2006 DODGE VIPER radiator cap

•In city traffic—While moving, shift into the highest
gear possible to reduce engine RPM.
NOTE:There are steps that you can take to slow down
an impending overheat condition. If your air conditioner
is on, turn it off. The air conditioning system adds heat to
the cooling system and turning off the A/C removes this
heat. You can also turn the Temperature control to
maximum heat, the Mode control to floor, and the fan
control to High. This allows the heater core to act as a
supplement to the radiator and aids in removing heat
from the cooling system.WARNING!
A hot cooling system is dangerous. You or others
could be badly burned by steam or boiling coolant.
If your temperature gauge pointer is in the red area,
turn off the engine immediately. You may want to
call a service center for service. If you decide to look
under the hood yourself, see Section 7 of this
manual. Follow the warnings under the Radiator
Cap paragraph.
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 157
6

WARNING!
Exhaust gases can injure or kill. They contain carbon
monoxide which is colorless and odorless. Breathing
it can make you unconscious and can eventually
poison you.
Cooling System
WARNING!
You or others can be badly burned by hot coolant or
steam from your radiator. If you see or hear steam
coming from under the hood, don’t open the hood
until the radiator has had time to cool. Never try to
open a cooling system pressure cap when the radia-
tor is hot.
Coolant Checks
Check engine coolant (antifreeze) protection every 12
months (before the onset of freezing weather, where
applicable). If coolant is dirty or rusty in appearance, the
system should be drained, flushed and refilled with fresh
coolant. Check the front of the radiator for any accumu-
lation of bugs, leaves, etc.
Check the coolant recovery bottle tubing for brittle rubber,
cracking, tears, cuts and tightness of the connection at the
bottle and radiator. Inspect the entire system for leaks.
With the engine at normal operating temperature (but
not running), check the cooling system pressure cap for
proper vacuum sealing by draining a small amount of
coolant from the radiator drain cock. If the cap is sealing
properly, the engine coolant (antifreeze) will begin to
drain from the coolant recovery bottle. DO NOT RE-
MOVE THE COOLANT PRESSURE CAP WHEN THE
COOLING SYSTEM IS HOT.
190 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

Adding Coolant
Your vehicle has been built with an improved engine
coolant that allows extended maintenance intervals. This
coolant can be used up to 5 Years or 100,000 miles before
replacement. To prevent reducing this extended mainte-
nance period, it is important that you use the same
coolant throughout the life of your vehicle. Please review
these recommendations for using Hybrid Organic Addi-
tive Technology (HOAT) coolant.
When adding coolant, a minimum solution of 50% rec-
ommended Mopar Antifreeze/ Coolant 5 Year/100,000
Mile Formula HOAT (Hybrid Organic Additive Technol-
ogy), or equivalent, in water should be used. Use higher
concentrations (not to exceed 70%) if temperatures below

34°F (
37°C ) are anticipated.
Use only high purity water such as distilled or deionized
water when mixing the water/engine coolant solution.The use of lower quality water will reduce the amount of
corrosion protection in the engine cooling system.
Please note that it is the owner’s responsibility to main-
tain the proper level of protection against freezing ac-
cording to the temperatures occurring in the area where
the vehicle is operated.
NOTE:Mixing coolant types will decrease the life of the
engine coolant and will require more frequent coolant
changes.
Cooling System Pressure Cap
The cap must be fully tightened to prevent loss of
coolant, and to insure that coolant will return to the
radiator from the coolant recovery bottle.
The cap should be inspected and cleaned if there is any
accumulation of foreign material on the sealing surfaces.
192 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
•The warning words “DO NOT OPEN HOT” on
the cooling system pressure cap are a safety pre-
caution. Never add coolant when the engine is
overheated. Do not loosen or remove the cap to
cool an overheated engine. Heat causes pressure
to build up in the cooling system. To prevent
scalding or injury, do not remove the pressure cap
while the system is hot or under pressure.
•Do not use a pressure cap other than the one
specified for your vehicle. Personal injury or
engine damage may result.
Disposal of Used Engine Coolant
Used ethylene glycol based engine coolant is a regulated
substance requiring proper disposal. Check with your
local authorities to determine the disposal rules for your
community. To prevent ingestion by animals or childrendo not store ethylene glycol based engine coolant in open
containers or allow it to remain in puddles on the
ground. If ingested by a child, contact a physician
immediately. Clean up any ground spills immediately.
Coolant Level
The coolant bottle provides a quick visual method for
determining that the coolant level is adequate. With the
engine idling, and warm to normal operating tempera-
ture, the level of the coolant in the bottle should be
between the ranges indicated on the bottle.
The radiator normally remains completely full, so there is
no need to remove the radiator cap unless checking for
coolant freeze point or replacing coolant. Advise your
service attendant of this. As long as the engine operating
temperature is satisfactory, the coolant bottle need only
be checked once a month.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 193
7

