2004 DODGE DURANGO lock

UNLOCK button or by inserting a programmed Sentry
Key into the ignition and turning the key to the ON
position.
LIFTGATE
Once unlocked, the liftgate can be opened or closed
without using the key. To open the liftgate, pull out on
the outside handle and lift.
WARNING!
²Driving with the liftgate open can allow poison-
ous exhaust gases into your vehicle. You and your
passengers could be injured by these fumes. Keep
the liftgate closed when you are operating the
vehicle.
²If you are required to drive with the liftgate open,
make sure that all windows are closed, and the
climate control blower switch is set at high speed.
Do NOT use the recirculation mode.
Gas props support the liftgate in the open position.
However, because the gas pressure drops with tempera-
ture, it may be necessary to assist the props when
opening the liftgate in cold weather.
26 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

ignition is turned OFF or the driver's door is opened.
This feature can be turned off by your authorized dealer.
NOTE:The Power Accessory Delay feature will allow
the power windows to operate for ten minutes after the
ignition it turned OFF.
Auto Down
The driver's window switch has an Auto Down feature.
Push the window switch past the first detent, release, and
the window will go down automatically. To cancel the
Auto Down movement, operate the switch in either the
up or down direction and release the switch.
Window Lockout Switch
The window lockout switch on the driver's door allows
you to disable the window control on the other doors. To
disable the window controls on the other doors, press the
window lock button. To enable the window controls,
press the window control button again.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems. These include the front
and rear seat belts for the driver and all passengers, knee
bolsters, front airbags for both the driver and front
passenger, and if equipped left and right side curtain
airbags for the driver and passengers seated next to a
28 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

window. If you will be carrying children too small for
adult-size seat belts, your seat belts or the LATCH feature
(refer to the Child Restraint section in this manual), can
be used to hold infant and child restraint systems.
Please pay close attention to the information in this
section. It tells you how to use your restraint system
properly to keep you and your passengers as safe as
possible.
WARNING!
In a collision, you and your passengers can suffer
much greater injuries if you are not properly buck-
led up. You can strike the interior of your vehicle or
other passengers, or you can be thrown out of the
vehicle. Always be sure you and others in your
vehicle are buckled up properly.
Buckle up even though you are an excellent driver, even
on short trips. Someone on the road may be a poor driver
and cause a collision that includes you. This can happen
far away from home or on your own street.
Research has shown that seat belts save lives, and that
they can reduce the seriousness of injuries in a collision.
Some of the worst injuries happen when people are
thrown from the vehicle. Seat belts reduce the possibility
of ejection and the risk of injury caused by striking the
inside of the vehicle.Everyonein a motor vehicle should
be belted at all times.
Lap/Shoulder Belts
All seating positions in your vehicle have combination
lap/shoulder belts. The belt webbing retractor is de-
signed to lock during very sudden stops or collisions.
This feature allows the shoulder part of the belt to move
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 29
2

