2005 Dodge Stratus Owner Manual Coupe - Page 156

156 STARTING AND DRIVING CAUTION! The electronically controlled transaxle system is strictly intended to provide supplementary functions. When driving downhill under certain conditions, or immediately after starting when the automatic transaxle is cold, no automatic shift-down may be made. The driver should shift down to a low gear (3rd gear or 2nd gear), which will permit the engine to exert a braking effect. NOTE: During the brake-in period or immediately after re-connection of the battery cable, the vehicle may not shift as smoothly. This does not indicate a faulty transmission. The transaxle system must have a short period to learn parameters for proper shifting. Shifting will become smooth after the transaxle has been shifted several times by the electronic control system. Selector lever operation As an additional safety precaution, models equipped with an automatic transaxle have a shift-lock device that holds the selector lever in the "P" (PARK) position. To move the selector lever from the "P" (PARK) position to another position, follow the steps below. 1. Depress and hold down the brake pedal. 2. Move the selector lever to the desired position. NOTE: The selector lever cannot be moved from "P" (PARK) to another position if the ignition key is at the "LOCK" position, removed, or if the brake pedal is not depressed and held down.