2010 DODGE NITRO Owners Manual

Front Seat Adjustment — Recline
To adjust the seatback, lift the lever located on the
outboard side of the seat, lean back, and release the lever
at the desired position. To return the seatback, lift the
lever, lean forward and release the lever.WARNING!
Do not ride with the seatback reclined so that the seat
belt is no longer resting against your chest. In a
collision you could slide under the seat belt and be
seriously or even fatally injured. Use the recliner
only when the vehicle is parked.
Seatback Release Lever
136 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Six-Way Driver’s Power Seat with Manual
Recliner
The power seat switch is located on the outboard side of
the seat near the floor. Use this switch to move the seat up
or down, forward or rearward or to tilt the seat.This seat also has a manual recline lever located just to
the rear of the power seat switch. Pull up on the lever to
recline the seatback.
WARNING!
Adjusting a seat while the vehicle is moving is
dangerous. The sudden movement of the seat could
cause you to lose control. The seat belt might not be
properly adjusted and you could be injured. Adjust
any seat only while the vehicle is parked.
CAUTION!
DO NOT place any article under a power seat or
impede its ability to move as it may cause damage to
the seat controls. Seat travel may become limited if
movement is stopped by an obstruction in the seat’s
path.
Power Seat Switches
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 137

Fold-Flat Front Passenger Seat
The front passenger seatback can be folded flat to allow
for extended cargo space. Pull up on the lever to fold
down the seatback.
Adjusting Active Head Restraints
Active Head Restraints can reduce the risk of injury in
the event of a rear impact. The Active Head Restraint
should be adjusted so the top of the head restraint is
located above the top of your ear.
Fold Flat Passenger Seat
Adjusted Head Restraint
138 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

To raise the head restraint, pull upward on the head
restraint (on some models, you may need to press the
push button). To lower the head restraint, press the push
button, located at the base of the head restraint, and push
downward on the head restraint.For comfort the Active Head Restraints can be tilted
forward and backward. To tilt the head restraint closer to
the back of your head, pull outward on the bottom of the
head restraint. Push rearward on the bottom of the head
restraint to move the head restraint away from your
head.
Push Button
Active Head Restraint (Normal Position)
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 139

NOTE:
•The head restraints should only be removed by quali-
fied technicians, for service purposes only. If either of
the head restraints require removal, see your autho-
rized dealer.
•In the event of deployment of an Active Head Re-
straint, refer to “Occupant Restraints/Resetting Active
Head Restraints (AHR)” in “Things to Know Before
Starting Your Vehicle” for further information.
WARNING!
•Driving a vehicle with the head restraints removed
or improperly adjusted could cause serious injury
or death in the event of a collision. The head
restraints should always be checked prior to oper-
ating the vehicle and never adjusted while the
vehicle is in motion. Always adjust the head
restraints when the vehicle is in PARK.(Continued)
Active Head Restraint (Tilted)
140 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not place items over the top of the Active Head
Restraint, such as coats, seat covers or portable
DVD players. These items may interfere with the
operation of the Active Head Restraint in the event
of an accident and could result in serious injury or
death.
•Active Head Restraints may be deployed if they
are struck by an object such as a hand, foot or loose
cargo. To avoid accidental deployment of the Ac-
tive Head Restraint ensure that all cargo is se-
cured, as loose cargo could contact the Active Head
Restraint during sudden stops. Failure to follow
this warning could cause personal injury if the
Active Head Restraint is deployed.
Heated Seats — If Equipped
This feature heats the front driver and passenger seats.
The controls for each seat are located on a switch bank
near the bottom center of the instrument panel.
After turning the ignition ON, you can choose from High,
Low or Off heat settings. Amber indicator lights in each
switch indicate the level of heat in use. Two indicator
lights will illuminate for High, one for Low and none for
Off.Press the switch once to select High-level heat-
ing. Press the switch a second time to select
Low-level heating. Press the switch a third time
to shut the heating elements Off.
When High-level is selected, the heaters provide a
boosted heat level during the first four minutes of
operation after heating is activated. The heat output then
drops to the normal High-level setting. If High-level is
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 141

selected, the system will automatically switch to Low-
level after approximately 30 minutes of continuous op-
eration. At that time, the number of illuminated LEDs
changes from two to one, indicating the change. Opera-
tion on Low-level also turns Off automatically after
approximately 30 minutes.
NOTE:Once a heat setting is selected, heat will be felt
within two to five minutes.
WARNING!
•Persons 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.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not place anything on the seat that insulates
against heat, such as a blanket or cushion. This
may cause the seat heater to overheat. Sitting in a
seat that has been overheated could cause serious
burns due to the increased surface temperature of
the seat.
CAUTION!
Repeated overheating of the seat could damage the
heating element and/or degrade the material of the
seat.
60/40 Split Folding Rear Seat with Fold-Flat
Feature
To provide additional storage area, each rear seat can be
folded flat to allow for extended cargo space and still
maintain some rear seating room.
142 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

The rear seatback also reclines for additional passenger
comfort. Pull the release strap while sitting in the rear
seat to recline the seatback.WARNING!
Do not ride with the seatback reclined so that the
shoulder belt is no longer resting against your chest.
In a collision you could slide under the seat belt and
be seriously or even fatally injured. Use the recliner
only when the vehicle is parked.
NOTE:
•Prior to folding the rear seat, it may be necessary to
reposition the front seat to its mid-track position.
•Be sure that the front seats are fully upright and
positioned forward. This will allow the rear seat to
fold down easily.
Rear Seat Release Strap
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 143