CHRYSLER 300 SRT 2006 1.G Owners Manual

WARNING!
High speed driving with your vehicle under maxi-
mum load is dangerous. The added strain on your
tires could cause them to fail. You could have a
serious accident. Don’t drive a vehicle loaded to the
maximum capacity at continuous speeds above 75
mph (120 km/h).
Radial-Ply Tires
WARNING!
Combining radial ply tires with other types of tires
on your vehicle will cause your vehicle to handle
poorly. The instability could cause an accident. Al-
ways use radial ply tires in sets of four (or 6, in case
of trucks with dual rear wheels). Never combine
them with other types of tires.
Cuts and punctures in radial tires are repairable only in
the tread area because of sidewall flexing. Consult your
authorized tire dealer for radial tire repairs.
Tire Spinning
When stuck in mud, sand, snow, or ice conditions, do not
spin your vehicle’s wheels above 35 mph (55 km/h).
See the paragraph on Freeing A Stuck Vehicle in Section
6 of this manual.
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces gener-
ated by excessive wheel speeds may cause tire dam-
age or failure. A tire could explode and injure
someone. Do not spin your vehicle’s wheels faster
than 35 mph (55 km/h) when you are stuck. And
don’t let anyone near a spinning wheel, no matter
what the speed.
STARTING AND OPERATING 211
5

Tread Wear Indicators
Tread wear indicators are in the original equipment tires
to help you in determining when your tires should be
replaced.
These indicators are molded into the bottom of the tread
grooves and will appear as bands when the tread depth
becomes 1/16 inch (2 mm). When the indicators appear
in 2 or more adjacent grooves, 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 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 result-
ing in serious injury or death.
Keep unmounted tires in a cool, dry place with as little
exposure to light as possible. Protect tires from contact
with oil, grease and gasoline.
212 STARTING AND OPERATING

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 (see the paragraph on tread
wear indicators). Refer to the Tire and Loading Informa-
tion 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, han-
dling, and ride of your vehicle. We recommend that you
contact your original equipment or an authorized tire
dealer with any questions you may have on tire specifi-
cations or capability.WARNING!
•Do not use a tire, wheel size or rating other than
that specified for your vehicle. Some combina-
tions of unapproved tires and wheels may change
suspension dimensions and performance charac-
teristics, resulting in changes to steering, han-
dling, 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
adequate speed capability can result in sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
STARTING AND OPERATING 213
5

CAUTION!
Replacing original tires with tires of a different size
may result in false speedometer and odometer read-
ings.
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 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 PRESSURE MONITOR SYSTEM — IF
EQUIPPED
Tire Pressure Monitoring
The Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPM) system 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. The wheel
sensors monitor tire pressure, and status for all four
active road tires.
NOTE:It is particularly important, for you to check the
tire pressure in all of your tires regularly and to maintain
the proper pressure.
The Tire Pressure Monitoring Indicator Lamp will
illuminate in the instrument cluster, and an au-
dible chime will be activated when one or more
tire pressures is low. The Tire Pressure Monitoring Indi-
cator Lamp will flash on and off for ten seconds when a
system fault is detected. The flash cycle will repeat every
ten minutes or until the fault condition is removed and
reset.
214 STARTING AND OPERATING

The Tire Pressure Monitoring System consists of the
following components:
•Receiver Module
•4 Wheel Sensors
•4 Wheel Sensor Trigger Modules
•Tire Pressure Monitoring System Display Messages in
the EVIC
•Amber Colored Tire Pressure Monitoring Indicator
Lamp
The system consists of tire pressure monitoring sensors
attached to each wheel through the valve stem mounting
hole, a central receiver module, Wheel Sensor Trigger
Modules mounted in three of the four wheel wells,
various Tire Pressure Monitoring System Display Mes-
sages in the EVIC, and an amber colored Indicator Lamp.
NOTE:For vehicles with optional wheel/tire sizes and
significantly different tire placard pressures, the placard
pressure value and the low-pressure threshold value isre-programmable at your authorized dealer to accommo-
date the customer selected wheel/tire combinations rec-
ommended by DaimlerChrysler.
The followingwarningswill cause a text message to be
displayed, an audible chime to sound and the tire pres-
sure Indicator Lamp to illuminate. The audible chime
will occur once every ignition cycle for eachwarning
detected. The tire pressure Indicator Lamp will illumi-
nate continuously (solid) and will remain illuminated
until the warning condition is removed/reset.
When the appropriate conditions exist, the Electronic
Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) displays the following
messages.
LEFT FRONT, LEFT REAR, RIGHT FRONT,
RIGHT REAR LOW PRESSURE
One or more of these messages will be displayed in the
EVIC if a low tire pressure condition exists in one or more
tires.
Inspect all tires for proper inflation pressure, once the
proper tire pressure has been set, the TPM system
STARTING AND OPERATING 215
5

warning will reset automatically when the vehicle has
been driven for at least 2 minutes at or above 15 mph (24
km/h).
CHECK TPM SYSTEM
See your authorized dealer when this message appears in
the EVIC. This message indicates that a system fault
condition has been detected.
CAUTION!
The TPM system has been optimized for the original
equipment tires and wheels. TPM system pressures
have been established for the tire size equipped on
your vehicle. Undesirable system operation or sen-
sor damage may result when using replacement
equipment that is not of the same size, type, and/or
style. After-market wheels can cause sensor damage.
Do not use tire sealant from a can, or balance beads
if your vehicle is equipped with a TPM system, as
damage to the sensors may result.
CAUTION!
After inspecting or adjusting the tire pressure al-
ways reinstall the valve stem cap. This will prevent
moisture and dirt from entering the valve stem,
which could damage the wheel rim sensor.
NOTE:
•
The TPM system can inform the driver of a low tire
pressure condition.
•The TPM system is not intended to replace normal tire
care and maintenance, nor to provide warning of a tire
failure or condition.
•The TPM system should not be used as a tire pressure
gauge while adjusting your tire pressure.
General Information
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules and
RSS 210 of Industry Canada. Operation is subject to the
following conditions:
•This device may not cause harmful interference.
216 STARTING AND OPERATING

•This device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired op-
eration.
The tire pressure sensors are covered under one of the
following licenses:
United States.....................KR5S120123
Canada........................2671-S120123
TIRE CHAINS
If driving conditions require tire chains for your vehicle,
chains that meet SAE class “S” requirements can be used,
but they must be installed on 245/45ZR20 size tires.
Contact your local dealership or tire dealer for these tire
sizes.
CAUTION!
To avoid damage to your vehicle or tires, observe the
following precautions:
•Because of restricted chain clearance between tires
and other suspension components, it is important
that only chains in good condition are used. Broken
chains can cause serious damage. Stop the vehicle
immediately if noise occurs that could indicate chain
breakage. Remove the damaged parts of the chain
before further use.
•Install chains on the rear wheels as tightly as pos-
sible and then retighten after driving about12mile
(0.8 km).
•Do not exceed 30 mph (48 km/h).
•Drive cautiously and avoid severe turns and large
bumps, especially with a loaded vehicle.
•Only use on rear wheels.
•Do not drive for prolonged period on dry pavement.
•Observe the tire chain manufacturer’s instructions on
the method of installation, operating speed, and
conditions for use. Always use the lower suggested
operating speed of the chain manufacturer if differ-
ent than the speed recommended by the manufacture.
STARTING AND OPERATING 217
5

NOTE:In order to avoid damage to tires, chains, and
your vehicle do not drive for a prolonged period of time
on dry pavement. Observe the tire chain manufacturer’s
instructions on method of installation, operating speed,
and conditions for usage.
Always use the lower suggested operating speed if both
the chain manufacturer and vehicle manufacture suggest
a maximum speed. This notice applies to all chain
traction devices, including link and cable (radial) chains.
SNOW TIRES
Some areas of the country require the use of snow tires
during winter. Standard tires are of the all season type
and satisfy this requirement as indicated by the M+S
designation on the tire side wall.
If you need snow tires, select tires equivalent in size and
type to the original equipment tires. Use snow tires only
in sets of 4, 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
Follow the recommended tire rotation frequency for your
type of driving found in the “Maintenance Schedules”
Section of this manual. More frequent rotation is permis-
sible if desired. The reasons for any rapid or unusual
wear should be corrected prior to rotation being per-
formed.
Tire Rotation — Standard Tires
The suggested rotation method is the “side-to-side”
shown in the following diagram.
218 STARTING AND OPERATING

Tire Rotation — All Season Tires
The suggested rotation method for vehicles equipped
with all season tires is the “forward-cross” shown in the
following diagram.
Tire Rotation — General Information
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.
STARTING AND OPERATING 219
5

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 maintain
mud, snow, and wet traction levels, and contribute to a
smooth, quiet ride.
GROUND CLEARANCE
CAUTION!
Damage to the front and rear fascias can occur if you
disregard the low ground clearance in the front and
rear of this vehicle. Pay close attention when parking
to avoid running into parking curbs. Exercise caution
when entering or exiting steep driveways or when
pulling off the road onto soft shoulders.
FUEL REQUIREMENTS
Your vehicle is designed to meet all emis-
sion regulations and provide excellent fuel
economy when using high quality pre-
mium unleaded gasoline having an octane
rating of 91 or higher.
Spark Knock
Light spark knock at low engine speeds is not harmful to
your engine. However, continued heavy spark knock at
high speeds can cause damage and immediate service is
required.
Poor quality gasoline can cause problems such as hard
starting, stalling and hesitations. If you experience these
symptoms, try another brand of “premium” gasoline
before considering service for the vehicle.
Over 40 automobile manufacturers around the world
have issued and endorsed consistent gasoline specifica-
tions (the World Wide Fuel Charter, WWFC) to define
fuel properties necessary to deliver enhanced emissions,
engine performance, and durability for your vehicle. The
manufacturer recommends the use of gasolines that meet
the WWFC specifications if they are available.
220 STARTING AND OPERATING