2005 CHRYSLER 300 SRT climate control

Pets should be restrained in the rear seat in pet harnesses
or pet carriers that are secured by seat belts.
ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS
A long break-in period is not required for the engine in
your new vehicle.
Drive moderately during the first 300 miles (500 km).
After the initial 60 miles (100 km), speeds up to 50 or 55
mph (80 or 90 km/h) are desirable.
While cruising, brief full-throttle acceleration, within the
limits of local traffic laws, contributes to a good break-in.
Wide open throttle acceleration in low gear can be
detrimental and should be avoided.
The engine oil installed in the engine at the factory is a
high quality energy conserving type lubricant. Oil
changes should be consistent with anticipated climate
conditions under which vehicle operations will occur.
The recommended viscosity and quality grades are
shown in Section 7 of this manual. NON-DETERGENT
OR STRAIGHT MINERAL OILS MUST NEVER BE
USED.A new engine may consume some oil during its first few
thousand miles (kilometers) of operation. This should be
considered as a normal part of the break-in and not
interpreted as an indication of difficulty.
SAFETY TIPS
Exhaust Gas
WARNING!
Exhaust gases can injure or kill. They contain carbon
monoxide (CO) which is colorless and odorless.
Breathing it can make you unconscious and can
eventually poison you. To avoid breathing (CO)
follow the safety tips below.
Do not run the engine in a closed garage or in confined
areas any longer than needed to move your vehicle in or
out of the area.
If it is necessary to sit in a parked vehicle with the engine
running, adjust your heating or cooling controls to force
outside air into the vehicle. Set the blower at high speed.
56 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
If you are required to drive with the trunk open,
make sure that all windows are closed, and the
climate control blower switch is set at high speed.
DO NOT use the recirculation mode.
Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle
Seat Belts
Inspect the belt system periodically, checking for cuts,
frays and loose parts. Damaged parts must be replaced
immediately. Do not disassemble or modify the system.
Front seat belt assemblies must be replaced after a
collision. Rear seat belt assemblies must be replaced after
a collision if they have been damaged (bent retractor, torn
webbing, etc. If there is any question regarding belt or
retractor condition, replace the belt.
Airbag Light
The light should come on and remain on for 6 to 8
seconds as a bulb check when the ignition switch is first
turned ON. If the LED is not lit during starting, have it
checked. If the light stays on or comes on while driving,
have the system checked by an authorized dealer.
Defroster
Check operation by selecting the defrost mode and place
the blower control on high speed. You should be able to
feel the air directed against the windshield.
Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make Outside
The Vehicle
Tires
Examine tires for excessive tread wear or uneven wear
patterns. Check for stones, nails, glass, or other objects
lodged in the tread. Inspect tread and sidewall for cuts or
cracks. Check wheel nuts for tightness, and tires (includ-
ing spare) for proper pressure.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 57
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STORAGE
Console Features
The center console includes a large internal storage bin.
The storage bin has a rubber mat for noise control. The
bin is also large enough to hold a portable AC/DC
converter to power lap tops, games, or other electrical
equipment. Two slots at the top right side of the bin
provide clearance for power cords to pass conveniently
out of the bin with the lid closed. This feature is ideal for
games, laptops, cell phones or other electrical equipment.
A four-slot coin holder can hold US dollar coins or
Canadian one and two-dollar coins, as well as quarters,
dimes and nickels. The bin has a Front-opening lid for
easy access inside by either the driver or front passenger.
There are also two shift bezel cubby bins with rubber
mats for holding small items. For vehicles not equipped
with the navigation radio, an extra storage bin is pro-
vided below the climate controls that holds up to four CD
jewel cases. The inside portion of the arm rest lid contains
a pen holder, a tissue holder, and a tire gauge holder.
Cargo Tie-Down Hooks
The tie-downs located on cargo area floor and on the rear
trim panels should be used to safely secure loads when
vehicle is moving.
WARNING!
•Cargo tie-down hooks are not safe anchors for a
child seat tether strap. In a sudden stop or colli-
sion a hook could pull loose and allow the child
seat to come loose. A child could be badly injured.
Use only the anchors provided for child seat
tethers.
•The weight and position of cargo and passengers
can change the vehicle center of gravity and
vehicle handling. To avoid loss of control result-
ing in personal injury, follow these guidelines for
loading your vehicle:
•Always place cargo evenly on the cargo floor. Put
heavier objects as low and as far forward as possible.
126 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

▫CD Player..........................168
▫Satellite............................168

Radio General Information...............168
▫Radio Broadcast Signals.................168
▫Two Types Of Signals..................168
▫Electrical Disturbances..................169
▫AM Reception.......................169
▫FM Reception........................169

