2009 Pontiac Vibe Owner's Manual - Page 146

8-14 Driving and Operating Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission) If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift into P (Park) 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 P (Park). This is called "torque lock." To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift into P (Park) properly before you leave the driver seat. To find out how, see Shifting Into Park on page 8-13. Move the shift lever out of P (Park) 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 P (Park). Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine Running (Automatic Transmission) Shifting Out of Park This vehicle has an electronic shift lock release system. The shift lock release is designed to: { 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 an automatic transmission vehicle with the engine running, be sure the vehicle is in P (Park) and the parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. • Prevent ignition key removal unless the shift lever is in P (Park). • Prevent movement of the shift lever out of P (Park), unless the ignition is in ON/RUN and the 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. If the vehicle has an uncharged battery or a battery with low voltage, try charging or jump starting the battery. See Jump Starting on page 9-71 for more information.