2018 CHRYSLER 300 sport mode

— LaneSense Indicator Light — If Equipped
The LaneSense indicator is solid green when both lane
markings have been detected and the system is “armed”
and ready to provide visual and torque warnings if an
unintentional lane departure occurs. Refer to “LaneSense
— If Equippedin “Starting And Operating” for further
information.
— Park/Headlight On Indicator Light
This indicator light will illuminate when the park lights or
headlights are turned on.
— Sport Mode Indicator Light
This light will turn on when Sport Mode is active.
— Turn Signal Indicator Lights
When the left or right turn signal is activated, the turn
signal indicator will flash independently and the corre-
sponding exterior turn signal lamps will flash. Turn signals
can be activated when the multifunction lever is moved
down (left) or up (right). NOTE:
•
A continuous chime will sound if the vehicle is driven
more than 1 mile (1.6 km) with either turn signal on.
• Check for an inoperative outside light bulb if either
indicator flashes at a rapid rate.
White Indicator Lights
— Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) Ready Light —
If Equipped
This light will turn on when Adaptive Cruise Control
(ACC) has been turned on, but is not set. Refer to “Adap-
tive Cruise Control (ACC)” in “Starting And Operating”
for further information.
— Cruise Control Ready Indicator
This light will turn on when the speed control is ready, but
not set.
— LaneSense Indicator Light — If Equipped
When the LaneSense system is ON, but not armed, the
LaneSense indicator is solid white. This occurs when only
left, right, or neither lane line has been detected. If a single
4
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 135

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

NOTE:
•The BSM system does NOT alert the driver about
rapidly approaching vehicles that are outside the detec-
tion zones.
• The BSM system detection zone DOES NOT change if
your vehicle is towing a trailer. Therefore, visually verify
the adjacent lane is clear for both your vehicle and trailer
before making a lane change. If the trailer or other object
(i.e., bicycle, sports equipment) extends beyond the side
of your vehicle, this may result in the BSM warning light
randomly alerting on the trailer or even remaining
illuminated the entire time the vehicle is in a forward
gear.
• The Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) system may experi-
ence drop outs (blinking on and off) of the side mirror
Warning Indicator lamps when a motorcycle or any
small object remains at the side of the vehicle for
extended periods of time (more than a couple of sec-
onds).
The area on the rear fascia where the radar sensors are
located must remain free of snow, ice, and dirt/road contamination so that the BSM system can function prop-
erly. Do not block the area of the rear fascia where the radar
sensors are located with foreign objects (bumper stickers,
bicycle racks, etc.).
The BSM system notifies the driver of objects in the
detection zones by illuminating the BSM warning light
located in the outside mirrors in addition to sounding an
audible (chime) alert and reducing the radio volume if the
corresponding turn signal is activated. Refer to “Modes Of
Operation” for further information.
Sensor Location (Driver Side Shown)
5
SAFETY 151

STARTING AND OPERATING
CONTENTS
STARTING THE ENGINE ..................216
▫ Automatic Transmission ..................216
▫ Keyless Enter-N-Go — Ignition .............217
▫ Normal Starting ...................... .217
▫ Cold Weather Operation
(Below –22°F Or 30°C) ..................220
▫ If Engine Fails To Start ..................220
▫ After Starting ......................... .221
 ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED . . . .221
 ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS . . . .221
 PARKING BRAKE ...................... .222
 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ..............224
▫ Ignition Park Interlock ...................225
▫ Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System . . . .225 ▫
Eight-Speed Automatic Transmission .........226
 SPORT MODE — IF EQUIPPED .............234
 FUEL SAVER TECHNOLOGY 5.7L ONLY — IF
EQUIPPED ............................ .235
 POWER STEERING ..................... .235
 SPEED CONTROL — IF EQUIPPED ..........236
▫ To Activate .......................... .237
▫ To Set A Desired Speed ..................237
▫ To Vary The Speed Setting ................237
▫ To Accelerate For Passing .................238
▫ To Resume Speed ..................... .239
▫ To Deactivate ........................ .239
 ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL (ACC) — IF
EQUIPPED ........................... .239
▫ Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) Operation .....241
6

CAUTION!
Towing the vehicle, coasting, or driving for any other
reason with the transmission in NEUTRAL can cause
severe transmission damage.
Refer to “Recreational Towing” in “Starting And Op-
erating” and “Towing A Disabled Vehicle” in “In Case
Of Emergency” for further information.
DRIVE (D)
This range should be used for most city and highway
driving. It provides the smoothest upshifts and downshifts,
and the best fuel economy. The transmission automatically
upshifts through all forward gears. The DRIVE position
provides optimum driving characteristics under all normal
operating conditions.
When frequent transmission shifting occurs (such as when
operating the vehicle under heavy loading conditions, in
hilly terrain, traveling into strong head winds, or while
towing a heavy trailer), use the AutoStick shift control (if
equipped, refer to “AutoStick” in this section for further
information) to select a lower gear. Under these conditions,
using a lower gear will improve performance and extend
transmission life by reducing excessive shifting and heat
buildup. During extremely cold temperatures (-22°F [-30°C] or be-
low), transmission operation may be modified depending
on engine and transmission temperature as well as vehicle
speed. Normal operation will resume once the transmis-
sion temperature has risen to a suitable level.
SPORT (S) — If Equipped
This mode alters the transmission’s automatic shift sched-
ule for sportier driving. Upshift speeds are increased to
make full use of available engine power.
To access SPORT mode, push down on the gear selector
and rotate it fully clockwise, or push the SPORT button in
the center stack.
LOW (L) — If Equipped
Use this range for engine braking when descending very
steep grades. In this range, the transmission will downshift
for increased engine braking. To access the LOW position,
push down on the gear selector and rotate it fully clock-
wise.
Transmission Limp Home Mode
Transmission function is monitored electronically for ab-
normal conditions. If a condition is detected that could
result in transmission damage, Transmission Limp Home
6
STARTING AND OPERATING 231

