WARNING!
•
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 num-
ber 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 trans-
mission 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 Key-
less Enter ‘n Go™) in the ACC or ON/RUN position.
A child could operate power windows, other con-
trols, or move the vehicle.
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, 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.
IGNITION PARK INTERLOCK
This vehicle is equipped with an Ignition Park Interlock
which requires the transmission to be in PARK before
the ignition can be turned to the OFF position. This
helps the driver avoid inadvertently leaving the vehicle
without placing the transmission in PARK. This system
also locks the transmission in PARK whenever the igni-
tion is in the OFF position.
NOTE:
The transmission is NOT locked in PARK when the igni-
tion is in the ACC position (even though the engine will
be off). Ensure that the transmission is in PARK, and
the ignition is OFF (not in ACC position) before exiting
the vehicle.
BRAKE/TRANSMISSION SHIFT
INTERLOCK (BTSI) SYSTEM
This vehicle is equipped with a BTSI system that holds
the transmission gear selector in PARK unless the
brakes are applied. For vehicles with 8-speed transmis-
sion, 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. For vehicles with
6-speed transmission, to shift the transmission out of
PARK, the ignition must be in the ON/RUN position
(engine running or not) and the brake pedal must be
pressed.
The BTSI will timeout if brake pedal is pressed for three
minutes or longer continuously while in park. It can be
reset by releasing the brake for more then three sec-
onds, then reapplying the brake pedal or cycling the
ignition.
8-SPEED AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION — IF EQUIPPED
The transmission is controlled using a rotary electronic
gear selector located on the instrument panel. The
transmission gear range (PRND) is displayed both
above the gear selector and in the instrument cluster.
To select a gear range, simply rotate the gear selector.
You must press the brake pedal to shift the transmis-
sion out of PARK (or NEUTRAL, when the vehicle is
stopped or moving at low speeds). 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.
NOTE:
In the event of a mismatch between the gear selector
position and the actual transmission gear (for example,
driver selects PARK while driving), the position indicator
will blink continuously until the selector is returned to
the proper position, or the requested shift can be
completed.
The electronically controlled transmission adapts its
shift schedule based on driver inputs, along with envi-
ronmental and road conditions. The transmission elec-
tronics 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 gear selector has only PARK,
REVERSE, NEUTRAL, and DRIVE positions. Manual
downshifts can be made using the Electronic Range
Select (ERS) shift control. Pushing the GEAR “-”/GEAR
“+” switches (on the steering wheel) while in the DRIVE
position will select the highest available transmission
gear, and will display that gear limit in the instrument
cluster as 1, 2, 3, etc
page 113. Some models will
display both the selected gear limit, and the actual cur-
rent gear, while in ERS mode.
STARTING AND OPERATING 111
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