2004 DODGE STRATUS COUPE weight

To close, unlatch the hood prop from the engine hood
and place the hood prop in its retainer. Slowly lower
the engine hood to about 12 inches (30 cm) from the
closed position, then release it. The hood should latch
from its own weight.
NOTE
: If this does not latch the engine hood, release it
from a slightly higher position.
CAUTION!
Be careful that hands or fingers are not trapped
when closing the engine hood.
POWER WINDOWS
NOTE
1. The windows can be operated when the ignition key is
in the ªON ºposition. The door windows can be opened
F13A1720
F17A0250
Open
Close
LOCKING AND UNLOCKING 43
2

WARNING!
²The extender should only be used if the existing
belt is not long enough.
Persons who can use the standard seat belt should
not use an extender. Unnecessary use could result
in serious personal injury in the event of a colli-
sion.
²When not required, the extender must be removed
and stowed because the use of the extender when
not required may deactivate the seat belt locking
mechanism.
CHILD RESTRAINTS
When transporting infants or small children in your
vehicle, an appropriate child restraint system should
always be used. This is required by law in most states.
Child restraints specifically designed for infants and
small children are offered by several manufacturers. Only
choose a child restraint system with a label certifying it
complies with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
213.The child restraint system should be appropriate for your
child's weight and height and properly fit the vehicle's
seat.
All children should be restrained in a restraint device that
offers the maximum protection for their size and age.
·Children less than 1 year and less than 20 pounds must
ride in a rear-facing child safety seat only in the rear
seat.
·Children older than 1 year who weigh less than 40
pounds or are less than 40 inches tall should be in a
forward-facing restraint in the rear seat.
·Children who weigh more than 40 pounds or are more
than 40 inches tall - regardless of age - should use a
booster seat in the rear seat until the lap/shoulder belt
fits properly.
76 SEATS, SEAT BELTS, CHILD RESTRAINTS AND AIR BAGS

WARNING!
²It is important to use an approved rear facing
infant restraint until the infant is one year old to
allow the infant's neck and spine to develop
enough to support the weight of their head in the
event of a collision.
²When installing a child restraint system, follow
the instructions provided by the manufacturer
and follow the directions in this manual. Failure
to do so can result in severe or fatal injury to your
child in a collision or sudden stop.
²After installation, push and pull the child re-
straint system back and forth, and side to side, to
see that it is firmly secured. If the child restraint
system is not installed securely, it may cause
injury to the child or other occupants in the event
of a collision or sudden stop.
²When not in use, keep your child restraint system
secured with the seat belt or remove it from the
vehicle in order to prevent it from being thrown
inside the vehicle during an accident.
NOTE: Before purchasing a child restraint system, try
installing it in the rear seat to ensure a good fit. Due to the
location of the seat belt buckles and the shape of the seat
cushion it may be difficult to securely install some child
restraint systems.
If the child restraint system can be pulled forward or to
either side easily on the seat cushion after the seat belt
has been tightened, choose another child restraint sys-
tem.
²Depending on the seating position in the vehicle and
the child restraint system that you have, the child
restraint can be attached using one of the following 2
methods:
²To the lower anchorage in the rear seat ONLY if the
child restraint complies with Federal Motor Vehicle
Satety Standard 213 (See page 80).
²To the UNIBELT (See page 82).
SEATS, SEAT BELTS, CHILD RESTRAINTS AND AIR BAGS 79
3

3. To activate the ALR mode, slowly pull the shoulder
part of the belt all the way out until it stops, then let the
belt feed back into the retractor.
4. After the belt has retracted, tug on it. If the belt is
locked, you will not be able to pull it out. If you can pull
the belt out, it is not locked and not in the ALR mode. You
will need to repeat steps 3 and 4.5. After confirming that the belt is locked, grab the
shoulder part of the belt near the buckle and pull up to
remove any slack from the lap part of the belt. Remem-
ber, if the lap part of the belt is not tight, the child
restraint system will not be secure. It may help to put
weight on the child restraint system and/or push on its
seatback while pulling up on the belt (see illustration).
G18C0550G18C0560
84 SEATS, SEAT BELTS, CHILD RESTRAINTS AND AIR BAGS

BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS
Advanced automobile manufacturing techniques permit
you to operate your new vehicle without experiencing a
long break-in period of low-speed driving.
However, you can add to the future performance and
economy of your vehicle by observing the following
precautions during the first 300 miles (500 km).
It is recommended that you drive your vehicle at mod-
erate speeds during the break-in period.
1. Avoid racing the engine.
2. Avoid harsh driving such as fast starts, sudden accel-
eration, prolonged high-speed driving and abrupt appli-
cation of the brakes. These operations not only have a
detrimental effect on the engine but also cause increased
fuel and oil consumption, which could result in malfunc-
tion of engine components. Be particularly careful to
avoid wide-open throttle acceleration in low gear.
3. Do not overload the vehicle. Observe the seating
capacity. (See ªWeightsº page 365)
4. Do not use this vehicle for trailer towing during the
break-in period.
FUEL SELECTION
Your vehicle is designed to use unleaded gasoline only. It
is equipped with a fuel filler tube especially designed to
accept only the smaller diameter unleaded gasoline dis-
pensing nozzle.
WARNING!
Gasoline is highly flammable and explosive. You can
be burned or seriously injured when handling it.
When refueling this vehicle, always turn the engine
off and keep flames, sparks, and smoking materials
away. Always handle fuel in well-ventilated outdoor
areas.
144 STARTING AND DRIVING

Weight limits
Never exceed the maximum trailer weight (A), maximum
tongue weight (B), Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
and Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
I26A1290
204 STARTING AND DRIVING

Jack
To remove
Turn the shaft end so that the jack contracts and detach it
from the storage bracket.
To store
Turn the shaft end by hand to expand the jack until it is
secured firmly in position.
COMPACT SPARE TIRE
The compact spare tire is designed to save space in the
trunk and its lighter weight makes it easier to use if a flat
tire occurs.
CAUTION!
²The tire pressure should be periodically checked
and maintained at the specified pressure while
the tire is stowed.
²Driving with an insufficient tire pressure can lead
to an accident. If you have no choice but to drive
with an insufficient tire pressure, keep your speed
down and adjust to the specified pressure [60 psi
(420 kPa)] as soon as possible.
²The compact spare should only be used temporarily
and should be returned to the trunk and the
original
tire repaired or replaced as soon as possible. If your
vehicle is equipped with aluminum type wheels, the
wheel nuts for aluminum type wheels can be used
temporarily on the compact spare tire wheel.
²Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h) while the com-
pact spare tire is installed on the vehicle.
N21C0010To removeTo storeStorage
bracket
EMERGENCIES 267
8

3. Make sure that the weight of your vehicle load is
evenly distributed.
4. Drive at safe speeds.
5. After the tire inflation pressure has been adjusted,
check the tires for damage and air leaks. Be sure to
replace the rubber caps on the valve stems.
Radial ply tires
Radial ply tires provide improved tread life, road hazard
resistance and smoother high speed ride. The radial ply
factory-installed tires on this vehicle are of belted con-
struction and are selected to complement the ride and
handling characteristics of your vehicle.
Radial ply tires have the same load carrying capacity as
bias or bias-belted tires of the same letter size, and use the
same recommended inflation pressures.
Mixing of radial ply tires with bias or bias-belted tires is
not recommended. Combining radial ply and bias or
bias-belted tires on one vehicle will negatively affect
vehicle handling. It is recommended that radial ply tires
should always be used as a set of four.As longer wearing tires can be more susceptible to
irregular tread wear, it is very important to follow the tire
rotation interval shown in the section ªTire rotationº to
achieve full tread life potential in these tires.
Cuts and punctures in radial ply tires are repairable only
in the tread area, because of sidewall flexing. Consult
your tire dealer for radial ply tire repairs.
Tire pressure for sustained high-speed driving
For sustained high-speed driving, increase inflation pres-
sure 4 psi (28 kPa) above the recommended pressure but
do not exceed the maximum cold inflation pressure
molded into the tire sidewall.
Oversize tires
The use of tire sizes other than those listed may cause
interference with vehicle components under extremes of
suspension and steering travel, and may result in tire and
vehicle damage.
336 MAINTENANCE