2011 DODGE DAKOTA tow

INTRODUCTION/WELCOME
Welcome From Chrysler Group LLC . . . 2
CONTROLS AT A GLANCE
Driver Cockpit...............4
Instrument Cluster ............6
GETTING STARTED
KeyFOB ..................8
Remote Start................8
Theft Alarm ................9
Seat Belt ..................9
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) —
Airbags .................. 10
Child Restraints ............. 11
Front Seats ................ 14
Heated Seats .............. 16
Tilt Steering Column .......... 17
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
Turn Signals/Wiper/Washer/High
Beams Lever............... 18
Headlight Switch ............ 19
Speed Control .............. 20
Climate Controls ............. 21
Wind Buffeting .............. 21
ELECTRONICS
Non-Touch-Screen Radios ....... 22
Steering Wheel Audio Controls .... 25
Uconnect™ Phone ........... 25
Uconnect™ Voice Command ...... 27
Programmable Features ........ 28
Universal Garage Door Opener
(HomeLink
®)............... 29
Power Outlets .............. 31
OFF-ROAD CAPABILITIES
Four-Wheel Drive Operation ...... 32
UTILITY
Rear Crate 'N Go®Storage....... 33 Rear Cargo Area Utility Rails
...... 33
Tailgate .................. 33
Trailer Towing Weights (Maximum
Trailer Weight Ratings) ......... 34
Recreational Towing (Behind
Motorhome, Etc.) ............ 34
Brake/Transmission Interlock
System .................. 36
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
24-Hour Towing Assistance ...... 37
Instrument Cluster Warning Lights . . 37
If Your Engine Overheats ........ 40
Jacking And Tire Changing ....... 42
Jump-Starting .............. 47
Emergency Tow Hooks ......... 49
Towing A Disabled Vehicle ....... 50
Freeing A Stuck Vehicle ......... 51
Event Data Recorder (EDR) ....... 52
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
Opening The Hood........... 53
Engine Compartment .......... 54
Fluids And Capacities .......... 56
Maintenance Chart ........... 58
Fuses ................... 61
Tire Pressures .............. 64
Wheel And Wheel Trim Care ...... 64
Exterior Bulbs .............. 65
CONSUMER ASSISTANCE
Chrysler Group LLC Customer Center . 66
Chrysler Canada Inc. Customer Center 66
Assistance For The Hearing Impaired . 66
Publications Ordering .......... 66
Reporting Safety Defects In
The 50 United States And
Washington, D.C. ............ 67
MOPAR ACCESSORIES
Authentic Accessories By MOPAR®.. 68
INDEX.................. 69
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Indicators
- Turn Signal Indicators
- High Beam Indicator
- Front Fog Light Indicator
- Vehicle Security Indicator*
- TOW/HAUL Indicator
- Cruise Indicator
- 4WD Indicator
- 4WD LOW Indicator
- Cargo Lamp Indicator
Odometer Messages
door - Door AjarLoW tirE - Low Tire Pressure
gASCAP - Fuel Cap Fault noFUSE* - Fuse Fault
LoW WASH- Low Washer Fluid CHAngE OIL* - Change Engine Oil
* If equipped
** Bulb Check with Key On
CONTROLS AT A GLANCE
7

TILT STEERING COLUMN
• The tilt lever is located on thesteering column, below the turn
signal lever.
• Pull the lever toward the steering wheel to unlock the steering column.
• With one hand firmly on the steering wheel, move the steering column up
or down as desired.
• Push the lever away from the steering wheel to lock the column
firmly in place.
WARNING!
Tilting the steering column while the vehicle is moving is dangerous.
Without a stable steering column, you could lose control of the vehicle and
have a collision. Adjust the column only while the vehicle is stopped. Be
sure the column is locked before driving.
GETTING STARTED
17

TURN SIGNALS/WIPER/WASHER/HIGH BEAMS LEVER
Turn Signals/Lane Change Assist
• Tap the lever up or down once and the turn signal (right or left) will flash threetimes and automatically turn off.
Wipers
Intermittent, Low And High Operation
• Rotate the end of the lever to the first detent position for one of five intermittent settings, the second detent for low wiper operation and the third
detent for high wiper operation.
Washer Operation
• Push the end of the lever inward to the second detent and hold for as long as spray is desired.
High Beams
• Pull the lever toward you to activate the high beams.
• A high beam symbol will illuminate in the cluster to indicate the high beamsare on.
NOTE: For safe driving, turn off the high beams when oncoming traffic is present
to prevent headlight glare and as a courtesy to other motorists.
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
18

FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE OPERATION
• This is an electric-shift transfer caseand is operated by the 4WD Control
Switch (Transfer Case Switch), which
is located on the instrument panel.
• The transfer case provides four mode positions:
• Two-wheel drive high range (2WD)
• Four-wheel drive lock range (4WD
LOCK)
• Four-wheel drive low range (4WD LOW)
• NEUTRAL (N)
• This transfer case is designed to be driven in the two-wheel drive position (2WD) for normal street and highway conditions on dry, hard-surfaced roads.
• When additional traction is required, the transfer case 4WD LOCK and 4WD LOW positions can be used to lock the front and rear driveshafts together and
force the front and rear wheels to rotate at the same speed. This is
accomplished by rotating the 4WD Control Switch to the desired position. The
4WD LOCK and 4WD LOW positions are designed for loose or slippery road
surfaces only.
• Driving in the 4WD LOCK and 4WD LOW positions on dry hard-surfaced roads may cause increased tire wear and damage to the driveline components.
NOTE: The transfer case NEUTRAL position is selected by pressing the recessed
button located on the lower left-hand corner of the 4WD Control Switch. The
transfer case NEUTRAL position is to be used for recreational towing only.
NOTE: Do not attempt to make a shift while only the front or rear wheels are
spinning. The NV233/243 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.
WARNING!
You or others could be injured if you leave the vehicle unattended with the
transfer case in the NEUTRAL position without first fully engaging the
parking brake. The transfer case NEUTRAL position disengages both the
front and rear driveshafts from the powertrain and will allow the vehicle to
move regardless of the transmission position. The parking brake should
always be applied when the driver is not in the vehicle.
OFF-ROAD CAPABILITIES
32

Two–Position Tailgate/Upper Load
Platform
• Your tailgate can be opened to thefull-open or the partial-open
position. The partial-open position
is for loading objects longer than
the length of the bed (sheets of
plywood, etc.) by creating an upper
load platform.
Installing Lumber • Place lumber across the box in the indentations provided above the
wheel housings and in the
bulkhead dividers, to form the floor.
There are indents in the sheet
metal (or bed liner if equipped) on
the inner side of the box in front
(Crew Cab
®only) and behind both
wheel housings.
• Secure the tailgate in the partially-open position.
• Open the tailgate slightly.
• Snap the tailgate support cable between the cable guide and the
tailgate bumper. Do this on both
sides of the tailgate.
• To return the tailgate to the full-open position:
• Lift up on tailgate.
• Remove both cables from
between the cable guides and
the tailgate bumpers, and lower
the tailgate.
CAUTION!
• Care should always beexercised when operating a
vehicle with cargo. Vehicle
speeds may need to be
reduced. Severe turns or rough
roads may cause shifting or
bouncing of the cargo that may
result in vehicle damage.
(Continued)
CAUTION!(Continued)
• Ensure the load is securely tieddown and is properly identified
according to local laws if it
extends beyond the tail lights.
• Loading should not exceed 400 lbs (181 kg) of material
suspended above the
wheelhouse and partially open
tailgate or vehicle damage may
result.
TRAILER TOWING WEIGHTS
(MAXIMUM TRAILER WEIGHT
RATINGS)
NOTE: For trailer towing information
(maximum trailer weight ratings) refer to
the following website addresses:
• http:// www.ramtrucks.com/towing
• http:// www.ramtruck.ca (Canada)
RECREATIONAL TOWING
(BEHIND MOTORHOME, ETC.)
Two-Wheel Drive Models
• Recreational towing of two-wheel
drive models is not allowable.
Towing the vehicle with the
transmission in NEUTRAL can
cause severe transmission
damage. Removal of the driveshaft
for towing is not recommended,
since this would allow fluid to drain
from the transmission.
UTILITY
34

Four-Wheel Drive Models
Recreational Towing Procedure• Use the following procedure to prepare your vehicle for
recreational towing.
• Bring the vehicle to a complete
stop, shut the engine OFF and
turn the Key Fob to the ON/RUN
position (do not start the engine).
• Press the brake pedal and shift the automatic transmission into
NEUTRAL, or press the clutch
pedal to the floor on a manual
transmission.
• Using a ballpoint pen or similar object, press the transfer case
NEUTRAL button for four
seconds.
• After the shift is completed and the NEUTRAL light comes on,
release the NEUTRAL button.
• Start the engine and shift the automatic transmission into
REVERSE.
• Release the brake pedal for five seconds and ensure that there is
no vehicle movement.
• Repeat the previous step with the transmission in DRIVE.
• Shut the engine OFF, and place the Key Fob in the unlocked OFF
position.
• Shift automatic transmissions into PARK. Shift manual
transmissions into fourth gear.
• Attach the vehicle to the tow vehicle with a tow bar and
disconnect the negative battery
cable.
• Refer to your Owner's Manual on the DVD for further details. NOTE:
• The first two steps are requirements
that must be met prior to pressing
the NEUTRAL button, and must
continue to be met until the four
seconds elapse and the shift has
been completed. If any of these
requirements (with the exception of
Key Fob ON) are not met prior to
pressing the NEUTRAL button or are
no longer met during the four second
timer, then the NEUTRAL indicator
light will flash continuously until all
requirements are met or until the
NEUTRAL button is released.
• The Key Fob must be ON for a shift to take place and for the position
indicator lights to be operable. If the
Key Fob in not ON, the shift will not
take place and no position indicator
lights will be on or flashing.
• A flashing NEUTRAL position indicator light indicates that shift
requirements have not been met.
CAUTION!
• Internal damage to the transfercase will occur if a front or rear
wheel lift is used when
recreational towing.
• The transfer case must be shifted into NEUTRAL for
recreational towing. The
NEUTRAL button is located on
the lower left hand corner of the
4WD Control Switch. Shifts into
and out of transfer case
NEUTRAL can take place with
the selector switch in any mode
position.
• Automatic transmissions must be placed in PARK position for
recreational towing.
(Continued)
UTILITY
35

CAUTION!(Continued)
• Manual transmissions must beplaced in gear (for example,
fourth gear) for recreational
towing. Failure to follow these
procedures can cause severe
transmission and/or transfer
case damage.
• It is necessary to follow these steps to be certain that the
transfer case is fully in
NEUTRAL before recreational
towing to prevent damage to
internal parts.
BRAKE/TRANSMISSION
INTERLOCK SYSTEM
• This system prevents you from
moving the shift lever out of PARK
and into any gear unless the brake
pedal is pressed.
• This system is active only when the ignition switch is in the ON/RUN
position.
UTILITY
36