Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make Outside
The Vehicle
Tires
Examine tires for excessive tread wear and uneven wear
patterns. Check for stones, nails, glass, or other objects
lodged in the tread or sidewall. Inspect the tread for cuts
and cracks. Inspect sidewalls for cuts, cracks and bulges.
Check the wheel nuts for tightness. Check the tires
(including spare) for proper cold inflation pressure.
Lights
Have someone observe the operation of brake lights and
exterior lights while you work the controls. Check turn
signal and high beam indicator lights on the instrument
panel.
Door Latches
Check for positive closing, latching, and locking.
Fluid Leaks
Check area under vehicle after overnight parking for fuel,
engine coolant, oil, or other fluid leaks. Also, if gasoline
fumes are detected or if fuel, power steering fluid (if
equipped), or brake fluid leaks are suspected, the cause
should be located and corrected immediately.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 97
The gauge pointer will likely indicate a higher tempera-
ture when driving in hot weather, up mountain grades,
or when towing a trailer. It should not be allowed to
exceed the upper limits of the normal operating range.
CAUTION!
Driving with a hot engine cooling system could
damage your vehicle. If the temperature gauge reads
“H,” pull over and stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle
with the air conditioner turned off until the pointer
drops back into the normal range. If the pointer
remains on the “H,” and you hear a chime, turn the
engine OFF immediately and call for service.
WARNING!
A hot engine cooling system is dangerous. You or
others could be badly burned by steam or boiling
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
coolant. You may want to call a service center if your
vehicle overheats. If you decide to look under the
hood yourself, refer to “Maintaining Your Vehicle”
and follow the warnings under the Cooling System
Pressure Cap paragraph.
17. Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle
has tires of a different size than the size indicated on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label, you should
determine the proper tire inflation pressure for those
tires.)
230 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure telltale when
one or more of your tires is significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illumi-
nates, you should stop and check your tires as soon as
possible, and inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving
on a significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may affect
the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper
tire maintenance, and it is the driver ’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if under-inflation has
not reached the level to trigger illumination of the TPMS
low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to indicate when the system is not
operating properly. The TPMS malfunction indicator is
combined with the low tire pressure telltale. When the
system detects a malfunction, the telltale will flash for
approximately one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon subse-
quent vehicle start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the sys-
tem may not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure
as intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety
of reasons, including the installation of replacement or
alternate tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent the
TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or more
tires or wheels on your vehicle, to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS
to continue to function properly.
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 231
CAUTION!
The TPMS has been optimized for the original
equipment tires and wheels. TPMS pressures and
warning have been established for the tire size
equipped on your vehicle. Undesirable system opera-
tion or sensor damage may result when using re-
placement equipment that is not of the same size,
type, and/or style. Aftermarket wheels can cause
sensor damage. Do not use tire sealant from a can or
balance beads if your vehicle is equipped with a
TPMS, as damage to the sensors may result.
18. Electronic Stability Control (ESC) OFF Indicator
Light — If Equipped
This light indicates the Electronic Stability Con-
trol (ESC) is off.
With Drive Modes the ESC OFF indicator will
be lit any time the Traction modes is set to Sport, Track or
Full OFF.
232 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
•Launch Control is intended to be used on dry, paved
road surfaces only. Use on slippery or loose surfaces
may cause damage to vehicle components and is not
recommended.
Automatic Transmission — If Equipped
Launch Control is only available when the following
procedure is followed:
1. Press the “Apps” button on the touchscreen, select
“Performance Control”, and press the “Launch Con-
trol” button on the touchscreen or push the Super
Track Pak button on the integrated center stack switch
bank.
2. If desired, press the “Launch RPM Set-Up” button on
the touchscreen. This screen will allow you to adjust
your launch RPM for optimum launch/traction. To
adjust the Launch RPM, press and drag the slider bar,
or press the arrows on the touchscreen, to adjust the
holding RPM. Press the back arrow button on the
touchscreen when finished. The setting will be saved.
