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STARTING AND OPERATING
CONTENTS
STARTING PROCEDURES ................424
▫ Automatic Transmission ................424
▫ Keyless Enter-N-Go ...................425
▫ Normal Starting ...................... .425
▫ Extreme Cold Weather (Below –22°F
Or 30°C) ......................... .427
▫ If Engine Fails To Start .................427
▫ After Starting ....................... .429
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED . . .429
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ............429▫
Key Ignition Park Interlock ...............431
▫ Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System . . .431
▫ Four-Speed Or Six-Speed Automatic
Transmission ........................ .431
▫ Gear Ranges ........................ .433
AUTOSTICK ......................... .439
▫ Operation .......................... .439
ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) — IF EQUIPPED . .441
DRIVING ON SLIPPERY SURFACES .........441
▫ Acceleration ........................ .441
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STARTING PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust the
inside and outside mirrors, fasten your seat belt, and if
present, instruct all other occupants to buckle their seat
belts.
WARNING!
•Before exiting a vehicle, always apply the parking
brake, shift the automatic transmission into PARK
or the manual transmission into REVERSE. Always
make sure the keyless ignition node 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. Leaving children in
a vehicle unattended is dangerous for a number of
reasons. A child or others could be seriously or
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
fatally injured. Children should be warned not to
touch the parking brake, brake pedal or the 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 of a vehicle equipped with
Keyless Enter-N-Go in the ACC or ON/RUN mode.
A child could operate power windows, other con-
trols, or move the vehicle.
Automatic Transmission
The shift lever must be in the NEUTRAL or PARK
position before you can start the engine. Apply the brakes
before shifting into any driving gear.
424 STARTING AND OPERATING
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CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may occur if the follow-
ing precautions are not observed:
•Do not shift from REVERSE, PARK, or NEUTRAL
into any forward gear when the engine is above
idle speed.
• Shift into PARK only after the vehicle 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.
Keyless Enter-N-Go
This feature allows the driver to oper-
ate the ignition switch with the push
of a button, as long as the Remote
Start/Keyless Enter-N-Go Key Fob is
in the passenger compartment.
Normal Starting
Using The ENGINE START/STOP Button
1. The transmission must be in PARK or NEUTRAL.
2. Press and hold the brake pedal while pushing the ENGINE START/STOP button once.
3. The system takes over and attempts to start the vehicle. If the vehicle fails to start, the starter will
disengage automatically after 10 seconds.
5
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4. If you wish to stop the cranking of the engine prior tothe engine starting, push the button again.
NOTE: Normal starting of either a cold or a warm engine
is obtained without pumping or pressing the accelerator
pedal.
To Turn Off The Engine Using ENGINE
START/STOP Button
1. Place the shift lever/gear selector in PARK, then push and release the ENGINE START/STOP button.
2. The ignition switch will return to the OFF position.
3. If the shift lever/gear selector is not in PARK, the ENGINE START/STOP button must be held for two
seconds or three short pushes in a row with the vehicle
speed above 5 mph (8 km/h) before the engine will
shut off. The ignition switch position will remain in
the ACC position until the shift lever/gear selector is
in PARK and the button is pushed twice to the OFF position. If the shift lever/gear selector is not in PARK
and the ENGINE START/STOP button is pushed
once, the EVIC (if equipped) 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 running) position and the transmission is in
PARK, the system will automatically time out after 30
minutes of inactivity and the ignition will switch to the
OFF position.
ENGINE START/STOP Button Functions — With
Driver ’s Foot OFF The Brake Pedal (In PARK Or
NEUTRAL Position)
The ENGINE START/STOP button operates similar to an
ignition switch. It has four positions, OFF, ACC, RUN
426 STARTING AND OPERATING
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After Starting
The idle speed is controlled automatically and it will
decrease as the engine warms up.
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED
The engine block heater warms the engine, and permits
quicker starts in cold weather. Connect the cord to a
standard 110-115 Volt AC electrical outlet with a
grounded, three-wire extension cord.
The engine block heater must be plugged in at least one
hour to have an adequate effect on the engine.
The engine block heater cord is bundled under the hood
between the headlight assembly and the Totally Inte-
grated Power Module (Fuse Box) on the driver’s side of
the vehicle.
WARNING!
Remember to disconnect the engine block heater
cord before driving. Damage to the 110-115 Volt
electrical cord could cause electrocution.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
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.
(Continued)
5
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WARNING!(Continued)
•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,
and make sure the keyless ignition node is in the
OFF mode. Remove the Key Fob from the vehicle,
and lock the vehicle. When the ignition is in the
OFF mode, the transmission is locked in PARK,
securing the vehicle against unwanted movement.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•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 mode. A
child could operate power windows, other controls,
or move the vehicle.
430 STARTING AND OPERATING
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CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may occur if the follow-
ing precautions are not observed:
•Shift into or out of PARK or REVERSE only after
the vehicle has come to a complete stop.
• Do not shift between PARK, REVERSE, NEU-
TRAL, 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.
Key Ignition Park Interlock
This vehicle is equipped with a Key Ignition Park Inter-
lock 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 transmission in PARK.
This system also locks the transmission in PARK when-
ever 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 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 running or not) and the brake
pedal must be pressed.
Four-Speed Or Six-Speed Automatic
Transmission
The transmission gear position display (located in the
instrument cluster) indicates the transmission gear range.
You must press the brake pedal to move the shift lever
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out of PARK (refer to “Brake/Transmission Shift Inter-
lock System” in this section). To drive, move the shift
lever from PARK or NEUTRAL to the DRIVE position.
The electronically-controlled transmission provides a
precise shift schedule. 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 develop within a few
hundred miles (kilometers).
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 between these gears.
The transmission shift lever has PARK, REVERSE, NEU-
TRAL, DRIVE, and AutoStick (-/+) shift positions.
Manual shifts can be made using the AutoStick shift
control (refer to “AutoStick” in this section for further
information). Moving the shift lever into the AutoStick(-/+) position (below the Drive position) activates
Autostick mode, providing manual shift control and
displaying the current gear in the instrument cluster. In
AutoStick mode, tapping the shift lever left (-) or right (+)
will manually select the transmission gear.
Shift Lever
432 STARTING AND OPERATING