DODGE CHALLENGER 2009 3.G Owner's Guide

If the door lock plunger is down when you shut the door,
the door will lock. Therefore, make sure the key is not
inside the vehicle before closing the door.
WARNING!
•For personal security and safety in the event of an
accident, lock the vehicle doors before you drive as
well as when you park and leave the vehicle.
•When leaving the vehicle, always remove the key
from the ignition and lock your vehicle. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle equipment may cause severe
personal injuries and death.
•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
seriously or fatally injured. Don’t leave the key in
the ignition. A child could operate power win-
dows, other controls, or move the vehicle.
Power Door Locks
The power door lock switch is located on each door trim
panel. Use this switch to lock or unlock the doors.
If you press the power door lock switch while the key is
in the ignition, and either door is open, the power locks
will not operate. This prevents you from accidentally
Power Door Lock Switch
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 29

locking the key in the vehicle. Removing the key or
closing the door will allow the locks to operate. If a door
is open, the key is in the ignition, and the ignition is in the
LOCK or ACC position, a chime will sound as a reminder
to remove the key.
Automatic Door Locks
The doors will lock automatically if all of the following
conditions are met:
1. The Automatic Door Locks feature is enabled
2. The transmission is in gear
3. All doors are closed
4. The throttle is pressed
5. The vehicle speed is above 15 mph (24 km/h), and
6. The doors were not previously locked using the power
door lock switch or Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter.
Automatic Door Locks — If Equipped
The auto door lock feature can be enabled or disabled by
your authorized dealer. See your authorized dealer for
programming.
Automatic Unlock Doors on Exit
The doors will unlock automatically if:
1. The Automatic Unlock Doors On Exit feature is en-
abled
2. The transmission was in gear and the vehicle speed
returned to 0 mph (0 km/h)
3. The transmission is in NEUTRAL or PARK
4. The driver door is opened
5. The doors were not previously unlocked, and
6. The vehicle speed is 0 mph (0 km/h).
30 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Automatic Unlock Doors on Exit Programming
The Automatic Unlock Doors On Exit feature can be
enabled or disabled. Refer to “Unlock Doors Automati-
cally on Exit,” under “Personal Settings (Customer-
Programmable Features),” under “Electronic Vehicle In-
formation Center (EVIC)” in Section 4.
•When not using the EVIC, perform the following
steps:
1. Enter the vehicle and close all doors.
2. Place the key in the ignition switch.
3. Within 15 seconds, cycle the ignition switch between
LOCK and ON and then back to LOCK four times ending
up in the LOCK position.However, do not start the
engine.4. Within 30 seconds, depress the power door UNLOCK
switch to unlock the doors.
5. A single chime will indicate the completion of the
programming.
NOTE:If you do not hear the chime, it means that the
system did not enter the programming mode and you
will need to repeat the procedure.
6. Repeat these steps if you want to return this feature to
its previous setting.
NOTE:Use the Automatic Unlock Doors On Exit feature
in accordance with local laws.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 31

WINDOWS
Power Windows
The window controls on the driver’s door control both of
the door windows.There is a single window control on the passenger’s door
trim panel that operates the window on the passenger’s
door. The window controls will operate only when the
ignition switch is in the ON or ACC position.
NOTE:
•The door window will lower slightly if it is closed
completely when opening the door. The window will
return to its fully closed position after closing the door.
This action allows the door to open without resistance
and prevents window and seal damage.
•You can remotely lower both the driver side and
passenger side windows at the same time. Refer to
“Remote Keyless Entry/Express Down Window Fea-
ture” in this section.
Power Window Switches
32 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
Never leave children in a vehicle with the key in the
ignition switch. Occupants, particularly unattended
children, can become entrapped by the windows
while operating the power window switches. Such
entrapment may result in serious injury or death.
AUTO-Down Feature
The driver’s door power window switch and passenger
door power window switch have an AUTO-down fea-
ture. Press the window switch to the second detent,
release, and the window will go down automatically.
To open the window part way, press the window switch
to the first detent and release it when you want the
window to stop.
To stop the window from going all the way down during
the AUTO-down operation, pull up on the switch briefly.The power window switches will remain active for up to
60 minutes after the ignition switch is turned OFF.
Opening either door will cancel this feature. The time for
this feature is programmable. Refer to “Delay Power Off
to Accessories Until Exit,” under “Personal Settings
(Customer-Programmable Features)” in the “Electronic
Vehicle Information Center (EVIC),” in Section 4 of this
manual.Wind Buffeting
Wind buffeting can be described as the perception of
pressure on the ears or a helicopter-type sound in the
ears. Your vehicle may exhibit wind buffeting with the
windows down, or the sunroof (if equipped) in certain
open or partially open positions. This is a normal occur-
rence and can be minimized. If the buffeting occurs with
one window open, then open the other window to
minimize the buffeting. If the buffeting occurs with the
sunroof open, then adjust the sunroof opening to mini-
mize the buffeting.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 33

