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Dodge 2013 Dart - Owner Manual User Manual

Page 406

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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 cause
severe transmission damage. Refer to “Recreational
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,
third, and fourth gears, direct fifth gear and overdrive
sixth gear. The DRIVE position provides optimum driv-
ing characteristics under all normal operating conditions.

When frequent transmission shifting occurs (such as
when operating the vehicle under heavy loading condi-
tions, in hilly terrain, traveling into strong head winds, or
while towing heavy trailers), use the AutoStick

௡ shift

control (refer to “AutoStick

௡” in this section for further

information) to select a lower gear. Under these condi-
tions, using a lower gear will improve performance and
extend transmission life by reducing excessive shifting
and heat buildup.

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STARTING AND OPERATING