manual transmission DODGE CHALLENGER SRT 2018 User Guide

For the first 1500 miles (2414 km):
•Do not participate in track events, sport driving schools,
or similar activities during the first 1500 miles (2414 km).
NOTE: Check engine oil with every refueling and add if
necessary. Oil and fuel consumption may be higher
through the first oil change interval. Running the engine
with an oil level below the add mark can cause severe
engine damage.
PARKING BRAKE
Before leaving the vehicle, make sure that the parking
brake is fully applied and place the gear selector in the
PARK or REVERSE (manual transmission only) position.
When the parking brake is applied and the ignition switch
is in the ON/RUN position, the “Brake Warning Light” in
the instrument cluster will illuminate. NOTE:
•
When the parking brake is applied and the transmission
is placed in gear, the “Brake Warning Light” will flash. If
vehicle speed is detected, a chime will sound to alert the
driver. Fully release the parking brake before attempting
to move the vehicle.
• This light only shows that the parking brake is applied.
It does not show the degree of brake application.
When parking on a hill, it is important to turn the front
wheels toward the curb on a downhill grade and away
from the curb on an uphill grade. For vehicles equipped
with an automatic transmission, apply the parking brake
before placing the gear selector in PARK, otherwise the
load on the transmission locking mechanism may make it
difficult to move the gear selector out of PARK. The
parking brake should always be applied whenever the
driver is not in the vehicle.
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Manual Transmission — If Equipped
The foot operated parking brake is positioned below the
lower left corner of the instrument panel. To release the
parking brake, pull the parking brake release handle.
Automatic Transmission — If Equipped
The foot operated parking brake is located below the lower
left corner of the instrument panel. To apply the park
brake, firmly push the park brake pedal fully. To release the
parking brake, press the park brake pedal a second time
and let your foot up as you feel the brake disengage.
WARNING!
•Never use the PARK position as a substitute for the
parking brake. Always apply the parking brake fully
when parked to guard against vehicle movement and
possible injury or damage.
• When exiting the vehicle, always remove the key fob
from the ignition and lock your vehicle.
• Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Allowing children to
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Manual Transmission Parking Brake Release
Parking Brake
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WARNING!(Continued)
be in a vehicle unattended is dangerous for a number
of reasons. A child or others could be seriously or
fatally injured. Children should be warned not to
touch the parking brake, brake pedal or the gear
selector.
• When exiting the vehicle, always make sure the
keyless ignition node is in the OFF mode, remove the
key fob from the vehicle and lock the vehicle.
• Do not leave the key fob in or near the vehicle or in
a location accessible to children, and do not leave the
ignition of a vehicle equipped with Keyless Enter-
N-Go in the ACC or ON/RUN mode. A child could
operate power windows, other controls, or move the
vehicle.
• Be sure the parking brake is fully disengaged before
driving; failure to do so can lead to brake failure and
a collision.
• Always fully apply the parking brake when leaving
your vehicle, or it may roll and cause damage or
injury. Also be certain to leave the transmission in
PARK. Failure to do so may allow the vehicle to roll
and cause damage or injury.
CAUTION!
If the Brake Warning Light remains on with the park-
ing brake released, a brake system malfunction is
indicated. Have the brake system serviced by an au-
thorized dealer immediately.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION — IF EQUIPPED
Six-Speed Manual Transmission
WARNING!
You or others could be injured if you leave the vehicle
unattended without having the park brake fully ap-
plied. The park brake should always 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
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CAUTION!(Continued)
Brake Control System/Hill Start Assist” in “Safety”
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 synchro-
nizer damage.
• Do not attempt to shift the transmission if the rear
wheels are spinning due to loss of traction. Damage
to the transmission may occur.
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 and lift your foot off the
accelerator pedal before shifting gears. As you release the
clutch pedal, lightly press the accelerator pedal. Damage to
the transmission or clutch may occur if you do not fully
press the clutch pedal and lift off of the accelerator pedal
when shifting.
Manual Shifter
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The six-speed manual transmission has a spring that
centers the gear selector 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 gear selector toward third
and fourth gear. Make sure you move the gear selector into
second or fifth gear. If you let the gear selector move in the
direction of the pulling, you may end shifting from first to
fourth or from sixth to third gear.
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.
Shift Pattern
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Recommended Shift Speeds
To utilize your manual transmission efficiently for fuel
economy, it should be upshifted as listed in recommended
shift speed chart.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION RECOMMENDED SHIFT SPEEDS — SRT
Engine 1-44-5 5-6
6.2L Supercharged mph2025 42
(km/h) (32)(40) (67)
6.4L mph 2037 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. Always depress the clutch pedal fully
to the floor before shifting into reverse. 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 with the ignition switch in the ON
position (RUN position for Keyless Enter-N-Go), as
compared to the ignition LOCK position (OFF position
for Keyless Enter-N-Go). This is normal operation of the
transmission reverse inhibitor 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 transmission is
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DRIVE or REVERSE when the vehicle is stopped or mov-
ing at low speeds. Select the DRIVE range for normal
driving.
NOTE:In the event of a mismatch between the gear
selector position and the actual transmission gear (for
example, driver selects PARK while driving), the position
indicator will blink continuously until the selector is re-
turned to the proper position, or the requested shift can be
completed. The electronically-controlled transmission adapts its shift
schedule based on driver inputs, along with environmental
and road conditions. The transmission electronics are self-
calibrating; therefore, the first few shifts on a new vehicle
may be somewhat abrupt. This is a normal condition, and
precision shifts will develop within a few hundred miles
(kilometers).
