Pontiac 2003 Sunfire Owner's Manual page 91

REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
Notice: Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage your transaxle.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transaxle, see If
You Are Stuck: I n Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow on
page
4-30.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn't
connect with the wheels. To restart when you're already
moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed
Notice: Damage to your transaxle caused by
shifting into a drive gear with the engine racing isn't
covered by your warranty.
Forward Gears
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D): This position is for
normal driving with the automatic transaxle. If you need
more power for passing, and you're:
0
Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
accelerator all the way down.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal driving,
however, it offers more power and lower fuel economy
than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D). Here are some
times you might choose THIRD (3) instead of
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D):
Shifting into a drive gear while your engine is
"racing" (running at high speed) is dangerous. When going down a steep hill.
When driving on hilly, winding roads.
Unless your foot is firmly on the brake pedal,
your vehicle could move very rapidly. You
could lose control and hit people or objects. hills. It can help control your speed as you go down
Don't shift into a drive gear while your engine steep mountain roads, but then you would also want to
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND (2) on
is acing.
I
use your brakes off and on.
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