2005 Buick Rainier Owner's Manual - Page 93

SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but lower fuel economy than THIRD (3). You can use SECOND (2) on hills. It can help control your speed as you go down steep mountain roads, but then you would also want to use the brakes off and on. You can also use SECOND (2) for starting the vehicle from a stop on slippery road surfaces. FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power but lower fuel economy than SECOND (2). You can use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the gear shift lever is put in FIRST (1) while the vehicle is moving forward, the transmission will not shift into first gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough. Notice: Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle in one place on a hill using only the accelerator pedal may damage the transmission. If you are stuck, do not spin the tires. When stopping on a hill, use the brakes to hold the vehicle in place. All-Wheel Drive Your vehicle may have this feature. There is no lever or switch to engage or disengage the front axle. It is fully automatic and adjusts as needed for road conditions. Your vehicle has an active transfer case allowing two-wheel-drive operation on dry roads. The transfer case will shift automatically into all-wheel drive on slippery surfaces. You may feel an extra shift when the all-wheel drive engages. Parking Brake To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal down with your foot and pull up on the parking brake lever located between the seats. If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light on the instrument panel cluster will come on. See Brake System Warning Light on page 3-32. 2-25