2005 Dodge Dakota Owner Manual - Page 204

204 STARTING AND OPERATING transmission into gear may seem sluggish. This is due to the fluid partially draining from the torque converter into the transmission. This condition is normal and will not cause damage to the transmission. The torque converter will refill within five seconds of shifting from Park into any other gear position. Manual Transmission - 6-Speed NOTE: The parking brake should be engaged before leaving the vehicle, especially on an incline. This model is equipped with a clutch interlocking ignition system. The clutch pedal must be fully depressed to start the vehicle. Fully depress the clutch pedal before shifting gears. As you release the clutch pedal, lightly depress the accelerator pedal. When launching a stationary vehicle, keep the engine speed low until the clutch is fully engaged. NOTE: Damage to the clutch can result from starting in 2nd or 3rd gear with a loaded vehicle. Use each gear in numerical order - do not skip a gear. When shifting from 5th to 6th gear, do not apply excessive knob load toward the Reverse gear gate, as you may overpower Reverse crash-through load and unintentionally clash into Reverse gear. Also, when shifting from 6th to 5th gear, excessive knob load toward the Reverse gear gate will result in blocking of the shift. To shift into Reverse, come to a complete stop. Depress the clutch and pause briefly to allow the gear train to stop. Reverse has a Љcrash-throughЉ lockout feature. In order to get into the reverse gate you should start in neutral 3/4 and move rapidly into the reverse gate in one swift motion. If you move slowly toward reverse you will encounter a very high load which makes it difficult to enter the gate.