2021 CHRYSLER 300 light

STARTING AND OPERATING 115
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 addition of a friction/hydraulic sway
control also dampens sway caused by traffic and
crosswinds and contributes positively 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.
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.
WARNING!
An improperly adjusted Weight Distributing
Hitch system may reduce handling, stability,
braking performance, and could result in a
collision.
Weight Distributing Systems may not be
compatible with Surge Brake Couplers.
Consult with your hitch and trailer manufac
-
turer or a reputable Recreational Vehicle
d e

aler for additional information.
Trailer Hitch Classification Definitions
Class Max. Trailer Hitch Industry Standards
Class I - Light Duty 2,000 lb (907 kg)
Class II - Medium Duty 3,500 lb (1,587 kg)
Class III - Heavy Duty 6,000 lb (2,722 kg)
Class IV - Extra Heavy Duty 10,000 lb (4,535 kg)
Refer to the “Trailer Towing Weights (Maximum Trailer Weight Ratings)” chart for the Maximum Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) towable for your given drivetrain.
All trailer hitches should be professionally installed on your vehicle.
4

118 STARTING AND OPERATING
Towing Requirements — Trailer Lights And
Wiring
Whenever you pull a trailer, regardless of the trailer
size, stop lights and turn signals on the trailer are
required for motoring safety.
The Trailer Tow Package may include a four- and
se

ven-pin wiring harness. Use a factory approved
trailer harness and connector.
NOTE:
Do not cut or splice wiring into the vehicle’s wiring
h a
rness. The electrical connections are all complete to the
v
e

hicle but you must mate the harness to a trailer
connector. Refer to the following illustrations.
NOTE:
Disconnect trailer wiring connector from the
vehicle before launching a boat (or any other
device plugged into vehicle’s electrical connect)
into water.
Be sure to reconnect after clear from water
area.

Four-Pin Connector Seven-Pin Connector

TOWING TIPS
Before setting out on a trip, practice turning,
stopping, and backing up the trailer in an area
located away from heavy traffic.
Towing any trailer will increase your stopping
distance. When towing, you should allow for
additional space between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front of you. Failure to do so could
result in an accident.
CAUTION!
If the trailer weighs more than 1,000 lb (453 kg)
loaded, it should have its own brakes and they
should be of adequate capacity. Failure to do
this could lead to accelerated brake lining wear,
higher brake pedal effort, and longer stopping
distances.
WARNING!
1 — Ground
2 — Park
3 — Left Stop/Turn
4 — Right Stop/Turn
1 — Backup Lamps
2 — Running Lamps
3 — Left Stop/Turn
4 — Ground
5 — Battery
6 — Right Stop/Turn
7 — Electric Brakes

STARTING AND OPERATING 119
Automatic Transmission
Select the DRIVE range when towing. The
transmission controls include a drive strategy to
avoid frequent shifting when towing. However, if
frequent shifting does occur while in DRIVE, you
can use the AutoStick shift control (if equipped) to
manually select a lower gear.
NOTE:
Using a lower gear while operating the vehicle
u n
der heavy loading conditions will improve perfor -
mance and extend transmission life by reducing
e x

cessive shifting and heat buildup. This action will
also provide better engine braking.
Cruise Control — If Equipped
Do not use on hilly terrain or with heavy loads.
When using the Cruise Control, if you experience
speed drops greater than 10 mph (16 km/h),
d i
sengage until you can get back to cruising
speed.
Use Cruise Control in flat terrain and with light
loads to maximize fuel efficiency.
AutoStick — If Equipped
When using the AutoStick shift control, select
the highest gear that allows for adequate perfor -
mance and avoids frequent downshifts. For
e x

