Dodge 2014 Dart User Manual page 36

OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
Shifting The Transmission
• The transmission shift lever position (PRND) is displayed both on the shift lever and in the
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC).
• To drive, depress the brake pedal, press the button on the front of the shift lever and move
the shift lever from PARK or NEUTRAL to the DRIVE position.
• Manual shifts can also be made using the AutoStick® shift control.
• This transmission is programmed to prevent shifting from Reverse to Drive or Drive to
Reverse, if vehicle speed is above 6 mph (10 km/h). This safety feature helps protect your
transmission from damage.
NOTE:
• When stopped on an incline, it is recommended that you always hold the vehicle in place
using the brakes. On steep inclines, Hill Start Assist (HSA) will temporarily hold the car in
position when the brake pedal is released. If the accelerator pedal is not applied after a
short time, the car will roll back. Either reapply the brake (to hold the vehicle) or press the
accelerator to climb the hill.
• During acceleration, gear changes will feel smooth compared to a vehicle with a tradi-
tional manual transmission. This is a benefit of the dual clutch design that avoids power
loss during up-shifts.
Instrument Cluster Messages
• Messages will be displayed in the instrument cluster (if equipped with an EVIC) to alert
the driver when certain conditions occur. These messages are described below.
MESSAGE
GEAR NOT AVAILABLE
SHIFT NOT ALLOWED
SHIFT TO NEUTRAL THEN D or R
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DESCRIPTION
In AutoStick® mode, the gear selected by the
driver is not available due to a fault condi-
tion. See your authorized dealer for diagnosis
and service.
The gear position requested by the driver is
currently blocked. This occurs if NEUTRAL is
requested while moving, if REVERSE is re-
quested while moving (at 6 mph [10 km/h] or
faster), if DRIVE is requested while moving
backwards (at 6 mph [10 km/h] or faster), or if
3rd gear or higher is requested at a stop.
Make sure the vehicle is stopped before
engaging DRIVE or REVERSE.
The transmission has shifted itself into NEU-
TRAL (due to a fault condition, or overheat
due to excessive idling when stopped in
DRIVE with the brakes released), but the shift
lever remains in gear. Shift into NEUTRAL
and then back into gear for continued driving.
If the transmission will not reengage,
see your authorized dealer.