Dodge Magnum SRT (2008 year). Instruction — part 17

Control Setting Suggestions for Various Weather Conditions

268

UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

REAR WINDOW FEATURES

Rear Wiper Operation

The rear wiper is operated by the rear wiper/
washer switch. The switch is located in the switch

bank near the top center of the instrument panel. An
indicator in the switch illuminates when the rear wiper is
on.

To use the rear wiper, push the left side of the rear
wiper/washer switch in and release.

The rear wiper system is intermittent, and is not adjust-
able. The delay is approximately eight to nine seconds
between cycles.

CAUTION!

Turn the rear wiper OFF when driving through an
automatic car wash. Damage to the rear wiper may
result if the wiper switch is left in any position other
than OFF.

Rear Washer Operation

The rear washer is operated by the rear wiper/
washer switch. The switch is located in the switch
bank near the top center of the instrument panel.

To use the rear washer, push the right side of the rear
wiper/washer switch in and hold while spray is desired
(maximum spray of 10 seconds). The rear wiper operates
for two wipe cycles after the switch is released.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

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Adding Washer Fluid
The windshield washer and rear window washer share
the same fluid reservoir. The reservoir is located in the
front of the engine compartment on the passenger side of
the vehicle. Be sure to check the fluid level at regular
intervals. Fill the reservoir with windshield washer sol-
vent (not radiator antifreeze) and operate the system for
a few seconds to flush out the residual water.

The washer fluid reservoir will hold 1 gal (4 l) of fluid
when the message “Low Washer Fluid” appears in the
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC).

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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

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.

Electric Rear Window Defroster

The Electric Rear Window Defroster control is
located on the climate control. Press this button to

turn ON the rear window defroster and the heated
outside rearview mirrors (if equipped). An LED in the
button will illuminate when the rear window defroster is
ON. The defroster automatically turns off after approxi-
mately 10 minutes. For five more minutes of operation,
press of the button again.

CAUTION!

To avoid damaging the electrical conductors of the
rear window defroster, do not use scrapers, sharp
instruments, or abrasive window cleaners on the
interior surface of the window.

Labels can be peeled off after soaking with warm
water.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

271

4

STARTING AND OPERATING

CONTENTS

䡵 Starting Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

▫ Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
▫ Normal Starting (Tip Start) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
▫ Extremely Cold Weather

(Below

⫺20°F Or ⫺29°C) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279

▫ If Engine Fails To Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
▫ After Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281

䡵 Engine Block Heater — If Equipped . . . . . . . . . 281
䡵 Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281

▫ Automatic Transmission — General

Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282

▫ Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System . . . 284
▫ 5-Speed Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . 285

䡵 AutoStick威 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290

▫ AutoStick威 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
▫ AutoStick威 General Information . . . . . . . . . . . 291

䡵 Driving On Slippery Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292

▫ Acceleration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292

5

▫ Traction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292

䡵 Driving Through Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293

▫ Flowing/Rising Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
▫ Shallow Standing Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293

䡵 Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
䡵 Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297

▫ Anti-Lock Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297

䡵 Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
䡵 Electronic Brake Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . 300

▫ ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System) . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
▫ TCS (Traction Control System) . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
▫ BAS (Brake Assist System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
▫ ESP (Electronic Stability Program) . . . . . . . . . 303

▫ Synchronizing ESP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
▫ ESP/BAS Malfunction Indicator Light And

ESP/TCS Indicator Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307

䡵 Tire Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308

▫ Tire Markings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
▫ Tire Identification Number (TIN) . . . . . . . . . . 311
▫ Tire Loading And Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . 312

䡵 Tires — General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316

▫ Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
▫ Tire Inflation Pressures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
▫ Radial-Ply Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
▫ Tire Spinning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
▫ Tread Wear Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320

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STARTING AND OPERATING

▫ Life Of Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
▫ Replacement Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
▫ Alignment And Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323

䡵 Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
䡵 Snow Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
䡵 Tire Rotation Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . 325

▫ Tire Rotation — Standard Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
▫ Tire Rotation — All Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . 326

䡵 Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) —

If Equipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327

▫ Base System — If Equipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
▫ Premium System — If Equipped . . . . . . . . . . 332
▫ General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337

䡵 Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337

▫ 6.1L Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
▫ Reformulated Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
▫ Gasoline/Oxygenate Blends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
▫ MMT In Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
▫ Materials Added To Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
▫ Fuel System Cautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
▫ Carbon Monoxide Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340

䡵 Adding Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341

▫ Fuel Filler Cap (Gas Cap) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
▫ Loose Fuel Filler Cap Message . . . . . . . . . . . . 343

䡵 Vehicle Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344

▫ Vehicle Certification Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344

STARTING AND OPERATING

275

5

▫ Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) . . . . . . . 344
▫ Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) . . . . . . . . . 344
▫ Overloading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
▫ Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345

䡵 Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347

▫ Common Towing Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
▫ Trailer Hitch Classification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
▫ Trailer Towing Weights (Maximum Trailer

Weight Ratings) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352

▫ Trailer And Tongue Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
▫ Towing Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
▫ Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359

䡵 Recreational Towing (Behind Motorhome, Etc.) . . 361

▫ Towing This Vehicle Behind Another Vehicle

(Flat Towing With All Four Wheels On The
Ground) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361

䡵 Ground Clearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361

276

STARTING AND OPERATING

STARTING PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust the
inside and outside mirrors, fasten your seat belt, and if
present, instruct all other occupants to buckle their seat
belts.

WARNING!

• 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 seri-
ously or fatally injured. Don’t leave the keys in the
ignition. A child could operate power windows, other
controls, or move the vehicle.

• Do not leave animals or children inside parked ve-

hicles in hot weather; interior heat buildup may cause
serious injury or death.

• Be sure to turn OFF the engine and remove the key

from the ignition switch if you want to rest or sleep in
your car. Accidents can be caused by inadvertently
moving the shift lever. Accidents can also be caused
by pressing the accelerator pedal. This may cause
excessive heat in the exhaust system, resulting in
overheating and vehicle fire, which may cause serious
or fatal injuries.

STARTING AND OPERATING

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5

Automatic Transmission
The shift lever must be in the NEUTRAL or PARK
position before you can start the engine. Apply the brakes
before shifting into any driving gear.

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 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.

278

STARTING AND OPERATING

Normal Starting (Tip Start)

NOTE:

Normal Starting of either a cold or a warm

engine is obtained without pumping or depressing the
accelerator pedal.

Do not

press the accelerator. Use the Fob with Integrated

Key to briefly turn the ignition switch to the START
position and release it as soon as the starter engages. The
starter motor will continue to run, and it will disengage
automatically when the engine is running. If the engine
fails to start, the starter will disengage automatically in 10
seconds. If this occurs, turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK position, wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat the
normal starting procedure.

Extremely Cold Weather (Below

⫺20°F or ⫺29°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.

STARTING AND OPERATING

279

5

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.

• 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 Section 6 for
proper jump-starting procedures and follow them
carefully.

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.

CAUTION!

To prevent damage to the starter, wait 10 to 15
seconds before trying again.

280

STARTING AND OPERATING

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 engine coolant 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.

WARNING!

Remember to disconnect the cord before driving.
Damage to the 110-115 Volt electrical cord could cause
electrocution.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

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 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.

STARTING AND OPERATING

281

5

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.

Automatic Transmission — 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 cycle

the key to the LOCK position before restarting. Trans-
mission engagement may be delayed up to 10 seconds
after restart if the key is not cycled to the LOCK
position first.

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STARTING AND OPERATING

• 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 depressed 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
from the ignition, and apply the parking brake. Once
the key is removed from the ignition, the transmis-
sion shift lever is locked in the PARK position,
securing the vehicle against unwanted movement.
Furthermore, you should never leave unattended
children inside a vehicle.

STARTING AND OPERATING

283

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