ample, choose “5” if the desired speed can be
maintained. Choose “4” or “3” if needed to
maintain the desired speed.
To prevent excess heat generation, avoid
continuous driving at high RPM. Reduce vehicle
speed as necessary to avoid extended driving at
high RPM. Return to a higher gear or vehicle
speed when grade and road conditions allow.
RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND
MOTORHOME)
Recreational towing (with all four wheels on the
ground, or using a tow dolly) is NOT ALLOWED. The
only acceptable method for towing this vehicle
(behind another vehicle) is on a vehicle trailer with
all four wheels OFF the ground.
DRIVING TIPS
DRIVING ON SLIPPERY SURFACES
Information in this section will aid in safe
controlled launches in adverse conditions.
Acceleration
Rapid acceleration on snow covered, wet, or other
slippery surfaces may cause the driving wheels to
pull erratically to the right or left. This phenomenon
occurs when there is a difference in the surface
traction under the rear (driving) wheels.
Traction
When driving on wet or slushy roads, it is possible
for a wedge of water to build up between the tire
and road surface. This is known as hydroplaning
and may cause partial or complete loss of vehicle
control and stopping ability. To reduce this
possibility, the following precautions should be
observed:
Slow down during rainstorms or when the roads
are slushy.
Slow down if the road has standing water or
puddles.
CAUTION!
Towing this vehicle in violation of the above
requirements can cause severe transmission
and/or transfer case damage. Damage from
improper towing is not covered under the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty.
WARNING!
Rapid acceleration on slippery surfaces is
dangerous. Unequal traction can cause sudden
pulling of the front wheels. You could lose
control of the vehicle and possibly have a
collision. Accelerate slowly and carefully
whenever there is likely to be poor traction (ice,
snow, wet, mud, loose sand, etc.).
4

120 STARTING AND OPERATING
(Continued)
Replace tires when tread wear indicators first
become visible.
Keep tires properly inflated.
Maintain sufficient distance between your
vehicle and the vehicle in front of you to avoid a
collision in a sudden stop.
Your vehicle may be equipped with a Limited Slip
D i

fferential (LSD) that reduces, but does not
eliminate, the amount of wheel slip across a given
axle for improved handling.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
Driving through water more than a few inches/
centimeters deep will require extra caution to
ensure safety and prevent damage to your vehicle.
Flowing/Rising Water Shallow Standing Water
Although your vehicle is capable of driving through
shallow standing water, consider the following
Warnings and Cautions before doing so.
WARNING!
Do not drive on or across a road or path where
water is flowing and/or rising (as in storm
run-off). Flowing water can wear away the road
or path's surface and cause your vehicle to sink
into deeper water. Furthermore, flowing and/or
rising water can carry your vehicle away swiftly.
Failure to follow this warning may result in
injuries that are serious or fatal to you, your
passengers, and others around you.
WARNING!
Driving through standing water limits your
vehicle’s traction capabilities. Do not exceed
5
mph (8 km/h) when driving through
st

anding water.
Driving through standing water limits your
vehicle’s braking capabilities, which increases
stopping distances. Therefore, after driving
through standing water, drive slowly and
lightly press on the brake pedal several times
to dry the brakes.
Failure to follow these warnings may result in
injuries that are serious or fatal to you, your
passengers, and others around you.
CAUTION!
Always check the depth of the standing water
before driving through it. Never drive through
standing water that is deeper than the bottom
of the tire rims mounted on the vehicle.
Determine the condition of the road or the
path that is under water and if there are any
obstacles in the way before driving through
the standing water.
Do not exceed 5 mph (8 km/h) when driving
th
rough standing water. This will minimize
wave effects.
Driving through standing water may cause
damage to your vehicle’s drivetrain compo -
nents. Always inspect your vehicle’s fluids
( i

.e., engine oil, transmission, axle, etc.) for
signs of contamination (i.e., fluid that is milky
or foamy in appearance) after driving through
standing water. Do not continue to operate
the vehicle if any fluid appears contaminated,
as this may result in further damage. Such
damage is not covered by the New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
Getting water inside your vehicle’s engine can
cause it to lock up and stall out, and cause
serious internal damage to the engine. Such
damage is not covered by the New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
CAUTION!

MULTIMEDIA 123
Language
Display
When the Language button is pressed on the touchscreen, the system displays the different language options. Once an option is selected, the system will
display in the chosen language.
NOTE:
Depending on the vehicle’s options, feature settings may vary.
Setting Name Description
LanguageThis setting will change the language of the Uconnect system. The available
l
a
nguages are English, Français, and Español.
When the Display button is pressed on the touchscreen, the system will display the options related to the theme (if equipped), brightness, and color of the
touchscreen. The available settings are:
NOTE:
Depending on the vehicle’s options, feature settings may vary.
Setting Name Description
Display ModeThis setting will allow you to set the brightness manually or have the system
s
e

t it automatically. The “Auto” setting has the system automatically adjust
the display brightness. The “Manual” setting will allow the user to adjust the
brightness of the display.
Display Brightness With Headlights ON This setting will allow you to set the brightness when the headlights are on. To
a
c

cess this setting, Display Mode must be set to Manual. The “+” setting will
increase the brightness; the “-” will decrease the brightness.
5

