Six-Speed Or Nine-Speed Automatic
Transmission
NOTE:
Your vehicle may be equipped with a six-
speed or nine-speed automatic transmission,
depending on model. This section describes
operation of both the six-speed and nine-
speed transmission.
The transmission gear range (PRND) is dis-
played both beside the gear selector and in
the instrument cluster. To select a gear range,
push the lock button on the gear selector and
move the selector rearward or forward. You
must also press the brake pedal to shift the
transmission out of PARK (or NEUTRAL,
when the vehicle is stopped or moving at low
speeds). Select the DRIVE range for normal
driving.
NOTE:
In the event of a mismatch between the gear
selector position and the actual transmission
gear (for example, driver selects REVERSE
while driving forward), the position indicator
will blink continuously until the selector is
returned to the proper position, or the re-
quested shift can be completed.The electronically-controlled transmission
adapts its shift schedule based on driver
inputs, along with environmental and road
conditions. 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).
The nine-speed transmission has been devel-
oped to meet the needs of current and future
FWD/AWD vehicles. Software and calibration
is refined to optimize the customer’s driving
experience and fuel economy. By design,
some vehicle and driveline combinations uti-
lize 9th gear only in very specific driving
situations and conditions.
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 gear selector provides
PARK, REVERSE, NEUTRAL, DRIVE, and
AutoStick (+/-) shift positions. Manual shifts
can be made using the AutoStick shift con-trol. Moving the gear selector into the
AutoStick (+/-) position (beside the DRIVE
position) activates AutoStick mode, provid-
ing manual shift control and displaying the
current gear in the instrument cluster (as 1,
2, 3, etc.). Toggling the gear selector forward
(-) or rearward (+) while in the AutoStick
position will manually select the transmis-
sion gear. Refer to "AutoStick" in this section
for further information.
NOTE:
If the gear selector cannot be moved to the
PARK, REVERSE, or NEUTRAL position
(when pushed forward) it is probably in the
AutoStick (+/-) position (beside the DRIVE
position). In AutoStick mode, the transmis-
sion gear (1, 2, 3, etc.) is displayed in the
instrument cluster. Move the gear selector to
the right (into the DRIVE [D] position) for
access to PARK, REVERSE, and NEUTRAL.
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152
Gear Ranges
Do not depress the accelerator pedal when
shifting 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
accelerating. This is especially important
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 exiting 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 gear selector out of 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.
When exiting the vehicle, always:
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Shift the transmission into PARK.
3. Turn the ignition OFF.
4. Remove the key fob from the vehicle.NOTE:
Block the wheels with a wedge or a stone if
the vehicle is parked on a steep slope.
WARNING!
• Never use the PARK position as a sub-
stitute for the park brake. Always apply
the park brake fully when exiting the
vehicle 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. Check by
trying to move the gear selector out of
PARK with the brake pedal released.
Make sure the transmission is in PARK
before exiting 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 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 normally and your foot is firmly
pressing the brake pedal.
Gear Selector
153
WARNING!
• The vehicle may not engage a newly
selected gear if the vehicle is moving
while shifting.
• 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 run-
ning. Before exiting a vehicle always
come to a complete stop, then apply the
park brake, shift the transmission into
PARK, turn the engine OFF, and remove
the key fob. When the ignition is in the
LOCK/OFF (key removal) position (or,
with push button start, when the ignition
is in the OFF mode), the transmission is
locked in PARK, securing the vehicle
against unwanted 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 un-
attended is dangerous for a number of
WARNING!
reasons. A child or others could be seri-
ously or fatally injured. Children should
be warned not to touch the park 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 a vehicle equipped with push button
start) in the ON/RUN mode. A child
could operate power windows, other con-
trols, or move the vehicle.
CAUTION!
• Before moving the transmission gear se-
lector out of PARK, you must turn the
ignition to the ON/RUN mode, and also
press the brake pedal. Otherwise, dam-
age 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 indicators should be used to
ensure that you have properly engaged the
transmission into the PARK position:
• When shifting into PARK, push the lock
button on the gear selector, and firmly
move the selector all the way forward until
it stops and is fully seated.
• Look at the transmission gear position dis-
play and verify that it indicates the PARK
position (P).
• With brake pedal released, verify that the
gear selector will not move out of PARK.
REVERSE (R)
This range is for moving the vehicle back-
ward. Shift into REVERSE only after the ve-
hicle has come to a complete stop.
NEUTRAL (N)
Use this range when the vehicle is standing
for prolonged periods with the engine run-
ning. The engine may be started in this range.
Apply the park brake and shift the transmis-
sion into PARK if you must exit the vehicle.
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154
•SNOW: This mode allows you to have greater
stability under conditions of bad weather.
For use on and off road on surfaces with
poor traction, such as roads covered with
snow. When in SNOW mode (depending on
certain operating conditions), the transmis-
sion may use second gear (rather than first
gear) during launches, to minimize wheel
slippage.
•SAND: For off-road driving or use on sur-
faces with poor traction, such as dry sand.
The transmission is set to provide maxi-
mum traction.
•MUD: For off-road driving or use on surfaces
with poor traction, such as roads covered by
mud or wet grass.
•ROCK(Trailhawk only): This mode is only
available in 4WD LOW range. The device
sets the vehicle to maximize traction and
allow the highest steering capacity for off-
road surfaces. This mode gives you the
maximum performance off-road. Use for
low speed obstacles such as large rocks,
deep ruts, etc.NOTE:
• Rock mode is only available on the vehicles
equipped with the Off-Road package.
• Activate the Hill Descent Control for steep
downhill control. See “Electronic Brake
Control System” in “Safety” for further
information.
STOP/START SYSTEM — IF
EQUIPPED
The Stop/Start function is developed to re-
duce fuel consumption. The system will stop
the engine automatically during a vehicle
stop if the required conditions are met. Re-
leasing the brake pedal, clutch pedal or
pressing the accelerator pedal will automati-
cally re-start the engine.
WARNING!
Before opening the hood, make sure that
the engine is off and that the ignition is in
the OFF mode. Follow the indications on
the plate underneath the hood. We recom-
WARNING!
mend that you remove the key fob if other
people remain in the vehicle. The vehicle
should only be exited after the key fob has
been removed and the ignition is on the
OFF mode. During refueling, make sure
that the engine is off (ignition device in the
OFF mode).
CAUTION!
When replacing the battery, always con-
tact your authorized dealer. Replace the
battery with the same type (HEAVY DUTY)
and with the same specifications.
Operating Modes
Engine stopping mode
Models equipped with a manual transmis-
sion:
With the vehicle stopped, the engine stops
with transmission in neutral and clutch pedal
released.
STARTING AND OPERATING
160
Models equipped with an automatic trans-
mission:
With vehicle at a standstill and brake pedal
pressed, the engine switches off if the gear
selector is in a position other than REVERSE.
In the event of stops uphill, the engine
switching will be disabled to activate the "Hill
Start Assist" function (works only with the
engine running).
The warning light on the instrument panel
switches on to signal that the engine was
stopped.
Engine Restarting Mode
Models equipped with manual transmission:
To restart the engine, press the clutch pedal.
If the vehicle does not start pressing the
clutch, place the gear selector in neutral and
repeat the procedure. If the problem persists,
contact your authorized dealer.
Models equipped with an automatic trans-
mission:
To restart the engine, release the brake pedal.With brake pressed, if the gear selector is in
DRIVE the engine can be restarted moving
the selector to REVERSE or NEUTRAL or
“AutoStick”.
With brake pedal pressed, if the gear selector
is in "AutoStick" mode, the engine can be
restarted moving the selector to "+" or "–", or
REVERSE or NEUTRAL.
When the engine has been stopped automati-
cally, keeping the brake pedal pressed, the
brake can be released keeping the engine off
by quickly shifting the gear selector to PARK.
To restart the engine, just move the selector
out of PARK.
Manual Activation / Deactivation
To activate/deactivate the system manually,
press the button on the central tunnel.
• LED off: system activated
• LED on: system deactivated
STOP/START OFF Switch
161
To Resume Speed
To resume a previously set speed, push the
RES button and release. Resume can be used
at any speed above 20 mph (32 km/h).
To Accelerate For Passing
Press the accelerator as you would normally.
When the pedal is released, the vehicle will
return to the set speed.
To Deactivate
A soft tap on the brake pedal, pushing the
CANC (cancel) button, or normal brake pres-
sure while slowing the vehicle will deactivate
the speed control without erasing the set
speed from memory.
Pushing the on/off button or cycling the igni-
tion to OFF, erases the set speed from
memory.
ADAPTIVE CRUISE
CONTROL (ACC)
If your vehicle is equipped with Adaptive
Cruise Control the controls operate exactly
the same as the speed control with only a
couple of differences. With this option you
can set a specified distance you would like to
maintain between you and the vehicle in
front of you.
If the ACC sensor detects a vehicle ahead,
ACC will apply limited braking or acceleration
automatically to maintain a preset following
distance, while matching the speed of the
vehicle ahead.
If the sensor does not detect a vehicle ahead
of you, ACC will maintain a fixed set speed.
Adaptive Cruise Switches
1 — Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) On/
Off
2 — Distance Setting
3 — Active Speed Limiter
STARTING AND OPERATING
164
Activation
Push and release the Adaptive Cruise Control
(ACC) on/off button.
“ACC READY” will appear in the instrument
cluster display to indicate the ACC is on.
Setting A Desired Speed
When the vehicle reaches the speed desired,
push the SET(+)button or the SET(-)button
and release. The instrument cluster display
will show the set speed.
If the system is set when the vehicle speed is
below 19 mph (30 km/h), the set speed shall
be defaulted to 19 mph (30 km/h). If the
system is set when the vehicle speed is above
19 mph (30 km/h), the set speed shall be the
current speed of the vehicle.
NOTE:
ACC cannot be set if there is a stationary
vehicle in front of your vehicle in close prox-
imity.Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
If you do not, the vehicle may continue to
accelerate beyond the set speed. If this oc-
curs:
• The message “DRIVER OVERRIDE” will
appear in the instrument cluster display.
• The system will not be controlling the dis-
tance between your vehicle and the vehicle
ahead. The vehicle speed will only be de-
termined by the position of the accelerator
pedal.
Varying The Speed
Once the ACC has been activated, the speed
can be increased or decreased.
NOTE:
• When you override and push the SET (+)
button or SET (-) buttons, the new set
speed will be the current speed of the
vehicle.
• When you use the SET (-) button to decel-
erate, if the engine’s braking power does
not slow the vehicle sufficiently to reach
the set speed, the brake system will auto-
matically slow the vehicle.• If equipped with a automatic transmission,
The ACC system decelerates the vehicle to
a full stop when following a target vehicle.
If an ACC host vehicle follows a target
vehicle to a standstill, after two seconds the
driver will either have to push the RES
(resume) button, or apply the accelerator
pedal to reengage the ACC to the existing
set speed.
To Resume
If there is a set speed in the memory, push
the RES button and then remove your foot
from the accelerator pedal. The instrument
cluster display will show the last set speed.
WARNING!
The Resume function should only be used
if traffic and road conditions permit. Re-
suming a set speed that is too high or too
low for prevailing traffic and road condi-
tions could cause the vehicle to accelerate
or decelerate too sharply for safe opera-
tion. Failure to follow these warnings can
result in a collision and death or serious
personal injury.
165
Deactivation
Push and release the Adaptive Cruise Control
(ACC) on/off button a second time to turn the
system off.
“Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) Off” will ap-
pear in the instrument cluster display to
indicate the ACC is off.
WARNING!
Leaving the ACC system on when not in
use is dangerous. You could accidentally
set the system or cause it to go faster than
you want. You could lose control and have
an accident. Always leave the system OFF
when you are not using it.
Setting The Following Distance
The specified following distance for ACC can
be set by varying the distance setting be-
tween four bars (longest), three bars (long),
two bars (medium) and one bar (short). Using
this distance setting and the vehicle speed,
ACC calculates and sets the distance to the
vehicle ahead. This distance setting appears
in the instrument cluster display.To decrease the distance setting, push the
Distance Setting button and release. Each
time the button is pushed, the distance set-
ting decreases by one bar (longer). Once the
longest setting is reached, if the button is
pushed again it will be set to the shortest
setting available.
Changing Modes
If desired, the Adaptive Cruise Control mode
can be turned off and the system can be
operated as a Normal (Fixed Speed) Cruise
Control mode. When in the Normal (Fixed
Speed) Cruise Control mode the distance
setting feature will be disabled and the sys-
tem will maintain the speed you set.
• To change between the different cruise
control modes, push the Adaptive Cruise
Control (ACC) on/off button which turns the
ACC and the Normal (Fixed Speed) Cruise
Control off.
• Pushing the Normal (Fixed Speed) Cruise
Control on/off button will result in turning
on (changing to) the Normal (Fixed Speed)
Cruise Control mode.Refer to “Normal (Fixed Speed) Cruise Con-
trol Mode” in “Starting And Operating” in
your Owner's Manual for further details.
WARNING!
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is a conve-
nience system. It is not a substitute for
active driving involvement. It is always the
driver’s responsibility to be attentive of
road, traffic, and weather conditions, ve-
hicle speed, distance to the vehicle ahead;
and, most importantly, brake operation to
ensure safe operation of the vehicle under
all road conditions. Your complete atten-
tion is always required while driving to
maintain safe control of your vehicle. Fail-
ure to follow these warnings can result in a
collision and death or serious personal
injury.
The ACC system:
• Does not react to pedestrians, oncoming
vehicles, and stationary objects (e.g., a
stopped vehicle in a traffic jam or a
disabled vehicle).
• Cannot take street, traffic, and weather
conditions into account, and may be
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166