Only shift from DRIVE to PARK or REVERSE when the
accelerator pedal is released and the vehicle is stopped. Be
sure to keep your foot on the brake pedal when shifting
between these gears.
The transmission gear selector provides PARK, REVERSE,
NEUTRAL, DRIVE, and MANUAL (AutoStick) shift posi-
tions. Manual shifts can be made using the AutoStick shift
control. Toggling the gear selector forward (-) or rearward
(+) while in the MANUAL (AutoStick) position (beside the
DRIVE position) will manually select the transmission
gear, and will display the current gear in the instrument
cluster as M1, M2, M3, etc. Refer to
AutoStickin this
section for further information.
Automatic Transmission Gear Selector
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NOTE:If the gear selector cannot be moved to the PARK,
REVERSE, or NEUTRAL position (when pushed forward)
it is probably in the MANUAL (AutoStick, +/-) position
(beside the DRIVE position). In MANUAL (AutoStick)
mode, the transmission gear is displayed in the instrument
cluster (as M1, M2, M3, etc.). Move the gear selector to the
right (into the DRIVE [D] position) for access to PARK,
REVERSE, and NEUTRAL.
Gear Ranges
Do not depress the accelerator pedal when shifting from
PARK or NEUTRAL into another gear range.
NOTE: After selecting any gear range, wait a moment to
allow the selected gear to engage before accelerating. This
is especially important when the engine is cold.
PARK (P)
This range supplements the parking brake by locking the
transmission. The engine can be started in this range.
Never attempt to use PARK while the vehicle is in motion.
Apply the parking brake when exiting the vehicle in this
range.
When parking on a level surface, you may shift the
transmission into PARK first, and then apply the parking
brake. When parking on a hill, apply the parking brake before
shifting the transmission to PARK. As an added precau-
tion, turn the front wheels toward the curb on a downhill
grade and away from the curb on an uphill grade.
When exiting the vehicle, always:
•
Apply the parking brake.
• Shift the transmission into PARK.
• Turn the ignition OFF.
• Remove the key fob from the vehicle.
WARNING!
•Never use the PARK position as a substitute for the
parking brake. Always apply the parking brake fully
when exiting the vehicle to guard against vehicle
movement and possible injury or damage.
• Your vehicle could move and injure you and others if
it is not in PARK. Check by trying to move the
transmission gear selector out of PARK with the
brake pedal released. Make sure the transmission is
in PARK before exiting the vehicle.
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DRIVE (D)
This range should be used for most city and highway
driving. It provides the smoothest upshifts and downshifts,
and the best fuel economy. The transmission automatically
upshifts through all forward gears. The DRIVE position
provides optimum driving characteristics under all normal
operating conditions.
When frequent transmission shifting occurs (such as when
operating the vehicle under heavy loading conditions, in
hilly terrain, or traveling into strong head winds), use the
AutoStick shift control (refer to “AutoStick” in this section
for further information) to select a lower gear. Under these
conditions, using a lower gear will improve performance
and extend transmission life by reducing excessive shifting
and heat buildup.
During extremely cold temperatures (-22°F [-30°C] or be-
low), transmission operation may be modified depending
on engine and transmission temperature as well as vehicle
speed. Normal operation will resume once the transmis-
sion temperature has risen to a suitable level.
MANUAL (M)
The MANUAL (M, +/-) position (beside the DRIVE posi-
tion) enables full manual control of transmission shifting(also known as AutoStick mode; refer to “AutoStick” in this
section for further information). Toggling the gear selector
forward (-) or rearward (+) while in the MANUAL
(AutoStick) position will manually select the transmission
gear, and will display the current gear in the instrument
cluster as M1, M2, M3, etc.
Transmission Limp Home Mode
Transmission function is monitored electronically for ab-
normal conditions. If a condition is detected that could
result in transmission damage, Transmission Limp Home
Mode is activated. In this mode, the transmission may
operate only in certain gears, or may not shift at all. Vehicle
performance may be severely degraded and the engine
may stall. In some situations, the transmission may not
re-engage if the engine is turned off and restarted. The
Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) may be illuminated. A
message in the instrument cluster will inform the driver of
the more serious conditions, and indicate what actions may
be necessary.
In the event of a momentary problem, the transmission can
be reset to regain all forward gears by performing the
following steps:
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NOTE:In cases where the instrument cluster message
indicates the transmission may not re-engage after engine
shutdown, perform this procedure only in a desired loca-
tion (preferably, at an authorized dealer).
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Shift the transmission into PARK, if possible. If not, shift the transmission to NEUTRAL.
3. Push and hold the ignition switch until the engine turns OFF.
4. Wait approximately 30 seconds.
5. Restart the engine.
6. Shift into the desired gear range. If the problem is no longer detected, the transmission will return to normal
operation.
NOTE: Even if the transmission can be reset, we recom-
mend that you visit an authorized dealer at your earliest
possible convenience. An authorized dealer has diagnostic
equipment to assess the condition of your transmission.
If the transmission cannot be reset, authorized dealer
service is required.AutoStick
AutoStick is a driver-interactive transmission feature pro-
viding manual shift control, giving you more control of the
vehicle. AutoStick allows you to maximize engine braking,
eliminate undesirable upshifts and downshifts, and im-
prove overall vehicle performance.
This system can also provide you with more control during
passing, city driving, cold slippery conditions, mountain
driving, and many other situations.
Paddle Shifters
1 — (–) Shift Paddle 2 — (+) Shift Paddle
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