2008 CHRYSLER SEBRING SEDAN trailer

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DESCRIPTIONS
1. Fuel Gauge
When the ignition switch is in the ON position, the
pointer will show the level of fuel remaining in the
fuel tank.
2. Fuel Door Reminder
This is a reminder that the Fuel Filler Door is
located on the left side of the vehicle.
3. Temperature Gauge
The temperature gauge shows engine coolant tem-
perature. Any reading below the red area of the
gauge shows that the engine cooling system is
operating properly. The gauge pointer may show a
higher than normal temperature when driving in hot
weather, up mountain grades, in heavy stop and go
traffic, or when towing a trailer.If the pointer rises to theH(red) mark, the instrument
cluster will sound a chime. Pull over and stop the vehicle.
Idle the vehicle with the air conditioner turned off until
the pointer drops back into the normal range. If the
pointer remains on theH(red) mark, turn the engine off
immediately and call for service.
There are steps that you can take to slow down an
impending overheat condition. If your air conditioning is
on, turn it off. The air conditioning system adds heat to
the engine cooling system and turning off the A/C
removes this heat. You can also turn the Temperature
control to maximum heat, the Mode control to Floor and
the Fan control to High. This allows the heater core to act
as a supplement to the radiator and aids in removing heat
from the engine cooling system.
4. Speedometer
Indicates vehicle speed.
172 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

▫Fuel System Cautions..................326
▫Carbon Monoxide Warnings..............327

Flexible Fuel— 2.7L Engines Only
(Except California Emission States)..........328
▫E-85 General Information................328
▫Ethanol Fuel (E-85)....................329
▫Fuel Requirements....................329
▫Selection Of Engine Oil For Flexible Fuel
Vehicles (E-85) And Gasoline Vehicles.......330
▫Starting............................331
▫Cruising Range.......................331
▫Replacement Parts.....................331
▫Maintenance.........................331
Adding Fuel..........................332
▫Fuel Filler Cap (Gas Cap)...............332
▫Loose Fuel Filler Cap Message............334

Vehicle Loading........................335
▫Vehicle Certification Label...............335
▫Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR).......336
▫Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).........336
▫Overloading.........................336
▫Loading............................337

TrailerTowing .........................338
▫Common Towing Definitions.............338
▫Trailer Hitch Classification...............340
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▫Trailer Towing Weights
(Maximum Trailer Weight Ratings).........341
▫Trailer And Tongue Weight..............342
▫Towing Requirements..................343
▫TowingTips .........................347
Recreational Towing
(Behind Motorhome, Etc.).................349
▫Towing This Vehicle Behind Another Vehicle
(Flat Towing With All Four Wheels On The
Ground)............................349
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5

CAUTION!
DO NOT race the engine when shifting from PARK
or NEUTRAL positions into another gear range as
this can damage the drivetrain.
REVERSE
Use this range for moving the vehicle rearward. Shift into
this range only after the vehicle has come to a complete
stop.
NEUTRAL
Engine may be started in this range.
WARNING!
Do not coast in 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.
DRIVE/OVERDRIVE — Six-Speed Transaxle
This range should be used for most city and highway
driving, it provides the smoothest upshifts, downshifts,
and best fuel economy. However, use the AutoStick
mode and select the[5]range when frequent transaxle
shifting occurs while using the DRIVE/OVERDRIVE
range, such as when operating the vehicle under heavy
loading conditions, (i.e., in hilly terrain, traveling into
strong head winds or while towing heavy trailers). Under
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driving, cold slippery conditions, mountain driving,
trailer towing, and many other situations.AUTOSTICKOPERATION
By placing the gear selector lever one shift-level below
the 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 gear 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
transaxle range indicator.
NOTE:In Autostickmode, the transaxle will only shift
up or down when the driver moves the gear selector
lever to the Right (+) or Left (-).
AutoStickis deactivated when the lever is shifted from
the AutoStick (+/-) position into the DRIVE position.
AutoStickGear Selector Lever
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4) the cold tire inflation pressures for the front, rear
and spare tires.
Loading
The vehicle maximum load on the tire must not exceed
the load carrying capacity of the tire on your vehicle. You
will not exceed the tire’s load carrying capacity if you
adhere to the loading conditions, tire size, and cold tire
inflation pressures specified on the “Tire and Loading
Information” placard and in the “Vehicle Loading” sec-
tion of this manual.
NOTE:Under a maximum loaded vehicle condition,
gross axle weight ratings (GAWR’s) for the front and rear
axles must not be exceeded. For further information on
GAWR’s, vehicle loading, and trailer towing, refer to the
“Vehicle Loading” section of this manual.
To determine the maximum loading conditions of your
vehicle, locate the statement “The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg or XXXlbs.” on the Tire and Loading Information placard. The
combined weight of occupants, cargo/luggage and
trailer tongue weight (if applicable) should never exceed
the weight referenced here.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of occu-
pants and cargo should never exceed XXX pounds” on
your vehicle’s placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and
passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and pas-
sengers from XXX kilograms or XXX pounds.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of
cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if “XXX”
amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will be five 150 lb.
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passengers in your vehicle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs. (since 5 x 150 = 750,
and 1400 – 750 = 650 lbs.)
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle. That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your
trailer will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle.NOTE:The following table shows examples on how to
calculate total load, cargo/luggage and towing capacities
of your vehicle with varying seating configurations and
number and size of occupants. This table is for illustra-
tion purposes only and may not be accurate for the
seating and load carry capacity of your vehicle.
NOTE:For the following example the combined weight
of occupants and cargo should never exceed 865 lbs.
(392 Kg).
STARTING AND OPERATING 301
5

TRAILER TOWING
In this section, you will find safety tips and information
on limits to the type of towing you can reasonably do
with your vehicle. Before towing a trailer, carefully
review this information to tow your load as efficiently
and safely as possible.
To maintain warranty coverage, follow the requirements
and recommendations in this manual concerning ve-
hicles used for trailer towing.
If you have any questions or concerns after reviewing
this section, please consult your dealer to for full details
on the towing capabilities of the vehicle.
Common Towing Definitions
The following trailer towing related definitions will assist
you in understanding the following information:
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
The GVWR is the total allowable weight of your vehicle.
This includes driver, passengers, cargo, and tongue
weight. The total load must be limited so that you do not
exceed the GVWR.
Gross Trailer Weight (GTW)
The gross trailer weight (GTW) is the weight of the trailer
plus the weight of all cargo, consumables and equipment
(permanent or temporary) loaded in or on the trailer in its
loaded and ready for operationcondition. The recom-
mended way to measure GTW is to put your fully loaded
trailer on a vehicle scale. The entire weight of the trailer
must be supported by the scale.
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