warning CHRYSLER 300 SRT 2007 1.G Owner's Guide

CAUTION!
Never use Non-Detergent Oil or Straight Mineral
Oil in the engine or damage may result.
NOTE:A new engine may consume some oil during its
first few thousand miles (kilometers) of operation. This
should be considered as a normal part of the break-in and
not interpreted as an indication of difficulty.
SAFETY TIPS
Transporting Passengers
NEVER TRANSPORT PASSENGERS IN THE CARGO
AREA.
WARNING!
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people
riding in these areas are more likely to be seriously
injured or killed.
Do not allow people to ride in any area of your
vehicle that is not equipped with seats and seat belts.
Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
Lock Your Vehicle
Always remove the keys from the ignition and lock all
doors when leaving the vehicle unattended, even in your
own driveway or garage. Try to park your vehicle in a
well-lit area and never invite theft by leaving articles of
value exposed.
Exhaust Gas
Do not run the engine in a closed garage or in confined
areas any longer than needed to move your vehicle in or
out of the area.
56 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

If it is necessary to sit in a parked vehicle with the engine
running, adjust your heating or cooling controls to force
outside air into the vehicle. Set the blower at high speed.
The best protection against carbon monoxide entry into
the vehicle body is a properly maintained engine exhaust
system.
Whenever a change is noticed in the sound of the exhaust
system, when exhaust fumes can be detected inside the
vehicle, or when the underside or rear of the vehicle is
damaged, have a competent mechanic inspect the com-
plete exhaust system and adjacent body areas for broken,
damaged, deteriorated, or mispositioned parts. Open
seams or loose connections could permit exhaust fumes
to seep into the passenger compartment. In addition,
inspect the exhaust system each time the vehicle is raised
for lubrication or oil change. Replace as required.WARNING!
•Exhaust gases can injure or kill. They contain
carbon monoxide (CO) which is colorless and
odorless. Breathing it can make you unconscious
and can eventually poison you. To avoid breath-
ing (CO) follow the safety tips below.
•If you are required to drive with the trunk open,
make sure that all windows are closed, and the
climate control blower switch is set at high speed.
DO NOT use the recirculation mode.
Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle
Seat Belts
Inspect the belt system periodically, checking for cuts,
frays, and loose parts. Damaged parts must be replaced
immediately. Do not disassemble or modify the system.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 57
2

Front seat belt assemblies must be replaced after a
collision. Rear seat belt assemblies must be replaced after
a collision if they have been damaged (bent retractor, torn
webbing, etc. If there is any question regarding belt or
retractor condition, replace the belt.
Airbag Warning Light
The light should come on and remain on for 6 to 8
seconds as a bulb check when the ignition switch is first
turned ON. If the light is not lit during starting, see you
authorized dealer. If the light stays on, flickers, or comes
on while driving, have the system checked by an autho-
rized dealer.
Defroster
Check operation by selecting the defrost mode and place
the blower control on high speed. You should be able to
feel the air directed against the windshield.
Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make Outside
The Vehicle
Tires
Examine tires for excessive tread wear and uneven wear
patterns. Check for stones, nails, glass, or other objects
lodged in the tread. Inspect the tread and sidewall for
cuts and cracks. Check the wheel nuts for tightness.
Check the tires (including spare) for proper pressure.
Lights
Have someone observe the operation of exterior lights
while you work the controls. Check turn signal and high
beam indicator lights on the instrument panel.
Door Latches
Check for positive closing, latching, and locking.
Fluid Leaks
Check area under vehicle after overnight parking for fuel,
engine coolant, oil, or other fluid leaks. Also, if gasoline
fumes are detected or if fuel, power steering fluid, or
brake fluid leaks are suspected, the cause should be
located and corrected immediately.
58 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
Vehicles and other objects seen in the passenger side
convex mirror will look smaller and farther away
than they really are. Relying too much on your
passenger side convex mirror could cause you to
collide with another vehicle or other object. Use your
inside mirror when judging the size or distance of a
vehicle seen in the passenger side convex mirror.
Exterior Mirrors Folding Feature — If Equipped
Some models have exterior mirrors that are hinged. The
hinge allows the mirror to pivot forward and rearward to
resist damage. The hinge has three detent positions, full
forward, full rearward, and normal.
Driver’s Side Outside Mirror Auto Dimmer
This mirror automatically adjusts for annoying headlight
glare from vehicles behind you. You can turn this feature
on or off by pressing the button at the base of the Inside
Rearview Mirror.
Tilt in Reverse Feature
TheTilt in Reversefeature tilts the outside rearview
mirrors downward when the ignition switch is in the ON
position and the transmission is in the R (Reverse)
position. This feature provides the driver with a better
view of the ground and vehicle in the area of the rear tires
when backing up. The mirrors will move back to their
previous position when the transmission is shifted out of
R (Reverse).
TheTilt in Reversefeature can be enabled or disabled.
For details, refer to “Tilt Mirrors Down in Reverse,”
under “Personal Settings (Customer Programmable Fea-
tures),” under “Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC)” in Section 4 of this manual.
Power Remote Control Mirrors
The power mirror switch is located on the driver’s door
trim panel next to the power door lock switch. A rotary
knob selects the left mirror, right mirror, or off position.
After selecting a mirror, move the knob in the same
direction you want the mirror to move. Use the center off
position to guard against accidentally moving a mirror
position.
64 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
Adjusting a seat while the vehicle is moving is
dangerous. The sudden movement of the seat could
cause you to lose control. The seat belt might not be
properly adjusted and you could be injured. Adjust
the seat only while the vehicle is parked.
CAUTION!
Do not place any article under a power seat as it may
cause damage to the seat controls.
Power Reclining Seats
The recliner control is located on the outboard side of the
seat.
WARNING!
Do not ride with the seatback reclined so that the
shoulder belt is no longer resting against your chest.
In a collision you could slide under the seat belt and
be seriously or even fatally injured. Use the recliner
only when the vehicle is parked.
Power Seat Recline Switch
86 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

