Page 342 of 688

WARNING!(Continued)
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 apply the
parking brake, shift the transmission into PARK,
turn the engine STOP/OFF, and remove the Key
Fob. When the ignition is in the STOP/OFF (key
removal) position, the transmission is locked in
PARK, securing the vehicle against unwanted
movement.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•When leaving the vehicle, always make sure the
ignition is in the STOP/OFF position, remove the
Key Fob from the vehicle, and lock the 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. Children should be
warned not to touch the parking brake, brake pedal
or the transmission shift lever.
•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 MAR/RUN position. A
child could operate power windows, other controls,
or move the vehicle.
340 STARTING AND OPERATING
Page 343 of 688

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.
NOTE:You must press and hold the brake pedal while
shifting out of PARK.
Shift Lever
The transmission shift lever has PARK, REVERSE, NEU-
TRAL, DRIVE, and AutoStick (+/-) shift positions.
Manual shifts can be made using the AutoStick shift
control (refer to “AutoStick” in this section for further
information). Toggling the shift lever forward (-) or
rearward (+) while in the AutoStick position (beside the
DRIVE position) will manually select the transmission
gear, and will display the current gear in the instrument
cluster as 1, 2, 3, etc.
NOTE:If the shift lever cannot be moved to the PARK,
REVERSE, or NEUTRAL position (when pushed for-
ward) it is probably in the AutoStick (+/-) position
(beside the DRIVE position). In AutoStick mode, the
transmission gear (1, 2, 3, etc.) is displayed in the
instrument cluster. Move the shift lever to the right (into
the DRIVE [D] position) for access to PARK, REVERSE,
and NEUTRAL.
7
STARTING AND OPERATING 341
Page 344 of 688

The electronically-controlled transmission provides a
precise shift schedule. The transmission electronics are
self-calibrating. The first few shifts on a new vehicle may
be somewhat abrupt. This is a normal condition, and
precision shifts will develop within a few hundred miles
(kilometers).The nine-speed transmission has been developed to meet
the needs of FCA current and future lineup of FWD/
AWD vehicles. Software and calibration is refined to
optimize the customer ’s driving experience and fuel
economy. By design, some vehicle and drive-line combi-
nations utilize 9th gear only in very specific driving
situations and conditions.
Only shift from DRIVE to PARK or REVERSE when the
accelerator pedal is released and the vehicle is stopped.
Be sure to keep your foot on the brake pedal when
shifting between these gears.
DO NOT race the engine when shifting from PARK or
NEUTRAL into another gear range.
CAUTION!
After selecting any gear range, wait a moment to
allow the selected gear to engage before accelerating.
This is especially important when the engine is cold.
Shift Lever Lock Button
342 STARTING AND OPERATING
Page 345 of 688

Gear Ranges
PARK (P)
This range supplements the Electric Park Brake (EPB) by
locking the transmission. The engine can be started in
this range. Never attempt to use PARK while the vehicle
is in motion. Apply the EPB when leaving the vehicle in
this range.
When parking on a level surface, you may shift the
transmission into PARK first, and then apply the EPB.
When parking on a hill, apply the EPB before shifting the
transmission to PARK, otherwise the load on the trans-
mission locking mechanism may make it difficult to
move the shift lever out of PARK. As an added precau-
tion, turn the front wheels toward the curb on a downhill
grade and away from the curb on an uphill grade.
WARNING!
•Never use the PARK position as a substitute for the
Electric Parking Brake (EPB). Always apply the
EPB fully when parked to guard against vehicle
movement and possible injury or damage.
•Your vehicle could move and injure you and others
if it is not completely in PARK. Check by trying to
move the shift lever out of PARK with the brake
pedal released. Make sure the transmission is in
PARK before leaving the vehicle.
•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)
7
STARTING AND OPERATING 343
Page 346 of 688

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
EPB, shift the transmission into PARK, turn the
engine OFF, and remove the Key Fob. When the
ignition is in the STOP/OFF (key removal) posi-
tion, the transmission is locked in PARK, securing
the vehicle against unwanted movement.
•When leaving the vehicle, always make sure the
ignition is in the STOP/OFF position, remove the
Key Fob from the vehicle, and lock the 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
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
seriously or fatally injured. Children should be
warned not to touch the parking brake, brake pedal
or the shift lever.
•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 MAR/RUN position. A
child could operate power windows, other controls,
or move the vehicle.
CAUTION!
•Before moving the shift lever out of PARK, you
must turn the ignition switch from the STOP/OFF
position to the MAR/RUN position, and also press
the brake pedal. Otherwise, damage to the shift
lever could result.
(Continued)
344 STARTING AND OPERATING
Page 347 of 688

CAUTION!(Continued)
•DO NOT race the engine when shifting from
PARK or NEUTRAL into another gear range, as this
can damage the drivetrain.
The following indicators should be used to ensure that
you have engaged the transmission into the PARK posi-
tion:
•When shifting into PARK, press the LOCK button on
the shift lever and firmly move the shift lever all the
way forward until it stops and is fully seated.
•Look at the transmission gear position display and
verify that it indicates the PARK position (P).
•With the brake pedal released, verify that the shift
lever will not move out of PARK.Reverse (R)
This range is for moving the vehicle backward. Shift into
REVERSE only after the vehicle has come to a complete
stop.
Neutral (N)
Use this range when the vehicle is standing for prolonged
periods with the engine running. The engine may be
started in this range. Apply the electric park brake and
shift the transmission into PARK if you must leave the
vehicle.
WARNING!
Do not coast in NEUTRAL and never turn off the
ignition to coast down a hill. These are unsafe
practices that limit your response to changing traffic
or road conditions. You might lose control of the
vehicle and have a collision.
7
STARTING AND OPERATING 345
Page 352 of 688

Key Ignition Park Interlock
Vehicles Equipped With Keyless Enter-N-Go:
This vehicle is equipped with a Key Ignition Park Inter-
lock which requires the transmission to be in PARK
before the ignition can be turned to the STOP/OFF
position. Also, the transmission is locked in PARK when-
ever the ignition is in the STOP/OFF position.
Vehicles With Mechanical Key:
This vehicle is equipped with a Key Ignition Park Inter-
lock which requires the transmission to be in PARK
before the ignition can be turned to the STOP/OFF (key
removal) position. The key can only be removed from the
ignition when the ignition is in the STOP/OFF position,
and the transmission is locked in PARK whenever the
ignition is in the STOP/OFF position.If the vehicle’s battery becomes discharged, the key will
be trapped in the ignition switch even when the shift
lever is in PARK. To extract the key, refer to “Ignition Key
Removal Override” in “In Case Of Emergency”.
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake Transmission Shift
Interlock system (BTSI) that holds the shift lever in PARK
unless the brakes are applied. To shift the transmission
out of PARK, the ignition switch must be turned to the
MAR/RUN position (engine running or not) and the
brake pedal must be pressed.
The brake pedal must also be pressed before pushing the
button on the shift lever to shift from NEUTRAL into
DRIVE or REVERSE when the vehicle is stopped or
moving at low speeds.
350 STARTING AND OPERATING
Page 355 of 688

When the vehicle has reached the desired speed, push the
SET (+) or SET (-) button and release. Release the
accelerator and the vehicle will operate at the selected
speed.
Deactivation
A soft tap on the brake pedal, pushing the CANCEL
button, or normal brake pressure while slowing the
vehicle will deactivate the Electronic Speed Control with-
out erasing the set speed from memory.
Pushing the ON/OFF button or turning the ignition
switch OFF erases the set speed from memory.
Resume Speed
To resume a previously set speed, push the RES button
and release. Resume can be used at any speed above
20 mph (32 km/h).
Varying The Speed
To Increase Speed
When the Electronic Speed Control is set, you can in-
crease speed by pushing the SET+button.
The driver ’s preferred units can be selected through the
Uconnect system if equipped. Refer to ”Uconnect Set-
tings” in Multimedia” for more information. The speed
increment shown is dependant on the chosen speed unit
of U.S. (mph) or Metric (km/h):
U.S. Speed (mph)
•Pushing the SET+button once will result ina1mph
increase in set speed. Each subsequent tap of the
button results in an increase of 1 mph.
•If the button is continually pushed, the set speed will
continue to increase until the button is released, then
the new set speed will be established.
7
STARTING AND OPERATING 353