Shifting Into Park Automatic Transaxle
Caution: It can be dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the shift lever is not fully in P (Park) with the parking brake firmly set. The vehicle can roll. If you have left the engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly. You or others could be injured. To be sure the vehicle will not move, even when you are on fairly level ground, use the steps that follow. If you are pulling a trailer, see Towing a Trailer .
Use the following procedure to shift into PARK (P):
- Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and set the parking brake.
- Move the shift lever into PARK (P) by holding in the button on the shift lever and pushing the lever all the way toward the front of the vehicle.
- Turn the ignition key to OFF.
- Remove the key and take it with you. If you can leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine Running (Automatic Transaxle)
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 automatic transaxle 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 into PARK (P).
Torque Lock (Automatic Transaxle)
If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift your automatic transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in the transaxle. 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 (P)" previously in the section.
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 yours a little uphill to take some of the pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle, so you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
