2012 Chrysler Town & Country Owner Manual - Page 441

STARTING AND OPERATING 439 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. DRIVE 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 underdrive first, second, third, and fourth gears, direct fifth gear and overdrive sixth gear. 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, traveling into strong head winds, or while towing heavy trailers), use the Electronic Range Select (ERS) shift control (described below) to select a lower gear range. Under these conditions, using a lower gear range will improve performance and extend transmission life by reducing excessive shifting and heat buildup. CAUTION! Towing the vehicle, coasting, or driving for any other reason with the transmission in NEUTRAL can result in 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. 5