Gear Selection
The shift lever has five positions; P: PARK, R: REVERSE, N: NEUTRAL, D: DRIVE 1st through 5th gear, and 1st through 3rd gear in the D3 driving mode, and L: LOW 1st through 2nd gear.
GEAR SELECTION POSITION DESCRIPTION
| Position | Description |
|---|---|
| P: PARK | Front wheels locked; the park pawl engaged with the park gear on the secondary shaft. All clutches are released. |
| R: REVERSE | Reverse; the reverse selector engaged with the countershaft reverse gear and the 5th clutch engaged. |
| N: NEUTRAL | All clutches are released. |
| D: DRIVE (1st through 5th gear) | General driving; starts off in 1st gear, shifts to 2nd, 3rd, 4th gear, then 5th gear, depending on the vehicle speed and the throttle position. Downshifts through 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st gear on deceleration to stop. The lock-up mechanism operates in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th gears. |
| D: DRIVE with the D3 driving mode (1st through 3rd gear) | Used for rapid acceleration at highway speeds and general driving, up-hill and down-hill driving; starts off in 1st gear, shifts to 2nd gear, then 3rd gear, depending on the vehicle speed and the throttle position. Downshifts through 2nd and 1st gear on deceleration to stop. The lock-up mechanism operates in 2nd and 3rd gears. |
| L: LOW (1st through 2nd gear) | Used for up-hill and down-hill driving; starts off in 1st gear, shifts to 2nd gear, depending on the vehicle speed and the throttle position. Downshifts through 1st gear on deceleration with the engine braking to stop. |
Starting the engine is possible only in P and N because of a neutral-safety switch built into the transmission range switch.