2009 DODGE DURANGO warning light

WARNING!
Always engage the parking brake when powering
down the vehicle if theSVC 4WD Warning Light” is
illuminated. Not engaging the parking brake may
allow the vehicle to roll, which may cause personal
injury.
NOTE:Do not attempt to make a shift while only the
front or rear wheels are spinning. The NV 244 Generation
II transfer case is not equipped with a synchronizer and
therefore the front and rear driveshaft speeds must be
equal for the shift to take place. Shifting while only the
front or rear wheels are spinning can cause damage to the
transfer case.When operating your vehicle in 4WD LOW, the engine
speed is approximately three times that of the 4WD or
4WD LOCK positions at a given road speed. Take care
not to overspeed the engine and do not exceed 25 mph
(40 km/h).
Proper operation of four-wheel drive vehicles depends
on tires of equal size, type and circumference on each
wheel. Any difference in tire size can cause damage to the
transfer case.
Because four-wheel drive provides improved traction,
there is a tendency to exceed safe turning and stopping
speeds. Do not go faster than road conditions permit.
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WARNING!
•Driving through standing water limits your vehi-
cle’s traction capabilities. Do not exceed 5 mph
(8 km/h) when driving through standing water.
•Driving through standing water limits your vehi-
cle’s braking capabilities, which increases stop-
ping distances. Therefore, after driving through
standing water, drive slowly and lightly press on
the brake pedal several times to dry the brakes.
•Getting water inside your vehicle’s engine can
cause it to lock up and stall out, and leave you
stranded.
•Failure to follow these warnings may result in
injuries that are serious or fatal to you, your
passengers, and others around you.
POWER STEERING
The standard power steering system will give you good
vehicle response and increased ease of maneuverability
in tight spaces. The system will provide mechanical
steering capability if power assist is lost.
If for some reason the power assist is interrupted, it will
still be possible to steer your vehicle. Under these condi-
tions, you will observe a substantial increase in steering
effort, especially at very low vehicle speeds and during
parking maneuvers.
NOTE:Increased noise levels at the end of the steering
wheel travel are considered normal and do not indicate
that there is a problem with the power steering system.
Upon initial start-up in cold weather, the power steering
pump may make noise for a short amount of time. This is
due to the cold, thick fluid in the steering system. This
noise should be considered normal, and it does not in any
way damage the steering system.
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PARKING BRAKE
The foot operated parking brake is positioned below the
lower left corner of the instrument panel. To release the
parking brake, pull the parking brake release handle.Be sure the parking brake is firmly set when parked and
the shift lever is in PARK position. When parking on a
hill, you should apply the parking brake before placing
the shift lever in PARK; otherwise the load on the
transmission locking mechanism may make it difficult to
move the shift lever out of PARK.
NOTE:The instrument cluster brake warning light
indicates only that the parking brake is applied. You must
be sure the parking brake is fully applied before leaving
the vehicle.
When parking on a hill, turn the front wheels toward the
curb on a downhill grade and away from the curb on an
uphill grade.
The parking brake should be applied whenever the
driver is not in the vehicle.
Parking Brake
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The ABS conducts a low-speed self-test at about 12 mph
(20 km/h). If you have your foot lightly on the brake
while this test is occurring, you may feel slight pedal
movement. The movement can be more apparent on ice
and snow. This is normal.
The ABS pump motor runs during the self-test at 12 mph
(20 km/h) and during an ABS stop. The pump motor
makes a low humming noise during operation, which is
normal.
WARNING!
•Pumping of the Anti-Lock Brakes will diminish
their effectiveness and may lead to an accident.
Pumping makes the stopping distance longer. Just
press firmly on your brake pedal when you need
to slow down or stop.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws of phys-
ics from acting on the vehicle, nor can it increase
braking or steering efficiency beyond that af-
forded by the condition of the vehicle brakes and
tires or the traction afforded.
•The ABS cannot prevent accidents, including
those resulting from excessive speed in turns,
following another vehicle too closely, or hydro-
planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful driver
can prevent accidents.
•The capabilities of an ABS equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner, which could jeopardize the user’s safety
or the safety of others.
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ESP/TCS Indicator Light
The ESP/TCS Indicator Light starts to flash as
soon as the tires lose traction and the TCS or
ESP system becomes active. It will also flash
once a swaying trailer is detected and the
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) system activates. If the ESP/
TCS Indicator Light begins to flash during acceleration,
ease up on the accelerator and apply as little throttle as
possible. Be sure to adapt your speed and driving to the
prevailing road conditions.
WARNING!
•ESP cannot prevent the natural laws of physics
from acting on the vehicle, nor can it increase the
traction afforded.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•ESP cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, or hydro-
planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful driver
can prevent accidents.
•The capabilities of an ESP-equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner which could jeopardize the user’s safety
or the safety of others.
The ESP system has two available operating modes.
4WD/4WD LOCK or 2WD Models
ON
This is the normal operating mode for ESP in 4WD LOCK
and in 2WD vehicles. Whenever the vehicle is started or
the transfer case (if equipped) is shifted from 4WD LOW
or NEUTRAL back to 4WD LOCK, the ESP system will be
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in this mode. This mode should be used for almost all
driving situations. ESP should only be turned to “Partial
Off” for specific reasons as noted below.
Partial Off
This mode is entered by momentarily depressing the ESP
OFF switch. When in “Partial Off” mode, the enginemanagement portion of ESP has been desensitized, the
thresholds for ESP activation are raised, and the “ESP/
TCS Indicator Light” will be illuminated. This mode is
intended to be used if the vehicle is in deep snow, sand or
gravel conditions and more wheel spin than ESP would
normally allow is required to gain traction. Trailer Sway
Control (TSC) is not available when the system is in the
Partial Offmode. To turn ESP on again, momentarily
depress the ESP OFF switch. This will restore the normal
ON mode of operation. ESP always operates under
braking, even with the switch in the OFF position.
WARNING!
In the “Partial Off” mode, the engine torque reduc-
tion and stability features are desensitized. There-
fore, the enhanced vehicle stability offered by ESP is
unavailable.
ESP OFF Switch
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WARNING!
In the “Partial Off” mode, the engine torque reduc-
tion and stability features are desensitized. There-
fore, the enhanced vehicle stability offered by ESP is
unavailable.
Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
TSC uses sensors in the vehicle to recognize a swaying
trailer and will take the appropriate actions to attempt to
stop the sway. The system will reduce engine power and
apply individual brakes that will counter act the sway of
the trailer. TSC will become active automatically once the
swaying trailer is recognized. No driver action is re-
quired. TSC cannot stop all trailers from swaying. Al-
ways use caution when towing a trailer and follow the
tongue weight recommendations. For additional infor-
mation on towing a trailer with your vehicle, refer to
Trailer Towingin Section 5.
ESP/BAS Warning Light and ESP/TCS Indicator
Light
The malfunction indicator for the ESP is combined with
the BAS indicator. The yellow ESP/BAS Warning Light
and the yellow ESP/TCS Indicator Light in the instru-
ment cluster both come on when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position. They should both go out with
the engine running. If the ESP/BAS Warning Light comes
on continuously with the engine running, a malfunction
has been detected in either the ESP or BAS system, or
both. If this light remains on after several ignition cycles,
and the vehicle has been driven several miles at speeds
greater than 30 mph (48 km/h), see your authorized
dealer as soon as possible to have the problem diagnosed
and corrected.
NOTE:
•The ESP Indicator Light and the ESP/BAS Warning
Light come on momentarily each time the ignition
switch is turned ON.
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Keep dismounted tires in a cool, dry place with as little
exposure to light as possible. Protect tires from contact
with oil, grease, and gasoline.
Replacement Tires
The tires on your new vehicle provide a balance of many
characteristics. They should be inspected regularly for
wear and correct cold tire inflation pressure. The manu-
facturer strongly recommends that you use tires equiva-
lent to the originals in size, quality and performance
when replacement is needed. (Refer to the paragraph on
“Tread Wear Indicators”). Refer to the “Tire and Loading
Information” placard for the size designation of your tire.
The service description and load identification will be
found on the original equipment tire. Failure to use
equivalent replacement tires may adversely affect the
safety, handling, and ride of your vehicle. We recommend
that you contact your original equipment or an autho-
rized tire dealer with any questions you may have on tire
specifications or capability.
WARNING!
•Do not use a tire, wheel size or rating other than
that specified for your vehicle. Some combinations
of unapproved tires and wheels may change sus-
pension dimensions and performance characteris-
tics, resulting in changes to steering, handling, and
braking of your vehicle. This can cause unpredict-
able handling and stress to steering and suspen-
sion components. You could lose control and have
an accident resulting in serious injury or death.
Use only the tire and wheel sizes with load ratings
approved for your vehicle.
•Never use a tire with a smaller load index or
capacity other than what was originally equipped
on your vehicle. Using a tire with a smaller load
index could result in tire overloading and failure.
You could lose control and have an accident.
(Continued)
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