transmission DODGE CHALLENGER 2010 3.G Owner's Manual

The engine block heater must be plugged in at least one
hour to have an adequate warming effect on the engine.
WARNING!
Remember to disconnect the engine block heater
cord before driving. Damage to the 110-115 Volt
electrical cord could cause electrocution.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION — IF EQUIPPED
Six-Speed Manual Transmission
WARNING!
You or others could be injured if you leave the
vehicle unattended without having the parking
brake fully applied. The parking brake should al-
ways be applied when the driver is not in the vehicle,
especially on an incline.
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. Refer to “Electronic
Brake Control System/Hill Start Assist” in “Start-
ing and Operating” for further information.
•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 syn-
chronizer damage.
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NOTE:During cold weather, you may experience in-
creased effort in shifting until the transmission fluid
warms up. This is normal.Shifting
Fully press the clutch pedal before shifting gears. As you
release the clutch pedal, lightly press the accelerator
pedal.
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.
Manual Shifter
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CAUTION!
Always make sure the vehicle comes to a complete
stop before shifting into REVERSE. Failure to do so
may result in transmission damage.
You must always use first gear (or Reverse) when starting
from a standing position.
Recommended Shift Speeds
To utilize your manual transmission efficiently for fuel
economy, it should be upshifted as listed in recom-
mended shift speed chart.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
RECOMMENDED SHIFT SPEEDS
Axle Ratio 1-4 4-5 5-6
3.73 mph 20 25 42
(km/h) (32) (40) (67)
3.91 mph 20 37 48
(km/h) (32) (59) (77)
Earlier upshifts during cruise conditions (relatively
steady speeds) may result in increased fuel economy.
Higher upshift speeds may be used to obtain a desired
acceleration rate.
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 lighter shift efforts into REVERSE
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with the ignition switch in the ON position (RUN
position for Keyless Go™), as compared to the ignition
LOCK position (OFF position for Keyless Go™). This
is normal operation of the transmission reverse inhibi-
tor system.
•Due to the high performance nature of your drivetrain,
you may hear your transmission. This 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 at low engine RPM.
Also, this may be more noticeable when the transmis-
sion is warm. This is a normal condition and is not an
indication of a problem with your clutch or
transmission.
1–4 Skip Shift
There are times when you must shift the transmission
directly from first gear to fourth gear instead of from first
gear to second gear. This is to help you get the bestpossible fuel economy from your vehicle. This occurs
when the engine coolant (antifreeze) is higher than 106°F
(41°C), vehicle speed is greater than 19 mph (30 km/h)
but less than 21 mph (34 km/h), and the transmission is
in first gear, and the accelerator is at 1/4 throttle or less.
The “1–4 Skip Shift Indicator Message” will be displayed
during these times.
When the “1–4 Skip Shift Indicator Message” is dis-
played, the shift mechanism will only allow shifts from
first gear to fourth gear. After you shift the transmission
to fourth gear, you can press the clutch in and shift to
another forward gear.
Downshifting
To maintain a safe speed and prolong brake life, down-
shift to maintain a safe speed when descending a steep
grade.
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WARNING!
Skipping more than one gear while downshifting,
could cause you to lose control of your vehicle. You
could have an accident.
CAUTION!
•If you skip more than one gear while downshift-
ing or downshift at too high an engine speed, you
could damage the engine, transmission, or clutch.
•Do not downshift into first gear when the vehicle
is moving faster than 15 mph (24 km/h), as you
could damage the engine and/or clutch.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION — IF EQUIPPED
CAUTION!
Damage to the automatic transmission may occur if
the following precautions are not observed:
•Shift into PARK only after the vehicle has come to
a complete stop.
•Shift into or out of REVERSE only after the
vehicle has come to a complete stop and the engine
is at idle speed.
•Do not shift from REVERSE, PARK, or NEUTRAL
into any forward gear when the engine is above
idle speed.
•Before shifting into any gear, make sure your foot
is firmly on the brake pedal.
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WARNING!
It is dangerous to move the shift lever out of PARK or
NEUTRAL if the engine speed is higher than idle
speed. If your foot is not firmly on the brake pedal,
the vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in
reverse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when the
engine is idling normally and when your right foot is
firmly on the brake pedal.
General Information
The automatic transmission selects individual gears au-
tomatically, dependent upon:
•Altitude
•Vehicle loading
•Driving style
•Shift lever position
•Accelerator position
•Vehicle speed
The gear shifting process is continuously adapted, de-
pendent on the driving style, the driving situation, and
the road characteristics.
NOTE:
•After selecting any driving position, wait a moment to
allow the gear to engage fully before accelerating,
especially when the engine is cold.
