2007 DODGE CHARGER tow

WARNING!
•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.
•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.
If the engine is 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 the
engine.
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.
After Starting
The idle speed is controlled automatically and it will
decrease as the engine warms up.
196 STARTING AND OPERATING

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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vehicle under heavy loading conditions (in hilly ter-
rain, traveling into strong head winds, or while tow-
ing heavy trailers.
NOTE:
•
If the vehicle is started in cold temperatures, shifts into
Overdrive may be delayed. Normal Overdrive and
shifting operation will resume when the temperature
of the transmission reaches the appropriate tempera-
ture. Refer to the “Note” under “Torque Converter
Clutch” later in this section.
•If the transmission temperature gets too hot, the
transmission may downshift out of Overdrive or en-
gage overdrive at higher vehicle speeds until the
transmission cools down. After cooldown, Overdrive
will resume normal operation.
3 (Third)
This range eliminates shifts into Overdrive. The trans-
mission will operate normally in First, Second and
Third while in this range. The “3” position should also
be used when descending steep grades to prevent
brake system distress.NOTE:
Using the “3” range while operating the vehicle
under heavy operating conditions will improve perfor-
mance and extend transmission life by reducing exces-
sive shifting and heat build up.
L (Low)
This range should be used for engine braking when
descending very steep grades. In this range, upshifts
will occur only to prevent engine overspeed while
downshifts occur earlier than other gear range selec-
tions.
CAUTION!
Never race the engine with the brakes on and the
vehicle in gear, and never hold the vehicle on an
incline without applying the brakes. These practices
can cause overheating and damage to the transmis-
sion.
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5

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.
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).
206 STARTING AND OPERATING

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.
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.
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5

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
possible convenience. Your dealer has diagnostic equip-
ment to determine if the problem could recur.
Have the transmission checked at your authorized dealer
as soon as possible.
If the problem has been momentary, the transmission can
be reset to regain all forward gears.
Permanent Transmission Limp Home Mode
Permanent Limp Home Mode will be activated if the
transmission enters temporary Limp Home Mode three
times. Follow the reset procedure described under “Tem-
porary Transmission Limp Home Mode” in this section.
In Permanent Limp Home Mode, P (Park), R (Reverse),
and N (Neutral) will continue to operate. Second gear
will operate in the D (Drive) shifter position. The mal-
function indicator light may illuminate.
AUTOSTICK— IF EQUIPPED
Autostick— 3.5L Engine
Autostickis a driver-interactive transmission that offers
manual gear shifting to provide you with more control of
the vehicle. Autostickallows you to maximize engine
braking, eliminate undesirable upshifts and downshifts,
and improve overall vehicle performance. This system
can also provide you with more control during passing,
city driving, cold slippery conditions, mountain driving,
trailer towing, and many other situations.
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5

AutostickOperation
By placing the selector lever in the D (Drive) position, it
can be moved from side to side. This allows the driver to
select a higher or lower range of gears. Moving the
selector lever to the Left (-) triggers a downshift and to
the Right (+) an upshift. The gear position will display in
the instrument cluster on the transmission range indica-
tor.
You can shift in or out of the Autostickmode at any time
without taking your foot off the accelerator pedal. If you
choose the Overdrive mode, the transmission will oper-
ate automatically, shifting between the five available
gears. When you wish to engage Autostick,simply
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.
Autostick— 5.7L Engine
Autostickis a driver-interactive transmission that offers
manual gear shifting to provide you with more control of
the vehicle. Autostickallows you to maximize engine
braking, eliminate undesirable upshifts and downshifts,
and improve overall vehicle performance. This systemcan also provide you with more control during passing,
city driving, cold slippery conditions, mountain driving,
trailer towing, and many other situations.
AutostickOperation
By placing the selector lever in the D (Drive) position, it
can be moved from side to side. This allows the driver to
select a specific gear. Moving the selector lever to the Left
(-) triggers a downshift and to the Right (+) an upshift.
The gear position will display in the instrument cluster
on the transmission range indicator.
NOTE:In Autostickmode, the transmission will only
shift up or down when the driver moves the selector
lever to the Right (D+) or Left (D-).
You can shift in or out of the Autostickmode at any time
without taking your foot off the accelerator pedal. When
you wish to engage Autostick, simply move the selector
lever to the Left or Right (D-/D+) while in the D (Drive)
position. To disengage Autostick, hold the selector lever
to the right for at least one second. The transmission will
now operate automatically, shifting between the five
available gears.
210 STARTING AND OPERATING

PARKING BRAKE
The parking brake should always be applied when the
driver is not in the vehicle.
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.
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 apply the
parking brake before placing the gear selector in P (Park),
otherwise the load on the transmission locking mecha-
nism 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.The foot operated parking brake is positioned below the
lower left corner of the instrument panel. To apply the
parking brake, push the parking brake pedal down and
then remove your foot from the pedal. To release the
parking brake, push down on the parking brake pedal
and then release.
The brake light in the instrument cluster will turn on
when the parking brake is applied and the ignition
switch is on.
Parking Brake
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