STARTING AND OPERATING
WARNING!(Continued)
•When leaving the vehicle, always make sure the
ignition is in the OFF position, remove the Key Fob
from the vehicle, and lock the vehicle.
• Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Allowing children to
be in a vehicle unattended is dangerous for a
number of reasons. A child or others could be
seriously or fatally injured. Children should be
warned not to touch the parking brake, brake pedal
or the transmission gear selector.
• Do not leave the Key Fob in or near the vehicle (or
in a location accessible to children), and do not
leave the ignition in the ACC or ON/RUN position.
A child could operate power windows, other con-
trols, or move the vehicle.
CAUTION!
• Before moving the transmission gear selector out of
PARK, you must start the engine and also press the
brake pedal. Otherwise, damage to the gear selector
could result.
• DO NOT race the engine when shifting from
PARK or NEUTRAL into another gear range, as this
can damage the drivetrain.
The following indicator should be used to ensure that
you have engaged the transmission into the PARK posi-
tion:
• With brake pedal released, look at the transmission
gear position display and verify that it indicates the
PARK position (P).
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 457
REVERSE (R)
This range is for moving the vehicle backward. Shift into
REVERSE only after the vehicle has come to a complete
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 transmission 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
practices that limit your response to changing traffic
or road conditions. You might lose control of the
vehicle 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 characteris-
tics under all normal operating conditions.
When frequent transmission shifting occurs (such as
when operating the vehicle under heavy loading condi-
tions, in hilly terrain, or traveling into strong head
458 STARTING AND OPERATING
LOW (L) — If Equipped
Use this range for engine braking when descending very
steep grades. In this range, the transmission will down-
shift for increased engine braking. To access the LOW
position, push down on the gear selector and rotate it
fully clockwise.
Transmission Limp Home Mode
Transmission function is monitored electronically for
abnormal conditions. If a condition is detected that could
result in transmission damage, Transmission Limp Home
Mode is activated. In this mode, the transmission may
operate only in a fixed gear, or may remain in NEUTRAL.
The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) may be illumi-
nated. Limp Home Mode may allow the vehicle to be
driven to an authorized dealer for service without dam-
aging 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, if possible. If not,
shift the transmission to NEUTRAL.
3. Push and hold the ignition switch until the engine turns OFF.
4. Wait approximately 30 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
operation.
460 STARTING AND OPERATING
To apply the park brake manually, pull up on the switch
momentarily. You may hear a slight whirring sound from
the back of the vehicle while the park brake engages.
Once the park brake is fully engaged, the BRAKE warn-
ing lamp in the instrument cluster and an indicator on
the switch will illuminate. If your foot is on the brakepedal while you apply the park brake, you may notice a
small amount of brake pedal movement. The park brake
can be applied even when the ignition switch if OFF,
however, it can only be released when the ignition switch
in the RUN position.
NOTE:
The EPB fault lamp will illuminate if the EPB
switch is held for longer than 20 seconds in the applied
position or 90 seconds in the released position. The light
will extinguish upon releasing the switch.
If the Auto Park Brake feature is enabled, the parking
brake will automatically engage whenever the transmis-
sion is placed into PARK. Once the park brake is en-
gaged, the BRAKE warning lamp in the instrument
cluster and the LED indicator on the switch will illumi-
nate. If your foot is on the brake pedal, you may notice a
small amount of brake pedal movement while the park-
ing brake is engaging.
Electric Park Brake Switch
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 469
The park brake will release automatically when the
ignition is cycled to the RUN position, the transmission is
in DRIVE or REVERSE, the driver seat belt is buckled,
and an attempt is made to drive away by pressing the
accelerator pedal.
To release the parking brake manually, the ignition
switch must be in the RUN position. Press on the brake
pedal, then push the park brake switch down momen-
tarily. 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 park brake is fully disengaged, The
BRAKE warning lamp in the instrument cluster and the
LED indicator on the switch will extinguish.NOTE:
When parking on a hill, it is important to turn the
front wheels toward the curb on a downhill grade and
away from the curb on an uphill grade. Apply the park
brake before placing the shift lever in PARK, otherwise
the load on the transmission locking mechanism may
make it difficult to move the shift lever out of PARK. The
park brake should always be applied whenever the
driver is not in the vehicle.
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 move-
ment and possible injury or damage.
• When leaving the vehicle, always make sure the
ignition is in the OFF mode, remove the Key Fob
from the vehicle, and lock your vehicle.
(Continued)
470 STARTING AND OPERATING