2011 CHRYSLER 300 automatic transmission

STARTING PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust the
inside and outside mirrors, fasten your seat belt, and if
present, instruct all other occupants to buckle their seat
belts.
WARNING!
Never leave children alone in a vehicle. Leaving
unattended children in a vehicle is dangerous for a
number of reasons. A child or others could be seri-
ously or fatally injured. Do not leave the ignition in
the ACC or RUN position. A child could operate
power windows, other controls, or move the vehicle.
Automatic Transmission
The shift lever must be in the NEUTRAL or PARK
position before you can start the engine. Apply the brakes
before shifting into any driving gear.
CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may occur if the follow-
ing precautions are not observed:
•Shift into PARK only after the vehicle has come to
a complete stop.
•Shift into or out of REVERSE only after the
vehicle has come to a complete stop and the engine
is at idle speed.
•Do not shift from REVERSE, PARK, or NEUTRAL
into any forward gear when the engine is above
idle speed.
•Before shifting into any gear, make sure your foot
is firmly on the brake pedal.
318 STARTING AND OPERATING

Keyless Enter-N-Go
This feature allows the driver to oper-
ate the ignition switch with the push
of a button, as long as the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter is in
the passenger compartment.
Normal Starting
Using The ENGINE START/STOP Button
NOTE:Normal starting of either a cold or a warm
engine is obtained without pumping or pressing the
accelerator pedal.
To start the engine, the transmission must be in PARK or
NEUTRAL. Press and hold the brake pedal while press-
ing the ENGINE START/STOP button once. The system
takes over and attempts to start the vehicle. If the vehicle
fails to start, the starter will disengage automatically after 10 seconds. If you wish to stop the cranking of the engine
prior to the engine starting, press the button again.
To Turn Off The Engine Using ENGINE
START/STOP Button
1. Place the shift lever in PARK, then press and release
the ENGINE START/STOP button.
2. The ignition switch will return to the OFF position.
3. If the shift lever is not in PARK, the ENGINE START/
STOP button must be held for two seconds and vehicle
speed must be above 5 mph (8 km/h) before the engine
will shut off. The ignition switch position will remain in
the ACC position until the shift lever is in PARK and the
button is pressed twice to the OFF position. If the shift
lever is not in PARK and the ENGINE START/STOP
button is pressed once, the EVIC (if equipped) will
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 319

display a “Vehicle Not In Park” message and the engine
will remain running. Never leave a vehicle out of the
PARK position, or it could roll.
NOTE:If the ignition switch is left in the ACC or RUN
(engine not running) position and the transmission is in
PARK, the system will automatically time out after
30 minutes of inactivity and the ignition will switch to the
OFF position.
ENGINE START/STOP Button Functions – With
Driver ’s Foot OFF The Brake Pedal
(In PARK Or NEUTRAL Position)
The Keyless Enter-N-Go feature operates similar to an
ignition switch. It has four positions, OFF, ACC, RUN
and START. To change the ignition switch positions
without starting the vehicle and use the accessories
follow these steps.
•Starting with the ignition switch in the OFF position:
•Press the ENGINE START/STOP button once to
change the ignition switch to the ACC position (EVIC
displays “ACC”),
•Press the ENGINE START/STOP button a second time
to change the ignition switch to the RUN position
(EVIC displays “RUN”),
•Press the ENGINE START/STOP button a third time
to return the ignition switch to the OFF position (EVIC
displays “OFF”).
Extreme Cold Weather (Below –20°F Or 29°C)
To ensure reliable starting at these temperatures, use of
an externally powered electric engine block heater (avail-
able from your authorized dealer) is recommended.
320 STARTING AND OPERATING

ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED
The engine block heater warms the engine, and permits
quicker starts in cold weather. Connect the cord to a
standard 110-115 Volt AC electrical outlet with a
grounded, three-wire extension cord.
The engine block heater cord is routed under the hood on
the driver side of the vehicle. It has a removable cap that
is located on the driver side of the Integrated Power
Module.
The engine block heater must be plugged in at least one
hour to have an adequate warming effect on the engine.
WARNING!
Remember to disconnect the engine block heater
cord before driving. Damage to the 110-115 Volt
electrical cord could cause electrocution.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may occur if the follow-
ing precautions are not observed:
•Shift into PARK only after the vehicle has come to
a complete stop.
•Shift into or out of REVERSE only after the
vehicle has come to a complete stop and the engine
is at idle speed.
•Do not shift from REVERSE, PARK, or NEUTRAL
into any forward gear when the engine is above
idle speed.
•Before shifting into any gear, make sure your foot
is firmly on the brake pedal.
322 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!
It is dangerous to move the shift lever out of PARK or
NEUTRAL 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
reverse. 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 foot is
firmly on the brake pedal.
General Information
The automatic transmission selects individual gears au-
tomatically, dependent upon:
•Altitude
•Vehicle loading
•Driving style
•Shift lever position
•Accelerator position
•Vehicle speed
The 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 press
the ENGINE START/STOP button before restarting.
Transmission engagement may be delayed up to
10 seconds after restart if the ignition is not turned to
the OFF position first.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 323

•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.
The shift lever is automatically locked while in the PARK
position. To move the shift lever out of the PARK
position, the brake pedal must be firmly pressed before
the shift lock will release.
Move the shift lever to the desired position only when the
engine is idling normally and the brake pedal is applied.
Do not release the brake pedal until ready to drive. The
vehicle may otherwise accelerate quickly when the shift
lever is in the DRIVE or 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 transmission into PARK, press the ENGINE
START/STOP button to turn off the engine, and
apply the parking brake. Once the ENGINE START/
STOP button is in the OFF position, the shift lever is
locked in the PARK position, securing the vehicle
against unwanted movement. Furthermore, you
should never leave unattended children inside a
vehicle.
324 STARTING AND OPERATING

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 the DRIVE position. After the
transmission cools down, it will return to normal
operation.
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake Transmission Shift
Interlock System (BTSI) that holds the shift lever in the
PARK position when the ignition light is in the OFF
position. To move the shift lever out of the PARK
position, the ignition light must be turned to the RUN
position by pressing the ENGINE START/STOP button
once or twice (engine running or not) and the brake pedal
must be pressed.
Five-Speed Automatic Transmission
Shifting from DRIVE to PARK or REVERSE should be
done only after the accelerator pedal is released and the
vehicle is stopped. Be sure to keep your foot on the brake
pedal when moving the shift lever between these gears.
Shift Lever
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 325

REVERSE
This range is used for moving the vehicle rearward.
Always stop before moving the shift lever to REVERSE.
NEUTRAL
This range is used when the vehicle is standing for
prolonged periods with the engine running. The engine
may be started in this range. Set the parking brake and
shift the transmission into PARK if you must leave the
vehicle.
CAUTION!
Coasting the vehicle or driving for any other reason
with shift lever in NEUTRAL can result in transmis-
sion damage.
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 a collision.
DRIVE
This range should be used for most city and highway
driving. It provides the smoothest upshifts and down-
shifts and the best fuel economy.
The transmission automatically upshifts through fifth
gear. The DRIVE position provides optimum driving
characteristics under all normal operating conditions.5
STARTING AND OPERATING 327