•If there is a need to restart the engine, be sure to turn
the ignition switch to the LOCK position (OFF position
with Keyless Go™) before restarting. Transmission
engagement may be delayed up to 10 seconds after
restart if the ignition switch is not turned to the LOCK
position (OFF position with Keyless Go™) first.
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•The electronically-controlled transmission provides a
precise shift schedule. The transmission electronics are
self-calibrating. Therefore, the first few shifts on a new
vehicle may be somewhat abrupt or soft until after the
break-in period. This is a normal condition, and pre-
cision shifts will develop within a few shift cycles.
The shift lever is automatically locked while in the PARK
position. To move the shift lever out of the PARK
position, the brake pedal must be firmly pressed before
the shift lock will release.
Move the shift lever to the desired position only when the
engine is idling normally and the brake pedal is applied.
Do not release the brake pedal until ready to drive. The
vehicle may otherwise accelerate quickly when the shift
lever is in DRIVE or REVERSE position.WARNING!
Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in and near the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running. Before exiting a vehicle, you should always
shift the transmission into PARK, remove the key fob
from the ignition, and apply the parking brake. Once
the key fob is removed from the ignition, the shift
lever is locked in the PARK position, securing the
vehicle against unwanted movement. Furthermore,
you should never leave unattended children inside a
vehicle.
Over-Temperature Mode
The transmission electronics constantly monitor the
transmission oil temperature. If the transmission exceeds
normal operating temperature, the transmission will
change the way it shifts to help control the condition.
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This may result in a slightly different feeling or response
during normal operation in DRIVE position. After the
transmission cools down, it will return to normal
operation.
Key Ignition Park Interlock
This vehicle is equipped with a Key Ignition Park Inter-
lock which requires the shift lever to be placed in PARK
prior to rotating the key fob to the LOCK position. The
key fob can only be removed from the ignition when the
ignition is in the LOCK position and once removed the
shift lever is locked in PARK.
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake Transmission Shift
Interlock (BTSI) system that holds the shift lever in the
PARK position when the ignition switch is in the LOCK
position (OFF position with Keyless Go™) and the en-
gine is not running. To move the shift lever out of the
PARK position, the ignition switch must be turned to anyother ignition position (ACC, ON/RUN) position, and
the brake pedal must be pressed whether or not the
engine is running.
Brake/Transmission Interlock Manual Override
There is an override for the BTSI that allows you to move
the shift lever out of the PARK position if an electrical
system malfunction occurs (i.e., dead battery). To access
the override (using a flat-bladed screwdriver), carefully
remove the override cover which is located to the right of
the shift lever.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the ACC or ON position
(RUN position with Keyless Go™) without starting the
engine.
2. Firmly set the parking brake.
3. Press and maintain firm pressure on the brake pedal.
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Five-Speed Automatic Transmission
Shifting from DRIVE to PARK or REVERSE should be
done only after the accelerator pedal is released and the
vehicle is stopped. Be sure to keep your foot on the brake
pedal when moving the shift lever between these gears.
Gear Ranges
PARK
This range supplements the parking brake by locking the
transmission. The engine can be started in this range.
Never use PARK while the vehicle is in motion. Apply
the parking brake when leaving the vehicle in this range.
When parking on a flat surface, place the shift lever in the
PARK position first, and then apply the parking brake.
When parking on a hill, it is important to set the parking
brake before placing the shift lever in PARK, otherwise
the load on the transmission locking mechanism may
make it difficult to move the shift lever out of PARK. As
an added precaution, turn the front wheels toward the
curb on a downhill grade and away from the curb on an
uphill grade.
Shift Lever
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CAUTION!
Coasting the vehicle or driving for any other reason
with the shift lever in NEUTRAL can result in
transmission damage.
WARNING!
Do not coast in NEUTRAL and never turn off the
ignition to coast down a hill. These are unsafe
practices that limit your response to changing traffic
or road conditions. You might lose control of the
vehicle and have a collision.
DRIVE
This range should be used for most city and highway
driving. It provides the smoothest upshifts and down-
shifts and the best fuel economy.The transmission automatically upshifts through fifth
gear. The DRIVE position provides optimum driving
characteristics under all normal operating conditions.
When frequent transmission shifting occurs when using
the Overdrive range, such as when operating the vehicle
under heavy loading conditions (in hilly terrain, travel-
ing into strong head winds, or while towing heavy
trailers, use the ERS or AutoStick
mode and select the
“3” range.
Delayed Shifts in Cold Temperatures
During cold temperature operation, you may notice
delayed upshifts depending on engine and transmission
temperature as well as vehicle speed. This feature im-
proves warm up time of the engine and transmission to
achieve maximum efficiency.
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