2009 Chevrolet Express Van Owner's Manual - Page 110

Torque Lock If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift the vehicle into P (Park) properly, the weight of the vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in the transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the shift lever out of P (Park). This is called torque lock. To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift into P (Park) properly before you leave the driver seat. To find out how, see Shifting Into Park on page 2-29. When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of P (Park) before you release the parking brake. If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission, so you can pull the shift lever out of P (Park). The shift lock control system is designed to do the following: • Prevent the ignition key from being removed unless the shift lever is in P (Park). • Prevent movement of the shift lever out of P (Park), unless the ignition is in ON/RUN and the regular brake pedal is applied. The shift lock control system is always functional except in the case of a dead battery or low voltage (less than 9 V) battery. If the vehicle has an uncharged battery or a battery with low voltage, try charging or jump starting the battery. See Jump Starting on page 5-41 for more information. To shift out of P (Park) use the following: 1. Apply the brake pedal. 2. Move the shift lever to the desired position. If you still are unable to shift out of P (Park): 1. Ease the pressure on the shift lever. 2. While holding down the brake pedal, push the shift lever all the way into P (Park) 3. Move the shift lever to the desired position. If you are still having a problem shifting, then have the vehicle serviced. Shifting Out of Park The vehicle has an automatic transmission shift lock control system. You have to fully apply the brakes before you can shift from P (Park) when the ignition is in ON/RUN. See Automatic Transmission Operation on page 2-24. 2-30