freely with you under normal conditions. But in a colli-
sion, the belt will lock and reduce the risk of your striking
the inside of the vehicle or being thrown out.
WARNING!
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people
riding in these areas are more likely to be seriously
injured or killed.
Do not allow people to ride in any area of your
vehicle that is not equipped with seats and seat belts.
Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
WARNING!
²Wearing a seat belt incorrectly is dangerous. Seat
belts are designed to go around the large bones of
your body. These are the strongest parts of your
body and can take the forces of a collision the
best. Wearing your belt in the wrong place could
make your injuries in a collision much worse. You
might suffer internal injuries, or you could even
slide out of part of the belt. Follow these instruc-
tions to wear your seat belt safely and to keep
your passengers safe, too.
²Two people should never be belted into a single
seat belt. People belted together can crash into one
another in an accident, hurting one another badly.
Never use a lap/shoulder belt or a lap belt for
more than one person, no matter what their size.
30 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the front and second row outboard seats, the shoulder
belt can be adjusted upward or downward to help
position the belt away from your neck. Push in on the
anchorage release button to release the anchorage, and
then move it up or down to the position that serves you
best.As a guide, if you are shorter than average, you will
prefer a lower position, and if you are taller than average,
you'll prefer a higher position. When you release the
anchorage, try to move it up or down to make sure that
it is locked in the desired position.
Second Row Center Seat Belt
The center seating position in the second row has a seat
belt assembly that can be converted from the normal
emergency locking mode to the automatic locking mode.
The seat belt should only be used in the automatic
locking mode when a child seat is installed at this seating
location.
When sitting in this seating location, ensure the seatback
is fully engaged with the seatback latch by pushing
rearward on the center seatback until you hear a click
that signals latch engagement.
34 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Automatic Locking Mode
To convert from the normal emergency locking mode to
the automatic locking mode, grasp the shoulder belt
portion and pull all of the webbing out of the retractor.
Allow some of the webbing to retract into the retractor, as
the belt retracts you will hear a clicking sound to indicate
the seat belt is now in the automatic locking mode. Once
the automatic locking mode has been activated, you will
not be able pull the webbing back out of the retractor. To
disengage the automatic locking mode, simply allow the
seat belt to retract fully into the retractor to return the seat
belt to the normal emergency locking mode.
Seat Belt Pretensioners
The seat belts for both front seating positions are
equipped with pretensioning devices that are designed to
remove any slack from the seat belt system in the event of
a collision. These devices improve the performance of the
seat belt by assuring that the belt is tight about theoccupant early in a collision. Pretensioners work for all
size occupants, including those in child restraints.
NOTE:These devices are not a substitute for proper seat
belt placement by the occupant. The seat belt still must be
worn snugly and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the Occupant Re-
straint Controller (ORC). Like the airbags, the pretension-
ers are single use items. After a collision that is severe
enough to deploy the airbags and pretensioners, both
must be replaced.
Enhanced Driver Seat Belt Reminder System
(BeltAlert)
If the driver's seat belt has not been buckled within 60
seconds of starting the vehicle and if the vehicle speed is
greater than 5 mph (8 km/h), the Enhanced Warning
System (BeltAlert) will alert the driver to buckle their seat
belt. The driver should also instruct all other occupants to
buckle their seat belts. Once the warning is triggered, the
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 35
2

WARNING!
²Do not put anything on or around the front airbag
covers or attempt to manually open them. You may
damage the airbags and you could be injured be-
cause the airbags are not there to protect you. These
protective covers for the airbag cushions are de-
signed to open only when the airbags are inflating.
²If your vehicle is equipped with window bags, do
not stack luggage or other cargo up high enough to
block the location of the window bag. The area
where the window bag is located should remain free
from any obstructions.
²If your vehicle is equipped with window bags, do
not have any accessory items installed which will
alter the roof, including adding a sunroof to your
vehicle. Do not add roof racks that require perma-
nent attachments (bolts or screws) for installation on
the vehicle roof. Do not drill into the roof of the
vehicle for any reason.
Along with the seat belts, front airbags work with the
instrument panel knee bolsters to provide improved
protection for the driver and front passenger. Window
bags also work with seat belts to improve occupant
protection.
The seat belts are designed to protect you in many types
of collisions. The front airbags deploy in moderate to
severe frontal collisions.
NOTE:The passenger front airbag may not deploy even
when the driver front airbag has if the Occupant Classi-
fication System (refer to9Occupant Classification System9
in this section) has determined the passenger seat is
empty or is occupied by someone that is classified in the
9small child9category.
If your vehicle is so equipped, the window bag on the
crash side of the vehicle is triggered in moderate to
severe side collisions. But even in collisions where the
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 39
2

Enhanced Accident Response System
If the airbags deploy after an impact and the electrical
system remains functional, vehicles equipped with
power door locks will unlock automatically. In addition,
approximately 5 seconds after the vehicle has stopped
moving, the interior lights will light until the ignition
switch is turned off.
Airbag Light
You will want to have the airbags ready to
inflate for your protection in an impact. While
the airbag system is designed to be mainte-
nance free, if any of the following occurs, have
an authorized dealer service the system promptly:
²The airbag light does not come on or flickers during
the 6 to 8 seconds when the ignition switch is first
turned on.
²The light remains on or flickers after the 6 to 8 second
interval.
²The light flickers or comes on and remains on while
driving.
NOTE:If the speedometer, tachometer or any engine
related gauges are not working, the airbag control mod-
ule may also be disabled. The airbags may not be ready
to inflate for your protection. Promptly check fuse block
for blown fuses. Refer to the label located on the inside of
the fuse block cover for the proper airbag fuses. See your
dealer if the fuse is good.
Child Restraint
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up all the
time - babies and children, too. Every state in the United
States and all Canadian provinces require that small
children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the law,
and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it. Children 12
years and under should ride properly buckled up in a
rear seat, if available. According to crash statistics, chil-
dren are safer when properly restrained in the rear seats
rather than in the front.
50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE