Can you shift out of Park with the ignition in the ACC/ACCESSORY position?

[emcee]

Page 10-79 of my owners manual (2013 Sonic LT Turbo Automatic) states the following:

To dinghy tow the vehicle from the front with all four wheels on the ground:
 1. Position the vehicle to tow and then secure it to the towing vehicle.
 2. Shift the automatic transmission to P (Park) or a manual transmission into 1 (First) gear and turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
 3. Set the parking brake.
 4. To prevent the battery from draining while the vehicle is being towed, remove the following fuse from the instrument panel fuse block: (DLIS).
 5. Turn the ignition to ACC/ACCESSORY.
 6. Shift the automatic transmission to N (Neutral) or a manual transmission to Neutral.
 7. Release the parking brake.
Remember to reinstall the DLIS fuse once the destination has been reached.


However - I can't shift out of Park (step 5) with the ignition in the ACC/ACCESSORY position.

I have tried to chat with the chevy customer assistance at Chevrolet Owners | Contact Us | Chevrolet. They are insisting the owners manual is correct which means there's something wrong with my vehicle.

So can you shift out of Park with the ignition in the ACC/ACCESSORY position?

 

[Sonic_Boost]

Did you try it when the parking brake was on? That could be it. Also, are you doing it while stepping on the brake? Give them a shot. If not, beats me. I'm still trying to figure out what my 3rd pedal does

 

[ahtoxa]

Just turn the ignition to "ON" without starting the car, shift into N and then turn back to ACC mode.

 

[AdorableKaren]

Mine didn't come with a third pedal

 

[emcee]

Just turn the ignition to "ON" without starting the car, shift into N and then turn back to ACC mode.

I have tried all combinations of DLIS fuse in/out, parking brake set/released, foot on/off brake. Doesn't matter.

I would just turn the ignition to "ON" then back to ACC but then I'm not following the procedure in the owner's manual. Then what happens if the transmission fails and they say I wasn't following the procedure in the manual?

 

[ahtoxa]

In this case, as long as the end result is the same, nothing will happen. Turning ignition on and then off to move the lever doesn't impact the final result.

That said, I'd still not tow an automatic with all 4 wheels down. My experience might be based on older transmissions, but it just seems like a bad idea to me, knowing the basic operating principles of the auto trans.

 

[emcee]

I just need someone else to try it for me. I'm calling the dealer anyway but I really wanted to avoid that.

 

[Scot]

Where do you live? I'll be right over! I don't really know what difference it makes who shifts what, and to where.

 

[ahtoxa]

I just need someone else to try it for me. I'm calling the dealer anyway but I really wanted to avoid that.

I think you are making it more complicated than it should be.

 

[Sonic]

I think you are making it more complicated than it should be.

"Like" x a 1,000,000

 

[Maddog2020]

From the owners manual:

Shifting out of Park
(Automatic Transmission)
This vehicle is equipped with a shift
lock control. The shift lock control is
designed to:
. Prevent ignition key removal
unless the shift lever is in
P (Park) with the shift lever
button fully released.
. Prevent movement of the shift
lever out of P (Park) unless the
ignition is in ON/RUN and the
brake pedal is applied.

According to this the key must be in the ON/RUN position and the break must be applied to shift out of Park. So the suggestion to turn on the key, press the brake, shift to Neutral and set the key to the accessory position makes sense. It seems like the flat towing instructions are just not correct for the automatic. They work for the manual.

 

[Maddog2020]

I just confirmed this with someone that tows a 2013 Sonic Automatic. So ahtoxa is exactly right!

He stated:
You need to turn key to on then shift to N then back to ACC. All of the warning noises should go off and you should be able to turn the steering wheel a little either way to make sure it is not in lock. Make sure you take the parking brake off.

 

[emcee]

Good catch Maddog2020. So the manual conflicts itself. The service shop foreman at the local dealer also confirmed that the manual is incorrect.