2006 DODGE DAKOTA ECO mode

Electronic Serial Number/Sirius Identification
Number (ESN/SID)
The Electronic Serial Number/Sirius Identification Num-
ber is needed to activate your Sirius Satellite Radio
system. To access the ESN/SID, refer to the following
steps:
ESN/SID Access With REF Radios
With the ignition switch in the ACCESSORY position and
the radio OFF, press the CD Eject and Time buttons
simultaneously for 3 seconds. The first four digits of the
twelve-digit ESN/SID number will be displayed. Press
the SEEK UP button to display the next four digits.
Continue to press the SEEK UP button until all twelve
ESN/SID digits have been displayed. The SEEK DOWN
will page down until the first four digits are displayed.
The radio will exit the ESN/SID mode when any other
button is pushed, the ignition is turned OFF, or 5 minutes
has passed since any button was pushed.
ESN/SID Access With RAQ and RAK Radios
With the ignition switch in the ACCESSORY position and
the radio OFF, press the CD Eject and TIME buttons
simultaneously for 3 seconds. All twelve ESN/SID num-
bers will be displayed. The radio will exit the ESN/SID
mode when any other button is pushed, the ignition is
turned OFF, or 5 minutes has passed since any button
was pushed.
ESN/SID Access With REC Navigation Radios
Please refer to your Navigation User’s Manual.
With the ignition in the ACCESSORY position and the
radio off, press the CD Eject and Set buttons simulta-
neously until the 12 digits of the ESN/SID appear on the
screen.
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Selecting Satellite Mode in REF, RAQ, and RAK
Radios
Selecting Satellite Mode — REF Radio
Press the MODE button repeatedly until the word SAT
appears in the display.
A CD may remain in the radio while in the Satellite radio
mode.
Selecting Satellite Mode — RAQ and RAK Radio
Press the MODE button repeatedly until the word SAT
appears in the display.
These radios will also display the current station name
and program type. For more information such as song
title and artist press the MSG or INFO button.
A CD or tape may remain in the radio while in the
Satellite radio mode.
Selecting a Channel
Press and release the SEEK or TUNE knob to search for
the next channel. Press the top of the button to search up
and the bottom of the button to search down. Holding the
TUNE button causes the radio to bypass channels until
the button is released.
Press and release the SCAN button (if equipped) to
automatically change channels every 7 seconds. The
radio will pause on each channel for 7 seconds before
moving on to the next channel. The word SCANwill
appear in the display between each channel change. Press
the SCAN button a second time to stop the search.
NOTE: Channels that may contain objectionable content
can be blocked. Contact Sirius Customer Care at 888-539-
7474 to discuss options for channel blocking or unblock-
ing. Please have your ESN/SID information available.
184 INSTRUMENT PANEL AND CONTROLS

The right hand control is a rocker type switch with a push
button in the center. Pressing the top of the switch will
increase the volume and pressing the bottom of the
switch will decrease the volume.
The button located in the center of the right hand control
will switch modes to Radio or CD.
The left hand control is a rocker type switch with a push
button in the center. The function of the left hand control
is different depending on which mode you are in.
The following describes the left hand control operation in
each mode.
Radio Operation
Pressing the top of the switch will SEEK up for the next
listenable station and pressing the bottom of the switch
will SEEK down for the next listenable station. The button located in the center of the left hand control
will tune to the next pre-set station that you have
programmed in the radio pre-set push-buttons.
CD Player
Pressing the top of the switch once will go to the next
track on the CD. Pressing the bottom of the switch once
will go to the beginning of the current track or to the
beginning of the previous track if it is within one second
after the current track begins to play.
If you press the switch up or down twice it plays the
second track, three times, it will play the third, etc.
The button in the center of the left hand switch changes
CD’s on the 6–Disc in-dash CD changer radio. This
button does not function for all other radios.
INSTRUMENT PANEL AND CONTROLS 187
4

