2009 CHRYSLER 300 Owners Manual

TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE HOOD
Two latches must be released to open the hood.
1. Pull the hood release lever located under the left side
of the instrument panel.2. Move to the outside of the vehicle and push the safety
catch to the left. The safety catch is located under the
center front edge of the hood.
Use the hood prop rod (if equipped) to secure the hood in
the open position.
Hood Release Lever
Hood Safety Catch
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CAUTION!
To prevent possible damage, do not slam the hood to
close it. Lower the hood, until it is open approxi-
mately 6 in (15 cm), and then drop it. This should
secure both latches. Never drive your vehicle unless
the hood is fully closed, with both latches engaged.
WARNING!
If the hood is not fully latched, it could fly up when
the vehicle is moving and block your forward vision.
You could have a collision. Be sure all hood latches
are fully latched before driving.
LIGHTS
Headlight Switch
The headlight switch is located on the left side of
the instrument panel. This switch controls the
operation of the headlights, parking lights, instru-
ment panel lights, instrument panel light dimming, inte-
rior lights and fog lights.
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Rotate the headlight switch clockwise to the first detent
for parking light and instrument panel light operation.
Turn it to the second detent for headlight, parking light
and instrument panel light operation.
Automatic Headlights — If Equipped
This system automatically turns the headlights on or off
according to ambient light levels. To turn the system on,
rotate the headlight switch counterclockwise to the
AUTO (A) position. When the system is on, the headlight
time delay feature is also on. This means the headlights
will stay on for up to 90 seconds after you turn the
ignition switch OFF. To turn the automatic system off,
move the headlight switch out of the AUTO (A) position.
NOTE:The engine must be running before the head-
lights will come on in the automatic mode.
Headlights On with Wipers (Available with Auto
Headlights Only)
When this feature is active, the headlights will turn on
approximately 10 seconds after the wipers are turned on
if the headlight switch is placed in the AUTO position. In
addition, the headlights will turn off when the wipers are
turned off if they were turned on by this feature.
Headlight Switch
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The Headlights On with Wipers feature can be turned on
or off through the Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC) (if equipped). Refer to ”Headlights On with
Wipers,” under “Personal Settings (Customer-
Programmable Features)” under “Electronic Vehicle In-
formation Center (EVIC)” in Section 4.
SmartBeams — If Equipped
The SmartBeam system provides increased forward light-
ing at night by automating high beam control through
the use of a digital camera mounted on the inside
rearview mirror. This camera detects vehicle specific light
and automatically switches from high beams to low
beams until the approaching vehicle is out of view.
To Activate
1. Select “Automatic High Beams — ON” through the
EVIC. Refer to “Automatic High Beams,” under “Per-
sonal Settings (Customer-Programmable Features)” un-
der “Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)” in
Section 4.
2. Rotate the headlight switch counterclockwise to the
AUTO (A) position.
3. Push the multifunction lever away from you to switch
the headlights to the high beam position. Refer to “Mul-
tifunction Lever” in this section.
NOTE:This system will not activate until the vehicle is
at or above 25 mph (40 km/h).
To Deactivate
Perform either of the following steps to deactivate the
SmartBeam system.
138 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

1. Pull the multifunction lever toward you to switch the
headlights from the high beam to the low beam position.
2. Rotate the headlight switch clockwise from the AUTO
(A) to the ON position.
NOTE:Broken, muddy, or obstructed headlights and
taillights of vehicles in the field of view will cause
headlights to remain on longer (closer to the vehicle).
Also, dirt, film, and other obstructions on the windshield
or camera lens will cause the system to function
improperly.
Headlight Time Delay
This feature provides the safety of headlight illumination
for up to 90 seconds (programmable) when leaving your
vehicle in an unlit area.To activate the delay feature, turn OFF the ignition switch
while the headlights are still on. Then, turn off the
headlights within 45 seconds. The delay interval begins
when the headlight switch is turned off.
If you turn the headlights, park lights, or ignition switch
ON again, the system will cancel the delay.
If you turn the headlights off before the ignition, they will
turn off in the normal manner.
NOTE:The lights must be turned off within 45 seconds
of turning the ignition OFF to activate this feature.
The headlight delay time is programmable on vehicles
equipped with the EVIC. Refer to “Delay Turning Head-
lights Off,” under “Personal Settings (Customer-
Programmable Features)” under “Electronic Vehicle In-
formation Center (EVIC)” in Section 4.
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Daytime Running Lights — If Equipped
The high beam headlights will come on as Daytime
Running Lights whenever the ignition switch is ON, the
headlights are off and the parking brake is off. The
headlight switch must be used for normal nighttime
driving.
Lights-On Reminder
If the headlights or parking lights are on after the ignition
is turned OFF, a chime will sound to alert the driver
when the driver’s door is opened.
Fog Lights — If Equipped
The front fog light switch is built into the head-
light switch. To activate the front fog lights, turn
on the parking lights or the low beam headlights
and press the headlight switch. To turn off the front fog
lights, either press the headlight switch a second time or
turn off the headlight switch.An indicator light in the instrument cluster illuminates
when the fog lights are turned on.
NOTE:The fog lights will operate with the low beam
headlights or parking lights on. However, selecting the
high beam headlights will turn off the fog lights.
Multifunction Lever
The multifunction lever controls the operation of the turn
signals, headlight beam selection and passing lights. The
multifunction lever is located on the left side of the
steering column.
140 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Turn Signals
Move the multifunction lever up or down and the
corresponding turn signal indicator in the instrument
cluster flashes to show proper operation of the front and
rear turn signal lights.Moving the multifunction lever up or down also causes
the corresponding turn signal indicator in the outside
mirror (if so equipped) to flash. For details, refer to
“Outside Mirrors with Turn Signal & Approach Light-
ing” under “Mirrors” in this Section.
You can also signal a lane change by moving the multi-
function lever partially up or down without moving
beyond the detent. Releasing the lever at the detent will
provide three flashes.
If either indicator has a very fast flash rate, check for an
inoperative outside light bulb. If an indicator fails to light
when the multifunction lever is moved, see your autho-
rized dealer for service.
NOTE:A “Turn Signal On” message will appear in the
EVIC (if equipped) and a continuous chime will sound if
the vehicle is driven more than 1 mile (1.6 km) with either
turn signal on.
Multifunction Lever
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High Beam/Low Beam Select Switch
Push the multifunction lever away from you to switch
the headlights to high beam. Pull the multifunction lever
toward you to switch the headlights back to low beam.
Flash-to-Pass
You can signal another vehicle with your headlights by
lightly pulling the multifunction lever toward you. This
will cause the headlights to turn on at high beam and
remain on until the multifunction lever is released.
Overhead Console Map/Reading Lights
These lights are mounted between the sun visors on the
overhead console. Each light is turned on by pressing the
lens. Press the lens a second time to turn the light off.
These lights also turn on when a door is opened, or when
the UNLOCK button on the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter is pressed, or when the dimmer control is
turned fully upward, past the second detent.
Interior Lights
The interior lights come on when a door is opened.
To protect the battery, the interior lights will turn off
automatically 10 minutes after the ignition switch is
moved to the LOCK position. This will occur if the
interior lights were switched on manually or are on
Overhead Console
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