2019 CHRYSLER 300 towing

▫Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) ........285
▫ Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) ..........285
▫ Overloading ......................... .285
▫ Loading ............................ .286
 TRAILER TOWING ..................... .286
▫ Common Towing Definitions ...............286
▫ Trailer Hitch Classification ................288
▫ Trailer Towing Weights (Maximum Trailer
Weight Ratings) ....................... .289▫
Trailer And Tongue Weight ...............290
▫ Towing Requirements ...................291
▫ Towing Tips ......................... .295
 RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND
MOTORHOME, ETC.) ....................296
 DRIVING TIPS ......................... .296
▫ Driving On Slippery Surfaces ..............296
▫ Driving Through Water ..................297
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STARTING AND OPERATING 219

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.
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.
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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
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.
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WARNING!
•Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is a convenience
system. It is not a substitute for active driving
involvement. It is always the driver ’s responsibility
to be attentive of road, traffic, and weather condi-
tions, vehicle speed, distance to the vehicle ahead;
and, most importantly, brake operation to ensure safe
operation of the vehicle under all road conditions.
Your complete attention is always required while
driving to maintain safe control of your vehicle.
Failure to follow these warnings can result in a
collision and death or serious personal injury.
• The ACC system:
• Does not react to pedestrians, oncoming vehicles,
and stationary objects (e.g., a stopped vehicle in a
traffic jam or a disabled vehicle).
• Cannot take street, traffic, and weather conditions
into account, and may be limited upon adverse
sight distance conditions.
• Does not always fully recognize complex driving
conditions, which can result in wrong or missing
distance warnings.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Will bring the vehicle to a complete stop while
following a target vehicle and hold the vehicle for
2 seconds in the stop position. If the target vehicle
does not start moving within two seconds the ACC
system will display a message that the system will
release the brakes and that the brakes must be
applied manually. An audible chime will sound
when the brakes are released.
You should switch off the ACC system:
• When driving in fog, heavy rain, heavy snow, sleet,
heavy traffic, and complex driving situations (i.e., in
highway construction zones).
• When entering a turn lane or highway off ramp;
when driving on roads that are winding, icy, snow-
covered, slippery, or have steep uphill or downhill
slopes.
• When towing a trailer up or down steep slopes.
• When circumstances do not allow safe driving at a
constant speed.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 245

NOTE:If the “ACC/FCW Limited Functionality Clean
Front Windshield” message occurs frequently (e.g. more
than once on every trip) without any snow, rain, mud, or
other obstruction, have the windshield and forward facing
camera inspected at your authorized dealer.
Service ACC/FCW Warning
If the system turns off, and the instrument cluster displays
“ACC/FCW Unavailable Service Required” or “Cruise/
FCW Unavailable Service Required”, there may be an
internal system fault or a temporary malfunction that
limits ACC functionality. Although the vehicle is still
drivable under normal conditions, ACC will be temporar-
ily unavailable. If this occurs, try activating ACC again
later, following an ignition cycle. If the problem persists,
see your authorized dealer.
Precautions While Driving With ACC
In certain driving situations, ACC may have detection
issues. In these cases, ACC may brake late or unexpectedly.
The driver needs to stay alert and may need to intervene.
Towing A Trailer
Towing a trailer is not advised when using ACC.
Offset Driving
ACC may not detect a vehicle in the same lane that is offset
from your direct line of travel, or a vehicle merging in from
a side lane. There may not be sufficient distance to the
vehicle ahead. The offset vehicle may move in and out of
the line of travel, which can cause your vehicle to brake or
accelerate unexpectedly.
Offset Driving Condition Example
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•Clean the ParkSense sensors regularly, taking care not to
scratch or damage them. The sensors must not be
covered with ice, snow, slush, mud, dirt or debris.
Failure to do so can result in the system not working
properly. The ParkSense system might not detect an
obstacle behind or in front of the fascia/bumper, or it
could provide a false indication that an obstacle is
behind or in front of the fascia/bumper.
• Use the ParkSense switch to turn the ParkSense system
off if objects such as bicycle carriers, trailer hitches, etc.
are placed within 12 inches (30 cm) from the rear
fascia/bumper. Failure to do so can result in the system
misinterpreting a close object as a sensor problem,
causing the “PARKSENSE UNAVAILABLE SERVICE
REQUIRED” message to be displayed in the instrument
cluster.WARNING!
• Drivers must be careful when backing up even when
using ParkSense. Always check carefully behind
your vehicle, look behind you, and be sure to check
for pedestrians, animals, other vehicles, obstructions,
and blind spots before backing up. You are respon-
sible for safety and must continue to pay attention to
your surroundings. Failure to do so can result in
serious injury or death.
• Before using ParkSense, it is strongly recommended
that the ball mount and hitch ball assembly is
disconnected from the vehicle when the vehicle is
not used for towing. Failure to do so can result in
injury or damage to vehicles or obstacles because the
hitch ball will be much closer to the obstacle than the
rear fascia when the loudspeaker sounds the con-
tinuous tone. Also, the sensors could detect the ball
mount and hitch ball assembly, depending on its size
and shape, giving a false indication that an obstacle
is behind the vehicle.
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The best way to figure out the total weight of your vehicle
is to weigh it when it is fully loaded and ready for
operation. Weigh it on a commercial scale to ensure that it
is not over the GVWR.
Figure out the weight on the front and rear of the vehicle
separately. It is important that you distribute the load
evenly over the front and rear axles.
Overloading can cause potential safety hazards and
shorten useful service life. Heavier axles or suspension
components do not necessarily increase the vehicle’s
GVWR.
Loading
To load your vehicle properly, first figure out its empty
weight, axle-by-axle and side-by-side. Store heavier items
down low and be sure you distribute their weight as
evenly as possible. Stow all loose items securely before
driving. If weighing the loaded vehicle shows that you
have exceeded either GAWR, but the total load is within
the specified GVWR, you must redistribute the weight.
Improper weight distribution can have an adverse effect on
the way your vehicle steers and handles and the way the
brakes operate.NOTE:
•
Refer to the “Vehicle Certification Label” affixed to the
rear of the driver’s door for your vehicle’s GVWR and
GAWRs.
• Refer to the “Tire Placard” for your vehicle’s proper tire
pressure.
TRAILER TOWING
In this section you will find safety tips and information on
limits to the type of towing you can reasonably do with
your vehicle. Before towing a trailer, carefully review this
information to tow your load as efficiently and safely as
possible.
To maintain the New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage,
follow the requirements and recommendations in this
manual concerning vehicles used for trailer towing.
Common Towing Definitions
The following trailer towing related definitions will assist
you in understanding the following information:
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
The GVWR is the total allowable weight of your vehicle.
This includes driver, passengers, cargo and tongue weight.
286 STARTING AND OPERATING

If equipped, the electronic Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
recognizes a swaying trailer and automatically applies
individual wheel brakes and/or reduces engine power to
attempt to eliminate the trailer sway.
Weight-Carrying Hitch
A weight-carrying hitch supports the trailer tongue weight,
just as if it were luggage located at a hitch ball or some
other connecting point of the vehicle. These kinds of
hitches are the most popular on the market today and they
are commonly used to tow small and medium sized
trailers.
Weight-Distributing Hitch
A weight-distributing system works by applying leverage
through spring (load) bars. They are typically used for
heavier loads to distribute trailer tongue weight to the tow
vehicle’s front axle and the trailer axle(s). When used in
accordance with the manufacturer’s directions, it provides
for a more level ride, offering more consistent steering and
brake control thereby enhancing towing safety. The addi-
tion of a friction/hydraulic sway control also dampens
sway caused by traffic and crosswinds and contributespositively to tow vehicle and trailer stability. Trailer sway
control and a weight distributing (load equalizing) hitch
are recommended for heavier Tongue Weights (TW) and
may be required depending on vehicle and trailer
configuration/loading to comply with Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) requirements.
WARNING!
•
An improperly adjusted Weight Distributing Hitch
system may reduce handling, stability, braking per-
formance, and could result in a collision.
• Weight Distributing Systems may not be compatible
with Surge Brake Couplers. Consult with your hitch
and trailer manufacturer or a reputable Recreational
Vehicle dealer for additional information.
Trailer Hitch Classification
The following chart provides the industry standard for the
maximum trailer weight a given trailer hitch class can tow
and should be used to assist you in selecting the correct
trailer hitch for your intended towing condition.
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