2008 Suzuki XL7 Owner's Manual - Page 70

FEATURES AND CONTROLS CAUTION Driving with the parking brake on can overheat the brake system and cause premature wear or damage to brake system parts. Make sure that the parking brake is fully released and the brake warning light is off before driving. lever and pushing the lever all the way toward the front of the vehicle. 3) Turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF. 4) Remove the key and take it with you. If you can leave your vehicle with the key, your vehicle is in PARK (P). Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine Running Torque Lock If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift your transmission into PARK (P) 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 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, refer to "Shifting Into PARK (P)" in this section. When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of PARK (P) 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 PARK (P). Shifting Into PARK (P) WARNING It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll. If you have left the engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly. You or others could be injured. To be sure your vehicle will not move, even when you are on fairly level ground, use the steps that follow. If you are pulling a trailer, refer to "Towing a Trailer" in "Towing" in the "Driving Your Vehicle" section. 1) Hold the brake pedal down with your foot and set the parking brake. Refer to "Parking Brake" in this section for more information. 2) Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) by pressing in the button on the shift WARNING 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. Do not leave your vehicle with the engine running. If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After you have moved the shift lever into PARK (P), hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P) without first pressing the button on the console shift lever. If you can, it means that the shift lever was not fully locked into PARK (P). Shifting Out of PARK (P) This 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 PARK (P) with the shift lever button fully released, and • Prevent movement of the shift lever out of PARK (P), unless the ignition is in ON/ RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY and the regular brake pedal is applied. 2-17