1997 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Owner's Manual - Page 82

Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine Running Torque Lock If you are parking on a hill and you don'tshift your transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).This iscalled "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 the parking brake. If torque lock does occur, you may needto have another vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle, so you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P). AC ,UTIOP' - It canbe dangerous to leave your vehicle with the engine running.Your vehicle could move suddenly if the shift lever not fully in is PARK (P) with the parking brake firmly set. And,you if leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could You overheat and even catch fire. or others could be injured. Don't leave your vehicle with the engine running unless you have to. If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK(P) andyour parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After you've moved the shift lever into thePARK (P) position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can movethe shift lever away from PARK (P) without first pulling it toward you (or, ifyou have the console shift lever, without first pushing the button). If you can, it means that the shift lever wasn't fully locked into PARK (P).