Cassette Tape And Player Maintenance......169

CD/DVD Disc Maintenance..............170

Radio Operation And Cellular Phones.......171

Climate Controls......................171
▫Automatic Temperature Control...........171
▫Summer Operation....................176
▫Winter Operation.....................177
▫Vacation Storage......................177
▫Window Fogging.....................177
▫Outside Air Intake....................177
▫A/C Air Filter — If Equipped............177
▫Operating Tips.......................178
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 131
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RADIO OPERATION AND CELLULAR PHONES
Under certain conditions, the cellular phone being On in
your vehicle can cause erratic or noisy performance from
your radio. This condition may be lessened or eliminated
by relocating the cellular phone antenna. This condition
is not harmful to the radio. If your radio performance
does not satisfactorily “clear” by the repositioning of the
antenna, it is recommended that the radio volume be
turned down or off during cellular phone operation.
CLIMATE CONTROLS
Automatic Temperature Control
The Infrared Dual-Zone Climate Control System auto-
matically maintains the interior comfort level desired by
the driver and passenger. This is accomplished by a dual
sun-sensor in the top of the instrument panel, and an
infrared sensor located in the face of the control unit.
There are also various sensors monitored by this system
which take account for vehicle speed, A/C pressure,
outside temperature, and engine cooling temperature.
The infrared sensor independently measures the surface
temperature of the driver and passenger. Based on the
sensor input, the system automatically adjusts the airflow temperature, the air flow volume, and amount of
outside air recirculation. This maintains a comfortable
temperature even under changing conditions.
Operation of the system is quite simple. Begin by turning
the right mode knob to AUTO, and place the blower
control (left knob) to either LO AUTO or HI AUTO. The
LO AUTO position should be used for front seat occu-
pants only. The HI AUTO position should be used when
more air flow is desired, or when rear seat occupants are
present. Dial in the temperature you would like the
Automatic Temperature Controls
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 171
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system to maintain by rotating the driver’s or passenger’s
control knob. Once the comfort level is selected the
system will maintain that level automatically using the
heating system. Should the desired comfort level require
air conditioning, the system will automatically make the
adjustment.
You will experience the greatest efficiency by simply
allowing the system to function automatically. Selecting
the OFF position on the fan control stops the system
completely and closes the outside air intake.
72°F (22°C) is the recommended setting for maximum
comfort for the average person, however, this may vary.
NOTE:The temperature setting can be adjusted at any
time without affecting automatic control operation.
The air conditioning in this system is automatic.
Pressing this button while in AUTO mode will
cause an audible beep and the LED will flash three
times and remain off. This indicates that the system is in
AUTO and requesting the air conditioning is not neces-
sary.The system will automatically control recircu-
lation. However, pressing this button will tem-
porarily put the system in recirculation mode
(ten minutes). This can be used when outside
conditions such as smoke, odors, dust, or high humidity
are present. This will cause an audible beep, and the LED
will illuminate. After ten minutes the system will return
to normal AUTO mode function and the LED will turn
off.
NOTE:
•
The surface of the climate control panel, and the top
center of the instrument panel should be kept free of
debris due to the climate control sensor’s location.
Mud on the windshield may also cause poor operation
of this system.
•To provide you with maximum comfort in the auto-
matic mode, during cold start-ups the blower fan will
remain off until the engine warms up. However, the
fan will engage immediately if the defrost mode is
selected or if you manually select a blower speed.
172 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

•Under certain conditions (after the vehicle is turned
off) the climate control system may recalibrate and a
noise may be heard for 20 seconds. This is part of
normal operation.
•Most of the time, when in Automatic operation, you
can temporarily put the system into recirculation
mode by pressing the Recirc button. However, under
certain conditions in automatic the system is blowing
air out of the defrost vents. When these conditions are
present and the Recirc button is pressed the indicator
will flash and remain off. This tells you that you are
unable to go into recirculation mode at this time. If you
would like to go to Recirculation mode, you must first
move your mode knob to panel, panel/floor or floor,
then hit the recirc button. This feature will reduce the
possibility of window fogging.
Manual Operation
This system offers a full complement of manual override
features which consist of Blower Preferred Automatic,
Mode Preferred Automatic, or Blower and Mode Pre-
ferred Automatic. This means the customer can override
the blower, the mode, or both. There is a manual blower
range used when the AUTO setting is not desired. The
left control can be set to any fixed blower speed by
rotating the knob.
NOTE:Please read the Automatic Temperature Control
Operation Chart below for details.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 173
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Winter Operation
Use of the air Recirculation mode during winter months
is not recommended because it may cause window
fogging.
NOTE:See Operating Tips chart (for Manual A/C
Control) at the end of this section for suggested control
settings in different weather conditions.
Vacation Storage
Anytime you store your vehicle, or keep it out of service
(i.e. vacation) for two weeks or more, run the air condi-
tioning system at idle for about five minutes in the fresh
air and high blower setting. This will insure adequate
system lubrication to minimize the possibility of com-
pressor damage when the system is started again.
Window Fogging
Interior fogging on the windshield can be quickly re-
moved by turning the mode selector to Defrost. The
Defrost/Floor mode can be used to maintain a clear
windshield and provide sufficient heating. If side win-
dow fogging becomes a problem increase blower speed.
Vehicle windows tend to fog on the inside in mild but
rainy or humid weather.
NOTE:Recirculate without A/C should not be used for
long periods as fogging may occur.
Outside Air Intake
Make sure the air intake, located directly in front of the
windshield, is free of obstructions such as leaves. Leaves
collected in the air intake may reduce airflow and if they
enter the plenum they could plug the water drains. In
winter months make sure the air intake is clear of ice,
slush and snow.
A/C Air Filter — If Equipped
The climate control system filters outside air containing
dust, pollen and some odors. Strong odors cannot be
totally filtered out. Refer to “Maintenance Procedures” in
your Owner’s Manual for filter replacement instructions.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 177
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