2019 DODGE CHALLENGER automatic transmission

STARTING AND OPERATING
CONTENTS
STARTING THE ENGINE ..................208
▫ Manual Transmission — If Equipped .........208
▫ Automatic Transmission — If Equipped ......208
▫ Normal Starting ...................... .209
▫ Cold Weather Operation
(Below –22°F Or 30°C) ..................212
▫ If Engine Fails To Start ..................213
▫ After Starting ......................... .213
 ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED . . . .213
 ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS . . . .214
 PARKING BRAKE ...................... .215
 MANUAL TRANSMISSION — IF EQUIPPED . . .218
▫ Six-Speed Manual Transmission .............218
▫ Shifting ............................. .219▫
Recommended Shift Speeds ................220
▫ 1–4 Skip Shift ........................ .221
▫ Downshifting ......................... .221
 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION —
IF EQUIPPED ......................... .222
▫ Ignition Park Interlock ...................223
▫ Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System . . . .223
▫ Eight-Speed Automatic Transmission .........224
 SPORT MODE — WITHOUT PERFORMANCE
CONTROL ........................... .232
 FUEL SAVER TECHNOLOGY 5.7L AND
6.4L ONLY — IF EQUIPPED ................232
 POWER STEERING ..................... .232
 SPEED CONTROL — IF EQUIPPED ..........233
▫ To Activate .......................... .234
6

STARTING THE ENGINE
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust the
inside and outside mirrors, fasten your seat belt, and if
present, instruct all other occupants to buckle their seat
belts.
WARNING!
•When exiting the vehicle, always make sure the
ignition is in “OFF” mode, 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. Leaving children 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 trans-
mission 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 (of a vehicle equipped with Keyless
Enter-N-Go) in the ACC or ON/RUN mode. A child
could operate power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not leave children or animals inside parked
vehicles in hot weather. Interior heat build-up may
cause serious injury or death.
Manual Transmission — If Equipped
Apply the parking brake, place the gear selector in NEU-
TRAL and press the clutch pedal before starting vehicle.
This vehicle is equipped with a clutch interlocking ignition
system. It will not start unless the clutch pedal is pressed to
the floor.
Automatic Transmission — If Equipped
The gear selector must be in the PARK position before you
can start the engine. Apply the brakes before shifting into
any driving gear.
CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may occur if the following
precautions are not observed:
• Shift into or out of PARK or REVERSE only after the
vehicle has come to a complete stop.
(Continued)
208 STARTING AND OPERATING

CAUTION!(Continued)
•Do not shift between PARK, REVERSE, NEUTRAL,
or DRIVE when the engine is above idle speed.
• Before shifting into any gear, make sure your foot is
firmly pressing the brake pedal.
Tip Start Feature — Automatic Transmission
Place the ignition in the START mode and release it as the
starter engages. The starter motor will automatically dis-
engage itself once engine is running. If the engine fails to
start, the starter will disengage automatically in 10 sec-
onds. If this occurs:
1. Place the ignition in the OFF mode.
2. Wait 10 to 15 seconds.
3. Repeat the “Normal Starting” procedure.
Normal Starting
To Turn On The Engine Using The ENGINE
START/STOP Button — Manual Transmission Only
1. Press and hold the clutch pedal while pushing and holding the ENGINE START/STOP button. 2. Release the button when the engine starts. If the vehicle
fails to start within 15 seconds, release the button, wait
10 to 15 seconds, then repeat the “Normal Starting”
procedure.
3. If you wish to stop the cranking of the engine prior to the engine starting, release the button.
NOTE: Normal starting of either a cold or a warm engine
is obtained without pumping or pressing the accelerator
pedal.
To Turn On The Engine Using The ENGINE
START/STOP Button — Automatic Transmission
Only
1. The transmission must be in PARK.
2. Press and hold the brake pedal while pushing the ENGINE START/STOP button once.
3. The system takes over and attempts to start the vehicle. If the vehicle fails to start, the starter will disengage
automatically after 10 seconds.
4. If you wish to stop the cranking of the engine prior to the engine starting, push the button again.
6
STARTING AND OPERATING 209

NOTE:Normal starting of either a cold or a warm engine
is obtained without pumping or pressing the accelerator
pedal.
To Turn Off The Engine Using ENGINE
START/STOP Button — Manual Transmission Only
1. With the vehicle stopped, place the gear selector in NEUTRAL, then push and release the ENGINE START/
STOP button.
2. The ignition will return to the OFF mode.
3. Place the gear selector in first gear or REVERSE and then apply the parking brake.
NOTE:
• If the ignition switch is left in the ACC position, the
system will automatically time out after 30 minutes of
inactivity and the ignition will switch to the OFF posi-
tion.
• If the ignition switch is left in the RUN position, the
system will automatically time out after 30 minutes of
inactivity if the vehicle speed is 0 mph (0 km/h) and the
engine is not running. •
If the vehicle speed is above 5 mph (8 km/h), the
ENGINE START/STOP button must be held for two
seconds or three short pushes in a row before the engine
will shut off. The ignition switch position will remain in
the ACC position until the vehicle is stopped, placed in
park and the button is pushed twice to the OFF position.To Turn Off The Engine Using ENGINE
START/STOP Button — Automatic Transmission
Only
1. Place the gear selector in PARK, then push and release the ENGINE START/STOP button.
2. The ignition will return to the OFF mode.
3. If the gear selector is not in PARK, the ENGINE START/ STOP button must be held for two seconds or three short
pushes in a row with the vehicle speed above 5 mph
(8 km/h) before the engine will shut off. The ignition
will remain in the ACC mode until the gear selector is in
PARK and the button is pushed twice to the OFF mode.
If the gear selector is not in PARK and the ENGINE
START/STOP button is pushed once, the instrument
cluster will display a “Vehicle Not In Park” message and
the engine will remain running. Never leave a vehicle
out of the PARK position, or it could roll.
210 STARTING AND OPERATING

NOTE:If the ignition switch is left in the ACC or RUN
(engine not running) position and the transmission is in
PARK, the system will automatically time out after 30
minutes of inactivity and the ignition will switch to the
OFF position.
AutoPark
AutoPark is a supplemental feature to assist in placing the
vehicle in PARK should the situations on the following
pages occur. It is a back up system and should not be relied
upon as the primary method by which the driver shifts the
vehicle into PARK.
The conditions under which AutoPark will engage are
outlined on the following pages.
WARNING!
• Driver inattention could lead to failure to place the
vehicle in PARK. ALWAYS DO A VISUAL CHECK
that your vehicle is in PARK by verifying that a solid
(not blinking) “P” is indicated in the instrument
cluster display and on the gear selector. If the P
indicator is blinking, your vehicle is not in PARK. As
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
an added precaution, always apply the parking brake
when exiting the vehicle.
• AutoPark is a supplemental feature. It is not de-
signed to replace the need to shift your vehicle into
PARK. It is a back up system and should not be
relied upon as the primary method by which the
driver shifts the vehicle into PARK.
If the vehicle is not in PARK and the driver turns off the
engine, the vehicle may AutoPark.
AutoPark will engage when all of these conditions are met:
• Vehicle is equipped with an 8-speed transmission
• Vehicle is not in PARK
• Vehicle Speed is 1.2 MPH (1.9 km/h) or less
• Ignition switched from RUN to ACC
NOTE: For Keyless Go equipped vehicles, The engine will
turn off and the ignition switch will change to ACC mode.
After 30 minutes the ignition switches to OFF automati-
cally, unless the driver turns the ignition switch OFF.
6
STARTING AND OPERATING 211

NOTE:
•When the parking brake is applied and the transmission
is placed in gear, the “Brake Warning Light” will flash. If
vehicle speed is detected, a chime will sound to alert the
driver. Fully release the parking brake before attempting
to move the vehicle.
• This light only shows that the parking brake is applied.
It does not show the degree of brake application.
When parking on a hill, it is important to turn the front
wheels toward the curb on a downhill grade and away
from the curb on an uphill grade. For vehicles equipped
with an automatic transmission, apply the parking brake
before placing the gear selector in PARK, otherwise the
load on the transmission locking mechanism may make it
difficult to move the gear selector out of PARK. The
parking brake should always be applied whenever the
driver is not in the vehicle.
Manual Transmission — If Equipped
The foot operated parking brake is positioned below the
lower left corner of the instrument panel. To release the
parking brake, pull the parking brake release handle. Automatic Transmission — If Equipped
The foot operated parking brake is located below the lower
left corner of the instrument panel. To apply the park
brake, firmly push the park brake pedal fully. To release the
parking brake, press the park brake pedal a second time
and let your foot up as you feel the brake disengage.
Manual Transmission Parking Brake Release
216 STARTING AND OPERATING

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION — IF EQUIPPED
WARNING!
•Never use the PARK position as a substitute for the
parking brake. Always apply the parking brake fully
when exiting the vehicle to guard against vehicle
movement and possible injury or damage.
• Your vehicle could move and injure you and others if
it is not in PARK. Check by trying to move the
transmission gear selector out of PARK with the
brake pedal released. Make sure the transmission is
in PARK before exiting the vehicle.
• The transmission may not engage PARK if the ve-
hicle is moving. Always bring the vehicle to a
complete stop before shifting to PARK, and verify
that the transmission gear position indicator solidly
indicates PARK (P) without blinking. Ensure that the
vehicle is completely stopped, and the PARK posi-
tion is properly indicated, before exiting 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-
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
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 come to a
complete stop, then apply the parking brake, shift
the transmission into PARK, and turn the ignition
OFF. When the ignition is in the OFF mode, the
transmission is locked in PARK, securing the vehicle
against unwanted movement.
• When exiting the vehicle, always make sure the
ignition is in the OFF mode, 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
(Continued)
222 STARTING AND OPERATING

Eight-Speed Automatic Transmission
The transmission gear range (PRNDM) is displayed both
on the gear selector and in the instrument cluster.
To select a gear range, press the lock button on the gear
selector and move the selector rearward or forward. To
shift the transmission out of PARK, the engine must be
running and the brake pedal must be pressed. You must
also press the brake pedal to shift from NEUTRAL into
DRIVE or REVERSE when the vehicle is stopped or mov-
ing at low speeds. Select the DRIVE range for normal
driving.
NOTE:In the event of a mismatch between the gear
selector position and the actual transmission gear (for
example, driver selects PARK while driving), the position
indicator will blink continuously until the selector is re-
turned to the proper position, or the requested shift can be
completed. The electronically-controlled transmission adapts its shift
schedule based on driver inputs, along with environmental
and road conditions. The transmission electronics are self-
calibrating; therefore, 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).
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.
Automatic Transmission Gear Selector
224 STARTING AND OPERATING