automatic transmission DODGE CHALLENGER 2012 3.G User Guide

Removing The Button
1. The ENGINE START/STOP button can be removed
from the ignition switch for key fob use.
2. Insert the metal part of the emergency key under the
chrome bezel at the 6 o’clock position and gently pry the
button loose.
NOTE:The ENGINE START/STOP button should only
be removed or inserted with the ignition in the OFF
position.
Normal Starting
Using The ENGINE START/STOP Button –
Automatic Transmission Only
NOTE: Normal starting of either a cold or a warm
engine is obtained without pumping or pressing the
accelerator pedal. To start the engine, the transmission must be in PARK or
NEUTRAL. Press and hold the brake pedal while press-
ing the ENGINE START/STOP button once. The system
takes over and attempts to start the vehicle. If the vehicle
fails to start, the starter will disengage automatically after
10 seconds. If you wish to stop the cranking of the engine
prior to the engine starting, press the button again.
Using The ENGINE START/STOP Button –
Manual Transmission Only
NOTE:
Normal starting of either a cold or a warm
engine is obtained without pumping or pressing the
accelerator pedal.
To start the engine, press and hold the clutch pedal while
pressing and holding the ENGINE START/STOP button.
Release the button when the engine starts. If the vehicle
fails to start within 15 seconds, release the button, wait 10
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 255

to 15 seconds, then repeat the “Normal Starting” proce-
dure. If you wish to stop the cranking of the engine prior
to the engine starting, release the button.
To Turn Off The Engine Using ENGINE
START/STOP Button – Automatic Transmission
Only
1. Place the shift lever in PARK, then press and release
the ENGINE START/STOP button.
2. The ignition switch will return to the OFF position.
3. If the shift lever is not in PARK, the ENGINE START/
STOP button must be held for two seconds and vehicle
speed must be above 5 mph (8 km/h) before the engine
will shut off. The ignition switch position will remain in
the ACC position until the shift lever is in PARK and the
button is pressed twice to the OFF position. If the shift
lever is not in PARK and the ENGINE START/STOP
button is pressed once, the EVIC (if equipped) willdisplay a “VEHICLE NOT IN PARK” message and the
engine will remain running. Never leave a vehicle out of
the PARK position, or it could roll.
NOTE:
If the ignition switch is left in the ACC or RUN
(engine not running) position and the transmission is in
PARK, the system will automatically time out after
30 minutes of inactivity and the ignition will switch to the
OFF position.
To Turn Off The Engine Using ENGINE
START/STOP Button – Manual Transmission Only
1. With the vehicle stopped, place the shift lever in
NEUTRAL, then press and release the ENGINE START/
STOP button.
2. The ignition switch will return to the OFF position.
3. Place the shift lever in first gear or Reverse and then
apply the parking brake.
256 STARTING AND OPERATING

•Press the ENGINE START/STOP button a third time
to return the ignition switch to the OFF position (EVIC
displays “IGNITION MODE OFF”).
Extreme Cold Weather (Below –20°F Or29°C)
To ensure reliable starting at these temperatures, use of
an externally powered electric engine block heater (avail-
able from your authorized dealer) is recommended.
If Engine Fails To Start
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. Vehicles equipped with an automatic
transmission cannot be started this way. 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 dis-
charged 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 dan-
gerous if done improperly. Refer to “Jump Start-
ing” in “What to Do In Emergencies” for further
information.
258 STARTING AND OPERATING

Clearing A Flooded Engine (Using ENGINE
START/STOP Button) – Automatic Transmission
Only
If the engine fails to start after you have followed the
“Normal Starting” or “Extreme Cold Weatherproce-
dures, it may be flooded. To clear any excess fuel, press
and hold the brake pedal, push the accelerator pedal all
the way to the floor and hold it, then press and release the
ENGINE START/STOP button once. The starter motor
will engage automatically, run for 10 seconds, and then
disengage. Once this occurs, release the accelerator pedal
and the brake pedal, wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat
the “Normal Starting” procedure.
Clearing A Flooded Engine (Using ENGINE
START/STOP Button) – Manual Transmission Only
If the engine fails to start after you have followed the
“Normal Starting” or “Extreme Cold Weather proce-
dures, it may be flooded. To clear any excess fuel, press
and hold the clutch pedal, push the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and hold it, then press and hold the
ENGINE START/STOP button for no more than 15 sec-
onds. Release the accelerator pedal and the clutch pedal,
wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat the “Normal Starting”
procedure.
Clearing A Flooded Engine
(Using Fob With Integrated Key)
If the engine fails to start after you have followed the
“Normal Starting” or “Extreme Cold Weather” proce-
dures, it may be flooded. To clear any excess fuel, push
the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and hold it.
Then, turn the ignition switch to the START position and
release it as soon as the starter engages. The starter motor
will disengage automatically in 10 seconds. Once this
occurs, release the accelerator pedal, turn the ignition
switch to the LOCK position, wait 10 to 15 seconds, then
repeat the “Normal Starting” procedure.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 259

CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter, wait 10 to 15 sec-
onds before trying again.
After Starting
The idle speed is controlled automatically and it will
decrease as the engine warms up.
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED
The engine block heater warms the engine, and permits
quicker starts in cold weather. Connect the cord to a
standard 110-115 Volt AC electrical outlet with a
grounded, three-wire extension cord.
The engine block heater cord is routed under the hood on
the driver side of the vehicle. It has a removable cap that
is located on the driver side of the Integrated Power
Module.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.
260 STARTING AND OPERATING

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION — IF EQUIPPED
CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may occur if the follow-
ing 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 between PARK, REVERSE, NEU-
TRAL, or DRIVE when the engine is above idle
speed.
•Before shifting into any gear, make sure your foot
is firmly pressing the brake pedal.
NOTE: You must press and hold the brake pedal while
shifting out of PARK.
WARNING!
•Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in or near the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running. Before exiting a vehicle, always apply the
parking brake, shift the transmission into PARK,
and turn the engine OFF. When the ignition is in
the OFF position, the shift lever is locked in
PARK, securing the vehicle against unwanted
movement. Furthermore, you should never leave
unattended children inside a vehicle.
(Continued)
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 265

WARNING! (Continued)
•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 pressing on
the brake pedal, the vehicle could accelerate
quickly forward or in reverse. You could lose
control of the vehicle and hit someone or some-
thing. Only shift into gear when the engine is
idling normally and when your foot is firmly
pressing on the brake pedal.
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
before the engine can be turned off. This helps the driver
avoid inadvertently leaving the vehicle without placing
the transmission in PARK. This system also locks the shift
lever in PARK whenever the ignition switch is in the OFF
position.
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake Transmission Shift
Interlock (BTSI) that holds the shift lever in the PARK
position unless the brakes are applied. To move the shift
lever out of the PARK position, the ignition switch must
be turned to the ON/RUN or START position (engine
running or not) and the brake pedal must be pressed.
Five-Speed Automatic Transmission
The shift lever position display (located in the instrument
panel cluster) indicates the transmission gear range. You
must press the brake pedal to move the shift lever out of
the PARK position (refer to “Brake/Transmission Shift
Interlock System” in this section). To drive, move the shift
lever from PARK or NEUTRAL to the DRIVE position.
266 STARTING AND OPERATING

•With brake pedal released, verify that the shift lever
will not move out of PARK.
REVERSE
This range is for moving the vehicle backward. Shift into
REVERSE only after the vehicle has come to a complete
stop.
NEUTRAL
Use this range when the vehicle is standing for prolonged
periods with the engine running. The engine may be
started in this range. Set the parking brake and shift the
transmission into PARK if you must leave the vehicle.
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.
CAUTION!
Towing the vehicle, coasting, or driving for any other
reason with the transmission in NEUTRAL can result
in severe transmission damage. Refer to “Recre-
ational Towing” in “Starting And Operating” and
“Towing A Disabled Vehicle” in “What To Do In
Emergencies” for further information.
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 underdrive first, second,
and third gears, direct fourth gear and overdrive fifth
gear. The DRIVE position provides optimum driving
characteristics under all normal operating conditions.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 271

NOTE:Even if the transmission can be reset, we recom-
mend that you visit your authorized dealer at your
earliest possible convenience. Your authorized dealer has
diagnostic equipment to determine if the problem could
recur.
If the transmission cannot be reset, authorized dealer
service is required.
Overdrive Operation
The automatic transmission includes an electronically
controlled Overdrive (fifth gear). The transmission will
automatically shift into the Overdrive gear if the follow-
ing conditions are present:
•the shift lever is in the DRIVE position,
•vehicle speed is sufficiently high, and
•the driver is not heavily pressing the accelerator.
AUTOSTICK
AutoStick is a driver-interactive transmission feature
that offers manual gear shifting to provide you with more
control of the vehicle. AutoStick allows you to maximize
engine braking, eliminate undesirable upshifts and
downshifts, and improve overall vehicle performance.
This system can also provide you with more control
during passing, city driving, cold slippery conditions,
mountain driving, trailer towing, and many other situa-
tions.
Operation
When the shift lever is in the DRIVE position, the
transmission will operate automatically, shifting between
the five available gears. To engage AutoStick, simply
move the shift lever to the right or left (+/-) while in the
DRIVE position, or tap one of the steering wheel-
mounted shift paddles (+/-), if equipped. When
AutoStick is active, the current transmission gear is
displayed in the instrument cluster. In AutoStick mode,
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 273

the transmission will shift up or down when (+/-) is
manually selected by the driver (using the shift lever, or
the shift paddles [if equipped]), unless an engine lugging
or overspeed condition would result. It will remain in the
selected gear until another upshift or downshift is cho-
sen, except as described below.
•An “UPSHIFT” message will appear in the Electronic
Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) portion of the in-
strument cluster when using AutoStick, to alert the
driver to upshift to the next gear. The “UPSHIFT”
message will appear when approaching the maximum
engine speed.
•If AutoStick is engaged while in DRIVE mode, the
transmission will automatically shift up when maxi-
mum engine speed is reached.
•If AutoStick is engaged while in SPORT mode, the
transmission will remain in the selected gear even when maximum engine speed is reached. The trans-
mission will upshift only when commanded by the
driver.
•The transmission will automatically downshift as the
vehicle slows down (to prevent engine lugging) and
will display the current gear.
•The transmission will automatically downshift to first
gear when coming to a stop. After a stop, the driver
should manually upshift (+) the transmission as the
vehicle is accelerated.
•You can start out in first or second gear. Tapping (+) (at
a stop) will allow starting in second gear. Starting out
in second gear is helpful in snowy or icy conditions.
•The system will ignore attempts to upshift at too low
of a vehicle speed.
•Avoid using speed control when AutoStick
is en-
gaged.
274 STARTING AND OPERATING