2009 GMC Savana Van Owner's Manual - Page 112

Leaving the Vehicle With the Engine Running 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 2-27. 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). { CAUTION: 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 set before you leave it. After you move the shift lever into P (Park), hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the shift lever away from P (Park) without first pulling it toward you. If you can, it means that the shift lever was not fully locked into P (Park). 2-28