2006 DODGE DURANGO Owners Manual

(65° C). Be sure to remove any buildup of snow or ice
from the liftgate before pressing any of the power
liftgate switches.
•If the power liftgate encounters multiple obstructions
within the same cycle, the system will automatically
stop and must be opened or closed manually.
•If your liftgate is power closing and you put the
vehicle in gear, the liftgate will continue to power
close. However, vehicle movement may result in a
detection of an obstruction.
WARNING!
•Driving 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.
•If 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.
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WINDOWS
Power Windows
The control on the left front door has up-down switches
that give you finger tip control of all four power win-
dows. There is a single opening and closing switch on the
passenger doors for passenger window control. The
windows will operate only when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position and for ten minutes after the
Power Window Switches
Power Window Switches
34 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.
Window Lockout Switch
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 35
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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
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
36 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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
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.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 37
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WARNING!
•Wearing 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.
•Two 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.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions
1. Enter the vehicle and close the door. Sit back and
adjust the seat.
2. The seat belt latch plate is above the back of the front
seat, next to your arm in the rear seat. Grasp the latch
Pulling Out Belt and Latchplate
38 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

plate and pull out the belt. Slide the latch plate up the
webbing as far as necessary to allow the belt to go around
your lap.
3. When the belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”WARNING!
•A belt buckled into the wrong buckle will not protect
you properly. The lap portion could ride too high on
your body, possibly causing internal injuries. Always
buckle your belt into the buckle nearest you.
•A belt that is too loose will not protect you as well. In
a sudden stop you could move too far forward, increas-
ing the possibility of injury. Wear your seat belt snugly.
•A belt that is worn under your arm is very dangerous.
Your body could strike the inside surfaces of the vehicle
in a collision, increasing head and neck injury. And a
belt worn under the arm can cause internal injuries.
Ribs aren’t as strong as shoulder bones. Wear the belt
over your shoulder so that your strongest bones will
take the force in a collision.
•A shoulder belt placed behind will not protect you
from injury during a collision. You are more likely to
hit your head in a collision if you do not wear your
shoulder belt. The lap and shoulder belt are meant to be
used together.Removing Slack From Belt
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 39
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4. Position the lap belt across your thighs, below your
abdomen. To remove slack in the lap belt portion, pull up
on the shoulder belt. To loosen the lap belt if it is too tight,
tilt the latch plate and pull on the lap belt. A snug belt
reduces the risk of sliding under the belt in a collision.WARNING!
•A lap belt worn too high can increase the risk of
internal injury in a collision. The belt forces won’t
be at the strong hip and pelvic bones, but across your
abdomen. Always wear the lap belt as low as pos-
sible and keep it snug.
•A twisted belt can’t do its job as well. In a collision
it could even cut into you. Be sure the belt is straight.
If you can’t straighten a belt in your vehicle, take it
to your dealer and have it fixed.
5. Position the shoulder belt on your chest so that it is
comfortable and not resting on your neck. The retractor
will withdraw any slack in the belt.
Removing Slack From Belt
40 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE