Description

DESCRIPTION

The automatic transmission is operated with the help of a shift lever assembly (SLA) located in the center console. There are four positions to which the selection lever can be shifted: P, R, N, D. In addition, the selector lever can be moved sideways (+/-) in position "D" to adjust the shift range.

All selector lever positions, as well as selected shift ranges in position "D", are identified by the SLA. The information is then sent to the transmission control module (TCM) via a hardwire connection. At the same time, the selector lever positions "P", "R", "N" and "D" are transmitted by a shift cable to the selector shaft in the transmission.

The SLA is comprised of the following functions:

- Key lock: Depending on the selector lever position, the ignition lock is locked/unlocked, i.e., the ignition key can be removed only if the selector lever is in position "P". A park lock cable is used to perform this function.
- Park lock: The selector lever is not released from position "P" until the brake pedal has been applied and the ignition key is in driving position. Shift lock is controlled by the brake light switch in conjunction with a locking solenoid in the SLA. As soon as the brake pedal is applied firmly, the locking solenoid is retracted to unlock the selector lever. If the selector lever cannot be moved out of position "P" due to a malfunction, the shift lock function can be overridden (see operator's manual).
- Reverse inhibitor: As soon as the vehicle speed exceeds approx. 4 mph, it is no longer possible to move the selector lever from position "N" to position "R".