Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14622955) -
2021 - CRC - 8/17/20
Driving and Operating
141
If you have to leave the vehicle with the
engine running, be sure the vehicle is in
P (Park) and the parking brake is firmly set
before you leave it. After you have moved
the shift lever into P (Park), hold the brake
pedal down. Then see if you can move the
shift lever away from P (Park) without first
pressing the button on the shift lever. If you
can, it means that the shift lever was not
fully locked into P (Park).
Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you do not
shift the transmission into P (Park) 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 P (Park). This is called
“
torque lock.
”
To prevent torque lock, set the
parking brake and then shift into P (Park)
properly before you leave the driver seat. To
find out how, see
“
Shifting Into Park
”
previously in this section.
When you are ready to drive, move the
shift lever out of P (Park) before you release
the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to
have another vehicle push yours 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 P (Park).
Shifting out of Park
This vehicle is equipped with a shift lock
release system. The shift lock release is
designed to:
.
Prevent ignition key removal unless the
shift lever is in P (Park) with the shift
lever button fully released.
.
Prevent movement of the shift lever out
of P (Park) unless the ignition is on and
the brake pedal is applied.
The shift lock release is always functional
except in the case of an uncharged or low
voltage (less than 9-volt) battery.
If the vehicle has an uncharged battery or a
battery with low voltage, try charging or
jump starting the battery. See
To shift out of P (Park):
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Start the vehicle.
3. Press the shift lever button.
4. Move the shift lever to the desired
position.
If still unable to shift out of P (Park):
1. Fully release the shift lever button.
2. Hold the brake pedal down and press the
shift lever button again.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired
position.
If the shift lever still cannot be moved from
P (Park), have the vehicle serviced soon.
The doors may lock when shifting from
P (Park). See
Parking (Manual Transmission)
{
Warning
If the vehicle has a manual transmission,
never get out of the vehicle without first
moving the shift lever into 1st or
R (Reverse), setting the parking brake and
turning the ignition off. The vehicle can
roll, which could cause serious injury or
death.