1997 Pontiac Grand Prix Owner's Manual - Page 101

Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine Running Torque Lock If you are parlung on a hill and you don't shift your transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the vehicle may put toomuch force on the parking pawl in the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift lever outof PARK (P). This is called "torque lock." To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver's seat. To find out how, see "Shifting Into PARK (P)" in the Index. When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of PARK (P) before you release theparking brake. If torque lockdoes occur, you may need to have another vehicle push yours a little uphill totake some of the pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle, so you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P). It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the engine running. Your vehicle could move suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) 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. Don't leave your vehicle with the engine running unless you have to. If you have to leaveyour vehicle with the engine running, be sureyour vehicle isin PARK (P) and your parking brake is firmly set before you leave it.After you've moved the shift lever intothe PARK (P) position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P) without first pulling it toward you (or, if you have a console shift lever, without first pushing the button). If you can, itmeans that the shiftlever wasn't fully locked into PARK (P). 2-27