2016 DODGE CHALLENGER clutch

Shifting
Fully press the clutch pedal and lift your foot off the
accelerator pedal before shifting gears. As you release the
clutch pedal, lightly press the accelerator pedal. Damage
to the transmission or clutch may occur if you do not
fully press the clutch pedal and lift off of the accelerator
pedal when shifting.
The six-speed manual transmission has a spring that
centers the gear selector near third and fourth gear. This
spring helps you know which gear you are in when you
are shifting. Be careful when shifting from first to second
or downshifting from sixth to fifth.
The spring will try to pull the gear selector toward third
and fourth gear. Make sure you move the gear selector
into second or fifth gear. If you let the gear selector move
in the direction of the pulling, you may end shifting from
first to fourth or from sixth to third gear.
Manual Shifter
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 389

NOTE:
•Your vehicle is equipped with a transmission reverse
inhibitor system. When vehicle speed is greater than
3 mph (5 km/h), the reverse inhibitor activates to help
prevent shifts into REVERSE. When at a complete stop,
you may notice lighter shift efforts into REVERSE with
the ignition switch in the ON position (RUN position
for Keyless Enter-N-Go), as compared to the ignition
LOCK position (OFF position for Keyless Enter-N-Go).
This is normal operation of the transmission reverse
inhibitor system.
• Due to the high performance nature of your drivetrain,
you may hear your transmission. This can be most
noticeable when the vehicle is idling in NEUTRAL
with the clutch engaged (clutch pedal released), but it
may also be heard when driving at low engine RPM. Also, this may be more noticeable when the transmis-
sion is warm. This is a normal condition and is not an
indication of a problem with your clutch or transmis-
sion.
1–4 Skip Shift
There are times when you must shift the transmission
directly from first gear to fourth gear instead of from first
gear to second gear. This is to help you get the best
possible fuel economy from your vehicle. This occurs
when the engine coolant (antifreeze) is higher than 106°F
(41°C), vehicle speed is greater than 19 mph (30 km/h)
but less than 21 mph (34 km/h), and the transmission is
in first gear, and the accelerator is at ¼ throttle or less.
After you shift the transmission to fourth gear, you can
press the clutch in and shift to another forward gear.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 391

Downshifting
To maintain a safe speed and prolong brake life, down-
shift to maintain a safe speed when descending a steep
grade.
WARNING!
Skipping more than one gear while downshifting,
could cause you to lose control of your vehicle. You
could have a collision.
CAUTION!
•If you skip more than one gear while downshifting
or downshift at too high an engine speed, you
could damage the engine, transmission, or clutch.
• Do not downshift into first gear when the vehicle is
moving faster than 15 mph (24 km/h), as you could
damage the engine and/or clutch.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
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.
• 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 shift the
into PARK or the manual transmission into FIRST
gear or REVERSE, apply the parking brake, turn
(Continued)
392 STARTING AND OPERATING

does not apply the throttle before this time expires, the
system will release brake pressure and the vehicle will
roll down the hill as normal.
The following conditions must be met in order for HSA to
activate:
•The feature must be enabled.
• The vehicle must be stopped.
• Park brake must be off.
• Driver door must be closed.
• The vehicle must be on a sufficient grade.
• The gear selection must match vehicle uphill direction
(i.e., vehicle facing uphill is in forward gear; vehicle
backing uphill is in REVERSE gear).
• HSA will work in REVERSE gear and all forward
gears. The system will not activate if the transmission is in PARK or NEUTRAL. For vehicles equipped with
a manual transmission, if the clutch is pressed, HSA
will remain active.
WARNING!
There may be situations where the Hill Start Assist
(HSA) will not activate and slight rolling may occur,
such as on minor hills or with a loaded vehicle, or
while pulling a trailer. HSA is not a substitute for
active driving involvement. It is always the driver ’s
responsibility to be attentive to distance to other
vehicles, people, and objects, and most importantly
brake operation to ensure safe operation of the ve-
hicle under all road conditions. Your complete atten-
tion is always required while driving to maintain
safe control of your vehicle. Failure to follow these
warnings can result in a collision or serious personal
injury.
418 STARTING AND OPERATING

CAUTION!
Accessories plugged into the vehicle power outlets
draw power from the vehicle’s battery, even when not
in use (i.e., cellular devices, etc.). Eventually, if
plugged in long enough without engine operation,
the vehicle’s battery will discharge sufficiently to
degrade battery life and/or prevent the engine from
starting.
FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand, or snow, it
can often be moved using a rocking motion. Turn the
steering wheel right and left to clear the area around the
front wheels. For vehicles with automatic transmission,
press and hold the lock button on the shift lever. Then
shift back and forth between DRIVE and REVERSE (with
automatic transmission) or FIRST GEAR and REVERSE
(with manual transmission), while gently pressing theaccelerator. Use the least amount of accelerator pedal
pressure that will maintain the rocking motion, without
spinning the wheels or racing the engine.
NOTE:
For vehicles with automatic transmission: Shifts
between DRIVE and REVERSE can only be achieved at
wheel speeds of 5 mph (8 km/h) or less. Whenever the
transmission remains in NEUTRAL for more than 2
seconds, you must press the brake pedal to engage
DRIVE or REVERSE.
CAUTION!
Racing the engine or spinning the wheels may lead to
transmission overheating and failure. Allow the en-
gine to idle with the transmission in NEUTRAL for at
least one minute after every five rocking-motion
cycles. This will minimize overheating and reduce
the risk of clutch or transmission failure during
prolonged efforts to free a stuck vehicle.
514 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

▫Exhaust System ..................... .546
▫ Cooling System ..................... .549
▫ Brake System ....................... .555
▫ Clutch Hydraulic System — Manual
Transmission (If Equipped) ...............557
▫ Manual Transmission — If Equipped .......557
▫ Automatic Transmission — If Equipped .....558
▫ Rear Axle .......................... .559
▫ Appearance Care And Protection From
Corrosion .......................... .560
 FUSES ............................. .567
▫ Front Power Distribution Center (Fuses) .....567
▫ Rear Power Distribution Center (Fuses) .....573
 VEHICLE STORAGE ....................579 
REPLACEMENT BULBS .................580
 BULB REPLACEMENT ..................582
▫ Low Beam Headlamp, High Beam Headlamp,
Park/Turn Lamp — Models With Halogen
Headlamps — If Equipped ...............582
▫ Low Beam Headlamp, High Beam Headlamp,
and Park/Turn Lamp — Models With High
Intensity Discharge (HID) Headlamps — If
Equipped .......................... .583
▫ Front/Rear Side Marker Lamp ............584
▫ Tail/Turn And Stop Lamp ...............584
▫ Center Tail/Backup Lamp ...............584
▫ Center High-Mounted Stop Lamp (CHMSL) . .584
▫ License Lamp ....................... .584
 FLUID CAPACITIES ....................585
522 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

Clutch Hydraulic System — Manual Transmission
(If Equipped)
The clutch hydraulic system is fed by a segregated
volume of fluid within the brake system master cylinder
reservoir. In the event of leakage or wear, use only the
manufacturer’s recommended brake fluid. Refer to “Flu-
ids, Lubricants, And Genuine Parts” in “Maintaining
Your Vehicle” for further information.
Manual Transmission — If Equipped
Fluid Level Check
Check the fluid level by removing the fill plug on the left
side of the transmission. The fluid level should be 1/4
inch (6.4mm) below the bottom of the fill hole. Add fluid,
if necessary, to maintain the proper level. Refer to “Flu-
ids, Lubricants, And Genuine Parts” in “Maintaining
Your Vehicle” for further information.
CAUTION!
Using a transmission fluid other than the manufac-
turer’s recommended fluid may cause deterioration
in transmission shift quality and/or damage to the
transmission. Refer to “Fluids, Lubricants, And
Genuine Parts” in this section for fluid specifica-
tions.
Change Transmission Fluid
If contaminated with water, change the fluid immedi-
ately. See your authorized dealer for service.
Refer to the “Maintenance Schedule” for the proper
maintenance intervals.7
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 557

Cavity Cartridge Fuse Mini-FuseDescription
1 – – Fuse – Spare
2 40 Amp Green –Radiator Fan #1 – (Non 6.2L Supercharged)
3 50 Amp Red –Electric Power Steering #1 – If Equipped / Radiator Fan
(6.2L Supercharged) – If Equipped
4 30 Amp Pink – Starter
5 40 Amp Green –Electronic Stability Control
6 30 Amp Pink –Electronic Stability Control
7 20 Amp Blue –Police Ignition Run / ACC #1
8 20 Amp Blue –Police Ignition Run / ACC # 2
9 –20 Amp Yellow All-Wheel Drive Module – If Equipped
10 –10 Amp Red Security – If Equipped / Under hood Lamp – Police
11 –20 Amp Yellow Horns
12 –10 Amp Red Air Conditioning Clutch
13 – – Fuse – Spare
14 – – Fuse – Spare
7
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 569