2009 DODGE NITRO Owners Manual

ELECTRONIC SPEED CONTROL — IF EQUIPPED
When engaged, the Electronic Speed Control takes over
the accelerator operation at speeds greater than 25 mph
(40 km/h).
The Electronic Speed Control lever is located on the right
side of the steering wheel.
To Activate
Push the ON/OFF button. The CRUISE indicator in the
instrument cluster will illuminate. To turn the system off,
push the ON/OFF button a second time. The CRUISE
indicator will turn off. The system should be turned off
when not in use.
WARNING!
Leaving the Electronic Speed Control system on
when not in use is dangerous. You could accidentally
set the system or cause it to go faster than you want.
You could lose control and have an accident. Always
leave the system off when you are not using it.
To Set At A Desired Speed
When the vehicle has reached the desired speed, press
down on the lever and release. Release the accelerator
and the vehicle will operate at the selected speed.
Electronic Speed Control Lever
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 135
3

NOTE:The vehicle should be traveling at a steady
speed and on level ground before pressing the SET lever.
To Deactivate
A soft tap on the brake pedal, pulling the Electronic
Speed Control lever toward you, “CANCEL”, or normal
brake or clutch pressure while slowing the vehicle will
deactivate speed control without erasing the set speed
memory. Pressing the ON/OFF button or turning off the
ignition switch erases the set speed memory.
To Resume Speed
To resume a previously set speed, push the RESUME
ACCEL lever up and release. Resume can be used at any
speed above 25 mph (40 km/h).
To Vary The Speed Setting
When the Electronic Speed Control is on, speed can be
increased by pushing up and holding RESUME ACCEL.
Release the lever when the desired speed is reached, and
the new speed will be set.Tapping RESUME ACCEL once will result ina1mph
(2 km/h) speed increase. Each time the lever is tapped,
speed increases so that tapping the lever three times will
increase speed by 3 mph (6 km/h), etc.
To decrease speed while Electronic Speed Control is on,
push down and hold SET DECEL. Release the lever when
the desired speed is reached, and the new speed will be
set.
Tapping the SET DECEL lever once will result ina1mph
(2 km/h) speed decrease. Each time the lever is tapped,
speed decreases.
NOTE:The Electronic Speed Control system has been
designed to shut down if multiple speed control switch
functions are operated simultaneously in order to ensure
proper operation. If this occurs, the system can be
reactivated by pushing the Electronic Speed Control lever
ON/OFF button and resetting the desired vehicle set
speed.
136 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Manual Transmission
Depressing the clutch pedal will disengage the Electronic
Speed Control. A slight increase in engine RPM before the
speed control disengages is normal.
Vehicles equipped with manual transmissions may need
to be shifted into a lower gear to climb hills without
speed loss.
WARNING!
Electronic Speed Control can be dangerous where the
system can’t maintain a constant speed. Your vehicle
could go too fast for the conditions, and you could
lose control. An accident could be the result. Don’t
use Electronic Speed Control in heavy traffic or on
roads that are winding, icy, snow-covered, or slip-
pery.
To Accelerate For Passing
Depress the accelerator as you would normally. When the
pedal is released, the vehicle will return to the set speed.
Using Electronic Speed Control On Hills
NOTE:The Electronic Speed Control system maintains
speed up and down hills. A slight speed change on
moderate hills is normal.
On steep hills a greater speed loss or gain may occur so
it may be preferable to drive without Electronic Speed
Control.
REAR PARK ASSIST SYSTEM — IF EQUIPPED
The Rear Park Assist System is a driver aid that senses for
obstacles behind the vehicle and provides both visible
and audible warnings to indicate the range of the object.
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System Usage Precautions
NOTE:
•Ensure that the rear bumper is free of dirt and debris
to keep the Rear Park Assist System operating prop-
erly.
•Jackhammers, large trucks, and other vibrations could
affect the performance of the Rear Park Assist System.
•When you turn off the Rear Park Assist System, the
instrument cluster will display “PARK ASSIST DIS-
ABLED.” Furthermore, once you turn off the Rear
Park Assist System, it remains off until you turn it on
again, even if you cycle the ignition key.
•When you move the shift lever to the REVERSE
position and the Rear Park Assist System is turned off,
a single chime will sound once per ignition cycle and
the instrument cluster will display “PARK ASSIST
DISABLED.”
•The Rear Park Assist System, when on, will MUTE the
radio when it is sounding a tone.
•If a Rear Park Assist System malfunction occurs, a
single chime will sound once per ignition cycle. In
addition, the Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC) will display “SERVICE PARK ASSIST SYS-
TEM” and the LED in the Rear Park Assist switch will
illuminate. If this occurs, see your authorized dealer
for service.
CAUTION!
•The Rear Park Assist System is only a parking aid
and it is unable to recognize every obstacle, in-
cluding small obstacles. Parking curbs might be
temporarily detected or not detected at all. Ob-
stacles located above or below the sensors will not
be detected when they are in close proximity.
(Continued)
138 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

CAUTION! (Continued)
•The vehicle must be driven slowly when using the
Rear Park Assist System to be able to stop in time
when the obstacle is detected. It is recommended
that the driver looks over his/her shoulder when
using the Rear Park Assist System.
•Clean the Rear Park Assist Sensors with water, car
wash soap, and a soft cloth. Do not use rough or
hard cloths. Do not scratch or poke the sensors.
Otherwise, you could damage the sensors.
WARNING!
•Drivers must be careful when backing up even
when using the Rear Park Assist System. Always
check carefully behind your vehicle, look behind
you, and be sure to check for pedestrians, animals,
other vehicles, obstructions, and blind spots be-
fore backing up. You are responsible for safety and
must continue to pay attention to your surround-
ings. Failure to do so can result in serious injury or
death.
(Continued)
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WARNING! (Continued)
•Before using the Rear Park Assist System, it is
strongly recommended that the ball mount and
hitch ball assembly is disconnected from the ve-
hicle when the vehicle is not used for towing.
Failure to do so can result in injury or damage to
vehicles or obstacles because the hitch ball will be
much closer to the obstacle than the rear fascia
when the warning display turns the red LEDs ON.
Also, the sensors could detect the ball mount and
hitch ball assembly, depending on its size and
shape, giving a false indication that an obstacle is
behind the vehicle.
Enabling and Disabling the System
There are times when you may want to disable the Rear
Park Assist System, such as when towing a trailer.
Vehicles Equipped With the Electronic Vehicle
Information Center (EVIC)
You can turn the Rear Park Assist System on or off
through the EVIC. For details, refer to “Personal Settings
(Customer-Programmable Features)” under “Electronic
Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)” in Section 4 of this
manual.
140 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Vehicles Equipped with Rear Park Assist Switch
You can turn the Rear Park Assist System on or off by
pressing the Rear Park Assist switch located the lower
switch bank below the climate controls.System Operation
The system uses four sensors located in the rear bumper
fascia to scan for obstacles up to 79 in (200 cm) away from
the rear bumper fascia. The warning display located
above the rear window provides both visible and audible
warnings to indicate the range of the object.
Rear Park Assist Switch
Rear Park Assist LED Display
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The warning display contains two sets of yellow and red
LEDs, one set to warn of obstacles behind the left rear of
the vehicle and the other set to warn of obstacles behind
the right rear of the vehicle. The driver can view the LEDs
either through the rear view mirror or by looking at the
display above the rear window.
When the ignition is turned to the ON position, and the
system is enabled, the warning display will turn on all of
its LEDs for approximately one second. Then, the systemdimly illuminates the two inner most LEDs when it is
detecting no obstacles.
The Rear Park Assist System is active when the ignition is
in the ON position, and the system is enabled, and the
driver shifts the transmission into the REVERSE position,
and the vehicle speed is less than 11 mph (18 km/h). The
following chart shows the warning display operation
when the system is detecting an obstacle:
142 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE