2011 DODGE DAKOTA User Guide

WARNING!(Continued)
• Raising the vehicle higher than necessary can make the vehicle lessstable and could cause it to slip off the jack and hurt someone near it.
Raise the vehicle only enough to remove the tire.
• A loose tire or jack, thrown forward in a collision or hard stop, could endanger the occupants of the vehicle. Always stow the jack parts and
the spare tire in the places provided.
JUMP-STARTING
• If your vehicle has a discharged battery it can be jump-started using a set of
jumper cables and a battery in another vehicle or by using a portable battery
booster pack.
• Jump-starting can be dangerous if done improperly so please follow the procedures in this section carefully.
NOTE: When using a portable battery booster pack follow the manufacturer’s
operating instructions and precautions.
Preparations for Jump-Start
• The battery in your vehicle is located in the front of the engine compartment, behind the left headlight assembly.
• Set the parking brake, shift the automatic transmission into PARK and turn the ignition to LOCK.
• Turn off the heater, radio, and all unnecessary electrical accessories.
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• If using another vehicle to jump-start the battery, park the vehicle within thejumper cables reach, set the parking brake and make sure the ignition is OFF.
Jump-Starting Procedure
• Connect the positive (+)end of the jumper cable to the positive (+)post of the
discharged vehicle.
• Connect the opposite end of the positive (+)jumper cable to the positive (+)
post of the booster battery.
• Connect the negative end (-)of the jumper cable to the negative (-)post of the
booster battery.
• Connect the opposite end of the negative (-)jumper cable to a good engine
ground (exposed metal part of the discharged vehicle’s engine) away from the
battery and the fuel injection system.
• Start the engine in the vehicle that has the booster battery, let the engine idle a few minutes, and then start the engine in the vehicle with the discharged
battery.
Once the engine is started, remove the jumper cables in the reverse sequence:
• Disconnect the negative (-)jumper cable from the engine ground of the vehicle
with the discharged battery.
• Disconnect the negative end (-)of the jumper cable from the negative (-)post
of the booster battery.
• Disconnect the opposite end of the positive (+)jumper cable from the positive
(+) post of the booster battery.
• Disconnect the positive (+)end of the jumper cable from the positive (+)post
of the discharged vehicle.
• If frequent jump-starting is required to start your vehicle you should have the battery and charging system inspected at your authorized dealer.
CAUTION!
• Accessories that can be plugged into the vehicle power outlets drawpower from the vehicle’s battery, even when not in use (i.e., cellular
phones, etc.). Eventually, if plugged in long enough, the vehicle’s battery
will discharge sufficiently to degrade battery life and/or prevent the
engine from starting.
• Do not use a portable battery booster pack or any other booster source with a system voltage greater than 12 Volts or damage to the battery,
starter motor, alternator or electrical system may occur.
• Failure to follow these procedures could result in damage to the charging system of the booster vehicle or the discharged vehicle.
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WARNING!
• When temperatures are below the freezing point, electrolyte in adischarged battery may freeze. Do not attempt jump-starting because
the battery could rupture or explode and cause personal injury. Battery
temperature must be brought above freezing point before attempting a
jump-start.
• Take care to avoid the radiator cooling fan whenever the hood is raised. It can start anytime the ignition switch is on. You can be injured by moving
fan blades.
• Remove any metal jewelry, such as watch bands or bracelets, that might make an inadvertent electrical contact. You could be severely injured.
• Batteries contain sulfuric acid that can burn your skin or eyes and generate hydrogen gas which is flammable and explosive. Keep open
flames or sparks away from the battery.
• Do not allow vehicles to touch each other as this could establish a ground connection and personal injury could result.
• Failure to follow this procedure could result in personal injury or property damage due to battery explosion.
• Do not connect the cable to the negative post (-)of the discharged
battery. The resulting electrical spark could cause the battery to explode
and could result in personal injury.
EMERGENCY TOW HOOKS
• If your vehicle is equipped with tow hooks, they are mounted in the front and
the rear.
NOTE: For off-road recovery, it is recommended to use both of the front tow
hooks to minimize the risk of damage to the vehicle.
CAUTION!
Tow hooks are for emergency use only, to rescue a vehicle stranded
off-road. Do not use tow hooks for tow truck hookup or highway towing.
You could damage your vehicle. Tow straps are recommended when towing
the vehicle; chains may cause vehicle damage.
WARNING!
• Chains are not recommended for freeing a stuck vehicle. Chains may break, causing serious injury or death.
• Stand clear of vehicles when pulling with tow hooks. Tow straps may become disengaged, causing serious injury.
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TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLEModelFlat Towing (all four
wheels on the ground)Flatbed Towing (all four
wheels suspended OFF
the ground)Front Wheels Raised,
Rear Wheels on the
GroundRear Wheels Raised,
Front Wheels on the
Ground
Two-Wheel Drive NOT Permitted
Recommended Method Shift lever must be In
NEUTRAL, the speed
less then 30 mph
(48 km/h) and the
distance traveled less
than 15 mi (24 km).May be used
Four-Wheel Drive NOT Permitted
Recommended Method NOT Permitted without
a towing dollyNOT Permitted without
a towing dolly
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FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
• If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand or snow, it can often be moved bya rocking motion. Turn your steering wheel right and left to clear the area
around the front wheels. Then move the shift lever back and forth between
REVERSE and DRIVE. Using minimal accelerator pedal pressure to maintain
the rocking motion, without spinning the wheels, is most effective.
• Allow the engine to idle with the shift lever in NEUTRAL for at least one minute after every five rocking-motion cycles. This will minimize overheating and
reduce the risk of transmission failure during prolonged efforts to free a stuck
vehicle.
CAUTION!
• When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by moving between REVERSE andDRIVE, do not spin the wheels faster than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drivetrain
damage may result.
• Revving the engine or spinning the wheels too fast may lead to transmission overheating and failure. It can also damage the tires. Do not
spin the wheels above 30 mph (48 km/h) while in gear (no transmission
shifting occurring).
WARNING!
• Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces generated by excessivewheel speeds may cause tire damage or failure. A tire could explode and
injure someone. Do not spin your vehicle's wheels faster than 30 mph
(48 km/h) when you are stuck. Do not let anyone near a spinning wheel,
no matter what the speed.
• Chains are not recommended for freeing a stuck vehicle. Chains may break, causing serious injury or death.
• Stand clear of vehicles when pulling with tow hooks. Tow straps and chains may break, causing serious injury.
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EVENT DATA RECORDER (EDR)
• This vehicle is equipped with an event data recorder (EDR). The main purposeof an EDR is to record, in certain crash or near crash-like situations, such as
an air bag deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will assist in
understanding how a vehicle’s systems performed. The EDR is designed to
record data related to vehicle dynamics and safety systems for a short period
of time, typically 30 seconds or less. The EDR in this vehicle is designed to
record such data as:
• How various systems in your vehicle were operating;
• How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the accelerator and/or brake
pedal; and,
• How fast the vehicle was traveling.
• These data can help provide a better understanding of the circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur.
NOTE: EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only if a non-trivial crash situation
occurs; no data are recorded by the EDR under normal driving conditions and no
personal data (e.g. name, gender, age, and crash location) are recorded. However,
other parties, such as law enforcement, could combine the EDR data with the type
of personally identifying data routinely acquired during a crash investigation.
• To read data recorded by an EDR, special equipment is required, and accessto the vehicle or the EDR is needed. In addition to the vehicle manufacturer,
other parties such as law enforcement, that have the special equipment, can
read the information if they have access to the vehicle or the EDR.
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OPENING THE HOOD
• Pull the hood release lever locatedbelow the steering wheel at the base
of the instrument panel.
• Reach into the opening beneath the center of the hood and move the
safety latch lever while lifting the
hood at the same time.
WARNING!
Be sure the hood is fully latched before driving your vehicle. If the hood is
not fully latched, it could open when the vehicle is in motion and block your
vision. Failure to follow this warning could result in serious injury or death.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
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ENGINE COMPARTMENT3.7L Engine
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
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