Emergency Starting..................... 158
Gas Caution.......................... 181
Jump Starting......................... 158
Keyless Transmitter Replacement............ 20
Bearings.............................. 200
Belt System, Six Point..................... 35
Belts, Drive............................ 176
Belts, Seat.............................. 29
Body Damage.......................... 201
Body Mechanism Lubrication............186,187
Body Mechanisms....................... 188
Boot, Convertible Top...................61,66
B-Pillar Location........................ 134
Brake, Parking.......................... 124
Brake System........................125,195
Anti-Lock........................... 125
Fluid Check.......................197,222
Hoses.............................. 196
Master Cylinder....................... 197Warning Light......................... 95
Break-In Recommendations, New Vehicle.....52,129
Bulb Replacement....................... 212
Bulbs, Light......................... 211,212
Capacities, Antifreeze (Engine Coolant)........ 220
Capacities, Fluid........................ 220
Capacity, Cargo Weight................... 153
Caps, Filler
Power Steering........................ 185
Radiator (Coolant Pressure)............... 192
Car Washes............................ 202
Carbon Monoxide Warning...............53,151
Cargo Compartment
Capacity............................ 153
Carpeting............................. 202
Catalytic Converter...................... 176
CD Player...........................99,102
CD Player Maintenance................... 110
INDEX 251
10

Chains, Tire............................ 147
Charging System Light..................... 94
Chart, Tire Sizing........................ 131
Check Engine Light (Malfunction Indicator Light) . 170
Checks, Safety........................... 53
Child Restraint........................36,41
Child Restraint Tether Anchors............... 39
Circuit Breakers......................... 203
Clean Air Gasoline....................... 149
Climate Control......................... 111
Clock................................. 97
Compact Disc Maintenance................. 110
Console............................... 68
Console, Floor........................... 68
Contract, Service........................ 244
Converter, Catalytic...................... 176
Convertible............................. 57
Convertible Boot.......................61,66
Convertible Top.......................57,202Convertible Top Maintenance............... 202
Coolant Pressure Cap..................... 192
Cooling System......................... 190
Adding Coolant (Antifreeze).............. 192
Coolant Capacity...................... 220
Coolant Level......................190,193
Disposal of Used Coolant................ 193
Drain, Flush, and Refill.................. 191
Inspection........................... 193
Points to Remember.................... 194
Pressure Cap......................... 192
Radiator Cap......................... 192
Rubber and Plastic Components............ 195
Selection of Coolant (Antifreeze)......191,220,221
Crankcase Emission Control System.......... 178
Customer Assistance..................... 242
Daytime Running Lights................... 78
Dealer Service.......................... 171
252 INDEX

Power
Accessory Delay......................14,28
Brakes.............................. 125
Distribution Center..................... 203
Steering..........................129,185
Windows............................. 27
Pregnant Women and Seat Belts.............. 35
Programming Transmitters.................. 19
Radial Ply Tires......................... 141
Radiator Cap (Coolant Pressure Cap).......... 192
Radio Antenna.......................... 111
Radio Broadcast Signals.................... 98
Radio Operation......................... 111
Radio, Satellite.......................... 106
Radio (Sound Systems).................... 99
Rear Axle............................. 199
Rear Liftgate............................ 26
Rear Wheel Bearings..................... 200Rearview Mirrors........................ 69
Reclining Front Seats...................... 73
Reformulated Gasoline.................... 149
Refrigerant............................ 185
Reminder, Lights On...................... 78
Reminder, Seat Belt.....................33,93
Remote Keyless Entry..................... 16
Replacement Parts....................... 171
Replacement Tires....................... 143
Reporting Safety Defects................... 245
Restraints, Child......................... 36
Restraints, Infant......................... 36
Restraints, Occupant...................... 29
Rocking Vehicle When Stuck................ 163
Rotation, Tires.......................... 147
Run Flat Feature........................ 146
Safety Checks Inside Vehicle................. 53
Safety Checks Outside Vehicle............... 54
INDEX 259
10