Shifting Into Park - Chevrolet 2012 Malibu Owner's Manual

8-22 Driving and Operating

Shifting Into Park

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WARNING
It can be 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. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow.
1. Hold the brake pedal down and
apply the parking brake. See
Electric Parking Brake on
page 8‑32 for more information.
2. Move the gear lever into
P (Park) by holding in the button
on the gear lever and pushing
the gear lever all the way toward
the front of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to
LOCK/OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with
you. If you can leave the vehicle
with the ignition key in your
hand, the vehicle is in P (Park).
Leaving the Vehicle with the
Engine Running
{
WARNING
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
The vehicle could move suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. And, if you leave the
vehicle with the engine running, it
could overheat and even catch
fire. You or others could be
injured. Do not leave the vehicle
with the engine running.
If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure the
vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly applied
before you leave it. After you have
moved the gear lever into P (Park),
hold the regular brake pedal down.
Then, see if you can move the gear
lever away from P (Park) without
first pushing the button.
If you can, it means that the gear
lever was not fully locked in
P (Park).
Torque Lock
Torque lock is when the weight of
the vehicle puts too much force on
the parking pawl in the
transmission. This happens when
parking on a hill and shifting the
transmission into P (Park) is not
done properly, then it is difficult to
shift out of P (Park). To prevent
torque lock, apply the parking brake
and then shift into P (Park). To find
out how, see "Shifting Into Park"
listed previously.