TRUNK LOCK AND RELEASE
The trunk lid can be released from inside the vehicle by
pressing the Trunk Release button. The button is located
on the instrument panel to the left of the steering wheel.
NOTE:The transmission must be in PARK before the
button will operate. If equipped with a manual transmis-
sion, the vehicle speed must be under 5 mph (8 km/h)
before the button will operate.
The trunk lid can be released from
outside the vehicle by pressing the
Trunk Release button on the Re-
mote Keyless Entry (RKE) trans-
mitter twice within five seconds.With the ignition switch in the ON position, the Trunk
Open symbol will display in the instrument cluster
indicating that the trunk is open. The odometer display
will reappear once the trunk is closed.
With the ignition switch in the LOCK position or the key
removed from the ignition switch, the Trunk Open sym-
bol will display until the trunk is closed.
Trunk Release
Button
34 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

TRUNK SAFETY WARNING
WARNING!
Do not allow children to have access to the trunk,
either by climbing into the trunk from outside, or
through the inside of the vehicle. Always close the
trunk lid when your vehicle is unattended. Once in
the trunk, young children may not be able to escape,
even if they entered through the rear seat. If trapped
in the trunk, children can die from suffocation or
heat stroke.
Trunk Emergency Release
The trunk of your vehicle is equipped with an emergency
release handle. It is located on the inside of the trunk lid,
near the latch, and is coated so that it glows in a darkened
trunk. Pull on the handle to open the trunk.
Emergency Release
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 35

OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems. These include the front
and rear seat belts for the driver and all passengers, the
front airbags for both the driver and front passenger, and
the supplemental side curtain airbags for the driver and
passengers seated next to a window. If you will be
carrying children too small for adult-sized belts, your
seat belts also can be used to hold infant and child
restraint systems.
Please pay close attention to the information in this
section. It tells you how to use your restraint system
properly, to keep you and your passengers as safe as
possible.WARNING!
In a collision, you and your passengers can suffer
much greater injuries if you are not properly buckled
up. You can strike the interior of your vehicle or other
passengers or you can be thrown out of the vehicle.
Always be sure you and others in your vehicle are
buckled up properly.
Buckle up even though you are an excellent driver, even
on short trips. Someone on the road may be a poor driver
and cause a collision that includes you. This can happen
far away from home or on your own street.
Research has shown that seat belts save lives, and they
can reduce the seriousness of injuries in a collision. Some
of the worst injuries happen when people are thrown
from the vehicle. Seat belts reduce the possibility of
36 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

ejection and the risk of injury caused by striking the
inside of the vehicle.Everyonein a motor vehicle should
be belted at all times.
Lap/Shoulder Belts
All seating positions in your vehicle are equipped with
lap/shoulder belts.
The belt webbing retractor is designed to lock during
very sudden stops or impacts. This feature allows the
shoulder part of the belt to move freely with you under
normal conditions. However, in a collision, the belt will
lock and reduce your risk of striking the inside of the
vehicle or being thrown out.
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 seri-
ously 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.
•Wearing a seat belt incorrectly is dangerous. Seat
belts are designed to go around the large bones of
your body. These are the strongest parts of your
body and can take the forces of a collision best.
(Continued)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 37

WARNING! (Continued)
•Wearing your belt in the wrong place could make
your injuries in a collision much worse. You might
suffer internal injuries, or you could even slide out
of part of the belt. Follow these instructions to
wear your seat belt safely and to keep your pas-
sengers safe, too.
•Two people should never be belted into a single
seat belt. People belted together can crash into one
another in an accident, hurting one another badly.
Never use a lap/shoulder belt or a lap belt for more
than one person, no matter what their size.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions
1. Enter the vehicle and close the door. Sit back and
adjust the front seat.2. The seat belt latch plate is contacting the seat when the
belt is routed through the seat web guide. When the belt
is routed outside of the seat web guide, the latch plate
will contact the quarter trim panel. Grasp the latch plate
and pull out the belt. Slide the latch plate up the webbing
as far as necessary to make the belt go around your lap.
Latch Plate
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