124 MULTIMEDIA
Units
Display Brightness With Headlights OFF This setting will allow you to set the brightness when the headlights are off. To
a
c
cess this setting, Display Mode must be set to Manual. The “+” setting will
increase the brightness; the “-” will decrease the brightness.
Set Theme This setting will allow you to change the display theme.
Touchscreen Beep This setting will allow you to turn the touchscreen beep on or off.
Control Screen Timeout This setting will allow you to set the Control Screen to turn off automatically
af

ter five seconds or stay open until manually closed.
Navigation Next Turn Pop-ups Displayed in Cluster This setting will display navigation prompts in the Instrument Cluster Display.
Setting Name Description
When the Units button is pressed on the touchscreen, the system displays the different measurement options. The selected unit of measurement will display in
the instrument cluster display and navigation system (if equipped). The available settings are:
NOTE:
Depending on the vehicle’s options, feature settings may vary.
Setting Name Description
USThis setting will change the unit of measurement on the display to US.
Metric This setting will change the unit of measurement on the display to Metric.
Custom This setting changes the “Speed” (MPH or km/h), “Distance” (mi or km), “Fuel
Con

sumption” (MPG [US], MPG [UK], L/100 km, or km/L), “Pressure” (psi,
k P
a, or bar), and “Temperature” (°C or °F) units of measurement
independently.

128 MULTIMEDIA
Mirrors & Wipers
Blind Spot Alert This setting will change the type of alert provided when an object is detected
in

a vehicle’s blind spot. The “Off” setting will turn off Blind Spot Alert. The
“Lights” setting will activate the Blind Spot Alert lights on the outside mirrors.
The “Lights & Chime” setting will activate both the lights on the outside
mirrors and an audible chime.
Power Steering Default This setting will adjust the power steering modes. Setting options are
“N

ormal”, “Sport”, and “Comfort”.
Hill Start Assist This setting will turn the Hill Start Assist system on or off.
Rain Sensing Auto Wipers This setting will turn the Rain Sensing Auto Wipers on or off.
Tilt Mirrors In Reverse This setting will tilt the mirrors when the vehicle is place in REVERSE.
Setting Name Description
When the Mirrors & Wipers button is pressed on the touchscreen, the system displays the options related to the vehicle’s mirrors and wipers.
NOTE:
Depending on the vehicle’s options, feature settings may vary.
Setting Name Description
Tilt Side Mirrors in ReverseThis Setting will tilt the mirrors when the vehicle is placed in REVERSE. Setting
op
t
ions are “On” and “Off”.
Rain Sensing Auto Wipers This setting will turn the Rain Sensing Auto Wipers on or off.
Headlights with Wipers This setting will turn the headlights on when the wipers are activated. Setting
op
t

ions are “On” and “Off”.

MULTIMEDIA 129
Lights
When the Lights button is pressed on the touchscreen, the system displays the options related to the vehicle’s exterior and interior lights.
NOTE:
When the “Daytime Running Lights” feature is selected, the daytime running lights can be turned On or Off. This feature is only allowed by law in the country of
t h
e vehicle purchased.
NOTE:
Depending on the vehicle’s options, feature settings may vary.
Setting Name Description
Headlight Off DelayThis setting will allow you to set the amount of time it takes for the headlights
t
o
shut off after the vehicle is turned off. The available settings are “0 sec”,
“30 sec”, “60 sec”, and “90 sec”.
Headlight Illumination On Approach This setting will allow you to set the amount of time it takes for the headlights
t
o

shut off after the vehicle is unlocked. The available settings are “0 sec”,
“30 sec”, “60 sec”, and “90 sec”.
Headlights with Wipers This setting will turn the headlights on when the wipers are activated.
Daytime Running Lights This setting will allow you to turn the Daytime Running Lights on or off.
Flash Lights With Lock This setting will allow you to turn on or off the flashing of the lights when the
Lock

button is pushed on the key fob. Available settings are “On” and “Off”.
Auto Dim High Beams This setting will allow you to turn the Auto Dim High Beams on or off.
5