DODGE CHALLENGER 2008 Owners Manual

These indicators are molded into the bottom of the tread
grooves. They will appear as bands when the tread depth
becomes 1/16 in (2 mm). When the tread is worn to the
tread wear indicators, the tire should be replaced.
Many states have laws requiring tire replacement at this
point.
Life Of Tire
The service life of a tire is dependent upon varying
factors including, but not limited to:
•Driving style
•Tire pressure
•Distance driven
WARNING!
Tires and the spare tire should be replaced after six
years, regardless of the remaining tread. Failure to
follow this warning can result in sudden tire failure.
You could lose control and have an accident resulting
in serious injury or death.
Keep dismounted tires in a cool, dry place with as little
exposure to light as possible. Protect tires from contact
with oil, grease, and gasoline.
STARTING AND OPERATING 259
5
ProCarManuals.com

Replacement Tires
The tires on your new vehicle provide a balance of many
characteristics. They should be inspected regularly for
wear and correct cold tire inflation pressure. The manu-
facturer strongly recommends that you use tires equiva-
lent to the originals in size, quality and performance
when replacement is needed. (Refer to the paragraph on
“Tread Wear Indicators”). Refer to the “Tire and Loading
Information” placard for the size designation of your tire.
The service description and load identification will be
found on the original equipment tire. Failure to use
equivalent replacement tires may adversely affect the
safety, handling, and ride of your vehicle. We recommend
that you contact your original equipment or an autho-
rized tire dealer with any questions you may have on tire
specifications or capability.WARNING!
•Do not use a tire, wheel size or rating other than that
specified for your vehicle. Some combinations of un-
approved tires and wheels may change suspension
dimensions and performance characteristics, resulting
in changes to steering, handling, and braking of your
vehicle. This can cause unpredictable handling and
stress to steering and suspension components. You
could lose control and have an accident resulting in
serious injury or death. Use only the tire and wheel
sizes with load ratings approved for your vehicle.
•Never use a tire with a smaller load index or capacity,
other than what was originally equipped on your
vehicle. Using a tire with a smaller load index could
result in tire overloading and failure. You could lose
control and have an accident.
•Failure to equip your vehicle with tires having ad-
equate speed capability can result in sudden tire fail-
ure and loss of vehicle control.
260 STARTING AND OPERATING
ProCarManuals.com

CAUTION!
Replacing original tires with tires of a different size
may result in false speedometer and odometer
readings.
Alignment And Balance
Poor suspension alignment may result in:
•Fast tire wear.
•Uneven tire wear, such as feathering and one-sided
wear.
•Vehicle pull to right or left.
Tires may also cause the vehicle to pull to the left or right.
Alignment will not correct this condition. See your
authorized dealer for proper diagnosis. Improper alignment will not cause vehicle vibration.
Vibration may be a result of tire and wheel out-of-
balance. Proper balancing will reduce vibration and
avoid tire cupping and spotty wear.
TIRE CHAINS
Due to limited clearance, tire chains are not recom-
mended.
CAUTION!
Damage to the vehicle may result if tire chains are
used.
STARTING AND OPERATING 261
5
ProCarManuals.com

SNOW TIRES
Some areas of the country require the use of snow tires
during the winter. Standard tires are of the all season type
and satisfy this requirement as indicated by the M+S
designation on the tire sidewall.
If you need snow tires, select tires equivalent in size and
type to the original equipment tires. Use snow tires only
in sets of four. Failure to do so may adversely affect the
safety and handling of your vehicle.
Snow tires generally have lower speed ratings than what
was originally equipped with your vehicle and should
not be operated at sustained speeds over 75 mph (120
km/h).
TIRE ROTATION RECOMMENDATIONS
Tires on the front and rear axles of vehicles operate at
different loads and perform different steering, driving,
and braking functions. For these reasons, they wear at
unequal rates and tend to develop irregular wear pat-
terns. These effects can be reduced by timely rotation of
tires. The benefits of rotation are especially worthwhile
with aggressive tread designs such as those on all season
type tires. Rotation will increase tread life, help to main-
tain mud, snow, and wet traction levels, and contribute to
a smooth, quiet ride.
Follow the Maintenance Schedule in Section 8 for the
recommended tire rotation frequency. Remember, more
frequent rotation is permissible if desired. Also, correct
for anything causing rapid or unusual wear prior to
performing the tire rotation.
262 STARTING AND OPERATING
ProCarManuals.com

Tire Rotation — Standard Tires
The suggested rotation method for vehicles equipped
with all season tires is the “forward-cross” as shown in
the following diagram.
Tire Rotation — Optional Tires
The suggested rotation method is the “side-to-side” as
shown in the following diagram. This method is required
due to different size tires on the front and rear of the
vehicle.
STARTING AND OPERATING 263
5
ProCarManuals.com

TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR SYSTEM (TPMS)
•
The Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) will warn
the driver of a low tire pressure based on the vehicle
recommended cold placard pressure.
•The tire pressure will vary with temperature by about
1 psi (6.9 kPa) for every 12°F (6.5°C). This means that
when the outside temperature decreases, the tire pres-
sure will decrease. Tire pressure should always be set
based on cold inflation tire pressure. This is defined as
the tire pressure after the vehicle has not been driven
for at least three hours, or driven less than 1 mi (1 km)
after a three hour period. The cold tire inflation
pressure must not exceed the maximum inflation
pressure molded into the tire sidewall. Refer to “Tires
– General Information” in this section for information
on how to properly inflate the vehicle’s tires. The tire pressure will also increase as the vehicle is driven - this
is normal and there should be no adjustment for this
increased pressure.
•The TPMS will warn the driver of a low tire pressure
if the tire pressure falls below the low-pressure warn-
ing limit for any reason, including low temperature
effects and natural pressure loss through the tire.
•The TPMS will continue to warn the driver of low tire
pressure as long as the condition exists, and will not
turn off until the tire pressure is at or above the
recommended cold placard pressure. Once the low tire
pressure warning (Tire Pressure Monitoring [TPM]
Telltale Light) illuminates, you must increase the tire
pressure to the recommended cold placard pressure in
order for the TPM Telltale Light to turn off. The system
will automatically update and the TPM Telltale Light
will turn off once the system receives the updated tire
264 STARTING AND OPERATING
ProCarManuals.com

pressures. The vehicle may need to be driven for up to
10 minutes above 15 mph (25 km/h) in order for the
TPMS to receive this information.
For example, your vehicle may have a recom-
mended cold (parked for more than three hours)
placard pressure of 30 psi (207 kPa). If the ambient
temperature is 68°F (20°C) and the measured tire
pressure is 27 psi (186 kPa), a temperature drop to
20°F (-7°C) will decrease the tire pressure to ap-
proximately 26 psi (179 kPa). This tire pressure is
sufficiently low enough to turn ON the TPM Telltale
Light. Driving the vehicle may cause the tire pres-
sure to rise to approximately 27 psi (186 kPa), but
the TPM Telltale Light will still be ON. In this
situation, the TPM Telltale Light will turn OFF only
after the tires are inflated to the vehicle’s recom-
mended cold placard pressure value.
CAUTION!
•The TPMS has been optimized for the original
equipment tires and wheels. TPMS pressures and
warning have been established for the tire size
equipped on your vehicle. Undesirable system
operation or sensor damage may result when us-
ing replacement equipment that is not of the same
size, type, and/or style. Aftermarket wheels can
cause sensor damage. Do not use aftermarket tire
sealants or balance beads if your vehicle is
equipped with a TPMS, as damage to the sensors
may result.
•After inspecting or adjusting the tire pressure,
always reinstall the valve stem cap. This will
prevent moisture and dirt from entering the valve
stem, which could damage the TPM sensor.
STARTING AND OPERATING 265
5
ProCarManuals.com

NOTE:
•The TPMS is not intended to replace normal tire care
and maintenance or to provide warning of a tire failure
or condition.
•The TPMS should not be used as a tire pressure gauge
while adjusting your tire pressure.
•Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel efficiency and tire
tread life, and may affect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability.
•The TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire mainte-
nance, and it is the driver ’s responsibility to maintain
correct tire pressure using an accurate tire pressure
gauge, even if under-inflation has not reached the
level to trigger illumination of the TPM Telltale Light.
•Seasonal temperature changes will affect tire pressure,
and the TPMS will monitor the actual tire pressure in
the tire.
Premium System
The Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) uses wireless
technology with wheel rim mounted electronic sensors to
monitor tire pressure levels. Sensors mounted to each
wheel as part of the valve stem transmit tire pressure
readings to the receiver module.
NOTE: It is particularly important for you to check the
tire pressure in all of the tires on your vehicle monthly
and to maintain the proper pressure.
The TPMS consists of the following components:
•Receiver module,
•Four TPM sensors,
266 STARTING AND OPERATING
ProCarManuals.com

•CORAX Receiver module,
•Various TPMS messages, which display in the Elec-
tronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC), and
•TPM Telltale Light
The matching full size spare wheel and tire assembly (if
equipped) has a TPM sensor. The full size spare can be
used in place of any of the four road tires. A spare with a
pressure below the low-pressure limit will not cause the
TPM Telltale Light to illuminate or the chime to sound.
Tire Pressure Monitoring Low Pressure Warnings
The TPM Telltale Light will illuminate in the
instrument cluster and a chime will sound when
tire pressure is low in one or more of the four
active road tires. In addition, the EVIC will display one or
more low pressure messages (Left Front, Left Rear, Right Front, Right Rear) for three seconds and a graphic
showing the pressure values of each tire with the low tire
pressure values flashing.
STARTING AND OPERATING 267
5
ProCarManuals.com

Should this occur, you should stop as soon as possible
and inflate the tires with low pressure (those flashing in
the EVIC graphic) to the vehicle’s recommended cold
placard pressure value. Once the system receives the
updated tire pressures, the system will automatically
update, the graphic display in the EVIC will stop flash-
ing, and the TPM Telltale Light will turn off. The vehicle
may need to be driven for up to 10 minutes above 15 mph
(25 km/h) in order for the TPMS to receive this informa-
tion.
Check TPMS Warning
If a system fault is detected, the TPM Telltale Light will
flash on and off for 75 seconds and then remain on solid.
The system fault will also sound a chime. In addition, the
EVIC will display aCHECK TPM SYSTEM message for three seconds and then display dashes (- -) in place of the
pressure value to indicate which sensor is not being
received.
268 STARTING AND OPERATING
ProCarManuals.com