ignition, you can choose from High, Off, or Low heat
settings. Amber LEDs in the top portion of each switch
indicate the level of heat in use. Two LEDs will illuminate
for high, one for low, and none for off.
Press the switch once to select high-level heating. Press
the switch a second time to select low-level heating. Press
the switch a third time to shut off the heating elements.
If high-level heating is selected, the system will automati-
cally switch to the low level after 30 minutes of continu-
ous operation. At that time, the number of illuminatedLEDs changes from two to one, indicating the change.
Operation on the low setting also turns off automatically
after 30 minutes.
NOTE:Once a heat setting is selected, heat will be felt
within two to five minutes.
WARNING!
Persons who are unable to feel pain to the skin
because of advanced age, chronic illness, diabetes,
spinal cord injury, medication, alcohol use, exhaus-
tion or other physical condition must exercise care
when using the seat heater. It may cause burns even
at low temperatures, especially if used for long
periods.
Do not place anything on the seat that insulates
against heat, such as a blanket or cushion. This may
cause the seat heater to overheat.
Front Heated Seat Switch
88 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Folding Rear Seat
The rear seatbacks can be folded forward to provide an
additional storage area. Pull on the loops shown in the
illustration to fold down either or both seatbacks. These
loops can be tucked away when not in use.
When the seatback is folded to the upright position, make
sure it is latched by strongly pulling on the top of the
seatback above the seat strap.
WARNING!
•Be certain that the seatback is securely locked into
position. If the seatback in not securely locked
into position the seat will not provide the proper
stability for child seats and/or passengers. An
improperly latched seat could cause serious in-
jury.
•The cargo area in the rear of the vehicle (with the
rear seatbacks in the locked-up or folded down
position) should not be used as a play area by
children when the vehicle is in motion. They
could be seriously injured in an accident. Chil-
dren should be seated and using the proper re-
straint system.
Folding Rear Seats
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 89
3

Next, move to the outside of the vehicle and push the
safety catch to the left. The safety catch is located under
the center front edge of the hood.Use the hood prop rod (if equipped) to secure the hood in
the open position.
To prevent possible damage, do not slam the hood to
close it. Lower the hood, until it is open approximately 6
inches (15 cm), and then drop it. This should secure both
latches. Never drive your vehicle unless the hood is fully
closed, with both latches engaged.
WARNING!
If the hood is not fully latched, it could fly up when
the vehicle is moving and block your forward vision.
You could have a collision. Be sure all hood latches
are fully latched before driving.
Hood Safety Catch
94 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
Sudden loss of visibility through the windshield
could lead to an accident. You might not see other
vehicles or other obstacles. To avoid sudden icing of
the windshield during freezing weather, warm the
windshield with defroster before and during wind-
shield washer use.
Mist Feature
Push the multi-function lever inward (toward the steer-
ing column) to the first detent to activate a single wipe
cycle to clear off road mist or spray from a passing
vehicle. The wipers will continue to operate until you
release the lever.
Windshield Washers
To use the washer, push the multi-function lever inward
(toward the steering column) to the second detent and
hold it for as long as washer spray is desired.
If you activate the washer while the windshield wiper
control is in the delay range, the wipers will operate fortwo wipe cycles after releasing the lever and then resume
the intermittent interval previously selected.
If you activate the washer while the windshield wiper is
turned OFF, the wipers will operate for two wipe cycles
and then turn OFF.
Headlights On with Wipers
When this feature is active, the headlights will turn on
approximately 10 seconds after the wipers are turned on
if the headlight switch is placed in the AUTO position. In
addition, the headlights will turn off when the wipers are
turned off if they were turned on by this feature.
The Headlights On With Wipers feature can be enabled
or disabled. For details, refer to ”Headlights On with
Wipers,” under “Personal Settings (Customer Program-
mable Features),” under “Electronic Vehicle Information
Center” in Section 4 of this manual.
Rain Sensing Wipers
This feature senses moisture on the windshield and
automatically activates the wipers for the driver. This
feature is especially useful for road splash or over spray
from the windshield washers of the vehicle ahead. Rotate
102 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Adding Washer Fluid
The windshield washer fluid reservoir is located in the
front of the engine compartment on the passenger side of
the vehicle. Be sure to check the fluid level in the
reservoir at regular intervals. Fill the reservoir with
windshield washer solvent (not radiator antifreeze) and
operate the system for a few seconds to flush out the
residual water.The fluid reservoir will hold nearly 1 gallon (4 liters) of
washer fluid when the message “Low Washer Fluid”
appears in the Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC).
WARNING!
Commercially available windshield washer solvents
are flammable. They could ignite and burn you. Care
must be exercised when filling or working around
the washer solution.
Washer Fluid Reservoir
104 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE