Automatic Transmission
out of Park, see
Shift Lock
Release
on page
100
.
You must also press the release
button to shift into Park. To
avoid transmission damage,
come to a complete stop before
shifting into Park. The shift lever
must be in Park before you can
remove the key from the ignition
switch.
Reverse (R)
— To shift to Reverse
from Park, see the explanation
under Park. To shift to Reverse
from Neutral, come to a complete
stop and then shift. Press the
release button before shifting
into Reverse from Neutral.
Neutral (N)
— Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine
or you need to stop briefly with
the engine idling. Shift to Park
position if you need to leave the
car for any reason. Press on the
brake pedal when you are
moving the shift lever from
Neutral to another gear.
Drive (D
4
)
— Use this position for
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically
selects a suitable gear for your
speed and acceleration. You may
notice the transmission shifting
up at higher speeds when the
engine is cold. This helps the
engine warm up faster.
Drive (D
3
) —
This position is
similar to D
4
, except only the first
three gears may be selected. Use
D
3
when towing a trailer in hilly
terrain or to provide engine
braking when going down a steep
hill. D
3
can also keep the
transmission from cycling
between third and fourth gears in
stop-and-go driving.
For faster acceleration when in
D
3
or D
4
, you can get the
transmission to automatically
downshift by pushing the
accelerator pedal to the floor.
The transmission will shift down
one or two gears, depending on
your speed.
Second (2)
- To shift to Second,
press the release button on the
side of the shift lever. This position
locks the transmission in second
gear. It does not downshift to first
gear when you come to a stop.
Second gives you more power
when climbing, and increased
engine braking when going down
steep hills. Use second gear when
starting out on a slippery surface
or in deep snow. It will help reduce
wheel spin.
Whenever you move the shift
lever to a lower gear, the
transmission downshifts only if
the engine's redline will not be
exceeded in the lower gear.
continued
Driving
