2007 DODGE NITRO automatic transmission

Automatic Transmission — If Equipped
Place the shift lever in P (Park). Turn the ignition switch
to the ACC position, push the key and cylinder inward,
rotate the key to the LOCK position, and remove the key.WARNING!
Leaving children in a vehicle unattended is danger-
ous for a number of reasons. A child or others could
be injured. Children should be warned not to touch
the parking brake, brake pedal, or the gear selector
lever. Do not leave the keys in the ignition. A child
could operate power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle.
CAUTION!
An unlocked vehicle is an invitation to thieves.
Always remove the key from the ignition, and lock
all doors when leaving the vehicle unattended.
Ignition Key Positions
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Key-In-Ignition Reminder
Opening the driver’s door when the key is in the ignition,
sounds a signal to remind you to remove the key.
STEERING WHEEL LOCK — IF EQUIPPED
Your vehicle may be equipped with a passive steering
wheel lock (manual transmission only). This lock pre-
vents steering the vehicle without the ignition key. If the
steering wheel is moved a half turn in either direction
and the key is not in the ignition, the steering wheel will
lock.
To Manually Lock the Steering Wheel
With the engine running, rotate the steering wheel 1/2
revolution from straight ahead position, turn off the
engine and remove the key. Rotate the steering wheel
slightly in both directions until the lock engages.
To Release the Steering Wheel Lock
Insert the key in the ignition and turn the wheel slightly
to the right or left to disengage the lock.
NOTE:If you turned the wheel to the right to engage
the lock, you must turn the wheel slightly to the right to
disengage it. If you turned the wheel to the left to engage
the lock, turn the wheel slightly to the left to disengage it.
SENTRY KEY — IF EQUIPPED
The Sentry Key Immobilizer System prevents unautho-
rized vehicle operation by disabling the engine. The
system does not need to be armed or activated. Operation
is automatic, regardless of whether the vehicle is locked
or unlocked.
The system uses ignition keys, which have an embedded
electronic chip (transponder), to prevent unauthorized
vehicle operation. Therefore, only keys that are pro-
grammed to the vehicle can be used to start and operate
16 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

24. Transmission Range Indicator
The electronic gear selector display is self-contained
within the instrument cluster. It displays the position of
the automatic transmission shift lever, and the relation of
each position to all other positions. For a good signal the
display will place a box around the selected transmission
range (PRND21). If the PRNDL displays only the char-
acters PRND21 (no boxes) have the system checked by an
authorized dealer.
25. Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light — If
Equipped
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle
has tires of a different size than the size indicated on thevehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label, you should
determine the proper tire inflation pressure for those
tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that illuminates a low tire pressure telltale when one or
more of your tires is significantly under-inflated. Accord-
ingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illuminates, you
should stop and check your tires as soon as possible, and
inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving on a signifi-
cantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and
can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also reduces fuel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may affect the vehicle’s
handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper
tire maintenance, and it is the driver ’s responsibility to
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The EVIC displays this symbol to indicate that
a phone connection has been made.
The EVIC displays this symbol to indicate that
the Connect™ phone is currently not available.
Personal Settings (Customer Programmable
Features)
Personal Settings allows the driver to set and recall
features when the transmission is in PARK.
Press and release the MENU button until Personal Set-
tings displays in the EVIC.Use the SCROLL button to display one of the following
choices:
Language
When in this display you may select one of five lan-
guages for all display nomenclature, including the trip
functions and the navigation system (if equipped). Press
the FUNCTION SELECT button while in this display to
select English, Espanol, or Francais. Then, as you con-
tinue, the information will display in the selected lan-
guage.
NOTE:The EVIC will not change the UConnect™
language selection. Please refer to “Language Selection”
in the HANDS–FREE COMMUNICATION (UConnect™)
section of this manual for details.
Lock Doors Automatically at 15 mph (24 km/h)
When ON is selected, all doors will lock automatically
when the vehicle reaches a speed of 15 mph (24 km/h).
Call in
Progress
Phone
Not
Avail-
able
188 INSTRUMENT PANEL AND CONTROLS