NOTE:The default RPM for launch control is a preset
factory value. Optimal launch RPM will depend on the
engine and tires on the vehicle, as well as the road and
weather conditions. Not all RPM settings will be usable
in all configurations and scenarios. If requested launch
RPM is not attainable in a given scenario, the engine will
provide the maximum amount of torque possible to get
as close as possible to the requested RPM.
3. Press the “Activate Launch Mode” button on the
touchscreen.
4. Ensure the vehicle is not moving and the steering
wheel is pointing straight.
5. Hold the brake pedal and verify the vehicle is in
“Drive.”
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 299
the Launch RPM, press and drag the slider bar or press
the arrows on the touchscreen to adjust the holding
RPM. Press the back arrow button when finished. The
setting will be saved.
NOTE:The default for launch control is 3000 RPM.
Optimal launch RPM will depend on the engine and tires
on the vehicle, as well as road and weather conditions.
Not all RPM settings will be usable in all configurations
and scenarios. If requested launch RPM is not attainable
in a given scenario, the engine will provide the maximum
amount of torque possible to get as close as possible to
the requested RPM.
3. Press the “Activate Launch Mode” button on the
touchscreen.
4. Ensure the vehicle is not moving and the steering
wheel is pointing straight.
5. Fully depress the clutch pedal and verify the vehicle is
in first gear.
6. While holding the clutch depressed, rapidly apply the
accelerator pedal to wide open throttle. The engine
speed will hold at the RPM that was set in the “Launch
RPM Set-up” screen.
NOTE:Messages will appear in the Driver Information
Display (DID) to inform the driver if one or more of the
above conditions have not been met.
7. When conditions four through six have been met, the
DID will read “Launch Ready Release Clutch.” Re-
lease the clutch quickly and continue to hold wide
open throttle to launch. Execute shifts as described in
the section “Manual Transmission – Shifting.”
8. Keep the vehicle pointed straight. Launch control will
be active until the vehicle reaches 62 MPH (100 km/h).
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 301
!TIRE SAFETY INFORMATION.............391
▫Tire Markings........................391
▫Tire Identification Number (TIN)...........395
▫Tire Terminology And Definitions..........397
▫Tire Loading And Tire Pressure...........398
!TIRES — GENERAL INFORMATION........403
▫Tire Pressure........................403
▫Tire Inflation Pressures.................404
▫Tire Pressures For High Speed Operation . . . .406
▫Radial Ply Tires......................406
▫Tire Types...........................407
▫Run Flat Tires — If Equipped.............409
▫Spare Tires — If Equipped...............409
▫Tire Spinning........................412
▫Tread Wear Indicators..................412
▫Life Of Tire.........................413
▫Replacement Tires.....................413
!TIRE CHAINS (TRACTION DEVICES).......415
!TIRE ROTATION RECOMMENDATIONS.....416
!TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR SYSTEM (TPMS) . .417
▫Premium System......................421
▫General Information...................424
!FUEL REQUIREMENTS..................425
▫3.6L Engine — If Equipped...............425
▫5.7L Engine (With Automatic Transmission) . . .425
▫5.7L Engine (With Manual Transmission).....426
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 345
WARNING!(Continued)
wheels. You could lose control of the vehicle and
possibly have a collision. Accelerate slowly and
carefully whenever there is likely to be poor traction
(ice, snow, wet mud, loose sand, etc.).
Traction
When driving on wet or slushy roads, it is possible for a
wedge of water to build up between the tire and road
surface. This is known as hydroplaning and may cause
partial or complete loss of vehicle control and stopping
ability. To reduce this possibility, the following precau-
tions should be observed:
1. Slow down during rainstorms or when the roads are
slushy.
2. Slow down if the road has standing water or puddles.
3. Replace tires when tread wear indicators first become
visible.
4. Keep tires properly inflated.
5. Maintain sufficient distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front of you to avoid a collision in a
sudden stop.
Your vehicle may be equipped with a Limited Slip
Differential (LSD) that reduces, but does not eliminate,
the amount of wheel slip across a given axle for im-
proved handling.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
Driving through water more than a few inches/
centimeters deep will require extra caution to ensure
safety and prevent damage to your vehicle.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 373