2015 DODGE CHALLENGER SRT cooling

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/
rear doors 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)
WARNING! (Continued)
•If it is necessary to sit in a parked vehicle with the
engine running, adjust your heating or cooling
controls to force outside air into the vehicle. Set the
blower at high speed.
The best protection against carbon monoxide entry into
the vehicle body is a properly maintained engine exhaust
system.
Whenever a change is noticed in the sound of the exhaust
system, when exhaust fumes can be detected inside the
vehicle, or when the underside or rear of the vehicle is
damaged, have a competent mechanic inspect the com-
plete exhaust system and adjacent body areas for broken,
damaged, deteriorated, or mispositioned parts. Open
seams or loose connections could permit exhaust fumes
to seep into the passenger compartment. In addition,
inspect the exhaust system each time the vehicle is raised
for lubrication or oil change. Replace as required.
92 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

warm vehicle should be 200 F - 230 F which indicates that
the engine cooling system is operating satisfactorily.
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
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
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 227

At the conclusion of each track event, it is recommended
that a brake bleed procedure be performed to maintain
the pedal feel and stopping capability of your Brembo
High Performance brake system.
It is recommended that each track outing end with a
minimum of one cool down lap using minimal braking.
Change the differential and manual transmission fluid
after every five hours of track use. Refer to “Maintaining
Your Vehicle” for fluid levels & specifications.
If equipped with a removable lower front fascia grille, it
is recommended to remove it for track use during
warm/hot weather to improve cooling airflow to critical
powertrain and cooling system components.All SRT vehicles are track tested for 24 hours of endur-
ance, however, it is recommended that the suspension
system, brake system, prop shaft, and half shaft boots
should be inspected for wear or damage after every track
event.
Track usage results in increased operating temperatures
of the engine, transmission, clutch, driveline and brake
system. This increased operating temperature may affect
Noise Vibration Harshness (NVH) countermeasures de-
signed into your vehicle. New components may need to
be installed to return the system to the original NVH
performance.
Recommended tire pressure for track use:
•
Challenger/Charger: 40 psi hot, 32 psi front, 30 psi rear
cold
272 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

front fascia protectors may reduce airflow to the
condenser, reducing air conditioning performance.
MAX A/C
MAX A/C sets the control for maximum cooling perfor-
mance.
Press and release to toggle between MAX A/C and the
prior settings. The button on the touchscreen illuminates
when MAX A/C is ON.
In MAX A/C, the blower level and mode position can be
adjusted to desired user settings. Pressing other settings
will cause the MAX A/C operation to switch to the prior
settings and the MAX A/C indicator will turn off.Recirculation
When outside air contains smoke, odors, or
high humidity, or if rapid cooling is desired,
you may wish to recirculate interior air by
pressing the Recirculation control button. The
recirculation indicator will illuminate when this button is
selected. Press the button a second time to turn off the
Recirculation mode and allow outside air into the vehicle.
NOTE: In cold weather, use of Recirculation mode may
lead to excessive window fogging. The recirculation
feature may be unavailable (button on touchscreen
greyed out). The Recirculation mode is not allowed in
Defrost mode to improve window clearing operation.
Recirculation will be disabled automatically if this mode
is selected. Attempting to use Recirculation while in this
mode will cause the LED in the control button to blink
and then turn off.
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 317

The blower fan speed can be set to any fixed speed by
adjusting the blower control. The fan will now operate at
a fixed speed until additional speeds are selected. This
allows the front occupants to control the volume of air
circulated in the vehicle and cancel the Auto mode.
The operator can also select the direction of the airflow
by selecting one of the available mode settings. A/C
operation and Recirculation control can also be manually
selected in Manual operation.
NOTE:Each of these features operates independently
from each other. If any feature is controlled manually,
temperature control will continue to operate automati-
cally.
Operating Tips
NOTE: Refer to the chart at the end of this section for
suggested control settings for various weather condi-
tions.
Summer Operation
The engine cooling system must be protected with a
high-quality antifreeze coolant to provide proper corro-
sion protection and to protect against engine overheating.
A solution of 50% OAT (Organic Additive Technology)
coolant that meets the requirements of Chrysler Material
Standard MS.90032 and 50% water is recommended.
Refer to “Maintenance Procedures” in “Maintaining Your
Vehicle” for proper coolant selection.
Winter Operation
Use of the air Recirculation mode during winter months
is not recommended because it may cause window
fogging.
Vacation Storage
Any time you store your vehicle or keep it out of service
(i.e., vacation) for two weeks or more, run the air
conditioning system at idle for about five minutes in the
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 319