To make your selection, press and release the FUNC-
TION SELECT button until “ON” or “OFF” appears.
Unlock Doors Automatically on Exit
When ON is selected, all doors will unlock when the
vehicle is stopped and the transmission is in the P (Park)
or N (Neutral) position and the driver’s door is opened.
To make your selection, press and release the FUNC-
TION SELECT button until “ON” or “OFF” appears.
Remote Key Unlock
WhenDriver Door 1st Pressis selected, only the driver’s
door will unlock on the first press of the remote keyless
entry unlock button. When Driver Door 1st Press is
selected, you must press of the remote keyless entry
unlock button twice to unlock the passenger’s doors.
WhenAll Doors 1st Pressis selected, all of the doors will
unlock on the first press of the remote keyless entryunlock button. To make your selection, press and release
the FUNCTION SELECT button until “Driver Door 1st
Press” or “All Doors 1st Press” appears.
Sound Horn with Remote Key Lock
When ON is selected, a short horn sound will occur when
the remote keyless entry “Lock” button is pressed. This
feature may be selected with or without the flash lights
on lock/unlock feature. To make your selection, press
and release the FUNCTION SELECT button until “ON”
or “OFF” appears.
Flash Lights with Remote Key Lock
When ON is selected, the front and rear turn signals will
flash when the doors are locked or unlocked with the
remote keyless entry transmitter. This feature may be
selected with or without the sound horn on lock feature
selected. To make your selection, press and release the
FUNCTION SELECT button until “ON” or “OFF” ap-
pears.
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smoke, perfumes, etc.) from sticking to the windows.
Contaminates 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 is recommended. Refer to Fluids and
Genuine Parts in Section 7 for the proper coolant type.
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 to
increase engine RPM, coolant flow and fan speed. When
stopped in heavy traffic, it may be necessary to shift into
N (Neutral) and depress the accelerator slightly for fast
idle operation to increase coolant flow and fan speed.Your air conditioning system is also equipped with an
automatic recirculation system. When the system senses
a heavy load or high heat conditions, it may use partial
Recirculation A/C mode to provide additional comfort.
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.
Vacation Storage
Anytime you store your vehicle, or keep it out of service
(i.e. vacation) for two weeks or more, run the air condi-
tioning system at idle for about five minutes in the fresh
air and high blower setting. This will insure adequate
system lubrication to minimize the possibility of com-
pressor damage when the system is started again.
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STARTING AND OPERATING
CONTENTS

Starting Procedures.....................239
▫Manual Transmission..................239
▫Automatic Transmission................239
▫Normal Starting......................239
▫Extreme Cold Weather
(Below –20°F Or –29°C).................240
▫If Engine Fails To Start.................240
▫After Starting........................242

Engine Block Heater — If Equipped.........243
Manual Transmission — If Equipped.........243
▫6-Speed Manual Transmission............243

Automatic Transmission..................247
▫Shift Lock Manual Override — If Equipped . . . 248
▫Brake/Transmission Interlock System.......249
▫4–Speed Automatic Transmission
(3.7L Engine)........................249
▫5–Speed Automatic Transmission
(4.0L Engine)........................254
▫Gear Ranges.........................255
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STARTING PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust both
inside and outside mirrors, and fasten your seat belts.
CAUTION!
Long periods of engine idling, especially at high
engine speeds can cause excessive exhaust tempera-
tures which can damage your vehicle. Do not leave
your vehicle unattended with the engine running.
WARNING!
Do not leave children or animals inside parked
vehicles in hot weather. Interior heat build up may
cause serious injury or death.
Manual Transmission
Apply the parking brake, place the gearshift control lever
in N (Neutral) and depress the clutch pedal before
starting vehicle. This vehicle is equipped with a clutch
interlocking ignition system. It will not start unless the
clutch pedal is pressed to the floor.
Automatic Transmission
Start the engine with the selector lever in the N (Neutral)
or P (Park) position. Apply the brake before shifting to
any driving range.
Normal Starting
Normal starting of either a cold or a warm engine is
obtained without pumping or depressing the accelerator
pedal. Turn the key to the START position and release
when the engine starts. If the engine fails to start within
10 seconds, turn the key to the OFF position, wait 5
seconds, then repeat the normal starting procedure.
STARTING AND OPERATING 239
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