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STARTING PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust both
inside and outside mirrors, and fasten your seat belts.
WARNING!
•When leaving the vehicle, always remove the Key
Fob from the ignition and lock your vehicle.
•Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle.
•Allowing children to be in a vehicle unattended is
dangerous for a number of reasons. A child or
others could be seriously or fatally injured. Chil-
dren should be warned not to touch the parking
brake, brake pedal or the shift lever.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•Do not leave the Key Fob in or near the vehicle (or
in a location accessible to children), and do not
leave the ignition of a vehicle equipped with
Keyless Enter-N-Go™ in the ACC or ON/RUN
mode. A child could operate power windows, other
controls, or move the vehicle.
Manual Transmission — If Equipped
Before starting the engine fully apply the parking brake,
press the clutch pedal to the floor, and place the shift
lever in NEUTRAL.
NOTE:
•The engine will not start unless the clutch pedal is
pressed to the floor.
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•If the key will not turn and the steering wheel is
locked, rotate the wheel in either direction to relieve
pressure on the locking mechanism and then turn the
key.
Automatic Transmission — If Equipped
The shift lever must be in the PARK or NEUTRAL
position before you can start the engine. Depress the
brake pedal before shifting to any driving gear.
NOTE:You must press the brake pedal before shifting
out of PARK.
Keyless Enter-N-Go™
This feature allows the driver to oper-
ate the ignition switch with the push
of a button, as long as the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter is in
the passenger compartment.
Normal Starting
Using The ENGINE START/STOP Button
1. The transmission must be in PARK or NEUTRAL.
2. Press and hold the brake pedal while pushing the
ENGINE START/STOP button once.
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3. The system takes over and attempts to start the
vehicle. If the vehicle fails to start, the starter will
disengage automatically after 10 seconds.
4. If you wish to stop the cranking of the engine prior to
the engine starting, push the button again.
NOTE:Normal starting of either a cold or a warm engine
is obtained without pumping or pressing the accelerator
pedal.
To Turn Off The Engine Using ENGINE
START/STOP Button
1. Place the shift lever/gear selector in PARK, then press
and release the ENGINE START/STOP button.
2. The ignition switch will return to the OFF position.
3. If the shift lever/gear selector is not in PARK, the
ENGINE START/STOP button must be held for two
seconds or three short presses in a row with the
vehicle speed above 5 mph (8 km/h) before the engine
will shut off. The ignition switch position will remain
in the ACC position until the shift lever/gear selector
is in PARK and the button is pressed twice to the OFF
position. If the shift lever/gear selector is not in PARK
and the ENGINE START/STOP button is pressed
once, the EVIC/DID will display a “Vehicle Not In
Park” message and the engine will remain running.
Never leave a vehicle out of the PARK position, or it
could roll.
NOTE:If the ignition switch is left in the ACC or RUN
(engine not running) position and the transmission is in
PARK, the system will automatically time out after 30
minutes of inactivity and the ignition will switch to the
OFF position.
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3. Pull the cord to the front of the vehicle and plug it into
a grounded, three-wire extension cord.
4. After the vehicle is running, reattach the cord to the
Velcro strap and properly stow away behind the
driver ’s side headlamp.
NOTE:
•The engine block heater cord is a factory installed
option. If your vehicle is not equipped, heater cords
are available from your authorized MOPAR® dealer.
•The engine block heater will require 110 Volts AC and
6.5 Amps to activate the heater element.
•The engine block heater must be plugged in at least
one hour to have an adequate warming effect on the
engine.
WARNING!
Remember to disconnect the engine block heater
cord before driving. Damage to the 110-115 Volt
electrical cord could cause electrocution.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION — IF EQUIPPED
WARNING!
You or others could be injured if you leave the
vehicle unattended without having the parking
brake fully applied. The parking brake should al-
ways be applied when the driver is not in the vehicle,
especially on an incline.
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CAUTION!
Never drive with your foot resting on the clutch
pedal, or attempt to hold the vehicle on a hill with the
clutch pedal partially engaged, as this will cause
abnormal wear on the clutch.
NOTE:During cold weather, you may experience in-
creased effort in shifting until the transmission fluid
warms up. This is normal.
Shifting
Fully press the clutch pedal before shifting gears. As you
release the clutch pedal, lightly press the accelerator
pedal.
You should always use first gear when starting from a
standing position.
Recommended Vehicle Shift Speeds
To utilize your manual transmission efficiently for both
fuel economy and performance, it should be upshifted as
listed in recommended shift speed chart. Shift at the
vehicle speeds listed for acceleration. When heavily
loaded or pulling a trailer these recommended up-shift
speeds may not apply.
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Manual Transmission Shift Speeds in MPH (KM/H)
All Engines Gear Selection 2 to 33 to 44 to 55 to 6
Accel.24 (39)34 (55)47 (76)56 (90)
Cruise19 (31)27 (43)37 (60)41 (66)
Downshifting
Moving from a high gear down to a lower gear is
recommended to preserve brakes when driving down
steep hills. In addition, downshifting at the right time
provides better acceleration when you desire to resume
speed. Downshift progressively. Do not skip gears to
avoid overspeeding the engine and clutch.
WARNING!
Do not downshift for additional engine braking on a
slippery surface. The drive wheels could lose their
grip, and the vehicle could skid.
CAUTION!
•Skipping gears and downshifting into lower gears
at higher vehicle speeds can damage the engine
and clutch systems, Any attempt to shift into lower
gear with clutch pedal depressed may result dam-
age to the clutch system. Shifting into lower gear
and releasing the clutch may result in engine
damage.
(Continued)
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Manual Transmission Shift Speeds in MPH (KM/H)
Gear Selection 6 to 55 to 44 to 33 to 22 to 1
Maximum
Speed
80 (129)70 (113)50 (81)30 (48)15 (24)
CAUTION!
If you skip a gear while downshifting or downshift
at too high of a vehicle speed, these conditions may
cause the engine to overspeed if too low of a gear is
selected and the clutch pedal is released. Damage to
the clutch and the transmission can result from
skipping a gear while downshifting or downshifting
at too high of a vehicle speed even if the clutch pedal
is held pressed (i.e., not released).
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION — IF EQUIPPED
CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may occur if the follow-
ing precautions are not observed:
•Shift into or out of PARK or REVERSE only after
the vehicle has come to a complete stop.
•Do not shift between PARK, REVERSE, NEU-
TRAL, or DRIVE when the engine is above idle
speed.
•Before shifting into any gear, make sure your foot
is firmly pressing the brake pedal.
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NOTE:You must press and hold the brake pedal while
shifting out of PARK.
WARNING!
•It is dangerous to shift out of PARK or NEUTRAL
if the engine speed is higher than idle speed. If
your foot is not firmly pressing the brake pedal, the
vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in re-
verse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when
the engine is idling normally and your foot is
firmly pressing the brake pedal.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in or near the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running. Before exiting a vehicle, always apply the
parking brake, shift the transmission into PARK,
turn the engine OFF, and remove the Key Fob.
When the ignition is in the LOCK/OFF (key re-
moval) position, the transmission is locked in
PARK, securing the vehicle against unwanted
movement.
•When leaving the vehicle, always make sure the
ignition is in the OFF position, remove the Key Fob
from the vehicle, and lock the vehicle.
(Continued)
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