2009 Pontiac Torrent Owner's Manual - Page 109

Leaving the Vehicle With the Engine Running Torque Lock Torque lock is when the weight of the vehicle puts too much force on the parking pawl in the transmission. This happens when parking on a hill and shifting the transmission into P (Park) is not done properly and then it is difficult to shift out of P (Park). To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift into P (Park). To find out how, see ''Shifting Into P (Park)'' listed previously. If torque lock does occur, your vehicle may need to be pushed uphill by another vehicle to relieve the parking pawl pressure, so you can shift 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 have moved 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 pressing the button on the console shift lever. If you can, it means that the shift lever was not fully locked into P (Park). Shifting Out of Park The vehicle is equipped with an electronic shift lock release system. The shift lock release is designed to: • Prevent ignition key removal unless the shift lever is in P (Park) with the shift lever button fully released, and • Prevent movement of the shift lever out of P (Park), unless the ignition is in ON/RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY and the regular brake pedal is applied. The shift lock release is always functional except in the case of an uncharged or low voltage (less than 9 volt) battery. 2-33