Toyota 1998 Sienna Owner's Manual page 113

Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of "P" position when the
brake pedal is depressed (with the ignition
switch in "ON" or "ACC" position and the
selector lever pulled toward you).
(a) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in "How
to start the engine" in Part 3. The
transmission must be in "P" or "N".
2. With your foot holding down the brake
pedal, shift the selector lever to "D".
In "D" position, the automatic transmission
system will select the most suitable gear
for the running conditions such as normal
cruising, hill climbing, hard towing, etc.
Always turn the overdrive switch on for
better fuel economy and quieter driving. If
the engine coolant temperature is low, the
transmission will not shift into overdrive
gear even with the overdrive switch on.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake
pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
(b) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
D
Turn off the overdrive switch. The "O/D
OFF" indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to the
third gear.
D
Shift into the "2" position when the
vehicle speed drops down to or lower
than 131 km/h (81 mph). The transmis-
sion will downshift to the second gear
and more powerful engine braking will
be obtained.
D
Shift into the "L" position when the
vehicle speed drops down to or lower
than 59 km/h (36 mph). The transmis-
sion will downshift to the first gear and
maximum engine braking will be ap-
plied.
Vehicles with cruise control⎯When the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by turning off
the overdrive switch, engine braking is not
applied because the cruise control is not
cancelled.
name. SIENNA (U)
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see "Cruise control" in this chapter.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
(c) Using "2" and "L" positions
The "2" and "L" positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in "2" or "L", you
can start the vehicle in motion as with the
lever in "D".
With the selector lever in "2", the vehicle
will start in the first gear and automatical-
ly shift to the second gear.
With the selector lever in "L", the trans-
mission is engaged in the first gear.
shifting
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