2008 DODGE NITRO Owners Manual

Spare Tire Stowage
The spare tire is stowed underneath the rear of the
vehicle and is held in place by a cable winch mechanism.
Spare Tire Removal
Fit the jack handle extension over the drive nut. Use the
Lug Wrench to rotate the nut counter clockwise until the
spare is on the ground with enough slack in the cable to
allow you to pull the tire out from under the vehicle.
Lowering/Raising Spare Tire
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CAUTION!
The winch mechanism is designed for use with the
jack extension tube only. Use of an air wrench or
other power tools is not recommended and they can
damage the winch.
When the spare is clear, tilt the retainer at the end of the
cable, and pull it through the center of the wheel.
Preparations For Jacking
²
Park the vehicle on a firm level surface as far from the
edge of the roadway as possible. Avoid icy or slippery
areas.
²Set the parking brakeand place the gear selector in
PARK (automatic transmission) or REVERSE (manual
transmission).
²Turn the ignition to the LOCK position.
WARNING!
Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of the
vehicle close to moving traffic. Pull far enough off
the road to avoid being hit when operating the jack
or changing the wheel.
²Turn on the Hazard Warning Flasher.
²Block both the front and rear
of the wheel diagonally oppo-
site of the jacking position.
For example, if changing the
right front tire, block the left
rear wheel.
²Passengers should not remain in the vehicle when the
vehicle is being jacked.
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Jacking Instructions
1. Remove spare tire.
2. Loosen (but do not remove) the wheel lug nuts by
turning them to the left one turn while the wheel is still
on the ground.
3. Remove jack and tools from mounting bracket. As-
semble the tools by connecting the driver to the exten-
sion, and then to the lug wrench.
4. Locate the jack as shown. For the front tires, place it in
the notch on the body weld seam behind wheel to be
changed. For the rear tires, place it under the axle by the
wheel to be changed. Position the jack handle on the jack.
Do not raise the vehicle until you are sure the jack is
fully engaged.
Front Jacking Location
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5. Raise the vehicle by turning the jack screw to the right.
Raise the vehicle only until the tire just clears the surface
and enough clearance is obtained to install the spare tire.
Minimum tire lift provides maximum stability.
WARNING!
Raising the vehicle higher than necessary can make
the vehicle less stable and cause an accident. It could
slip off the jack and hurt someone near it. Raise the
vehicle only enough to remove the tire.
6. Remove the lug nuts and wheel.
7. Position the spare wheel/tire on the vehicle and install
lug nuts with cone-shaped end toward wheel. Lightly
tighten the nuts. To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle
off the jack, do not tighten the nuts fully until the vehicle
has been lowered.
8. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack screw to the left,
and remove the jack and wheel blocks.
Rear Jacking Location
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9. Finish tightening the lug nuts. Push down on the
wrench while tightening for increased leverage. Alternate
nuts until each nut has been tightened twice. Correct
wheel nut tightness is 130 N´m (95 ft. lbs). If in doubt
about the correct tightness, have them checked with a
torque wrench by your authorized dealer or at a service
station.
10. Lower the jack to it's fully closed position.
WARNING!
A loose tire or jack, thrown forward in a collision or
hard stop could endanger the occupants of the ve-
hicle. Always stow the jack parts and the spare tire in
the places provided.
11. Secure the tire, jack, and tools in their proper loca-
tions.
JUMP STARTING
WARNING!
²Battery fluid is a corrosive acid solution; do not
allow battery fluid to contact eyes, skin or cloth-
ing. Don't lean over battery when attaching
clamps or allow the clamps to touch each other. If
acid splashes in eyes or on skin, flush the contami-
nated area immediately with large quantities of
water.
²A battery generates hydrogen gas which is flam-
mable and explosive. Keep flame or spark away
from the vent holes. Do not use a booster battery
or any other booster source with an output that
exceeds 12 volts.
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1. Wear eye protection and remove all metal jewelry such
as watch bands or bracelets which might make an
unintended electrical contact.
2. Park the booster vehicle within cable reach but with-
out letting the vehicles touch. Set the parking brake, place
the automatic transmission in PARK and turn the ignition
OFF on both vehicles.
3. Turn OFF heater, radio and all unnecessary electrical
loads.
4. Connect one end of a jumper cable to the positive
terminal of the booster battery. Connect the other end of
the same cable to the positive terminal of the discharged
battery.WARNING!
Do not permit vehicles to touch each other as this
could establish a ground connection and personal
injury could result.
5. Connect the other cable, first to the negative terminal
of the booster battery and then to the engine of the
vehicle with the discharged battery. Make sure you have
a good contact on the engine.
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WARNING!
Do not connect the cable to the negative post of the
discharge battery. The resulting electrical spark could
cause the battery to explode.
During cold weather when temperatures are below
freezing point, electrolyte in a discharged battery
may freeze. Do not attempt jump starting because the
battery could rupture or explode. The battery tem-
perature must be brought up above freezing point
before attempting jump start.
6. Start the engine in the vehicle which has the booster
battery, let the engine idle a few minutes, then start the
engine in the vehicle with the discharged battery.
7. When removing the jumper cables, reverse the above
sequence exactly. Be careful of the moving belts and fan.
WARNING!
Any procedure other than above could result in:
1. Personal injury caused by electrolyte squirting out
the battery vent;
2. Personal injury or property damage due to battery
explosion;
3. Damage to charging system of booster vehicle or
of immobilized vehicle.
TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
Proper towing or lifting equipment is required to prevent
damage to your vehicle. Use of safety chains is recom-
mended.Attach towing device to main structural mem-
bers of the vehicle Ð not to bumpers or associated
brackets. State and local laws applying to vehicles
under tow must be observed.
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NOTE:Transmission must be in ªNº (Neutral) under
any towing configuration.
Two-Wheel Drive Vehicles
Front Wheels Raised
The speed mustnotexceed 30 mph (50 km/h) and the
distance mustnotexceed 15 miles (25 km).
This vehicle may be towed with the transmission in ªNº,
the ignition key in the LOCK position, the front wheels
raised, and the rear wheels on the ground.
NOTE:Towing the vehicle, with the rear wheels on the
ground, at more than 30 mph (50 km/h) or for more than
15 miles (25 km) can cause severe transmission damage.
If the vehicle is to be towed more than 15 miles (25 km )
or faster than 30 mph, it must be towed on a flatbed.
Rear Wheels Raised
The speed mustnotexceed 30 mph (50 km/h) and the
distance mustnotexceed 15 miles (25 km).
This vehicle may be towed with the transmission in ªNº,
the ignition key in the LOCK position, the rear wheels
raised, and the front wheels on the ground.
If the vehicle is to be towed more than 15 miles (25 km )
or faster than 30 mph, it must be towed on a flatbed.
Four-Wheel Drive Vehicles
The manufacturer recommends flatbed towing with all
wheelsOFFthe ground.
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