2006 DODGE CHARGER Owners Manual

STARTING AND OPERATING
CONTENTS

Starting Procedures....................196
▫Normal Starting......................196

Engine Block Heater—If Equipped........198

Transmission Shifting...................198
▫4 Speed Automatic Transmission..........198
▫5 Speed Automatic Transmission..........203
▫Automatic Transmission—
General Information...................208

AutoStick—If Equipped................210
▫AutoStick—3.5L Engines...............210
▫AutoStick—5.7L Engines...............211

Parking Brake.........................212

Brake System.........................214
▫Anti-Lock Brake System................214

Power Steering........................217

Multi Displacement System (MDS) -
5.7L Engine Only
......................218

Tire Safety Information..................218
▫Tire Markings........................218
▫Tire Identification Number (TIN)..........221
▫Tire Loading And Tire Pressure...........222

Ti re s—General Information...............226
▫Tire Pressure.........................226
▫Tire Inflation Pressures.................227
5

▫Radial-Ply Tires......................229
▫Compact Spare Tire—If Equipped.........229
▫Limited Use Spare—If Equipped.........230
▫Tire Spinning........................230
▫Tread Wear Indicators..................231
▫Life Of Tire.........................232
▫Replacement Tires.....................232
▫Alignment And Balance.................233

Self–Sealing Tires—If Equipped..........234

Tire Pressure Monitor System—If Equipped. . 234
▫Tire Pressure Monitoring—Base System.....234
▫
Tire Pressure Monitoring—Premium System. . 235
▫General Information...................238

Tire Chains...........................238

Snow Tires...........................239

Tire Rotation Recommendations...........240

Fuel Requirements.....................241
▫2.7L Engines.........................241
▫3.5L And 5.7L Engines..................241
▫Spark Knock.........................241
▫Reformulated Gasoline.................241
▫Gasoline/Oxygenate Blends..............242
▫MMT In Gasoline.....................242
▫Materials Added To Fuel................243
▫Fuel System Cautions..................243
▫Carbon Monoxide Warnings..............244

Adding Fuel..........................244
▫Fuel Filler Cap (Gas Cap)...............244

Vehicle Loading.......................247
▫Vehicle Certification Label...............247
▫Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR).......247
▫Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).........247
194 STARTING AND OPERATING

▫Overloading.........................248
▫Loading............................248

Trailer Towing........................249
▫Common Towing Definitions.............249
▫Trailer Hitch Classification...............251
▫Trailer Towing Weights
(Maximum Trailer Weight Ratings).........251
▫Trailer And Tongue Weight..............253▫Towing Requirements..................254
▫Towing Tips.........................257
Recreational Towing
(Behind Motorhome, Etc.)
................259
▫Towing This Vehicle Behind Another Vehicle
(Flat Towing With All Four Wheels On The
Ground)............................259
STARTING AND OPERATING 195
5

STARTING PROCEDURES
CAUTION!
Long periods of engine idling, especially at high
engine speeds, can cause excessive exhaust tempera-
tures which can damage your vehicle. Do not leave
your vehicle unattended with the engine running.
WARNING!
Do not leave animals or children inside parked
vehicles in hot weather; interior heat build up may
cause serious injury or death.
The gear selector must be in the NEUTRAL or PARK
position before you can start the engine. Apply the brakes
before shifting into any driving gear.
Normal Starting
Normal Startingof either a cold or a warm engine is
obtained without pumping or depressing the accelerator
pedal. Turn the key to the“START”position and release
when the engine starts. If the engine has not started
within 3 seconds, slightly depress the accelerator pedal
while continuing to crank. If the engine fails to start
within 15 seconds, turn the key to the“OFF”position,
wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat the normal starting
procedure.
Extremely Cold Weather(below
20°For
29°C) To
insure reliable starting at these temperatures, use of an
externally powered electric engine block heater (available
from your dealer) is recommended.
196 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!
•Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get
it started. Vehicles equipped with an automatic
transmission cannot be started this way. Un-
burned fuel could enter the catalytic converter and
once the engine has started, ignite and damage the
converter and vehicle. If the vehicle has a dis-
charged battery, booster cables may be used to
obtain a start from a booster battery or the battery
in another vehicle. This type of start can be
dangerous if done improperly. See section 6 of
this manual for the proper jump starting proce-
dures and follow them carefully.
•Never pour fuel or other flammable liquid into
the throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to
start the vehicle. This could result in flash fire
causing serious personal injury.
If Engine Fails to Start
If the engine fails to start after you have followed the
“NORMAL STARTING”procedure, it may be flooded.Push the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and
hold it there while cranking the engine. This should clear
any excess fuel in case the engine is flooded.
CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter, do not crank the
engine for more than 15 seconds at a time. Wait 10 to
15 seconds before trying again.
If the engine has been flooded, it may start to run, but not
have enough power to continue running when the key is
released. If this occurs, continue cranking up to 15
seconds with the accelerator pedal pushed all the way to
the floor. Release the accelerator pedal and the key once
the engine is running smoothly. Do not overspeed en-
gine.
If the engine shows no sign of starting after two 15
second periods of cranking with the accelerator pedal
held to the floor, the“NORMAL STARTING”procedure
should be repeated.
STARTING AND OPERATING 197
5

After Starting
The idle speed will automatically decrease as the engine
warms up.
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER—IF EQUIPPED
The engine block heater warms engine coolant and
permits quicker starts in cold weather. Connect the cord
to a standard 110-115 volt AC electrical outlet with a
grounded, three-wire extension cord.
The engine block heater cord is routed under the hood on
the driver side of the vehicle. It has a removable cap that
is located on the driver side of the Integrated Power
Module.
WARNING!
Remember to disconnect the cord before driving.
Damage to the 110-115 volt electrical cord could
cause electrocution.
TRANSMISSION SHIFTING
4 Speed Automatic Transmission
Shifting from D (Drive) to P (Park) or R (Reverse) (or
from P or R to D) should be done only after the
accelerator pedal is released and the vehicle is stopped.
Be sure to keep your foot on the brake when moving the
shift lever between these gears.
Gear Selector
198 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!
It is dangerous to shift the selector lever out of“P”or
“N”if the engine speed is higher than idle speed. If
your foot is not firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in re-
verse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when
the engine is idling normally and when your right
foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
Gear Ranges
P (Park)
P (Park) supplements the parking brake by locking the
transmission. The engine can be started in this range.
Never use P (Park) while the vehicle is in motion.
Apply the parking brake when leaving the vehicle in
this range.
When parking on a flat surface, place the gear selector in
the P (Park) position first, and then apply the parking
brake.When parking on a hill, it is important to set the parking
brake before placing the gear selector in P (Park), other-
wise the load on the transmission locking mechanism
may make it difficult to move the selector out of park. As
an added precaution, turn the front wheels toward the
curb on a downhill grade and away from the curb on an
uphill grade.
WARNING!
Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in and near the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running. Before exiting a vehicle, you should always
shift the vehicle into P (Park), remove the key from
the ignition, and apply the parking brake. Once the
key is removed from the ignition, the transmission
shift lever is locked in the P (Park) position, securing
the vehicle against unwanted movement. Further-
more, you should never leave children unattended
inside a vehicle.
STARTING AND OPERATING 199
5

The following indicators should be used to ensure that
you have engaged the transmission shift lever into the P
(Park) position:
•When shifting into P (Park) move the lever all the way
forward until it stops, and is fully seated.
•Look at the shift indicator display on the instrument
panel to ensure it is in the P (Park) position.
CAUTION!
Before moving the shift lever out of P (Park), you
must turn the ignition from LOCK to ON so the shift
lever is released. Otherwise, damage to the shifter
could result.
R (Reverse)
For moving the vehicle rearward. Always stop before
moving the lever to R (Reverse), except when rocking
the vehicle.N (Neutral)
Engine may be started in this range.
WARNING!
Do not coast in N (Neutral) and never turn off the
ignition to coast down a hill. These are unsafe
practices that limit your response to changing traffic
or road conditions. You might lose control of the
vehicle.
D (Overdrive)
This range should be used for most city and highway
driving. It provides smoothest up shifts and down
shifts and best fuel economy. Select the“3”range
when frequent transmission shifting occurs when us-
ing the Overdrive range, such as when operating the
vehicle under heavy loading conditions (in hilly ter-
rain, traveling into strong head winds, or while tow-
ing heavy trailers.
200 STARTING AND OPERATING