Chevrolet 2012 Malibu Owner's Manual page 178

8-28 Driving and Operating
Make sure the gear lever is fully in
P (Park) before starting the engine.
The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control
system. You must fully apply the
brake pedal then press the gear
lever button before you can shift
from P (Park) while the ignition key
is in ON/RUN. If you cannot shift out
of P (Park), ease pressure on the
gear lever and push the gear lever
all the way into P (Park) as you
maintain brake application. Then
move the gear lever into another
gear. See Shifting out of Park on
page 8‑23.
R (Reverse): Use this gear to
reverse.
Notice: Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be 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 on page 8‑9.
N (Neutral): 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.
Notice: Shifting out of P (Park) or
N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Be sure
the engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle.
D (Drive): This position is for
normal driving. It provides the best
fuel economy. If you need more
power for passing, and you are:
.
Accelerating slowly or
maintaining a constant speed,
push the accelerator pedal about
halfway down.
.
Accelerating quickly or passing,
push the accelerator all the
way down.
M (Manual Mode): This position
allows you to change gears similar
to a manual gearbox. If the vehicle
has this feature, see Manual Mode
on page 8‑29.