2008 DODGE NITRO tire pressure

²Cruise control status
²Traction/stability control status
²Tire pressure monitoring system status
Child Restraint
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up all the
time Ð babies and children, too. Every state in the United
States and all Canadian provinces require that small
children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the law,
and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
Children 12 years and under should ride properly buck-
led up in a rear seat, if available. According to crash
statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in
the rear seats rather than in the front.There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
enough for an adult safety belt. Always check the child
seat Owner's Manual to ensure you have the right seat
for your child. Use the restraint that is correct for your
child:
WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny baby,
can become a missile inside the vehicle. The force
required to hold even an infant on your lap can
become so great that you could not hold the child, no
matter how strong you are. The child and others
could be badly injured. Any child riding in your
vehicle should be in a proper restraint for the child's
size.
66 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Defrosters
Check operation by selecting the defrost mode and place
the blower control on high speed. You should be able to
feel the air directed against the windshield. See your
authorized dealer for service if your defroster is inoper-
able.
Safety Checks You Should Make Outside The
Vehicle
Tires
Examine tires for excessive tread wear or uneven wear
patterns. Check for stones, nails, glass, or other objects
lodged in the tread. Inspect for tread cuts or sidewall
cracks. Check wheel nuts for tightness and tires (includ-
ing spare) for proper pressure.
Lights
Have someone observe the operation of all exterior lights
while you work the controls. Check turn signal and high
beam indicator lights on the instrument panel.
Fluid Leaks
Check area under vehicle after overnight parking for fuel,
coolant, oil or other fluid leaks. Also, if gasoline fumes
are detected, the cause should be located and corrected
immediately.
78 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 Ð 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
INSTRUMENT PANEL AND CONTROLS 175
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maintain correct tire pressure, even if under-inflation has
not reached the level to trigger illumination of the TPMS
low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to indicate when the system is not
operating properly. The TPMS malfunction indicator is
combined with the low tire pressure telltale. When the
system detects a malfunction, the telltale will flash for
approximately one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon subse-
quent vehicle start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the sys-
tem may not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure
as intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety
of reasons, including the installation of replacement or
alternate tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent the
TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or moretires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the replace-
ment or alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS to
continue to function properly.
CAUTION!
The TPMS has been optimized for the original
equipment tires and wheels. TPMS pressures and
warnings have been established for the tire size
equipped on your vehicle. Undesirable system opera-
tion or sensor damage may result when using re-
placement equipment that is not of the same size,
type, and/or style. Aftermarket wheels can cause
sensor damage. Do not use aftermarket tire sealants
or balance beads if your vehicle is equipped with a
TPMS, as damage to the sensors may result.
176 INSTRUMENT PANEL AND CONTROLS

Vehicles equipped with steering wheel mounted buttons
(described in this section) are also equipped with the
EVIC. The EVIC consists of the following:
²System Status
²Vehicle information warning message displays
²Tire Pressure Monitor System (If Equipped)
²Personal Settings (Customer Programmable Features)
²Compass display
²Outside temperature display
²Trip computer functions
²UConnectŸ hands-free communication system dis-
plays (If Equipped)
²Navigation system screens (If Equipped)
²Audio mode displayThe system allows the driver to select information by
pressing the following buttons mounted on the steering
wheel:
Press and release the MENU button and the
mode displayed will change between Trip
Functions, Navigation (if equipped), System
Status, Personal Settings, and Telephone (if
equipped).
Press the FUNCTION SELECT button to accept
a selection. Also, the FUNCTION SELECT but-
ton changes the current CD track being played
(if so equipped) when the EVIC is in the
Compass/Temp/Audio screen.
Press the SCROLL button to scroll through Trip
Functions, Navigation (if equipped), System
Status Messages, and Personal Settings (Cus-
tomer Programmable Features).
INSTRUMENT PANEL AND CONTROLS 185
4

Press and release the COMPASS/TEMPERATURE
button to display one of eight compass readings
and the outside temperature.
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)
Displays
When the appropriate conditions exist, the Electronic
Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) displays the following
messages:
²Turn Signal On (with a continuous warning chime)
²Left Front Turn Signal Light Out (with a single chime)
²Left Rear Turn Signal Light Out (with a single chime)
²Right Front Turn Signal Light Out (with a single
chime)
²Right Rear Turn Signal Light Out (with a single chime)
²RKE Battery Low (with a single chime)
²Personal Settings Not Available ± Vehicle Not in Park
²Left/Right Front Door Ajar (one or more, with a single
chime if speed is above 1 mph)
²Left/Right Rear Door Ajar (one or more, with a single
chime if speed is above 1 mph)
²Door(s) Ajar (with a single chime if vehicle is in
motion)
²Liftgate Ajar (with a single chime)
²Left Front Low Pressure (with a single chime). Refer to
ªTire Pressure Monitoring Systemº in Section 5 of this
manual.
²Left Rear Low Pressure (with a single chime). Refer to
ªTire Pressure Monitoring Systemº in Section 5 of this
manual.
186 INSTRUMENT PANEL AND CONTROLS

²Right Front Low Pressure (with a single chime). Refer
to ªTire Pressure Monitoring Systemº in Section 5 of
this manual.
²Right Rear Low Pressure (with a single chime). Refer
to ªTire Pressure Monitoring Systemº in Section 5 of
this manual.
²Check TPM System (with a single chime). Refer to
ªTire Pressure Monitoring Systemº in Section 5 of this
manual.
²Check Gascap (refer to ªAdding Fuelº in Section 5 of
this manual for more details)
²Oil Change Required (with a single chime).
Oil Change Required
Your vehicle is equipped with an engine oil change
indicator system. The ªOil Change Requiredº message
will flash in the EVIC display for approximately 10
seconds after a single chime has sounded to indicate the
next scheduled oil change interval. The engine oil change
indicator system is duty cycle based, which means the
engine oil change interval may fluctuate dependent upon
your personal driving style. Unless reset, this message
will continue to display each time you turn the ignition
switch to the ON/RUN position. To turn off the message
temporarily, press and release the Menu button. To reset
the oil change indicator system (after performing the
scheduled maintenance) refer to the following procedure.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the ON position (Do not
start the engine).
2. Fully depress the accelerator pedal slowly three times
within 10 seconds.
INSTRUMENT PANEL AND CONTROLS 187
4

mFour-Wheel Drive Operation...............265
NMP 143 Single-Speed Part-Time Transfer Case Ð
If Equipped.........................265
NShifting Procedure - Electronically Shifted
Transfer Case........................266
NMP 140 Single-Speed Full-Time Transfer Case Ð
If Equipped.........................267
mOn-Road Driving Tips...................268
mOff-Road Driving Tips...................268
NWhen To Use 4L Or 4LO (Low) Range......268
NDriving Through Water.................268
NDriving In Snow, Mud And Sand..........270
NHill Climbing........................270
NTraction Downhill.....................271NAfter Driving Off-Road.................271
mParking Brake.........................272
mAnti-Lock Brake System..................274
mPower Steering........................277
mTire Safety Information...................279
NTire Markings........................279
NTire Identification Number (TIN)..........282
NTire Loading And Tire Pressure...........283
mTires Ð General Information...............287
NTire Pressure.........................287
NTire Inflation Pressures.................288
NTire Pressures For High Speed Operation....290
NRadial-Ply Tires......................290
242 STARTING AND OPERATING