DODGE VIPER 2013 VX / 3.G Owners Manual

STARTING AND OPERATING
CONTENTS
STARTING PROCEDURES ................202
▫ Normal Starting ...................... .202
▫ If Engine Fails To Start .................204
▫ After Starting ....................... .205
 MANUAL TRANSMISSION ...............205
▫ Shifting ............................ .206
▫ Recommended Shift Speeds ..............207
▫ Skip Shift Indicator Light ...............208
 STREET/RACE MODE – IF EQUIPPED .......209
 LAUNCH MODE – IF EQUIPPED ...........210
DRIVING ON SLIPPERY SURFACES .........211
▫ Acceleration .........................211
▫ Traction ............................211
 DRIVING THROUGH WATER .............212
▫ Flowing/Rising Water ..................212
▫ Shallow Standing Water .................213
 POWER STEERING .....................214
▫ Power Steering Fluid Check ..............215
 PARKING BRAKE ..................... .216
5

BRAKE SYSTEM ...................... .218
▫ Brake Pad Break-In ....................218
▫ Anti-Lock Brake System ................219
 ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM . . . .222
▫ Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) ............222
▫ Traction Control System (TCS) ............223
▫ Electronic Stability Control ..............223
 TIRE SAFETY INFORMATION .............227
▫ Tire Markings ....................... .227
▫ Tire Identification Number (TIN) ...........230
▫ Tire Terminology And Definitions ..........231
▫ Tire Loading And Tire Pressure ...........232
TIRES — GENERAL INFORMATION .........237
▫ Tire Pressure ....................... .237
▫ Tire Inflation Pressures .................238
▫ Tire Pressures For High Speed Operation . . . .240
▫ Radial Ply Tires ..................... .240
▫ Tire Spinning ....................... .240
▫ Tread Wear Indicators ..................241
▫ Life Of Tire ........................ .242
▫ Replacement Tires .....................242
▫ Tire Storage ........................ .244
 SNOW TIRES ........................ .244
 TIRE ROTATION RECOMMENDATIONS .....244
200 STARTING AND OPERATING

TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR SYSTEM (TPMS) . .245
▫ Tire Pressure Monitoring Low Pressure
Warnings .......................... .246
 FUEL REQUIREMENTS ..................248
▫ 8.4L Engine ......................... .248
▫ Reformulated Gasoline .................248
▫ Gasoline/Oxygenate Blends ..............249
▫ E-85 Usage In Non-Flex Fuel Vehicles .......249
▫ MMT In Gasoline .....................250
▫ Materials Added To Fuel ................250
▫ Fuel System Cautions ...................251 ▫
Carbon Monoxide Warnings .............252
 ADDING FUEL ....................... .252
▫ Emergency Fuel Filler Door Release .........254
 TRAILER TOWING .....................254
 RECREATIONAL TOWING
(BEHIND MOTORHOME, ETC.) ............254
▫ Towing This Vehicle Behind Another Vehicle
(Flat towing with all four
wheels on the ground) .................254
 GROUND CLEARANCE .................255
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STARTING AND OPERATING 201

STARTING PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust the
inside and outside mirrors, fasten your seat belt, and if
present, instruct any other occupant to buckle their seat
belt.
WARNING!
Never leave children alone in a vehicle. Leaving
unattended children in a vehicle is dangerous for a
number of reasons. A child or others could be seri-
ously or fatally injured. Do not leave the key fob in
or near the vehicle (or in a location accessible to
children), and do not leave 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.
CAUTION!
Long periods of engine idling, especially at high
engine speeds, can cause excessive exhaust tempera-
tures, which can damage your vehicle. Do not leave
your vehicle unattended with the engine running.
Normal Starting
CAUTION!
Long periods of engine idling, especially at high
engine speeds, can cause excessive exhaust tempera-
tures, which can damage your vehicle. Do not leave
your vehicle unattended with the engine running.
202 STARTING AND OPERATING

NOTE:
•You must disarm the security system in order to start
the engine. Refer to “Security Alarm System” in
“Things To Know Before Starting Your Vehicle” for
further information.
• Normal starting of either a cold or a warm engine does
not require pumping or pressing the accelerator pedal.
However, if the engine has not started within three
seconds, slightly press the accelerator pedal while
continuing to crank. If the engine fails to start within
15 seconds, wait five seconds, then repeat the “Normal
Starting” procedure.
To Start The Engine:
1. Fully apply the parking brake.
2. Press the clutch pedal to the floor.
NOTE: The engine will not start unless the clutch pedal
is pressed to the floor. 3. Place the shift lever in NEUTRAL.
4. Press the red ENGINE START/STOP button located
on the instrument panel. Release the button when the
engine starts.
Engine START/STOP Button
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STARTING AND OPERATING 203

If Engine Fails To Start
CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter, do not crank the
engine for more than 15 seconds at a time. Wait 10 to
15 seconds before trying again.
WARNING!
•Never pour fuel or other flammable liquids into
the throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to
start the vehicle. This could result in a flash fire
causing serious personal injury.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get it
started. Unburned fuel could enter the catalytic
converter and once the engine has started, ignite
and damage the converter and vehicle. If the vehicle
has a discharged battery, booster cables may be
used to obtain a start from a booster battery or the
battery in another vehicle. This type of start can be
dangerous if done improperly, so follow this proce-
dure carefully. Refer to “Jump Starting” in “What
To Do In Emergencies” for further information.
If the engine is flooded, it may start to run, but not have
enough power to continue running when the ENGINE
START button is released. If this occurs, continue crank-
ing up to 15 seconds with the accelerator pedal pushed
all the way to the floor. Release the accelerator pedal and
the ENGINE START button once the engine is running
smoothly.
204 STARTING AND OPERATING

