2018 CHRYSLER 300 engine

When the engine is running, the MIL may flash to alert
serious conditions that could lead to immediate loss of
power or severe catalytic converter damage. The vehicle
should be serviced as soon as possible if this occurs.
WARNING!
A malfunctioning catalytic converter, as referenced
above, can reach higher temperatures than in normal
operating conditions. This can cause a fire if you drive
slowly or park over flammable substances such as dry
plants, wood, cardboard, etc. This could result in death
or serious injury to the driver, occupants or others.
CAUTION!
Prolonged driving with the Malfunction Indicator
Light (MIL) on could cause damage to the vehicle
control system. It also could affect fuel economy and
driveability. If the MIL is flashing, severe catalytic
converter damage and power loss will soon occur.
Immediate service is required.
— Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Active
Warning Light — If Equipped
This light will indicate when the Electronic Stability Con-
trol system is Active. The “ESC Indicator Light” in the
instrument cluster will come on when the ignition is placed
in the ON/RUN or ACC/ON/RUN position, and when
ESC is activated. It should go out with the engine running.
If the “ESC 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
an authorized dealer as soon as possible to have the
problem diagnosed and corrected.
• The “ESC Off Indicator Light” and the “ESC Indicator
Light” come on momentarily each time the ignition is
placed in the ON/RUN or ACC/ON/RUN position.
• The ESC system will make buzzing or clicking sounds
when it is active. This is normal; the sounds will stop
when ESC becomes inactive.
• This light will come on when the vehicle is in an ESC
event.
130 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

lane line is detected, the system is ready to provide only
visual warnings if an unintentional lane departure occurs
on the detected lane line.
Refer to “LaneSense — If Equippedin “Starting And
Operating” for further information.
Blue Indicator Lights
— High Beam Indicator Light
This indicator light will illuminate to indicate that the high
beam headlights are on. With the low beams activated,
push the multifunction lever forward (toward the front of
the vehicle) to turn on the high beams. Pull the multifunc-
tion lever rearward (toward the rear of the vehicle) to turn
off the high beams. If the high beams are off, pull the lever
toward you for a temporary high beam on, flash to pass
scenario.
ONBOARD DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM — OBD II
Your vehicle is equipped with a sophisticated Onboard
Diagnostic system called OBD II. This system monitors the
performance of the emissions, engine, and transmission control systems. When these systems are operating prop-
erly, your vehicle will provide excellent performance and
fuel economy, as well as engine emissions well within
current government regulations.
If any of these systems require service, the OBD II system
will turn on the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL). It will
also store diagnostic codes and other information to assist
your service technician in making repairs. Although your
vehicle will usually be drivable and not need towing, see
an authorized dealer for service as soon as possible.
CAUTION!
•
Prolonged driving with the MIL on could cause
further damage to the emission control system. It
could also affect fuel economy and driveability. The
vehicle must be serviced before any emissions tests
can be performed.
• If the MIL is flashing while the vehicle is running,
severe catalytic converter damage and power loss
will soon occur. Immediate service is required.
136 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

Onboard Diagnostic System (OBD II) Cybersecurity
Your vehicle is required to have an Onboard Diagnostic
system (OBD II) and a connection port to allow access to
information related to the performance of your emissions
controls. Authorized service technicians may need to ac-
cess this information to assist with the diagnosis and
service of your vehicle and emissions system.
WARNING!
•ONLY an authorized service technician should con-
nect equipment to the OBD II connection port in
order to read the VIN, diagnose, or service your
vehicle.
• If unauthorized equipment is connected to the OBD
II connection port, such as a driver-behavior tracking
device, it may:
• Be possible that vehicle systems, including safety
related systems, could be impaired or a loss of
vehicle control could occur that may result in an
accident involving serious injury or death.
• Access, or allow others to access, information
stored in your vehicle systems, including personal
information. For further information, refer to “Cybersecurity” in “Mul-
timedia”.
EMISSIONS INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
PROGRAMS
In some localities, it may be a legal requirement to pass an
inspection of your vehicle’s emissions control system.
Failure to pass could prevent vehicle registration.
For states that require an Inspection and Main-
tenance (I/M), this check verifies the “Malfunc-
tion Indicator Light (MIL)” is functioning and is
not on when the engine is running, and that the
OBD II system is ready for testing.
Normally, the OBD II system will be ready. The OBD II
system may notbe ready if your vehicle was recently
serviced, recently had a dead battery or a battery replace-
ment. If the OBD II system should be determined not ready
for the I/M test, your vehicle may fail the test.4
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 137

