Safety Checks You Should Make Inside
The Vehicle
Seat Belts
Inspect the seat belt system periodically,
checking for cuts, frays, and loose parts.
Damaged parts must be replaced immedi-
ately. Do not disassemble or modify the sys-
tem.
Front seat belt assemblies must be replaced
after a collision. Rear seat belt assemblies
must be replaced after a collision if they have
been damaged (i.e., bent retractor, torn web-
bing, etc.). If there is any question regarding
seat belt or retractor condition, replace the
seat belt.
Air Bag Warning Light
The Air Bag warning lightwill turn on for
four to eight seconds as a bulb check when
the ignition switch is first turned to ON/RUN.
If the light is either not on during starting,
stays on, or turns on while driving, have the
system inspected at your authorized dealer as
soon as possible. After the bulb check, this
light will illuminate with a single chime whena fault with the Air Bag System has been
detected. It will stay on until the fault is
removed. If the light comes on intermittently
or remains on while driving, have your autho-
rized dealer service the vehicle immediately.
Refer to “Occupant Restraint Systems” in
“Safety” for further information.
Defroster
Check operation by selecting the defrost
mode and place the blower control on high
speed. You should be able to feel the air
directed against the windshield. See your
authorized dealer for service if your defroster
is inoperable.
Floor Mat Safety Information
Always use floor mats designed to fit your
vehicle. Only use a floor mat that does not
interfere with the operation of the accelera-
tor, brake or clutch pedals. Only use a floor
mat that is securely attached using the floor
mat fasteners so it cannot slip out of position
and interfere with the accelerator, brake or
clutch pedals or impair safe operation of your
vehicle in other ways.
WARNING!
An improperly attached, damaged, folded,
or stacked floor mat, or damaged floor mat
fasteners may cause your floor mat to in-
terfere with the accelerator, brake, or
clutch pedals and cause a loss of vehicle
control. To prevent SERIOUS INJURY or
DEATH:
• ALWAYS securely attach
your floor
mat using the floor mat fasteners. DO
NOT install your floor mat upside down
or turn your floor mat over. Lightly pull to
confirm mat is secured using the floor
mat fasteners on a regular basis.
• ALWAYS REMOVE THE EXISTING
FLOOR MAT FROM THE VEHICLE
before installing any other floor mat.
NEVER install or stack an additional
floor mat on top of an existing floor mat.
• ONLY install floor mats designed to fit
your vehicle. NEVER install a floor mat
that cannot be properly attached and
secured to your vehicle. If a floor mat
needs to be replaced, only use a FCA
approved floor mat for the specific
make, model, and year of your vehicle.
137
WARNING!
• ONLY use the driver’s side floor mat on
the driver’s side floor area. To check for
interference, with the vehicle properly
parked with the engine off, fully depress
the accelerator, the brake, and the
clutch pedal (if present) to check for
interference. If your floor mat interferes
with the operation of any pedal, or is not
secure to the floor, remove the floor mat
from the vehicle and place the floor mat
in your trunk.
• ONLY use the passenger’s side floor mat
on the passenger’s side floor area.
• ALWAYS make sure objects cannot fall or
slide into the driver’s side floor area
when the vehicle is moving. Objects can
become trapped under accelerator,
brake, or clutch pedals and could cause
a loss of vehicle control.
• NEVER place any objects under the floor
mat (e.g., towels, keys, etc.). These ob-
jects could change the position of the
floor mat and may cause interference
WARNING!
with the accelerator, brake, or clutch
pedals.
• If the vehicle carpet has been removed
and re-installed, always properly attach
carpet to the floor and check the floor
mat fasteners are secure to the vehicle
carpet. Fully depress each pedal to
check for interference with the accelera-
tor, brake, or clutch pedals then re-
install the floor mats.
• It is recommended to only use mild soap
and water to clean your floor mats. After
cleaning, always check your floor mat
has been properly installed and is se-
cured to your vehicle using the floor mat
fasteners by lightly pulling mat.
Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make
Outside The Vehicle
Tires
Examine tires for excessive tread wear and
uneven wear patterns. Check for stones,
nails, glass, or other objects lodged in thetread or sidewall. Inspect the tread for cuts
and cracks. Inspect sidewalls for cuts,
cracks, and bulges. Check the wheel nuts for
tightness. Check the tires (including spare)
for proper cold inflation pressure.
Lights
Have someone observe the operation of brake
lights and exterior lights while you work the
controls. Check turn signal and high beam
indicator lights on the instrument panel.
Door Latches
Check for proper closing, latching, and lock-
ing.
Fluid Leaks
Check area under the vehicle after overnight
parking for fuel, coolant, oil, or other fluid
leaks. Also, if gasoline fumes are detected or
if fuel, or brake fluid leaks are suspected. The
cause should be located and corrected imme-
diately.
SAFETY
138
WARNING!
• Do not leave children or animals inside
parked vehicles in hot weather. Interior
heat build-up may cause serious injury
or death.
NOTE:
Engine start up in very low ambient tempera-
ture could result in evident white smoke. This
condition will disappear as the engine warms
up.
CAUTION!
The engine is allowed to crank as long as
30 seconds. If the engine fails to start
during this period, please wait at least two
minutes for the starter to cool before re-
peating start procedure.
Normal Starting Procedure — Keyless
Enter-N-Go
Observe the instrument panel cluster lights
when starting the engine.
NOTE:
Normal starting of either a cold or a warm
engine is obtained without pumping or press-
ing the accelerator pedal.
1. Always apply the parking brake.
2. Press and hold the brake pedal while
pushing the ENGINE START/STOP button
once.
NOTE:
A delay of the start of up to five seconds is
possible under very cold conditions. The
“Wait to Start” telltale will be illuminated
during the pre-heat process, When the
engine Wait To Start light goes off the
engine will automatically crank.
CAUTION!
If the “Water in Fuel Indicator Light” re-
mains on, DO NOT START the engine be-
fore the water is drained from the fuel
filters to avoid engine damage.
3. The system will automatically engage the
starter to crank the engine. If the vehicle
fails to start, the starter will disengage
automatically after 30 seconds.
4. If you wish to stop the cranking of the
engine prior to the engine starting, push
the button again.
5. Check that the oil pressure warning light
has turned off.
6. Release the parking brake.
STARTING AND OPERATING
144
PARK BRAKE
Electric Park Brake (EPB)
Your vehicle is equipped with a new Electric
Park Brake System (EPB) that offers greater
convenience. The park brake switch is lo-
cated in the center console.
To apply the park brake manually, pull up on
the switch momentarily. The BRAKE warning
lamp in the instrument cluster and an indi-
cator on the switch will illuminate.To release the park brake manually, the igni-
tion switch must be in RUN. Then put your
foot on the brake pedal and push the park
brake switch down momentarily. Once the
park brake is fully disengaged, the BRAKE
warning lamp and the switch indicator will
extinguish.
The park brake can also be automatically
released. With the engine running and the
transmission in gear, release the brake pedal
and depress the throttle pedal. For safety
reasons, your seat belt must also be fastened.
NOTE:
• You may hear a slight whirring sound from
the back of the vehicle while the parking
brake engages or disengages.
• If your foot is on the brake pedal while you
are engaging or disengaging the parking
brake, you may notice a small amount of
brake pedal movement.
• The new Auto Park Brake feature can be
used to apply the park brake automatically
every time you park the vehicle. Auto Park
Brake can be enabled and disabled in the
Settings menu in Uconnect.• The parking brake can be engaged even
when the ignition switch is OFF, however, it
can only be disengaged when the ignition
switch is in the ON/RUN position.
•If exceptional circumstances should make it
necessary to engage the park brake while the
vehicle is in motion, maintain upward pres-
sure on the electric park brake switch for as
long as engagement is desired. The BRAKE
warning lamp will illuminate, and a continu-
ous chime will sound. The rear stop lamps
will also be illuminated automatically while
the vehicle remains in motion.
