2005 DODGE STRATUS COUPE warning

over curbs or parking stop blocks. Always use caution
when traveling up or down sharp inclines as your
bumper may contact the road surface.
2. Maintain specified tire inflation pressures. Replace
tires before they are excessively worn.
3. If you plan to drive in another country, comply with
the vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability
of the correct fuel.
OPERATION DURING COLD WEATHER
1. Check the battery, including terminals and cables.
During extremely cold weather, the battery capacity will
decrease. Also, the battery power level may drop because
more power is needed for cold starting and operation.
Before driving the vehicle, check to see if the engine runs
at the proper speed and if the headlights are at their usual
intensity. Charge or replace the battery if necessary.
During cold weather, it is possible that a discharged
battery could freeze.
WARNING!
The battery gives off explosive hydrogen gas. Any
spark or flame can cause the battery to explode,
which could seriously injury or kill you.
Always wear protective clothes and a face shield
when doing battery maintenance, or let a skilled
technician do it.
2. Manual transaxles may be more difficult to shift
during cold weather operation. This is normal and shift
effort will become easier as the transaxle reaches a
normal operating temperature.
Maintain low-speed operation at first to allow the trans-
axle oil to be distributed to all lubrication points.
3. Check the engine antifreeze.
If there is a shortage of coolant due to leakage or engine
overheating, add high-quality ethylene glycol antifreeze
and water. The recommended ratio is about 50% water
and 50% anti-freeze. This ratio provides adequate corro-
sion, boiling, and freeze protection.
204 STARTING AND DRIVING

WARNING!
Never open the radiator cap when the radiator is hot.
You could be seriously burned.
TRAILER TOWING
Warranty Requirements
The Manufacturer's Passenger Vehicle Warranty will
apply to vehicles used to tow trailers for non-commercial
use. However the following conditions must be met:
²The maximum trailer load for vehicles with manual
transaxles is 1,000 lbs (454 kg).
²The maximum trailer load for vehicles with automatic
transaxles is 1,000 lbs (454 kg).
²The maximum frontal area of the trailer cannot exceed
20 square feet (1.86 square meters).
²If using a manual transaxle vehicle for trailer towing,
all starts must be in FIRST gear to avoid excessive
clutch slippage.The trailer tongue load must be considered as part of the
tow vehicle load capacity when loading the vehicle.
NOTE:Check the automatic transmission fluid level
before towing. Fluid discoloration, or a burnt odor,
shows the need for transmission fluid replacement.
WARNING!
Connecting trailer brakes to your vehicle's hydraulic
brake lines can overload your brake system and
cause it to fail. You might not have brakes when you
need them and could have an accident.
Whenever you pull a trailer, regardless of the trailer size,
stop lights and turn signals on the trailer are recom-
mended for motoring safety.
STARTING AND DRIVING 205
5

WARNING!
²Do not attempt to adjust the sun visor while
driving. This can be dangerous.
Vanity mirror
A vanity mirror is on the back of the sun visor.
G10A0580
G13A0850
212 FOR PLEASANT DRIVING

Glove compartment
To open the glove compartment, pull the lever.
WARNING!
An open glove compartment door can result in
serious injury to the front passenger in an accident,
even if the passenger is wearing the seat belt. Al-
ways keep the glove compartment door closed when
driving.
NOTE: If the glove compartment is opened, the glove
compartment light illuminates.
G14B1120
216 FOR PLEASANT DRIVING

Do not wipe in a circle. Never use any chemicals such
as benzine, paint thinner, a disc spray cleaner, or an
anti-static agent on the disc.
(8) Do not use a ball point pen, felt pen, pencil, etc. to
write on the label surface of the disc.
(9) Do not put additional labels (A) or stickers (B) on
compact discs. Also, do not use any compact disc on
which a label or sticker has started to peel off or anycompact disc that has stickiness or other contamina-
tion left by a peeled-off label or sticker. If you use
such a compact disc, the CD player may stop working
properly and you may not be able to eject the
compact disc.
CD player laser warning
WARNING!
Operating the CD player in a manner other than
specifically instructed herein may result in hazard-
ous radiation exposure.
Do not remove the cover and attempt to repair the
CD player by yourself. There are no user serviceable
parts inside. In case of malfunction, contact an
authorized dealer.
RADIO OPERATION AND CELLULAR PHONES
Under certain conditions, the operation of a cellular
phone in your vehicle can cause erratic or noisy perfor-
mance from your radio. This condition may be lessened
or eliminated by relocating the cellular phone antenna.
H12F0160
236 FOR PLEASANT DRIVING

