Pontiac 2003 Aztek Owner's Manual page 105

Warm-up Shift
Your vehicle has a computer controlled transaxle
designed
to
warm up the engine faster when the outside
temperature is 35°F (2°C) or colder. You may notice
that the transaxle will shift at a higher vehicle speed until
the engine is warmed up. This is a normal condition
designed to provide heat
to
the passenger compartment
and defrost the windows more quickly.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal driving,
but 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):
When driving on hilly, winding roads.
When towing a trailer (so there is less shifting
0
When going down a steep hill.
between gears).
SECOND
(2):
This position gives you more power, but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND (2) on
hills. It can help control your speed as you go down
steep mountain roads, but then you would also want to
use your brakes off and on.
Nofice:
Don't drive in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (40 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(90 km/h), or you can damage your transaxle. Use
THIRD (3) or AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D) as
much as possible. Don't shift into SECOND (2)
unless you are going slower than 65 mph (105 km/h)
or you can damage your engine.
Notice:
If
your vehicle seems to start up rather
slowly, or if it seems not to shift gears as you go
faster, something may be wrong with a transaxle
system sensor. If you drive very far that way, your
vehicle can be damaged. So, if this happens,
have your vehicle serviced right away. Until then,
you can use SECOND (2) when you are driving less
than 35 mph (55 kmfh) and THIRD (3) for higher
speeds.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more powet
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND (2). You
can use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud.
If the selector lever is put in FIRST ( l ) , the transaxle
won't downshift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slow enough.
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