•SafeHold a new feature that will automati-
cally apply the park brake under certain con-
ditions. The EPB monitors the status of the
driver’s seat belt, driver’s door and pedal
positions to determine if the driver may have
exited while the vehicle is still capable of
moving and will then automatically apply the
park brake to prevent the vehicle from rolling.
• The EPB fault lamp will illuminate if the
EPB switch is held for longer than 20 sec-
onds in either the released or applied posi-
tion. The light will extinguish upon releas-
ing the switch.
• Refer to the Starting And Operating section
of your vehicle’s Owner’s Manual.
Parking Brake Switch
145
WARNING!
• Never use the PARK position as a sub-
stitute for the parking brake. Always
apply the parking brake fully when
parked to guard against vehicle move-
ment and possible injury or damage.
• When exiting the vehicle, always make
sure the ignition is in the OFF mode,
remove the key fob from the vehicle, 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 un-
attended is dangerous for a number of
reasons. A child or others could be seri-
ously or fatally injured. Children should
be warned not to touch the parking
brake, brake pedal or the transmission
gear selector.
• Do not leave the key fob in or near the
vehicle, (or in a location accessible to
children), and do not leave the ignition
in the ACC or ON/RUN mode. A child
could operate power windows, other
controls, or move the vehicle.
WARNING!
• Be sure the parking brake is fully disen-
gaged before driving; failure to do so can
lead to brake failure and a collision.
• Always fully apply the parking brake
when leaving your vehicle, or it may roll
and cause damage or injury. Also be
certain to leave the transmission in
PARK. Failure to do so may allow the
vehicle to roll and cause damage or
injury.
• Driving the vehicle with the parking
brake engaged, or repeated use of the
parking brake to slow the vehicle may
cause serious damage to the brake sys-
tem.
CAUTION!
If the Brake System Warning Light remains
on with the parking brake released, a brake
system malfunction is indicated. Have the
brake system serviced by an authorized
dealer immediately.
Auto Park Brake
The EPB can be programmed to be applied
automatically whenever the vehicle speed is
below 1.9 mph (3 km/h) and the automatic
transmission is placed in PARK, or with a
manual transmission, whenever the ignition
switch is in the OFF position. Auto Park
Brake is enabled and disabled by customer
selection through the Customer Program-
mable Features section of the Uconnect Set-
tings.
Any single Auto Park Brake application can
be bypassed by pushing the EPB switch to
the release position while the transmission is
placed in PARK (automatic transmission)
and the ignition is in the ON/RUN position.
SafeHold
SafeHold is a safety feature of the EPB sys-
tem that will engage the park brake automati-
cally if the vehicle is left unsecured while the
ignition switch is in ON/RUN.
STARTING AND OPERATING
146
To engage REVERSE gear from the NEUTRAL
position, lift the REVERSE ring, located be-
low the knob and move the gear selector all
the way left and then forward.
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 effi-
ciently for fuel economy and performance, it
should be upshifted as listed in the recom-mended shift speed chart. Shift at the ve-
hicle speeds listed for acceleration. When
heavily loaded or pulling a trailer, these rec-
ommended up-shift speeds may not apply.
Manual Transmission Shift Speeds in MPH (KM/H)
All EnginesGear Selection 2 to 3 3 to 4 4 to 5 5 to 6
Accel. 24 (39) 34 (55) 47 (76) 56 (90)
Cruise 19 (31) 27 (43) 37 (60) 41 (66)
NOTE:
A certain amount of noise from the transmis-
sion is normal. This noise can be most notice-
able when the vehicle is idling in NEUTRAL
with the clutch engaged (clutch pedal re-
leased), but it may also be heard when driv-
ing. The noise may also be more noticeable
when the transmission is warm. This noise is
normal and is not an indication of a problem
with your clutch or transmission.Downshifting
Moving from a high gear down to a lower gear
is recommended to preserve brakes when
driving down steep hills. In addition, down-
shifting at the right time provides better ac-
celeration 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 ve-
hicle could skid.
STARTING AND OPERATING
148
WARNING!
Do not coast in NEUTRAL and never turn
off the ignition to coast down a hill. These
are unsafe practices that limit your re-
sponse to changing traffic or road condi-
tions. You might lose control of the vehicle
and have a collision.
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 “Start-
ing And Operating” and “Towing A Dis-
abled 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 up-shifts through all forward gears. The DRIVE
position provides optimum driving character-
istics 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 to select a lower gear (refer to
"AutoStick" in this section for further infor-
mation). Under these conditions, using a
lower gear will improve performance and ex-
tend transmission life by reducing excessive
shifting and heat buildup.
If the transmission temperature exceeds nor-
mal operating limits, the transmission con-
troller may modify the transmission shift
schedule, reduce engine torque, and/or ex-
pand the range of torque converter clutch
engagement. This is done to prevent trans-
mission damage due to overheating.
If the transmission becomes extremely hot,
the "Transmission Temperature Warning
Light" may illuminate, and the transmission
may operate differently until the transmis-
sion cools down.During cold temperatures, transmission op-
eration may be modified depending on en-
gine and/or transmission temperature as well
as vehicle speed. This feature improves warm
up time of the engine and transmission to
achieve maximum efficiency. Engagement of
the torque converter clutch (and, for the
nine-speed, shifts into 8th or 9th gear), are
inhibited until the engine and/or transmis-
sion is warm (refer to the “Note” under
“Torque Converter Clutch” in this section).
Normal operation will resume once the tem-
perature(s) have risen to a suitable level.
AUTOSTICK
AutoStick is a driver-interactive transmission
feature providing manual shift control, giving
you more control of the vehicle. AutoStick
allows you to maximize engine braking, elimi-
nate undesirable upshifts and downshifts,
and improve overall vehicle performance.
This system can also provide you with more
control during passing, city driving, cold slip-
pery conditions, mountain driving, trailer
towing, and many other situations.
155
Operation
When the gear selector is in the AutoStick
position (beside the DRIVE position), it can
be moved forward and rearward. This allows
the driver to manually select the transmission
gear being used. Moving the gear selector
forward (-) triggers a downshift and rearward
(+) an upshift. The current gear is displayed
in the instrument cluster.
In AutoStick mode, the transmission will
shift up or down when the driver moves the
gear selector rearward (+) or forward (-), un-
less an engine lugging or overspeed condition
would result. It will remain in the selected
gear until another upshift or downshift is
chosen, except as described below.
• Six-speed transmissions will automatically
upshift when necessary to prevent engine
over-speed.
• The transmission will automatically down-
shift as the vehicle slows (to prevent engine
lugging) and will display the current gear.• The transmission will automatically down-
shift 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 (or third gear, in six-speed
models, or in 4LO range, Snow mode, or
Sand mode, where available). Tapping (+)
(at a stop) will allow starting in second gear.
Starting out in second gear can be helpful
in snowy or icy conditions.
• 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.
• Transmission shifting will be more notice-
able when AutoStick is enabled.
• The system may revert to automatic shift
mode if a fault or overheat condition is
detected.
NOTE:
When Selec-Speed or Hill Descent Control is
enabled, AutoStick is not active.To disengage AutoStick, return the gear se-
lector to the DRIVE position. You can shift in
or out of the AutoStick position at any time
without taking your foot off the accelerator
pedal.
WARNING!
Do not downshift for additional engine
braking on a slippery surface. The drive
wheels could lose their grip and the ve-
hicle could skid, causing a collision or
personal injury.
Transmission Limp Home Mode
Transmission function is monitored electroni-
cally for abnormal conditions. If a condition
is detected that could result in transmission
damage, Transmission Limp Home Mode is
activated. In this mode, the transmission
may operate only in a fixed gear, or may
remain in NEUTRAL. The Malfunction Indi-
cator Light (MIL) may be illuminated. Limp
Home Mode may allow the vehicle to be
driven to an authorized dealer for service
without damaging the transmission.
STARTING AND OPERATING
156