CAUTION!
The air conditioning system in your vehicle must be
charged with the refrigerant HFC-134a and the lubri-
cant SUN-PAG 56.
Use of any other refrigerant or lubricant will cause
severe damage which will result in the need to
replace your vehicle's entire air conditioning system.
The release of refrigerant into the atmosphere is not
recommended.
The new refrigerant (HFC-134a) in your vehicle is
designed not to harm the earth's ozone layer. How-
ever, it may slightly contribute to global warming.
It is recommended that the refrigerant be recovered
and recycled for future use.
During a long period of disuse
The air conditioning should be operated for at least five
minutes each a week, even in cold weather. This is to
maintain lubrication of the compressor internal parts and
maintain the air conditioning in the best operating con-
dition.
INSTALLATION OF ACCESSORIES
CAUTION!
Before any electrical or electronic accessories are
installed, consult an authorized dealer.
1. Improper installation of an electrical or electronic
accessory may cause a fire or electrical problem.
It also could result in failure of warranty coverage under
the new vehicle limited warranty.
2. When using a communication system such as a cellu-
lar phone or a radio set inside the vehicle, be sure to
install a separate external antenna. When a cellular phone
or a radio set is used by using an internal antenna alone,
it might cause failure to the vehicle's electrical system
and could interfere with safe operation of the vehicle.
WARNING!
If you use a cellular phone while driving, keep your
attention on your driving, in order to reduce risk of
accidents.
250 FOR PLEASANT DRIVING

IF THE VEHICLE BREAKS DOWN
If the vehicle breaks down on the road, move to the
shoulder and activate the hazard warning flashers. If
there is no shoulder, or the shoulder is not safe, drive in
the right lane, slowly, with the hazard flashers activated,
until you reach a safe place to stop. Keep the flashers
activated.
If the engine quits
If the engine stops, power will be lost to the steering and
brakes, making steering and braking difficult.
1. The brake booster becomes inoperative and the brake
pedal will be harder to push than usual.
2. Since power steering system is not operative, the
steering wheel will be stiff when turning. Turn the wheel
with more effort than usual.
OPERATION UNDER ADVERSE DRIVING
CONDITIONS
If your vehicle becomes stuck in sand, mud or
snow
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, sand, or mud, it can
often be moved by a rocking motion. Turn your steering
wheel right and left to clear the area around the wheels.
Move the gearshift lever or selector lever rhythmically
between the 1st and REVERSE position (with manual
transaxle), ``L'' (Low) and ``R'' (REVERSE) position (with
automatic transaxle), Autostick and ``R'' (REVERSE posi-
tion (with automatic transaxle autostick), while applying
slight pressure to the accelerator pedal.
Avoid racing the engine or spinning the wheels. Pro-
longed efforts to free a stuck vehicle may result in
overheating and transaxle failure.
Allow the engine to idle for a few minutes to let the
transaxle cool between rocking attempts.
If the vehicle remains stuck after several rocking at-
tempts, seek other assistance.
EMERGENCIES 263
8

WARNING!
When attempting to rock your vehicle out of a stuck
position, be sure that the area around the vehicle is
clear of people. The rocking motion may cause the
vehicle to suddenly lurch forward or backward,
causing injury to by-standers.
On a wet road
CAUTION!
²Avoid flooded roads. Water depth can be decep-
tive, and you could be seriously hurt by driving
into flood water.
²When driving in rain, on water-covered roads, or
through a vehicle wash, water could enter the
brake drum linings or discs, resulting in tempo-
rarily ineffective brakes. In such cases, lightly
depress the brake pedal to see if the brakes
operate properly. If they do not, lightly depress
the pedal several times while driving in order to
dry the brake pads or linings, then check them
again.
264 EMERGENCIES