CLIMATE CONTROLS
The controls for the heating, ventilation and air condi-
tioning system in this vehicle consist of a series of rotary
knobs. These comfort controls can be set to obtain desired
interior conditions.
Air Conditioning And Heater Air Conditioning And Heater Operation
To turn on the Air Conditioning, set the fan control at any
speed and press the snowflake button located at the right
of the control panel. Conditioned air will be directed
through the outlets selected by the mode control. A light
at the top of the snowflake button shows that the air
conditioning is on. Press the button a second time to turn
the air conditioning off.
Slight changes in engine speed or power may be noticed
when the air conditioning compressor is on. This is a
normal occurrence as the compressor will cycle on and
off to maintain comfort and increase fuel economy.
INSTRUMENT PANEL AND CONTROLS 189
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and blower speed to maintain comfort. High blower
speeds will reduce fogging. Interior fogging on the
windshield can be quickly removed by selecting the
defrost mode.
Regular cleaning of the inside of the windows with a
non-filming cleaning solution (vinegar and water works
very well) will help prevent contaminates (cigarette
smoke, perfumes, etc.) from sticking to the windows.
Contaminates on the inside of windows can increase the
rate of window fogging.
Summer Operation
Air conditioned vehicles must be protected with a high
quality antifreeze coolant during summer to provide
proper corrosion protection and to raise the boiling point
of the coolant for protection against overheating. A 50%
concentration of engine coolant to distilled water is
recommended. See coolant section of Owner’s manual. When using the air conditioner in extremely heavy traffic
in hot weather especially when towing a trailer, addi-
tional engine cooling may be required. If this situation is
encountered, operate the transmission in a lower gear.
When stopped in heavy traffic, it may be necessary to
shift into NEUTRAL and depress the accelerator slightly
for fast idle operation.
Winter Operation
When operating the system during the winter months,
make sure the air intake, located directly in front of the
windshield, is free of ice, slush, snow, or other obstruc-
tions.
INSTRUMENT PANEL AND CONTROLS 193
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“N” Neutral
Shift to Neutral when vehicle is standing for prolonged
periods with engine running. Engine may be started in
this range. Set the parking brake if you must leave the
vehicle.
“D” Drive
For most city and highway driving.
“2” Second
For driving slowly in heavy city traffic or on mountain
roads where more precise speed control is desirable. Use
it also when climbing long grades, and for engine brak-
ing when descending moderately steep grades. To pre-
vent excessive engine speed do not exceed 45 miles per
hour (72 km/h) in this range. “1” First
For driving up very steep hills and for engine braking at
low speeds 25 mph (40 km/h) or less when going down
hill. To prevent excessive engine speed do not exceed 25
mph (40 km/h) in this range.
Overdrive Operation
The overdrive automatic transmission contains an elec-
tronically controlled fourth and fifth (if equipped) speed
(Overdrive). The transmission will automatically shift
from Drive to Overdrive if the following conditions are
present:
•the transmission selector is in Drive;
•the engine coolant has reached normal operating tem-
perature;
•vehicle speed is above approximately 30 mph (48
km/h);
•the “TOW/HAUL” switch has not been activated;
206 STARTING AND OPERATING

•transmission has reached normal operating tempera-
ture.
NOTE: If the vehicle is started in extremely cold tem-
peratures, the transmission may not shift into Overdrive
and will automatically select the most desirable gear for
operation at this temperature. Normal operation will
resume when the transmission fluid temperature has
risen to a suitable level. Refer also to the Note under
torque converter clutch, later in this section.
If the transmission temperature gets extremely hot, the
transmission will automatically select the most desirable
gear for operation at this temperature. If the transmission
temperature becomes hot enough the TRANS TEMP light
may illuminate and the transmission may downshift out
of Overdrive until the transmission cools down. After
cooldown, the transmission will resume normal opera-
tion. The transmission will downshift from Overdrive to Drive
if the accelerator pedal is fully depressed at vehicle
speeds above approximately 35 mph (56 km/h).
When To Use “TOW/HAUL” Mode
When driving in hilly areas, towing a trailer, carrying a
heavy load, etc., and frequent transmission shifting oc-
curs, press the “TOW/HAUL” button. This will improve
STARTING AND OPERATING 207
5

performance and reduce the potential for transmission
overheating or failure due to excessive shifting. When
operating in “TOW/HAUL” mode, 5th gear (if
equipped) is disabled and 2-3 and 3-4 shift patterns are
modified. Shifts into Overdrive (4th gear) are allowed
during steady cruise (for improved fuel economy) and
automatic closed-throttle downshifts to 3rd gear (for
improved braking) will occur during steady braking.
The “TOW/HAUL” light will illuminate in the instru-
ment cluster to indicate when the switch has been
activated. Pressing the switch a second time restores
normal operation. If the “TOW/HAUL” mode is desired,
the button must be pressed each time the engine is
started.
Torque Converter Clutch
A feature designed to improve fuel economy is included
in all automatic transmissions. A clutch within the torque
converter engages automatically at a calibrated speed at light throttle. It engages at higher speeds under heavier
acceleration. This may result in a slightly different feeling
or response during normal operation in high gear. When
the vehicle speed drops below a calibrated speed, or
during acceleration, the clutch automatically and
smoothly disengages. The feature is operational in Over-
drive and in Drive.
NOTE:
The torque converter clutch will not engage
until the transmission fluid and engine coolant are warm
[usually after 1-3 miles (1.6 - 4.8 km) of driving]. Because
the 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 normal.
Pressing the TOW/HAUL button, when the transmis-
sion is sufficiently warm, will demonstrate that the
transmission is able to shift into and out of Overdrive.
NOTE: If the vehicle has not been driven in several
days, the first few seconds of operation after shifting the
208 STARTING AND OPERATING