2008 Chrysler 300 Owner Manual - Page 311

STARTING AND OPERATING 311 CAUTION! Never race the engine with the brakes on and the vehicle in gear, and never hold the vehicle on an incline without applying the brakes. These practices can cause overheating and damage to the transmission. Torque Converter Clutch A feature designed to improve fuel economy has been added to the automatic transmission of this vehicle. A clutch within the torque converter engages automatically at calibrated speeds. This may result in a slightly different feeling or response during normal operation in high gear. When the vehicle speed drops, or during acceleration, the clutch automatically and smoothly disengages. NOTE: • The torque converter clutch will not engage until the transmission fluid and engine coolant is warm (usually after 1-3 miles [1.6-4.8 km] of driving). Because engine speed is higher when the torque converter clutch is not engaged, it may seem as if the transmission is not shifting into "Overdrive" when cold. This is considered a normal condition. Pulling the selector lever into the "3" position will show that the transmission is able to shift into and out of "Overdrive." • If the vehicle has not been driven for several days, the first few seconds of operation after shifting the transmission into gear may seem sluggish. This is due to the transmission fluid partially draining from the torque converter into the transmission. This is considered a normal condition and it will not cause damage to the transmission. The torque converter will refill within 5 seconds of shifting from "P" (Park) into any other gear position. 5