2009 Honda Civic Owner's Manual - Page 274

Main Menu Table Of Contents Automatic Transmission To shift from: P to R Do this: Press the brake pedal, and press the shift lever release button. Press the shift lever release button. R to P N to R D3 to 2 2 to 1 1 to 2 2 to D3 D3 to D D to N D to D3 N to D R to N Park (P) This position mechanically locks the transmission. Use Park whenever you are turning off or starting the engine. To shift out of Park, you must press on the brake pedal and have your foot off the accelerator pedal. Press the release button on the front of the shift lever to move it. If you have done all of the above and still cannot move the lever out of Park, see Shift Lock Release on page 273 . To avoid transmission damage, come to a complete stop before shifting into Park. You must also press the release button to shift into Park. The shift lever must be in Park before you can remove the key from the ignition switch. Reverse (R) Press the brake pedal and press the release button to shift from Park to reverse. To shift from reverse to neutral, come to a complete stop and then shift. Press the release button before shifting into reverse from neutral. Neutral (N) Use neutral if you need to restart a stalled engine, or if it is necessary to stop briefly with the engine idling. Shift to the Park position if you need to leave your vehicle for any reason. Press on the brake pedal when you are moving the shift lever from neutral to another gear. Drive (D) Use this position for your normal driving. The transmission automatically selects a suitable gear (1 through 5) for your speed and acceleration. You may notice the transmission shifting up at higher engine speeds when the engine is cold. This helps the engine warm up faster. CONTINUED Move the shift lever. Driving 271 2009 Civic Sedan