2013 CHRYSLER 300 towing

is required. You may experience reduced performance, an
elevated/rough idle or engine stall and your vehicle may
require towing.
•Engine Temperature Warning Telltale
This telltale warns of an overheated engine con-
dition. As temperatures rise and the gauge ap-
proaches H, or 260°F, this telltale will illuminate and a
single chime will sound after reaching a set threshold.
Further overheating will cause the temperature gauge to
pass H, or 260°F, a continuous chime will occur until the
engine is allowed to cool.
If the telltale turns on while driving, safely pull over and
stop the vehicle. If the A/C system is on, turn it off. Also,
shift the transmission into NEUTRAL and idle the ve-
hicle. If the temperature reading does not return to
normal, turn the engine off immediately and call for
service. Refer to “If Your Engine Overheats” in “What To
Do In Emergencies” for more information. •
Transmission Temperature Warning Telltale
This telltale indicates that the transmission
fluid temperature is running hot. This may
occur with severe usage, such as trailer towing.
If this telltale turns on, safely pull over and
stop the vehicle. Then, shift the transmission into NEU-
TRAL and run the engine at idle or faster until the light
turns off.
CAUTION!
Continuous driving with the Transmission Tempera-
ture Warning Telltale illuminated will eventually
cause severe transmission damage or transmission
failure.
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 319

▫Overloading ........................ .454
▫ Loading ........................... .454
 TRAILER TOWING .....................455
▫ Common Towing Definitions .............455
▫ Trailer Hitch Classification ...............458
▫ Trailer Towing Weights (Maximum Trailer
Weight Ratings) ..................... .459▫
Trailer And Tongue Weight ..............460
▫ Towing Requirements ..................461
▫ Towing Tips ........................ .466
 RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND
MOTORHOME, ETC.) ...................468
▫ Two-Wheel Drive And All-Wheel Drive ......468
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 363

WARNING!(Continued)
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 cause
severe transmission damage. Refer to “Recreational
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 all forward gears. The
DRIVE position provides optimum driving characteris-
tics 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® shift
control (if equipped) to select a lower gear. Under these
conditions, using a lower gear will improve performance
and extend transmission life by reducing excessive shift-
ing and heat buildup.
During extremely cold temperatures (-22°F [-30°C] or
below), transmission operation may be modified depend-
ing on engine and transmission temperature as well as
vehicle speed. Normal operation will resume once the
transmission temperature has risen to a suitable level.
378 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!(Continued)
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 cause
severe transmission damage. Refer to “Recreational
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®” shift
control (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.
SPORT – IF EQUIPPED
This mode alters the transmission’s automatic shift
schedule for sportier driving. Upshift speeds are in-
creased to make full use of available engine power. To
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 385

If the transmission cannot be reset, authorized dealer
service is required.
Overdrive Operation
The automatic transmission includes an electronically
controlled Overdrive (fifth gear). The transmission will
automatically shift into Overdrive if the following con-
ditions 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®
AutoStick® is a driver-interactive transmission feature
providing manual shift control, giving you more control
of the vehicle. AutoStick® allows you to maximize en-
gine braking, eliminate undesirable upshifts and down-
shifts, 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 – Eight-Speed Transmission – If
Equipped
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. Tapping (-) to enter AutoStick®
mode will downshift the transmission to the next lower
gear, while using (+) to enter AutoStick® mode will
retain the current gear. 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, unless an engine lugging or overspeed condition
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 387

Towing With HSA
HSA will provide assistance when starting on a grade
when pulling a trailer.
WARNING!
•If you use a trailer brake controller with your
trailer, your trailer brakes may be activated and
deactivated with the brake switch. If so, when the
brake pedal is released, there may not be enough
brake pressure to hold the vehicle and trailer on a
hill and this could cause a collision with another
vehicle or object behind you. In order to avoid
rolling down the hill while resuming acceleration,
manually activate the trailer brake prior to releas-
ing the brake pedal. Always remember the driver is
responsible for braking the vehicle.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•HSA is not a parking brake. If you stop the vehicle
on a hill without putting the transmission in PARK
and using the parking brake, it will roll down the
hill and could cause a collision with another ve-
hicle or object. Always remember to use the park-
ing brake while parking on a hill, and that the
driver is responsible for braking the vehicle.
HSA Off
If you wish to turn off the HSA system, it can be done
using the Customer Programmable Features in the Elec-
tronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC). Refer to “Elec-
tronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)” in “Under-
standing Your Instrument Panel” for further information.
Ready Alert Braking
Ready Alert Braking may reduce the time required to
reach full braking during emergency braking situations.
406 STARTING AND OPERATING

Tire And Loading Information Placard
This placard tells you important information about the:
1) number of people that can be carried in the vehicle
2) total weight your vehicle can carry
3) tire size designed for your vehicle4) cold tire inflation pressures for the front, rear, and
spare tires.
Loading
The vehicle maximum load on the tire must not exceed
the load carrying capacity of the tire on your vehicle. You
will not exceed the tire’s load carrying capacity if you
adhere to the loading conditions, tire size, and cold tire
inflation pressures specified on the Tire and Loading
Information placard and in the “Vehicle Loading” section
of this manual.
NOTE:
Under a maximum loaded vehicle condition,
gross axle weight ratings (GAWRs) for the front and rear
axles must not be exceeded. For further information on
GAWRs, vehicle loading, and trailer towing, refer to
“Vehicle Loading” in this section.
To determine the maximum loading conditions of your
vehicle, locate the statement “The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX lbs or
Tire and Loading Information Placard
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 415

XXX kg” on the Tire and Loading Information placard.
The combined weight of occupants, cargo/luggage and
trailer tongue weight (if applicable) should never exceed
the weight referenced here.
Steps For Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of occu-pants and cargo should never exceed XXX lbs or
XXX kg” on your vehicle’s placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and pas- sengers from XXX lbs or XXX kg.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if
“XXX” amount equals 1,400 lbs (635 kg) and there will
be five 150 lb (68 kg) passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs (295 kg) (since 5 x 150 = 750, and 1400 – 750
= 650 lbs [295 kg]).
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo and luggage load
capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle.
NOTE:
• The following table shows examples on how to calcu-
late total load, cargo/luggage, and towing capacities
of your vehicle with varying seating configurations
and number and size of occupants. This table is for
illustration purposes only and may not be accurate for
the seating and load carry capacity of your vehicle.
416 STARTING AND OPERATING