Automatic Transmission - Chevrolet Malibu 2024 Owner's Manual

Automatic Transmission

P : This position locks the drive wheels. Use
P (Park) when starting the engine because
the vehicle cannot move easily.
Warning
It is 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.
Do not leave the vehicle when the engine
is running. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be
Warning (Continued)
sure the vehicle will not move, even
when you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and move
the shift lever to P (Park). See Shifting
Into Park 0 178 and Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips 0 212.
Make sure the shift lever is fully in P (Park)
before starting the engine. The vehicle has
an automatic transmission shift lock control
system. With the vehicle on, fully apply the
regular brake, then press the button on the
shift lever before shifting from P (Park).
If you cannot shift out of P (Park), ease
pressure on the shift lever, then push the
shift lever all the way into P (Park) as you
maintain brake application. Then press the
shift lever button and move the shift lever
into another gear. See Shifting out of Park
0 179.
R : Use this gear to back up.
Shifting to R (Reverse) while the vehicle is
moving forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would not be
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Caution
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Driving and Operating
Caution (Continued)
covered by the vehicle warranty. Shift to
R (Reverse) only after the vehicle is
stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and forth to get
out of snow, ice, or sand without damaging
the transmission, see If the Vehicle Is Stuck
0 170.
N : In this position, the engine does not
connect with the wheels. To restart the
engine when the vehicle is already moving,
use N (Neutral) only.
Warning
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on
the brake pedal, the vehicle could move
very rapidly. You could lose control and
hit people or objects. Do not shift into a
drive gear while the engine is running at
high speed.
181