Chevrolet 2008 Malibu, Owner'S Manual

Page: 114 / 412

Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
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CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave the vehicle with
the engine running. The vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake firmly set. And,
if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running, it could overheat and even catch fire.
You or others could be injured. Do not leave
the vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After you
have moved the shift lever into PARK (P), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move
the shift lever away from PARK (P) without first pushing
the button.
If you can, it means that the shift lever was not fully
locked in PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift your
transmission into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl
in the transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called torque lock.
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and
then shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat. To find out how, see Shifting Into Park
on page 2-35.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push your vehicle a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission,
so you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
2-36