2008 DODGE DAKOTA engine coolant

Cooling System Ð Drain, Flush and Refill
At the intervals shown on the Maintenance Schedules,
the system should be drained, flushed and refilled.
If the solution is dirty or contains a considerable amount
of sediment, clean and flush with a reliable cooling
system cleaner. Follow with a thorough rinsing to remove
all deposits and chemicals. Properly dispose of old
antifreeze solution.
Selection Of Coolant
Use only the manufacturers recommended coolant, refer
to Fluids, Lubricants and Genuine Parts for correct
coolant type.
CAUTION!
²Mixing of coolants other than specified HOAT
engine coolants may result in engine damage and
may decrease corrosion protection. If a non-HOAT
coolant is introduced into the cooling system in an
emergency, it should be replaced with the speci-
fied coolant as soon as possible.
²Do not use plain water alone or alcohol base
engine coolant (antifreeze) products. Do not use
additional rust inhibitors or antirust products, as
they may not be compatible with the radiator
engine coolant and may plug the radiator.
²This vehicle has not been designed for use with
Propylene Glycol based coolants. Use of Propy-
lene Glycol based coolants is not recommended.
352 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 (160
000 km) before replacement. To prevent reducing this
extended maintenance period, it is important that you
use the same coolant throughout the life of your vehicle.
Please review these recommendations for using Hybrid
Organic Additive Technology (HOAT) coolant. When
adding coolant:
²The manufacturer recommends using Mopart
Antifreeze/Coolant 5 Year/100,000 Mile Formula
HOAT (Hybrid Organic Additive Technology)
²Mix a minimum solution of 50% HOAT engine coolant
and distilled water. Use higher concentrations (not to
exceed 70%) if temperatures below -34ÉF (-37ÉC) are
anticipated.
²Use only high purity water such as distilled or deion-
ized 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.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 353
7

The cap should be inspected and cleaned if there is any
accumulation of foreign material on the sealing surfaces.
WARNING!
²The warning words ªDO NOT OPEN HOTº 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 scald-
ing or injury, do not remove the pressure cap while
the system is hot or under pressure.
²Do not use a pressure cap other than the one
specified for your vehicle. Personal injury or en-
gine 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 children
do 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 cold, the level of the coolant in the coolant
recovery 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
354 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

service attendant of this. As long as the engine operating
temperature is satisfactory, the coolant bottle need only
be checked once a month.
When additional coolant is needed to maintain the
proper level, it should be added to the coolant bottle. Do
not overfill.
Points To Remember
NOTE:When the vehicle is stopped after a few miles (a
few kilometers) of operation, you may observe vapor
coming from the front of the engine compartment. This is
normally a result of moisture from rain, snow, or high
humidity accumulating on the radiator and being vapor-
ized when the thermostat opens, allowing hot coolant to
enter the radiator.
If an examination of your engine compartment shows no
evidence of radiator or hose leaks, the vehicle may be
safely driven. The vapor will soon dissipate.
²Do not overfill the coolant recovery bottle.
²Check coolant freeze point in the radiator and in the
coolant recovery bottle. If antifreeze needs to be
added, contents of coolant recovery bottle must also be
protected against freezing.
²If frequent coolant additions are required, or if the
level in the coolant recovery bottle does not drop when
the engine cools, the cooling system should be pres-
sure tested for leaks.
²Maintain coolant concentration at 50% HOAT engine
coolant (minimum) and distilled water for proper
corrosion protection of your engine which contains
aluminum components.
²Make sure that the radiator and coolant recovery
bottle overflow hoses are not kinked or obstructed.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 355
7