Your vehicle has a simple ignition actuated test, which you
can use prior to going to the test station. To check if your
vehicle’s OBD II system is ready, you must do the follow-
ing:
1. Cycle the ignition switch to the ON position, but do notcrank or start the engine.
NOTE: If you crank or start the engine, you will have to
start this test over.
2. As soon as you cycle the ignition switch to the ON position, you will see the “Malfunction Indicator Light
(MIL)” symbol come on as part of a normal bulb check.
3. Approximately 15 seconds later, one of two things will happen:
• The MIL will flash for about ten seconds and then return
to being fully illuminated until you turn OFF the igni-
tion or start the engine. This means that your vehicle’s
OBD II system is not readyand you should notproceed
to the I/M station.
• The MIL will not flash at all and will remain fully
illuminated until you place the ignition in the off posi-
tion or start the engine. This means that your vehicle’s
OBD II system is readyand you can proceed to the I/M
station. If your OBD II system is
not ready,you should see an
authorized dealer or repair facility. If your vehicle was
recently serviced or had a battery failure or replacement,
you may need to do nothing more than drive your vehicle
as you normally would in order for your OBD II system to
update. A recheck with the above test routine may then
indicate that the system is now ready.
Regardless of whether your vehicle’s OBD II system is
ready or not, if the MIL is illuminated during normal
vehicle operation you should have your vehicle serviced
before going to the I/M station. The I/M station can fail
your vehicle because the MIL is on with the engine
running.
138 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

longer desired. Once the brake pedal is released, the BAS is
deactivated.
WARNING!
The Brake Assist System (BAS) cannot prevent the
natural laws of physics from acting on the vehicle, nor
can it increase the traction afforded by prevailing road
conditions. BAS cannot prevent collisions, including
those resulting from excessive speed in turns, driving
on very slippery surfaces, or hydroplaning. The capa-
bilities of a BAS-equipped vehicle must never be
exploited in a reckless or dangerous manner, which
could jeopardize the user’s safety or the safety of
others.
Brake System Warning Light
The red “Brake System Warning Light” will turn on when
the ignition is turned to the ON/RUN mode and may stay
on for as long as four seconds.
If the “Brake System Warning Light” remains on or comes
on while driving, it indicates that the brake system is notfunctioning properly and that immediate service is re-
quired. If the “Brake System Warning Light” does not come
on when the ignition is turned to the ON/RUN mode, have
the light repaired as soon as possible.
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD)
This function manages the distribution of the braking
torque between the front and rear axles by limiting braking
pressure to the rear axle. This is done to prevent overslip of
the rear wheels to avoid vehicle instability, and to prevent
the rear axle from entering ABS before the front axle.
Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM)
This system anticipates the potential for wheel lift by
monitoring the driver ’s steering wheel input and the speed
of the vehicle. When ERM determines that the rate of
change of the steering wheel angle and vehicle’s speed are
sufficient to potentially cause wheel lift, it then applies the
appropriate brake and may also reduce engine power to
lessen the chance that wheel lift will occur. ERM can only
reduce the chance of wheel lift occurring during severe or
evasive driving maneuvers; it cannot prevent wheel lift
due to other factors, such as road conditions, leaving the
roadway, or striking objects or other vehicles.
142 SAFETY

