2009 DODGE CHALLENGER SRT ECU

keep the belt tight; however, any seat belt system will
loosen with time, so check the belt occasionally and pull
it tight if necessary.
The seat belt must be in the Automatic Locking mode in
order to enable a child restraint to be tightly installed.
Refer to “Automatic Locking Mode” in this section. A
locking clip should not be necessary once the automatic
locking feature is enabled. Position the shoulder and lap
belt on the child restraint. The automatic locking retractor
is activated by first attaching the child seat, then pulling
all of the webbing out of the retractor, then allowing the
webbing to retract back into the retractor. Tighten web-
bing. To release, simply unbuckle the seat belt by de-
pressing the button, allowing the webbing to retract into
the retractor.In the rear seat, you may have trouble tightening the
lap/shoulder belt on the child restraint because the
buckle or latch plate is too close to the belt path opening
on the restraint. Disconnect the latch plate from the
buckle and twist the short buckle end belt several times
to shorten it. Insert the latch plate into the buckle with the
release button facing out.
If the belt still cannot be tightened, or if pulling and
pushing on the restraint loosens the belt, you may need
to do something more. Disconnect the latch plate from
the buckle, turn the buckle around, and insert the latch
plate into the buckle again. If you still cannot make the
child restraint secure, try a different seating position.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 65
2

To attach a child restraint tether strap:
1. Rotate the cover over the anchor directly behind the
seat where you are placing the child restraint.
2. Route the tether strap to provide the most direct path
for the strap between the anchor and the child seat.3. Attach the tether strap hook (A) of the child restraint to
the anchor (B) and remove slack in the tether strap
according to the child restraint manufacturer’s instruc-
tions.
NOTE:Ensure that the tether strap does not slip into the
opening between the seatbacks as you remove slack in
the strap.
WARNING!
An incorrectly anchored tether strap could lead to
increased head motion and possible injury to the
child. Use only the anchor positions directly behind
the child seat to secure a child restraint top tether
strap.
Tether Strap Mounting
66 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Transporting Pets
Airbags deploying in the front seat could harm your pet.
An unrestrained pet will be thrown about and possibly
injured, or injure a passenger during panic braking or in
a collision.
Pets should be restrained in the rear seat in pet harnesses
or pet carriers that are secured by seat belts.
ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS
A long break-in period is not required for the drivetrain
(engine, transmission, and rear axle) in your new vehicle.
Drive moderately during the first 500 mi (800 km). After
the initial 60 mi (100 km), speeds up to 50 or 55 mph (80
or 90 km/h) are desirable.
While cruising, brief full-throttle acceleration within the
limits of local traffic laws contributes to a good break-in.
However, wide-open throttle acceleration in low gear can
be detrimental and should be avoided.The engine oil, transmission fluid, and axle lubricant
installed at the factory is high-quality and energy-
conserving. Oil, fluid, and lubricant changes should be
consistent with anticipated climate and conditions under
which vehicle operations will occur. The recommended
viscosity and quality grades is shown in Section 7.
CAUTION!
Never use Non-Detergent Oil or Straight Mineral Oil
in the engine or damage may result.
NOTE:A new engine may consume some oil during its
first few thousand miles (kilometers) of operation. This
should be considered as a normal part of the break-in and
not interpreted as an indication of difficulty.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 67
2

Windshield Wipers And Washers............122
▫Intermittent Wiper System...............122
▫Mist Feature.........................123
▫Windshield Washers...................123
▫Headlights On With Wipers
(Available With Auto Headlights Only)......124
▫Adding Washer Fluid..................124

Tilt/Telescoping Steering Column...........125

Electronic Speed Control..................126
▫Electronic Speed Control Operation........126
▫To Activate..........................127
▫To Set At A Desired Speed...............127
▫To Deactivate........................127▫To Resume Speed.....................128
▫To Vary The Speed Setting...............128
▫To Accelerate For Passing...............128

Overhead Console......................129
▫Courtesy/Reading Lights................129
▫Sunglasses Storage....................130

Garage Door Opener — If Equipped.........130
▫Programming HomeLink...............131
▫Gate Operator/Canadian Programming.....134
▫Using HomeLink.....................134
▫Reprogramming A Single HomeLink
Button.............................135
▫Security............................135
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 73
3

When the seatback is folded to the upright position, make
sure it is latched by strongly pulling on the top of the
seatback above the seat strap.
WARNING!
•Be certain that the seatback is securely locked into
position. If the seatback is not securely locked into
position, the seat will not provide the proper
stability for child seats and/or passengers. An
improperly latched seat could cause serious injury.
•The cargo area in the rear of the vehicle (with the
rear seatbacks in the locked-up or folded down
position) should not be used as a play area by
children when the vehicle is in motion. They could
be seriously injured in an accident. Children
should be seated and using the proper restraint
system.
TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE HOOD
Two latches must be released to open the hood. First, pull
the hood release lever located under the left side of the
instrument panel.
Hood Release Lever
114 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Next, 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.To prevent possible damage, do not slam the hood to
close it. Lower the hood until it is open approximately 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 the hood latch is
fully latched before driving.
Hood Safety Catch
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 115
3

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.
Sunglasses Storage
At the rear of the console, a compartment is provided for
the storage of a pair of sunglasses.
The storage compartment access is apush/pushdesign.
Push on the raised bar on the compartment door to open.
Push on the raised bar to close.
GARAGE DOOR OPENER — IF EQUIPPED
HomeLinkreplaces up to three remote controls (hand-
held transmitters) that operate devices such as garage
door openers, motorized gates, lighting, or home security
systems. The HomeLinkunit operates off your vehicle’s
battery.The HomeLinkbuttons are located in the overhead
console, and contain one, two, or three dots/lines desig-
nating the different HomeLinkchannels.
NOTE:HomeLinkis disabled when the Vehicle Secu-
rity Alarm is active.
HomeLinkButtons
130 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Gate Operator/Canadian Programming
Canadian radio-frequency laws require transmitter sig-
nals to “time-out” (or quit) after several seconds of
transmission – which may not be long enough for
HomeLinkto pick up the signal during programming.
Similar to this Canadian law, some U.S. gate operators are
designed to “time-out” in the same manner.
It may be helpful to unplug the device during the cycling
process to prevent possible overheating of the garage
door or gate motor.
If you are having difficulties programming a garage door
opener or a gate operator, replace “Programming
HomeLink” Step 3 with the following:
3. Continue to press and hold the HomeLinkbutton
while you press and release - every two seconds
(“cycle”) your hand-held transmitter until HomeLinkhas successfully accepted the frequency signal. The
EVIC display will change from “CHANNEL # TRAIN-
ING” to “CHANNEL # TRAINED.”
If you unplugged the device for training, plug it back in
at this time.
Then proceed with Step 4 under “Programming
HomeLink” earlier in this section.
Using HomeLink
To operate, simply press and release the programmed
HomeLinkbutton. Activation will now occur for the
trained device (i.e., garage door opener, gate operator,
security system, entry door lock, home/office lighting,
etc.) The hand-held transmitter of the device may also be
used at any time.
134 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE