2009 DODGE DAKOTA instrument panel

may be possible based on collision severity and occu-
pant size. The steering wheel hub trim cover and the
upper right side of the instrument panel separate and
fold out of the way as the bags inflate to their full size.
The bags fully inflate in about 50 - 70 milliseconds.
This is about half of the time it takes to blink your eyes.
The bags then quickly deflate while helping to restrain
the driver and front passenger. The driver's front
airbag gas is vented through vent holes in the sides of
the airbag. The passenger's front airbag gas is vented
through vent holes in the sides of the airbag. In this
way the airbags do not interfere with your control of
the vehicle.
²TheSide Impact SRS Window Bagsare designed to
activate only in certain side collisions. When the ORC
(with side impact option) detects a collision requiring
the window bags to inflate, it signals the inflators on
the crash side of the vehicle. A quantity of nontoxic gas
is generated to inflate the window bag. The inflatingwindow bag pushes the outside edge of the headliner
out of the way and covers the window. The airbag
forcefully inflates in about one quarter of the time it
takes to blink your eye. Make sure you are seated and
belted properly and do not position items in the area
where the window bag inflates. This especially applies
to children. The window bag is only about 3-1/2 in
(9 cm) thick when it is inflated.
NOTE:At no time should any supplemental restraint
system (SRS)-component or SRS related component, or
fastener, be modified or replaced with any part except
those which are approved by Chrylser LLC/Mopar.²TheKnee Impact Bolstershelp protect the knees of
the driver and the front passenger, and position every-
one for the best interaction with the front airbag.
52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
Deployed airbags and seat belt pretensioners cannot
protect you in another collision. Have the airbags,
and both front seat belt retractor assemblies (w/
pretensioners), replaced by an authorized dealer as
soon as possible.
Maintaining Your Airbag System
WARNING!
²Modifications to any part of the airbag system
could cause it to fail when you need it. You could
be injured if the airbag system is not there to
protect you. Do not modify the components or
wiring, including adding any kind of badges or
stickers to the steering wheel hub trim cover or the
upper right side of the instrument panel. Do not
modify the front bumper, vehicle body structure,
or add aftermarket side steps or running boards.
²You need proper knee impact protection in a
collision. Do not mount or locate any aftermarket
equipment on or behind the knee bolsters.
(Continued)
54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Safety Checks You Should Make Outside The
Vehicle
Tires
Examine tires for 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 for proper pressure.
Lights
Check the operation of all exterior lights. Check turn
signal and high beam indicator lights on the instrument
panel.
Door Latches
Check for positive closing, latching and locking.
Fluid Leaks
Check area under vehicle after overnight parking for fuel,
water, oil, or other fluid leaks. Also, if fuel fumes are
detected the cause should be located and corrected.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 73
2

Phone and Network Status Indicators
If available on the radio and/or on a premium display
such as the instrument panel cluster, and supported by
your cell phone, the UConnecttsystem will provide
notification to inform you of your phone and network
status when you are attempting to make a phone call
using UConnectt. The status is given for roaming, net-
work signal strength, phone battery strength, etc.
Dialing Using the Cellular Phone Keypad
You can dial a phone number with your cellular phone
keypad and still use the UConnecttsystem (while dial-
ing via the cell phone keypad, the user must exercise
caution and take precautionary safety measures). By
dialing a number with your paired Bluetoothtcellular
phone, the audio will be played through your vehicle's
audio system. The UConnecttsystem will work the same
as if you dial the number using voice recognition.NOTE:Certain brands of mobile phones do not send the
dial ring to the UConnecttsystem to play it on the
vehicle audio system, so you will not hear it. Under this
situation, after successfully dialing a number the user
may feel that the call did not go through even though the
call is in progress. Once your call is answered, you will
hear the audio.
Mute/Un-Mute (Mute Off)
When you mute the UConnecttsystem, you will still be
able to hear the conversation coming from the other
party, but the other party will not be able to hear you. In
order to mute the UConnecttsystem:
²Press the ªVoice Recognitionº button.
²Following the beep, say9Mute.9
In order to un-mute the UConnecttsystem:
²Press the ªVoice Recognitionº button.
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 99
3

The seat angle can also be adjusted by using the two
toggle switches, tilting it up or down.
Extended Cab/Crew CabTRear Seat
More cargo space is available by lifting up on the rear
seat cushion.The Crew CabtRear Seat is a 60/40 split cushion and full
back. Either cushion can be raised, independently.
Heated Seats Ð If Equipped
The Heated Seat switches are located on the center of the
instrument panel.
Press the desired switch once to obtain high
heat level. Press the switch a second time to
obtain low heat level. A third button press will
turn off the heated seat.
If you do not purposefully turn the switch off, the seat
heating level will automatically change to the next lower
level, or off. Both the high and low heat levels, operate for
approximately 30 minutes. The heated seat will also turn
off when the ignition is turned OFF. Both indicators on
identifies high heat level. The lower indicator on identifies
Low heat level. Flashing indicator lights on the switch
indicate that the Heated Seat system needs servicing.
Tilt Adjustment
120 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
²Persons who are unable to feel pain to the skin
because of advanced age, chronic illness, diabetes,
spinal cord injury, medication, alcohol use, ex-
haustion or other physical condition must exercise
care when using the seat heater. It may cause burns
even at low temperatures, especially if used for
long periods of time.
²Do not place anything on the seat that insulates
against heat, such as a blanket or cushion. This
may cause the seat heater to overheat.
TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE HOOD
To open the hood, two latches must be released.
1. First pull the hood release lever located under the left
side of the instrument panel.
Hood Release Lever Location
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 121
3

LIGHTS
The headlight switch is located on the left side of the
instrument panel next to the steering wheel.
Interior Lights
Courtesy and dome lights are turned on when the front
doors are opened, when the dimmer control (rotatingwheel on the right side of the switch) is rotated to the
second upward detent position, or if equipped, when the
UNLOCK button is pressed on the Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) transmitter. When a door is open and the interior
lights are on, rotating the dimmer control all the way
down to the OFF detent will cause all the interior lights to
go out. This is also known as the9Party9mode because it
allows the doors to stay open for extended periods of
time without discharging the vehicle's battery.
The brightness of the instrument panel lighting can be
regulated by rotating the dimmer control up (brighter) or
down (dimmer). When the headlights are on you can
supplement the brightness of the odometer, trip odom-
eter, radio and overhead console by rotating the control
up until you hear a click. This feature is termed the
ªParadeº mode and is useful when headlights are re-
quired during the day. If the dimmer control is not in this
position, the audio display may be difficult to read if the
headlights are on during the daytime.
Headlight Switch Location
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 123
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Headlight Delay
To aid in your exit, your vehicle is equipped with a
headlight delay that will leave the headlight on for
60 seconds. This delay is initiated when the ignition is
turned OFF while the headlight switch is on, and then the
headlight switch is cycled off. The headlights will remain
on for 60 seconds. Headlight delay can be cancelled by
either turning the headlight switch on then off, or by
turning the ignition ON.
Headlights, Parking Lights And Panel Lights
When the headlight switch is rotated to the first
position, the parking lights, taillights, side marker
lights, license plate light and instrument panel lights are
all turned on. The headlights will turn on when the
switch is rotated to the second position.Your vehicle is equipped with plastic headlight lenses
that are lighter and less susceptible to stone breakage
than glass headlights.
Headlight Switch
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 125
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