To enter the “Partial Off” mode, momentarily push the
“ESC Off” switch and the “ESC Off Indicator Light” will
illuminate. To turn the ESC on again, momentarily push
the “ESC Off” switch and the “ESC Off Indicator Light”
will turn off.
WARNING!
When in “Partial Off” mode, the TCS functionality of
ESC, (except for the limited slip feature described in
the TCS section), has been disabled and the “ESC Off
Indicator Light” will be illuminated. When in “Partial
Off” mode, the engine power reduction feature of TCS
is disabled, and the enhanced vehicle stability offered
by the ESC system is reduced.
NOTE:
• For vehicles with multiple partial ESC modes a momen-
tary button push will toggle the ESC mode. Multiple
momentary button pushed may be required to return to
ESC On.
• Trailer Sway control (TSC) is disabled when the ESC
system is in the “Partial Off” mode.
• If Equipped — ESC SportandESC Track are ESC
partial off mode(s). Full Off – If Equipped
This mode is intended for off-highway or off-road use only
and should not be used on any public roadways. In this
mode, TCS and ESC features are turned OFF. To enter the
“Full Off” mode, push 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 display in the instrument cluster. To turn ESC
ON again, momentarily push the “ESC Off” switch.
WARNING!
•
In the ESC “Full Off” mode, the engine torque
reduction and stability features are disabled. There-
fore, enhanced vehicle stability offered by the ESC
system is unavailable. In an emergency evasive ma-
neuver, the ESC system will not engage to assist in
maintaining stability. ESC “Full Off” mode is in-
tended for off-highway or off-road use only.
• With the ESC switched off, the enhanced vehicle
stability offered by ESC is unavailable. In an emer-
gency evasive maneuver, the ESC system will not
engage to assist in maintaining stability. ESC “Full
(Continued)
5
SAFETY 145

WARNING!(Continued)
Off” mode is only intended for off-highway or
off-road use.
• The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) cannot pre-
vent the natural laws of physics from acting on the
vehicle, nor can it increase the traction afforded by
prevailing road conditions. ESC cannot prevent all
accidents, including those resulting from excessive
speed in turns, driving on very slippery surfaces, or
hydroplaning. ESC also cannot prevent collisions.
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 is turned to the ON mode. 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 an authorized 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 acceleration, 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.
NOTE:
•
The “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” and
the “ESC OFF Indicator Light” come on momentarily
each time the ignition is turned ON.
• Each time the ignition is turned ON, the ESC system will
be on even if it was turned off previously.
• The ESC system will make buzzing or clicking sounds
146 SAFETY

Towing With HSA
HSA will also provide assistance to mitigate roll back while
towing a trailer.
WARNING!
•If you use a trailer brake controller with your trailer,
the trailer brakes may be activated and deactivated
with the brake switch. If so, there may not be enough
brake pressure to hold both the vehicle and the
trailer on a hill when the brake pedal is released. In
order to avoid rolling down an incline while resum-
ing acceleration, manually activate the trailer brake
or apply more vehicle brake pressure prior to releas-
ing the brake pedal.
• HSA is not a parking brake. Always apply the
parking brake fully when exiting your vehicle. Also,
be certain to place the transmission in PARK.
• Failure to follow these warnings can result in a
collision or serious personal injury.
Disabling And Enabling HSA
This feature can be turned on or turned off. To change the
current setting, proceed as follows:
• If disabling HSA using your instrument cluster display,
refer to “Instrument Cluster Display” in “Getting To
Know Your Instrument Panel” for further information.
• If disabling HSA using Uconnect Settings, refer to
“Uconnect Settings” in “Multimedia” for further infor-
mation.
For vehicles not equipped with an instrument cluster
display, perform the following steps:
1. Center the steering wheel (front wheels pointing straight forward).
2. Shift the transmission into PARK.
3. Apply the parking brake.
4. Start the engine.
5. Rotate the steering wheel slightly more than one-half turn to the left.
148 SAFETY