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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 5 ) — 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.
Sequential SportShift Mode — With the shift lever in "D 5 " position, you can select the Sequential SportShift mode to shift gears; much like a manual transmission, but without a clutch pedal.
To enter the Sequential SportShift mode, move the shift lever to the left. To return to "D 5 ", move the shift lever to the right.
When you move the shift lever from "D 5 " to the Sequential SportShift mode, the display shows the selected gear.
In the Sequential SportShift mode, each time you push forward on the shift lever, the transmission shifts to a higher gear. Pull back on the lever to downshift. The number of the gear selected is displayed next to the "D 5 " indicator (see page 166).
Even with the Sequential SportShift Mode selected, the transmission will automatically upshift and downshift between first and second gear.
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Upshift
Downshift
When you accelerate away from a stop, the transmission will start in first gear and then automatically upshift to second gear. You have to manually upshift between second and fifth gears. Make sure you upshift before the engine speed reaches the tachometer's red zone.
The transmission remains in the selected gear (5, 4, 3). There is no automatic downshift when you push the accelerator pedal to the floor.
The transmission may automatically downshift from the higher gear to the lower gear under the following conditions:
Driving on level roads and downhill
To shift from
4 3
Speed range
under 18 mph (29 km/h)
under 34 mph (55 km/h)
Driving uphill
To shift from
4 3
Speed range
under 34 mph (55 km/h)
under 47 mph (75 km/h)
Downshifting gives you more power when climbing or provides engine braking when going down a steep hill.
The transmission will also shift automatically as the vehicle comes to a complete stop. It will downshift to first gear when the vehicle speed is under 9 mph (15 km/h).
If you try to manually downshift at a speed that would cause the engine to exceed the redline in a lower gear, the transmission will not downshift.
The gear indicator will flash the number of the lower gear several times, then return to the higher gear.
Drive (D 4 , D 3 ) — These positions are similar to D 5 , except when you select the D 4 position, only the first four gears are selected. When you select D 3 , only the first three gears are selected. D 4 can also keep the transmission from cycling between fourth and fifth gears in stop-and-go driving, and D 3 can keep the transmission from cycling between third and fourth gears.
Use D 3 when towing a trailer in hilly terrain, or to provide engine braking when going down a steep hill. D 3 gives you more power and increased engine braking.
For faster acceleration when in D 3 , D 4 or D 5 , 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) — 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.
First (1) - With the lever in this position, the transmission locks in First gear.
If you shift into First position when the vehicle speed is above 31 mph (50 km/h), the transmission shifts into Second gear first to avoid sudden engine braking.
Engine Speed Limiter If you exceed the maximum speed for the gear you are in, the engine speed will enter into the tachometer's red zone. If this occurs, you may feel the engine cut in and out. This is caused by a limiter in the engine's computer controls. The engine will run normally when you reduce the RPM below the red zone.
Shift Lock Release This allows you to move the shift lever out of Park if the normal method of pushing on the brake pedal does not work. This procedure also releases the Reverse Lockout.
- Set the Parking brake.
- Make sure the ignition switch is in the OFF (0) position.
To release the Reverse Lockout, make sure the ignition switch is in the ACCESSORY (I) position.
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