2012 DODGE CHARGER sport mode

Transporting Pets
Air Bags 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 engine and
drivetrain (transmission and axle) in your vehicle.
Drive moderately during the first 300 miles (500 km).
After the initial 60 miles (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.
Wide-open throttle acceleration in low gear can be detri-
mental and should be avoided.The engine oil installed in the engine at the factory is a
high-quality energy conserving type lubricant. Oil
changes should be consistent with anticipated climate
conditions under which vehicle operations will occur. For
the recommended viscosity and quality grades, refer to
“Maintenance Procedures” in “Maintaining Your Ve-
hicle”.
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 a normal part of the break-in and
not interpreted as an indication of difficulty.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 81

SAFETY TIPS
Transporting Passengers
NEVER TRANSPORT PASSENGERS IN THE CARGO
AREA.
WARNING!
•Do not leave children or animals inside parked
vehicles in hot weather. Interior heat build-up may
cause serious injury or death.
•It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people
riding in these areas are more likely to be seri-
ously injured or killed.
•Do not allow people to ride in any area of your
vehicle that is not equipped with seats and seat
belts.
•Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
Exhaust Gas
WARNING!
Exhaust gases can injure or kill. They contain carbon
monoxide (CO), which is colorless and odorless.
Breathing it can make you unconscious and can
eventually poison you. To avoid breathing (CO),
follow these safety tips:
•Do not run the engine in a closed garage or in
confined areas any longer than needed to move
your vehicle in or out of the area.
•If you are required to drive with the trunk/liftgate
open, make sure that all windows are closed and
the climate control BLOWER switch is set at high
speed. DO NOT use the recirculation mode.(Continued)
82 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

The BSM detection zone covers approximately one lane
on both sides of the vehicle (11 ft or 3.35 m). The zone
starts at the outside rear view mirror and extends ap-
proximately 20 ft (6 m) to the rear of the vehicle. The BSM
system monitors the detection zones on both sides of the
vehicle when the vehicle speed reaches approximately
6 mph (10 km/h) or higher and will alert the driver of
vehicles in these areas.
NOTE:
•The BSM system does NOT alert the driver about
rapidly approaching vehicles that are outside the
detection zones.
•The BSM system detection zone DOES NOT change if
your vehicle is towing a trailer. Therefore, visually
verify the adjacent lane is clear for both your vehicle
and trailer before making a lane change. If the trailer
or other object (i.e., bicycle, sports equipment) extendsbeyond the side of your vehicle, this may result in the
BSM warning light remaining illuminated the entire
time the vehicle is in a forward gear.
The area on the rear fascia where the radar sensors are
located must remain free of snow, ice, and dirt/road
contamination so that the BSM system can function
properly. Do not block the area of the rear fascia where
the radar sensors are located with foreign objects (bum-
per stickers, bicycle racks, etc.).
The BSM system notifies the driver of objects in the
detection zones by illuminating the BSM warning light
located in the outside mirrors in addition to sounding an
audible (chime) alert and reducing the radio volume.
Refer to “Modes Of Operation” for further information.
The BSM system monitors the detection zone from three
different entry points (side, rear, front) while driving to
see if an alert is necessary. The BSM system will issue an
alert during these types of zone entries.
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 101

dealer as soon as possible. Refer to “Occupant Restraints”
in “Things To Know Before Starting Your Vehicle” for
further information.
14. Anti-Lock Brake (ABS) LightThis light monitors the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS). The light will turn on when the ignition
switch is turned to the ON/RUN position and
may stay on for as long as four seconds.
If the ABS light remains on or turns on while driving, it
indicates that the Anti-Lock portion of the brake system
is not functioning and that service is required. However,
the conventional brake system will continue to operate
normally if the BRAKE warning light is not on.
If the ABS light is on, the brake system should be serviced
as soon as possible to restore the benefits of Anti-Lock
brakes. If the ABS light does not turn on when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON/RUN position, have
the light inspected by an authorized dealer. 15. Sport Mode — If Equipped
This light will illuminate when the sport mode
is selected. This mode provides performance
based tuning. For further information, refer to
”Sport Mode” in “Starting And Operating”.
16. Vehicle Security Light — If Equipped This light will flash at a fast rate for approxi-
mately 15 seconds, when the vehicle security
alarm is arming, and then will flash slowly
until the vehicle is disarmed.
17. Electronic Stability Control (ESC) OFF Indicator
Light — If Equipped This light indicates the Electronic Stability Con-
trol (ESC) is off.
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 295