•If equipped with a removable lower front fascia grille,
it is recommended to remove it for track use during
warm/hot weather to improve cooling airflow to
critical powertrain and cooling system components.
• All SRT vehicles are track tested for 24 hours of
endurance, however, it is recommended that suspen-
sion system, brake system, prop shaft, and ½ shaft
boots should be checked for wear or damage after
every track event.
• Track usage results in increased operating tempera-
tures of the engine, transmission, clutch – if equipped,
driveline and brake system. This may affect noise
(NVH) countermeasures designed into your vehicle.
New components may need to be installed to return
the system to the original NVH performance.
• Tire pressure:
• 40psi hot, recommend 32psi front, 30psi rear cold NOTE:
It is recommended that you target 40psi Hot Tire
Pressure at the conclusion of each track session. Starting
at 32psi Front & 30psi Rear Cold and adjusting based on
ambient & track conditions is recommended. Tire pres-
sure can be monitored via the Driver Information Display
(DID) and can assist with adjustments.
Track burnishing your brakes:
To avoid “green lining fade” during track use, the brake
pads and rotors must have a thermal burnish for factory
installed components or when new brake friction com-
ponents are installed:
1. Use one track session to burnish brakes by driving at 75% speed. Brake at approximately 0.60-0.80g max
without ABS intervention.
2. Lap the track in this manner until you start smelling the brakes. Continue for another ½ lap at speed, then
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STARTING AND OPERATING 375

HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS
The Hazard Warning flasher switch is located in the
switch bank near the bottom center of the instrument
panel.Press the switch to turn on the Hazard Warning
flasher. When the switch is activated, all direc-
tional turn signals will flash on and off to warn oncoming
traffic of an emergency. Press the switch a second time to
turn off the Hazard Warning flashers.
This is an emergency warning system and it should not
be used when the vehicle is in motion. Use it when your
vehicle is disabled and it is creating a safety hazard for
other motorists.
When you must leave the vehicle to seek assistance, the
Hazard Warning flashers will continue to operate even
though the ignition is placed in the OFF position. NOTE:
With extended use the Hazard Warning flashers
may wear down your battery.
IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS
In any of the following situations, you can reduce the
potential for overheating by taking the appropriate ac-
tion.
• On the highways — slow down.
• In city traffic — while stopped, place the transmission
in NEUTRAL, but do not increase engine idle speed.
NOTE: There are steps that you can take to slow down
an impending overheat condition:
• If your air conditioner (A/C) is on, turn it off. The A/C
system adds heat to the engine cooling system and
turning the A/C off can help remove this heat.
• You can also turn the temperature control to maximum
heat, the mode control to floor and the blower control
438 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

to high. This allows the heater core to act as a
supplement to the radiator and aids in removing heat
from the engine cooling system.
CAUTION!
Driving with a hot cooling system could damage
your vehicle. If the temperature gauge reads 240°F
(116°C) or greater pull over and stop the vehicle. Idle
the vehicle with the air conditioner turned off until
the pointer drops back into the normal range 200–
230°F (93–110°C). If the pointer remains at 240°F
(116°C) or greater and you hear a chime, turn the
engine off immediately and call for service.
WARNING!
You or others can be badly burned by hot engine
coolant (antifreeze) or steam from your radiator. If
you see or hear steam coming from under the hood,
do not open the hood until the radiator has had time
to cool. Never try to open a cooling system pressure
cap when the radiator or coolant bottle is hot.
WHEEL AND TIRE TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS
Proper lug nut/bolt torque is very important to ensure
that the wheel is properly mounted to the vehicle. Any
time a wheel has been removed and reinstalled on the
vehicle the lug nuts/bolts should be torqued using a
properly calibrated torque wrench.
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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 439