FLUIDS AND CAPACITIES
U.S. Metric
Fuel
3.7L/4.7L, 87 Octane 22 Gal. 83L
4.7L HO, 91 Octane, Recommended Not Required 22 Gal. 83L
Engine Oil (with filter)
3.7L, SAE 5W-20, API Certified 5 Qt. 4.7L
4.7L, SAE 5W-20, API Certified 6 Qt. 5.7L
4.7L HO, SAE 5W-20, API Certified 6 Qt. 5.7L
Cooling System (includes 2.1 Qts./2L for coolant bottle
3.7L (MopartAntifreeze/Coolant 5 Year/100,000 Mile Formula) 13.3 Qt. 12.5L
4.7L (MopartAntifreeze/Coolant 5 Year/100,000 Mile Formula) 13.3 Qt. 12.5L
4.7L HO (MopartAntifreeze/Coolant 5 Year/100,000 Mile Formula) 13.3 Qt. 12.5L
NOTE:All fluid capacities are approximate capacities.
384 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

FLUIDS, LUBRICANTS AND GENUINE PARTS
Engine
Component Fluids, Lubricants and Genuine Parts
Engine Coolant MopartAntifreeze/Coolant 5 Year/100,000 Mile Formula HOAT (Hybrid Or-
ganic Additive Technology)
Engine Oil Use API Certified SAE 5W-20 Engine Oil, meeting the requirements of
DaimlerChrysler Material Standard MS-6395. Refer to your engine oil filler
cap for correct SAE grade.
Engine Oil Filter MopartEngine Oil Filter, P/N 5281090 or equivalent.
Spark Plugs (4.7L Engine) Upper Bank Ð FR8TE2 (Gap 0.039º) Lower Bank Ð FR8T1332 (Gap 0.051º)
Spark Plugs (3.7L Engine) ZFR6F-11G (Gap 0.043º)
Fuel Selection 3.7L/4.7L 87 Octane
Fuel Selection 4.7L HO Premium Unleaded 91 Octane only or higher
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 385
7

²Change your engine oil more often if you drive your
vehicle off-road for an extended period of time.
²Under no circumstances should oil change intervals
exceed 6,000 miles (10,000 km) or 6 months, whichever
comes first.
Your dealer will reset the oil change indicator message
after completing the scheduled oil change. If this sched-
uled oil change is performed by someone other than your
dealer the message can be reset by referring to the steps
described under ªOil Change Requiredº in ªUse Factory
Settingsº of the EVIC section in this manual or under
ªOdometer/Trip Odometerº in the ªInstrument Cluster
Descriptions section of this manual.
At Each Stop for Fuel
²Check the engine oil level about 5 minutes after a fully
warmed engine is shut off. Checking the oil level whilethe vehicle is on level ground will improve the accu-
racy of the oil level reading. Add oil only when the
level is at or below the ADD or MIN mark.
²Check the windshield washer solvent and add if
required.
Once a Month
²Check tire pressure and look for unusual wear or
damage.
²Inspect the battery and clean and tighten the terminals
as required.
²Check the fluid levels of coolant reservoir, brake
master cylinder, power steering and transmission and
add as needed.
²Check all lights and other electrical items for correct
operation.
MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES 389
8
M
A
I
N
T
E
N
A
N
C
E
S
C
H
E
D
U
L
E
S

Perform Maintenance Every(Where time and mileage
are listed, follow the interval that occurs first.)
Maintenance Items Miles Kilometers or Months
Change the transfer case fluid if using your vehicle for
any of the following: police, taxi, fleet, off-road or fre-
quent trailer towing.60,000 100 000 60
Change the manual transmission fluid if using your
vehicle for any of the following: trailer towing, snow-
plowing, heavy loading, taxi, police, delivery service
(commercial service), off-road, desert operation or
more then 50% of your driving is at sustained high
speeds during hot weather, above 90FÉ (32CÉ).60,000 100 000 60
Inspect and replace PCV valve if necessary.90,000 150 000 90
Flush and replace the engine coolant. 102,000 170 000 60
Replace the ignition cables on 4.7L engines.102,000 170 000 102
Replace the side row of spark plugs on 4.7L engines.
**102,000 170 000 102
MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES 393
8
M
A
I
N
T
E
N
A
N
C
E
S
C
H
E
D
U
L
E
S