
•If your air conditioning performance seems lower than
expected, check the front of the A/C condenser (lo-
cated in front of the radiator), for an accumulation of
dirt or insects. Clean with a gentle water spray from
the front of the radiator and through the condenser.
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 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
selected setting and MAX A/C to exit.
Recirculation Control
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. Push the button a second time to turn off the
Recirculation mode and allow outside air into the vehicle.
344 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

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
fresh air and high blower setting. This will ensure
adequate system lubrication to minimize the possibility
of compressor damage when the system is started again.
Window Fogging
Interior fogging on the windshield can be quickly re-
moved by turning the mode selector to Defrost. The
Defrost/Floor mode can be used to maintain a clear
windshield and provide sufficient heating. If side win-
dow fogging becomes objectionable, increase blower
speed to improve airflow and clearing of the side win-
dows. Vehicle windows tend to fog on the inside in mild
but rainy or humid weather.
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 347

In AutoStick mode, the transmission will shift up or
down when (+/-) is manually selected by the driver
(using the shift lever, or the shift paddles), unless an
engine lugging or overspeed condition would result. It
will remain in the selected gear until another upshift or
downshift is chosen, except as described below.
•In temporary AutoStick mode (shift lever in DRIVE),
the transmission will automatically shift up when
maximum engine speed is reached. Lack of accelerator
pedal activity will cause the transmission to revert to
automatic operation.
•If normal AutoStick mode is engaged (shift lever in
MANUAL position), manual gear selection will be
maintained until the shift lever is returned to DRIVE,
or as described below. The transmission will not
upshift automatically at redline in this mode, nor will
downshifts be obtained if the accelerator pedal is
pressed to the floor.
•The transmission will automatically downshift as the
vehicle slows (to prevent engine lugging) and will
display the current gear.
•The transmission will automatically downshift to first
gear when coming to a stop. After a stop, the driver
should manually upshift (+) the transmission as the
vehicle is accelerated.
•You can start out, from a stop, in first or second gear.
Tapping (+) (at a stop) will allow starting in second
gear. Starting out in second gear can be helpful in
snowy or icy conditions.
•If a requested downshift would cause the engine to
over-speed, that shift will not occur.
•The system will ignore attempts to upshift at too low
of a vehicle speed.
386 STARTING AND OPERATING

•The vehicle will restart with VALET active if VALET
was active when the vehicle was last shut down.
•Eco (Automatic Transmission only) — Eco modifies
the vehicle’s engine and transmission settings to pro-
vide improved fuel economy at a trade-off with accel-
eration performance. Increased engine exhaust noise
and/or vibration may be noticed while Eco is active,
this is normal and will not damage the vehicle.
NOTE:Changing the Drive Mode will deactivate Eco.
Launch Mode — If Equipped
This vehicle is equipped with a Launch Control system
that is designed to allow the driver to achieve maximum
vehicle acceleration in a straight line. Launch Control is a
form of traction control that manages tire slip while
launching the vehicle. This feature is intended for use
during race events on a closed course where consistent
quarter mile and zero to sixty times are desired. The
system is not intended to compensate for lack of driver
experience or familiarity with the race track. Use of this
feature in low traction (cold, wet, gravel, etc.) conditions
may results in excess wheel slip outside this systems
control resulting in an aborted launch.
NOTE:Launch mode is not available within the first 500
miles of engine break-in.
Preconditions:
•Launch control should not be used on public roads.
Always check track conditions and the surrounding
area.
•Launch Control is not available for the first 500 miles
of the vehicle’s life.
•Launch Control should only be used when the engine
and transmission are at operating temperature.
392 STARTING AND OPERATING

•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.
Launch Control is available when the following proce-
dure is followed:
1. Push the LAUNCH button on the center stack switch
bank.
NOTE:Pushing the SRT button on the center stack or
pressing the “SRT & Apps” button on the touchscreen are
two other options to access launch control features.
Please refer to “Uconnect® Settings” within your Own-
er ’s Manual on the DVD for further information.
2. Press the “Launch RPM Set-Up” button on the touch-
screen. This screen will allow you to adjust your
launch RPM’s for optimum launch/traction.
3. Press the “Activate Launch Mode” button on the
touchscreen.
4. Make sure the vehicle is not moving.
5. Make sure the steering wheel is pointing straight.
6. Hold the brake and make sure the vehicle is in
“Drive”.
7. While holding the brake, 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.
8. When conditions 5 through 8 have been met, the
Driver Information Display (DID) will read “Launch
Ready Release Brake”.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 393

9. Keep the vehicle pointed straight.
Launch control will be active until the vehicle reaches
62 mph (100 km/h), at which point the ESC system will
return to its current ESC mode.
Launch control will abort before launch completion,
display “Launch Aborted” in the cluster and return to
ESC Full ON under any the following conditions:
•The accelerator pedal is released during launch. ESC
system continues in ESC Full ON.
•The ESC system detects that the vehicle is no longer
moving in a straight line. ESC system continues in ESC
Full ON.
•The “ESC OFF” button is pressed to change the system
to another mode. One press puts the ESC system into
ESC Full ON.
NOTE:After launch control has been aborted, ESC will
return to its current ESC mode.
CAUTION!
Do not attempt to shift when the drive wheels are
spinning and do not have traction. Damage to the
transmission may occur.
Guidelines For Track Use
NOTE:Because of the extreme conditions encountered
during track use, any damage or wear associated with
track use is not covered by warranty.
•If your SRT vehicle is equipped with Drive Modes they
will alter the vehicle’s performance in various driving
situations. It is recommended that your vehicle oper-
ates in SPORT or TRACK modes during the track
event.
394 STARTING AND OPERATING

Full Off
This mode is intended for off-highway or off-road use
only and should not be used on any public roadways. In
this mode, all TCS and ESC stability features are turned
OFF. To enter the “Full Off” mode, press and hold the
“ESC Off” switch for five seconds while the vehicle is
stopped with the engine running. After five seconds, a
chime will sound, the#ESC OFF Indicator Light#will
illuminate, and the “ESC off” message will appear in the
Driver Information Display (DID). Refer to “Driver In-
formation Display (DID)” in “Understanding Your In-
strument Panel” for further information. To turn ESC ON
again, momentarily press the “ESC Off” switch.
NOTE:The#ESC off#message will display and the
audible chime will sound when the shift lever is moved
into the PARK position from any position other than
PARK and then moved out of the PARK position. This
will occur when the message was previously cleared.
WARNING!
In the ESC “Full Off” mode, the engine torque
reduction and stability features are disabled. There-
fore, the enhanced vehicle stability offered by ESC is
unavailable. In an emergency evasive maneuver, the
ESC system will not engage to assist in maintaining
stability.$ESC Off$mode is intended for off-highway
or off-road use only.
NOTE:When the ESC is switched SPORT, the BLD system
remains active. This feature controls wheel spin across an
axle quite similarly to a limited slip differential. If one
wheel on an axle is spinning faster than the other, the
system will apply the brake of the spinning wheel and
allow more engine torque to be applied to the wheel that is
not spinning. To improve the vehicle’s traction when
driving with tire chains, or when starting off in deep snow,
sand, or gravel, it may be desirable to switch to the “Sport
Mode” by momentarily pressing the “ESC Off” switch.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 413

Rain Brake Support
Rain Brake Support may improve braking performance
in wet conditions. It will periodically apply a small
amount of brake pressure to remove any water buildup
on the front brake rotors. It only functions when the
windshield wipers are in the LO or HI mode, it does not
function in the intermittent mode. When Rain Brake
Support is active, there is no notification to the driver and
no driver interaction is required.
ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light And
ESC OFF Indicator Light
The “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator
Light” in the instrument cluster will come on
when the ignition switch is cycled to the ON/
RUN position. It should go out with the engine
running. If the “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator
Light” comes on continuously with the engine running, a
malfunction has been detected in the ESC system. If this
light remains on after several ignition cycles, and the
vehicle has been driven several miles (kilometers) at
speeds greater than 30 mph (48 km/h), see your autho-
rized dealer as soon as possible to have the problem
diagnosed and corrected.
The “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” (lo-
cated in the instrument cluster) starts to flash as soon as
the tires lose traction and the ESC system becomes active.
The “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” also
flashes when TCS is active. If the “ESC Activation/
Malfunction Indicator Light” begins to flash during ac-
celeration, ease up on the accelerator and apply as little
throttle as possible. Be sure to adapt your speed and
driving to the prevailing road conditions.
416 STARTING AND OPERATING