Mode is activated. In this mode, the transmission may
operate only in certain gears, or may not shift at all. Vehicle
performance may be severely degraded and the engine
may stall. In some situations, the transmission may not
re-engage if the engine is turned off and restarted. The
Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) may be illuminated. A
message in the instrument cluster will inform the driver of
the more serious conditions, and indicate what actions may
be necessary.
In the event of a momentary problem, the transmission can
be reset to regain all forward gears by performing the
following steps:
NOTE:In cases where the instrument cluster message
indicates the transmission may not re-engage after engine
shutdown, perform this procedure only in a desired loca-
tion (preferably, at an authorized dealer).
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Shift the transmission into PARK, if possible. If not, shift the transmission to NEUTRAL.
3. Push and hold the ignition switch until the engine turns OFF.
4. Wait approximately 30 seconds. 5. Restart the engine.
6. Shift into the desired gear range. If the problem is no
longer detected, the transmission will return to normal
operation.
NOTE: Even if the transmission can be reset, we recom-
mend that you visit an authorized dealer at your earliest
possible convenience. An authorized dealer has diagnostic
equipment to assess the condition of your transmission.
If the transmission cannot be reset, authorized dealer
service is required.
AutoStick — If Equipped
AutoStick is a driver-interactive transmission feature pro-
viding manual shift control, giving you more control of the
vehicle. AutoStick allows you to maximize engine braking,
eliminate undesirable upshifts and downshifts, and im-
prove overall vehicle performance.
This system can also provide you with more control during
passing, city driving, cold slippery conditions, mountain
driving, trailer towing, and many other situations.
Operation
When the transmission is in DRIVE or SPORT mode, it will
operate automatically, shifting between the eight available
232 STARTING AND OPERATING

gears. To engage AutoStick, simply tap one of the steering
wheel-mounted shift paddles (+/-) while in DRIVE or
SPORT mode. In DRIVE mode, this will activate a tempo-
rary AutoStick mode. The transmission will revert back to
normal operation after a period of time, depending on
accelerator pedal activity. When the transmission gear
selector is in the SPORT position, tapping either shift
paddle will activatepermanentAutoStick mode. The
transmission will remain in AutoStick mode until the
driver deliberately disables AutoStick (as described be-
low). Tapping (-) to enter AutoStick will downshift the
transmission to the next lower gear, while using (+) to enter
AutoStick will retain the current gear. When AutoStick is
active, the current transmission gear is displayed in the
instrument cluster.
In AutoStick mode, the transmission will shift up or down
when (+/-) is manually selected by the driver, unless an
engine lugging or overspeed condition would result. It will
remain in the selected gear until another upshift or down-
shift is chosen, except as described below.
• If AutoStick is engaged while in DRIVE mode, the
transmission will automatically shift up when maxi-
mum engine speed is reached. If the accelerator is fully depressed, the transmission will downshift when pos-
sible (based on current vehicle speed and gear). Lack of
accelerator pedal activity will cause the transmission to
revert to automatic operation.
• If AutoStick is engaged while the transmission gear
selector is in the SPORT position, manual gear selection
will be maintained until the gear selector 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.
• In either DRIVE or SPORT mode, 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.
6
STARTING AND OPERATING 233

•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.
• Holding the (-) paddle depressed will downshift the
transmission to the lowest gear possible at the current
speed.
• Transmission shifting will be more noticeable when
AutoStick is enabled.
• The system may revert to automatic shift mode if a fault
or overheat condition is detected.
To disengage AutoStick mode, press and hold the (+) shift
paddle until DorS is once again indicated in the
instrument cluster. Shifting out of SPORT mode will also
disable AutoStick. You can shift in or out of AutoStick
mode at any time without taking your foot off the accel-
erator pedal.WARNING!
Do not downshift for additional engine braking on a
slippery surface. The drive wheels could lose their grip
and the vehicle could skid, causing a collision or
personal injury.
SPORT MODE — IF EQUIPPED
Your vehicle is equipped with a Sport Mode feature. This
mode is a configuration set up for typical enthusiast
driving. The engine, transmission and steering systems are
Sport Mode Button
234 STARTING AND OPERATING