2012 DODGE CHARGER 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!
•When leaving the vehicle, always remove the key
fob from the ignition and lock your vehicle.
•Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Allowing children
to be in a vehicle unattended is dangerous for a
number of reasons. A child or others could be
seriously or fatally injured. Children should be
warned not to touch the parking brake, brake
pedal or the shift lever.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not leave the key fob in or near the vehicle, and
do not leave a vehicle equipped with Keyless
Enter-N-Go in the ACC or ON/RUN mode. 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.(Continued)
364 STARTING AND OPERATING

CAUTION! (Continued)
•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.
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.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 365

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
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 ENGINE START/STOP button 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”),
366 STARTING AND OPERATING

•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 Or29°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.
If Engine Fails To Start
WARNING!
•Never pour fuel or other flammable liquids into
the throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to
start the vehicle. This could result in a flash fire
causing serious personal injury.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get
it started. Vehicles equipped with an automatic
transmission cannot be started this way. Unburned
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 dan-
gerous if done improperly. Refer to “Jump Start-
ing” in “What To Do In Emergencies” for further
information.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 367

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 between PARK, REVERSE, NEU-
TRAL or DRIVE when the engine is above idle
speed.
•Before shifting into any gear, make sure your foot
is firmly pressing the brake pedal.
NOTE: You must press and hold the brake pedal while
shifting out of PARK.
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 pressing 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 pressing the brake pedal.
(Continued)
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 369

WARNING! (Continued)
•Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in or near the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running. Before exiting a vehicle, always apply the
parking brake, shift the transmission into PARK,
and turn the engine OFF. When the ignition is in
the OFF position, the shift lever is locked in
PARK, securing the vehicle against unwanted
movement. Furthermore, you should never leave
unattended children inside a vehicle.
Key Ignition Park Interlock
This vehicle is equipped with a Key Ignition Park Interlock
which requires the shift lever to be placed in PARK before
the engine can be turned off. This helps the driver avoid
inadvertently leaving the vehicle without placing the trans-
mission in PARK. This system also locks the shift lever in
PARK whenever the ignition switch is in the OFF position.
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake Transmission Shift
Interlock (BTSI) that holds the shift lever in the PARK
position unless the brakes are applied. To move the shift
lever out of the PARK position, the ignition switch must
be turned to the ON/RUN or START position (engine
running or not) and the brake pedal must be pressed.
Eight-Speed Automatic Transmission – 3.6L
Engine
Your new vehicle is equipped with a state of the art, fuel
efficient eight-speed transmission. The electronic shift
lever in this vehicle does not slide like a conventional
shifter. Instead, the shift lever is spring loaded and moves
forward and rearward, always returning to the center
position after each gear is selected.
The transmission gear (PRND) is displayed both on the
shift lever and in the Electronic Vehicle Information
Center (EVIC).
370 STARTING AND OPERATING

If the transmission cannot be reset, authorized dealer
service is required.
Optional Shifter With AutoStick
The optional shift lever (with AutoStick shift paddles
mounted on the steering wheel) provides PARK, RE-
VERSE, NEUTRAL, DRIVE, and SPORT shift positions.
Once in the DRIVE range, tapping the shift lever rear-
ward will toggle between SPORT mode and DRIVE
mode. You do not need to press the shift lever button
when toggling between DRIVE and SPORT modes.
Manual shifts can be made using the AutoStick shift
control (refer to “AutoStick” in this section). Pressing
the shift paddles (-/+) while in the DRIVE or SPORT
position will manually select the transmission gear, and
will display the current gear in the instrument cluster as
8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Five-Speed Automatic Transmission – 5.7L
Engine
The shift lever position display (located in the instrument
panel cluster) indicates the transmission gear range. You
must press the brake pedal to move the shift lever out of
the PARK position (refer to “Brake/Transmission Shift
Interlock System” in this section). To drive, move the shift
lever from PARK or NEUTRAL to the DRIVE position.
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. This is a normal
condition, and precision shifts will develop within a few
hundred miles (kilometers).
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.
374 STARTING AND OPERATING

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.
CAUTION!
Towing the vehicle, coasting, or driving for any other
reason with the transmission in NEUTRAL can result
in severe transmission damage. Refer to “Recre-
ational Towing” in “Starting And Operating” and
“Towing A Disabled Vehicle” in “What To Do In
Emergencies” for further information.
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 underdrive first, second,
and third gears, direct fourth gear and overdrive fifth
gear. The DRIVE position provides optimum driving
characteristics under all normal operating conditions.
When frequent transmission shifting occurs (such as
when operating the vehicle under heavy loading condi-
tions, in hilly terrain, traveling into strong head winds, or
while towing heavy trailers), use the “AutoStick” mode
(refer to “AutoStick” in this section) to select a lower
gear. Under these conditions, using a lower gear will
improve performance and extend transmission life by
reducing excessive shifting and heat buildup.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 379