▫Gear Ranges ........................ 375
 AutoStick — If Equipped ............... 381
▫ Operation – 3.6L Engine ............... 381
▫ Operation – 5.7L Engine ............... 382
 Sport Mode — If Equipped .............. 384
 All-Wheel Drive (AWD) — If Equipped ...... 385
 Driving On Slippery Surfaces ............. 386
▫ Acceleration ........................ 386
▫ Traction ........................... 387
 Driving Through Water ................. 387
▫ Flowing/Rising Water ................. 388
▫ Shallow Standing Water ............... 388
 Power Steering ....................... 390 
Multi-Displacement System (MDS)
(If Equipped) — 5.7L Engine Only .......... 391
 Parking Brake ........................ 391
 Anti-Lock Brake System ................. 394
 Electronic Brake Control System ........... 396
▫ Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) ........... 396
▫ Traction Control System (TCS) ........... 396
▫ Brake Assist System (BAS) .............. 397
▫ Electronic Stability Control (ESC) ......... 398
▫ Hill Start Assist (HSA) ................ 400
▫ Ready Alert Braking .................. 402
▫ Rain Brake Support ................... 402
▫ ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light
And ESC Off Indicator Light ............ 402
360 STARTING AND OPERATING

•To shift back into REVERSE from NEUTRAL, firmly
press the brake pedal, press the lock button on the shift
lever, then push the shift lever forward to the first
detent and release. “R” will display in the EVIC.
Shifting From NEUTRAL To DRIVE
•
Firmly press the brake pedal, press the lock button on
the shift lever, then pull the shift lever rearward and
release. “D” will display in the EVIC.
•To shift back into NEUTRAL from DRIVE, firmly press
the brake pedal, press the lock button on the shift
lever, then push the shift lever forward and release.
“N” will display in the EVIC.
Shifting From REVERSE To DRIVE
•
Bring the vehicle to a complete stop, firmly press the
brake pedal, press the lock button on the shift lever,
then pull the shift lever rearward and release when
“D” is displayed in the EVIC.
•To shift back into REVERSE from DRIVE, bring the
vehicle to a complete stop, firmly press the brake
pedal, press the lock button on the shift lever, then
push the shift lever forward and release when “R” is
displayed in the EVIC.
Shifting From DRIVE To SPORT/LOW
Vehicles Equipped With SPORT Mode
•To shift from DRIVE to SPORT, pull the shift lever
rearward until “S” is displayed in the EVIC.
•To shift back into DRIVE from SPORT, pull the shift
lever rearward until “D” is displayed in the EVIC.
Vehicles Equipped With LOW Mode
•To shift from DRIVE to LOW, pull the shift lever
rearward until “L” is displayed in the EVIC.
•To shift back into DRIVE from LOW, pull the shift
lever rearward until “D” is displayed in the EVIC.
372 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

Overdrive Operation
The automatic transmission includes an electronically
controlled Overdrive (fifth gear). The transmission will
automatically shift into the Overdrive gear if the follow-
ing conditions are present:
•the shift lever is in the DRIVE position,
•vehicle speed is sufficiently high, and
•the driver is not heavily pressing the accelerator.
AUTOSTICK— IF EQUIPPED
AutoStickis a driver-interactive transmission feature
that offers manual gear shifting to provide you with more
control of the vehicle. AutoStick allows you to maximize
engine braking, eliminate undesirable upshifts and
downshifts, and improve overall vehicle performance. This system can also provide you with more control
during passing, city driving, cold slippery conditions,
mountain driving, trailer towing, and many other situa-
tions.
Operation – 3.6L Engine
When the transmission is in DRIVE or SPORT mode, it
will operate automatically, shifting between the eight
available gears. To engage AutoStick, simply tap one of
the steering wheel-mounted shift paddles (+/-) while in
DRIVE or SPORT mode. When AutoStick
is active, the
current transmission gear is displayed in the instrument
cluster. In AutoStick mode, the transmission will only
shift up or down when (+/-) is manually selected by the
driver, except as described below. It will remain in the
selected gear until another upshift or downshift is cho-
sen.
•If AutoStick is engaged while in DRIVE mode, lack of
accelerator pedal activity will cause the transmission
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 381