If the engine shows no sign of starting after two 15
second periods of cranking with the accelerator pedal
held to the floor, the “Normal Starting” procedure should
be repeated.
After Starting
The idle speed is controlled automatically and it will
decrease as the engine warms up.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
NOTE:The parking brake should be engaged and the
shift lever placed into REVERSE before leaving the
vehicle, especially when parked on an incline.
Your vehicle is equipped with a high torque capacity dual
disc clutch. The clutch pedal must be fully pressed to the
floor during each shift. As you release the clutch pedal,
lightly press the accelerator pedal.
CAUTION!
• Never drive with your foot resting on the clutch
pedal, or try to hold the vehicle on a hill with the
clutch pedal partially engaged, as this will cause
abnormal wear on the clutch.
• Failure to press the clutch pedal fully to the floor
may cause increased shift efforts, and may result in
damage to the clutch and transmission.
• Do not rest your hand on the shift lever while
driving, as this may result in transmission damage.
• Do not attempt to shift the transmission if the rear
wheels are spinning due to loss of traction. Dam-
age to the transmission may occur.
Be sure the transmission is in first gear when moving
forward from a standing position.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 205

CAUTION!
Failure to start out in first gear when moving forward
from a starting position may result in damage to the
clutch.
Shifting
Fully press the clutch pedal and lift your foot off the
accelerator pedal before shifting gears. As you release the
clutch pedal, lightly press the accelerator pedal. Damage
to the transmission or clutch may occur if you do not
fully press the clutch pedal and lift off of the accelerator
pedal when shifting.
The six-speed manual transmission has a spring that
centers the shift lever near third and fourth gear. This
spring helps you know which gear you are in when you
are shifting. Be careful when shifting from first to second
or downshifting from sixth to fifth.The spring will try to pull the shift lever toward third and
fourth gear. Make sure you move the shift lever into
second or fifth gear. If you let the shift lever move in the
direction of the pulling, you may end shifting from first
to fourth or from sixth to third gear.
You will find it easier to use only the lower gears for most
city driving. For steady highway driving with light
accelerations, sixth gear is recommended.
Never drive with your foot resting on the clutch pedal, or
try to hold the vehicle on a hill with the clutch pedal
partially engaged. This will cause abnormal wear on the
clutch.
Never shift into REVERSE until the vehicle has come to a
complete stop.
206 STARTING AND OPERATING

NOTE:
•Your vehicle is equipped with a transmission reverse
inhibitor system. When vehicle speed is greater than
3 mph (5 km/h), the reverse inhibitor activates to help
prevent shifts into REVERSE. When at a complete stop,
you may notice light shift efforts into REVERSE with
the ignition in the ON position, and increased shift
efforts into REVERSE with the ignition in the OFF
position. This is normal operation of the transmission
reverse inhibitor system.
• Shifting gears during cold weather may require an
increased effort until the transmission lubricant is
warm. This is normal and not harmful to the
transmission.
• Due to the high performance nature of your drivetrain,
a certain amount of noise from the transmission is
normal. This noise can be most noticeable when the
vehicle is idling in NEUTRAL with the clutch engaged (clutch pedal released), but it may also be heard when
driving. 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.
• You must always use first gear (or Reverse) when
starting from a standing position.
CAUTION!
Always make sure the vehicle comes to a complete
stop before shifting into REVERSE. Failure to do so
may result in transmission damage.
Recommended Shift Speeds
To use your manual transmission for fuel economy it
should be upshifted as listed below. Shift at the vehicle
speeds listed for acceleration. Earlier upshifts during
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STARTING AND OPERATING 207

cruise conditions (relatively steady speeds) will result in
increased fuel economy, and may be used as indicated.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
RECOMMENDED SHIFT SPEEDS 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
mph 15 25 40 45 50
(km/h) (24) (40) (64) (72) (80)
Higher upshift speeds may be used to obtain a desired
acceleration rate.
Skip Shift Indicator Light
There are times when you must shift the trans-
mission directly from first gear into fourth gear
instead of from first gear into second gear. This
is to help you get the best possible fuel
economy from your vehicle. This occurs when engine coolant is higher than 107°F (42°C), and vehicle speed is
greater than 16 mph (26 km/h) but less than 18 mph
(29 km/h), and engine speed is less than 1,650 RPM, and
the transmission is in first gear, and the accelerator is at
20% throttle or less. The “Skip Shift Indicator Light”
located in the tachometer will illuminate during these
times.
When the “Skip Shift Indicator Light” illuminates, the
shift mechanism will only allow shifts from first gear to
fourth gear. After you shift the transmission into fourth
gear, you can press the clutch in and shift to another
forward gear.
Downshifting - Proper downshifting will improve fuel
economy and prolong engine life.
To maintain a safe speed and prolong brake life, down-
shift to maintain a safe speed when descending a steep
grade.
208 STARTING AND OPERATING