Honda 2003 Civic GX Owner's Manual Supplement page 19

Automatic Transmission (CVT)
Park (P) This position
mechanically locks the transmission.
Use Park whenever you are turning
off or starting the engine. To shift
out of Park, you must press on the
brake pedal, have your foot off the
accelerator pedal, and press the
release button on the front of the
shift lever.
18
Driving
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see Shift Lock Release in the
main Owner's manual.
You must also press the release
button to shift into Park. To avoid
transmission damage, come to a
complete stop before shifting into
Park. The shift lever must be in Park
before you can remove the key from
the ignition switch.
Reverse (R) To shift from Re-
verse to Park, see the explanation
under Park. To shift to Reverse from
Neutral, come to a complete stop
first. Press the release button before
shifting into Reverse from Neutral.
Neutral (N) Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop briefly with
the engine idling. Shift to Park posi-
tion if you need to leave the vehicle
for any reason. Press on the brake pe-
dal when you are moving the shift
lever from Neutral to another gear.
Drive (D) Use this position for
your normal driving. The transmis-
sion automatically adjusts to keep
the engine at the best speed for
driving conditions. To help the
engine warm up faster, the transmis-
sion will select ratios that allow the
engine to run at higher speeds when
it is cold.