The vehicle has a Hydra-Matic® 6L80 automatic transmission, and has an electronic shift position indicator within the instrument panel cluster. The electronic shift position indicator displays when the shift lever is moved out of P (Park).

There are several different positions for the shift lever.

Light Duty 6-Speed Automatic Transmission Shown (Heavy Duty 6-Speed Similar)

See "Range Selection Mode" later in this section.

P (Park): This position locks your rear wheels. It is the best position to use when you start the engine because the vehicle cannot move easily. When parked on a hill, especially when the vehicle has a heavy load, you may notice an increase in the effort to shift out of P (Park). See Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission) under Shifting Into Park for more information.

Caution: It is 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.

Do not leave the vehicle when the engine is running unless you have to. 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, always set the parking brake and move the shift lever to P (Park). See Shifting Into Park . If you are pulling a trailer, see Towing a Trailer .

R (Reverse): Use this gear to back up.

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 Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow.

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. Also, use N (Neutral) when the vehicle is being towed.

Caution: 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 for the vehicle. If you need more power for passing, and you are:

D (Drive) can be used when towing a trailer, carrying a heavy load, driving on steep hills, or for off-road driving. You may want to shift the transmission to a lower gear selection if the transmission shifts too often.

Downshifting the transmission in slippery road conditions could result in skidding, see "Skidding" under Loss of Control.

When temperatures are very cold, the Hydra-Matic® Automatic Transmission's gear shifting may be delayed providing more stable shifts until the engine warms up. Shifts may be more noticeable with a cold transmission. This difference in shifting is normal.

M (Manual Mode): This position lets drivers select the range of gears appropriate for current driving conditions. See Range Selection Mode later in this section.

Notice: Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle in one place on a hill using only the accelerator pedal may damage the transmission. The repair will not be covered by the vehicle warranty. If you are stuck, do not spin the tires. When stopping on a hill, use the brakes to hold the vehicle in place.

The vehicle has a shift stabilization feature that adjusts the transmission shifting to the current driving conditions in order to reduce rapid upshifts and downshifts. This shift stabilization feature is designed to determine, before making an upshift, if the engine will be able to maintain vehicle speed by analyzing things such as throttle position, vehicle load, and hill grade. If the shift stabilization feature determines that a current vehicle speed cannot be maintained, the transmission does not upshift and instead holds the current gear. In some cases, this may appear to be a delayed shift, however the transmission is operating normally.

The vehicle's transmission uses adaptive shift controls. Adaptive shift controls continually compares key shift parameters to pre-programmed ideal shift conditions stored in the transmissions computer. The transmission constantly makes adjustments to improve vehicle performance according to the way the vehicle is being used, such as with a heavy load. During this adaptive shift controls process, some shifts may feel different as the transmission determines the best settings for a particular shift.

Range Selection Mode

On vehicles with a Range Selection Mode, this feature may be used to control the vehicle's transmission.

To use this feature, do the following:

1. Move the shift lever to the M (Manual Mode).
2. Press the plus/minus button, to upshift or downshift selecting the desired range of gears for current driving conditions.

When in M (Manual Mode) a number displays next to the M, indicating the current gear that has been selected. The number displayed in the gear indicator is the highest gear that can be used. However, the vehicle can automatically shift to lower gears as it adjusts to driving conditions. This means that all gears below that number are available. When 5 (Fifth) is selected, 1 (First) through 5 (Fifth) gears are automatically shifted by the vehicle, but 6 (Sixth) cannot be used until the plus/minus button located on the steering column lever is used to change to the gear.

Range Selection Mode controls the vehicle and engine speed while driving down a hill or towing a trailer, by allowing you to select a desired range of gears.

Grade Braking is not available when the Range Selection Mode is active. See Tow/Haul Mode for more information.

While using the Range Selection Mode, Cruise Control and the Tow/Haul mode can be used.