2007 CHRYSLER 300 LX warning

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.
Automatic Transmission — General Information
The automatic transmission selects individual gears au-
tomatically, dependent upon:
•Altitude
•Vehicle Loading
•Driving Style
•Selector lever position
•Accelerator position
•Vehicle speedThe gear shifting process is continuously adapted, de-
pendent on the driving style, the driving situation and
the road characteristics.
NOTE:
•
After selecting any driving position, wait a moment to
allow the gear to engage fully before accelerating,
especially when the engine is cold.
•If there is a need to restart the engine, be sure to cycle
the key to the LOCK position before restarting. Trans-
mission engagement may be delayed up to 10 seconds
after restart if the key is not cycled to the LOCK
position first.
•The electronically controlled transmission provides a
precise shift schedule. The transmission electronics are
self-calibrating. Therefore, the first few shifts on a new
vehicle may be somewhat abrupt or soft until after the
break-in period. This is a normal condition, and pre-
cision shifts will develop within a few shift cycles.
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The selector lever is automatically locked while in the P
(Park) position. To move the selector lever out of the P
(Park) position, the brake pedal must be firmly depressed
before the shift lock will release.
Shift the selector lever to the desired position only when
the engine is idling normally and the brake pedal is
applied. Do not release the brake until ready to drive. The
vehicle may otherwise accelerate quickly when the selec-
tor lever is in D (Drive) or R (Reverse) position.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
selector lever is locked in the P (Park) position,
securing the vehicle against unwanted movement.
Furthermore, you should never leave children unat-
tended inside a vehicle.
Over Temperature Mode
The transmission electronics constantly monitor the
transmission oil temperature. If the transmission exceeds
normal operating temperature, the transmission will
change the way it shifts to help control the condition.
This may result in a slightly different feeling or response
during normal operation in D (Drive) position. After the
transmission cools down, it will return to normal opera-
tion.
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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!
Never use Park position on an automatic transmis-
sion as a substitute for the parking brake. Always
apply parking brake fully when parked to guard
against vehicle movement and possible injury or
damage.
Selector Lever
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The following indicators should be used to ensure that
you have engaged the selector 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!
Damage to the shifter could result if the selector
lever is moved out of P (Park) before the ignition is
turned from the LOCK to ON position.
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.
CAUTION!
Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any other reason
with selector lever in NEUTRAL can result in trans-
mission damage.
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 and have an accident.
D (Overdrive)
This range should be used for most city and highway
driving. It provides the smoothest up shifts and down
shifts, and the best fuel economy. Select the “3” range
when frequent transmission shifting occurs when us-
ing the Overdrive range, such as when operating the
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WARNING!
Never use Park position on an automatic transmis-
sion as a substitute for the parking brake. Always
apply parking brake fully when parked to guard
against vehicle movement and possible injury or
damage.
The following indicators should be used to ensure that
you have engaged the selector 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!
Damage to the shifter could result if the selector
lever is moved out of P (Park) before the ignition is
turned from the LOCK to ON position.
R (Reverse)
Shift into R (Reverse) gear only when the vehicle is
completely stopped.
N (Neutral)
No power is transmitted from the engine to the drive
axle. When the brakes are released, the vehicle can be
moved freely (pushed or towed). Do not engage N
(Neutral) position while driving except to coast when
the vehicle is in danger of skidding (e.g., on icy roads).
The engine may be started in this range. Use this range
for starting your vehicle if it is moving or being towed.
CAUTION!
Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any other reason
with selector lever in NEUTRAL can result in trans-
mission damage.
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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 and have an accident.
D (Drive)
This range should be used for most city and highway
driving. It provides the smoothest upshifts and down-
shifts and best fuel economy.
The transmission automatically upshifts through fifth
gear. The D (Drive) position provides optimum driving
characteristics under all normal operating conditions.
When frequent transmission shifting occurs when using
the Overdrive range, such as when operating the vehicle
under heavy loading conditions (in hilly terrain, travel-
ing into strong head winds, or while towing heavy
trailers, use the AutoStickmode and select the “3”
range.
AutoStickGear selection
The AutoStickfeature can be selected by pressing the
selector lever to the right or the left with the lever in the
D (Drive) position. The gear currently selected is indi-
cated in the instrument cluster display. Briefly, press the
selector lever in the “D -” direction and the transmission
will shift from the current gear to the next lower gear.
Press and hold the selector lever in the “D-” direction and
the transmission will shift from the current gear directly
to the next lowest gear for best acceleration.
NOTE:To avoid overrevving the engine when the
selector lever is moved in “D -” direction, the transmis-
sion will not shift to a lower gear if the engine’s revolu-
tions per minute (RPM) limit would be exceeded.
Briefly, press the selector lever in the “D +” direction and
the transmission will shift from the current gear to the
next higher gear.
Press and hold the selector lever in the “D +” direction
and the transmission will shift from the current gear
directly to gear “D.”
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WARNING!
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift in order
to obtain braking action. This could result in drive
wheel slip and reduced vehicle control. Your vehi-
cle’s ABS will not prevent this type of loss of control.
You could lose control of your vehicle and have an
accident.
Delayed Shifts in Cold Temperatures
During cold temperature operation, you may notice
delayed upshifts depending on engine and transmission
temperature as well as vehicle speed. This feature im-
proves warm up time of the engine and transmission to
achieve maximum efficiency.
Temporary Transmission Limp Home Mode
The transmission is monitored for abnormal conditions.
If a condition is detected that could result in transmission
damage, the transmission will engage Limp Home Mode.
If vehicle acceleration worsens, or the transmission no
longer shifts, the transmission is most likely operating in
the Limp Home Mode. In this mode, the transmissionwill remain in the current gear until the vehicle is
brought to a stop. After the vehicle has stopped, P (Park),
R (Reverse), and N (Neutral) will continue to operate.
Second gear will operate in the D (Drive) shifter position.
The Malfunction Indicator Light may be illuminated.
A reset feature is available to allow the vehicle to be
driven to a dealer for service. To reset the transmission,
use the following procedure:
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Move the selector lever to the P (Park) position.
3. Turn off the engine.
4. Wait approximately 10 seconds.
5. Restart the engine.
6. Move the selector lever to the desired range. If the
problem is no longer detected, the transmission will
return to normal operation.
NOTE:Even if the transmission can be reset, we
recommend that you visit a dealer at your earliest
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move the selector lever to the Right or Left (D+/D-) while
in the D (Drive) position. The transmission will remain in
the current gear until an upshift or downshift is chosen.
ALL WHEEL DRIVE — IF EQUIPPED
This feature provides full time All Wheel Drive (AWD)
with Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)/Traction Control.
The front wheels provide 38% of the torque, and the rear
wheels provide 62% of the torque. The system is auto-
matic with no driver inputs or additional driving skills
required.
CAUTION!
All wheels must have the same size and type tires.
Unequal tire sizes must not be used. Unequal tire
size may cause failure of the front differential and/or
the transfer case.
DRIVING ON SLIPPERY SURFACES
Acceleration
Rapid acceleration on snow covered, wet, or other slip-
pery surfaces may cause the rear wheels to pull errati-
cally to the right or left. This phenomenon occurs when
there is a difference in the surface traction under the rear
(driving) wheels.
WARNING!
Rapid acceleration on slippery surfaces is danger-
ous. Unequal traction can cause sudden pulling of
the rear wheels. You could lose control of the vehicle
and possibly have an accident. Accelerate slowly and
carefully whenever there is likely to be poor traction
(ice, snow, wet mud, loose sand, etc.).
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