Automatic Transmission
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shift Lock Release on page
108
.
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 if
it is necessary to stop briefly with
the engine idling. Shift to Park posi-
tion 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 transmis-
sion automatically selects a suitable
gear for your speed and acceleration.
Drive (D
3
)
—This position is similar
to D
4
, except only the first three
gears are selected. Use D
3
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 wheelspin.
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.
Driving
