2011 DODGE DURANGO cooling

Exhaust Gas
WARNING!
Exhaust gases can injure or kill. They contain carbon
monoxide (CO), which is colorless and odorless.
Breathing it can make you unconscious and can
eventually poison you. To avoid breathing (CO),
follow these safety tips:
Do not run the engine in a closed garage or in confined
areas any longer than needed to move your vehicle in or
out of the area.
If it is necessary to sit in a parked vehicle with the engine
running, adjust your heating or cooling controls to force
outside air into the vehicle. Set the blower at high speed. If you are required to drive with the trunk/liftgate open,
make sure that all windows are closed and the climate
control BLOWER switch is set at high speed. DO NOT
use the recirculation mode.
The best protection against carbon monoxide entry into
the vehicle body is a properly maintained engine exhaust
system.
Whenever a change is noticed in the sound of the exhaust
system, when exhaust fumes can be detected inside the
vehicle, or when the underside or rear of the vehicle is
damaged, have a competent mechanic inspect the com-
plete exhaust system and adjacent body areas for broken,
damaged, deteriorated, or mispositioned parts. Open
seams or loose connections could permit exhaust fumes
to seep into the passenger compartment. In addition,
inspect the exhaust system each time the vehicle is raised
for lubrication or oil change. Replace as required.2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 97

Vehicles equipped with the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS), are also equipped with Electronic Brake Force
Distribution (EBD). In the event of an EBD failure, the
Brake Warning Light will turn on along with the ABS
Light. Immediate repair to the ABS system is required.
Operation of the Brake Warning Light can be checked by
turning the ignition switch from the OFF position to the
ON/RUN position. The light should illuminate for ap-
proximately two seconds. The light should then turn off
unless the parking brake is applied or a brake fault is
detected. If the light does not illuminate, have the light
inspected by an authorized dealer.
The light also will turn on when the parking brake is
applied with the ignition switch in the ON/RUN posi-
tion.
NOTE:This light shows only that the parking brake is
applied. It does not show the degree of brake application. 23. TOW/HAUL
The TOW HAUL button is located on the
center stack upper switch bank. This light will
illuminate when TOW HAUL mode is selected
24. Seat Belt Reminder Light When the ignition switch is first turned to the
ON/RUN position, this light will turn on for four
to eight seconds as a bulb check. During the bulb
check, if the driver’s seat belt is unbuckled, a chime will
sound. After the bulb check or when driving, if the driver
or front passenger seat belt remains unbuckled, the Seat
Belt Indicator Light will flash or remain on continuously.
Refer to “Occupant Restraints” in “Things To Know
Before Starting Your Vehicle” for further information.
25. Temperature Gauge
The temperature gauge shows engine coolant tempera-
ture. Any reading within the normal range indicates that
the engine cooling system is operating satisfactorily.
252 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

The gauge pointer will likely indicate a higher tempera-
ture when driving in hot weather, up mountain grades,
or when towing a trailer. It should not be allowed to
exceed the upper limits of the normal operating range.
CAUTION!
Driving with a hot engine cooling system could
damage your vehicle. If the temperature gauge reads
“H” pull over and stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle
with the air conditioner turned off until the pointer
drops back into the normal range. If the pointer
remains on the “H” and you hear continuous chimes,
turn the engine off immediately and call an autho-
rized dealership for service.
WARNING!
A hot engine cooling system is dangerous. You or
others could be badly burned by steam or boiling
coolant. You may want to call an authorized dealer-
ship for service if your vehicle overheats. If you
decide to look under the hood yourself, see “Main-
taining Your Vehicle”. Follow the warnings under the
Cooling System Pressure Cap paragraph.
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 253

Air Conditioning (A/C)
The Air Conditioning (A/C) button allows the operator
to manually activate or deactivate the air conditioning
system. When in A/C mode and the ATC is set to a cool
temperature, dehumidified air flows through the air
outlets. If Economy mode is desired, press the A/C
button to turn off the A/C mode in the ATC display and
deactivate the A/C system.
NOTE:
•If the system is in Mix, Floor or Defrost Mode, the A/C
can be turned off, but the A/C system shall remain
active to prevent fogging of the windows.
•If fog or mist appears on the windshield or side glass,
select Defrost mode and increase blower speed.
Recirculation Control
When outside air contains smoke, odors, or
high humidity, or if rapid cooling is desired,
you may wish to recirculate interior air by
pressing the RECIRCULATION control button.
Recirculation mode should only be used temporarily. The
recirculation LED will illuminate when this button is
selected. Push the button a second time to turn off the
Recirculation mode LED and allow outside air into the
vehicle.
NOTE: In cold weather, use of Recirculation mode may
lead to excessive window fogging. The Recirculation
mode is not allowed in the Floor/Defrost Mix and
Defrost modes to improve window clearing operation.
Recirculation will be disabled automatically if these
modes are selected.
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 325

transmission will downshift to fourth gear and the dis-
play will show 4. Another tap to the left (-) will shift the
transmission into third gear.
5.7L Engine
On vehicles equipped with the 5.7L engine, use of ERS (or
TOW/HAUL mode) also enables an additional under-
drive gear which is not normally used during through-
gear accelerations. This additional gear improves vehicle
performance and cooling capability when towing a trailer
on certain grades. ERS 1, 2, and 3 are underdrive gears;
ERS 4 is direct drive. ERS 5 (Overdrive) is the same as the
normal 4th gear. When in the DRIVE position in first
through fourth gear, the first tap to the left (-) will display
the ERS designation for the current gear (the transmis-
sion will not downshift). For example, if you are in
DRIVE and are in third (direct) gear, when you tap the
shift lever one time to the left (-), the display will show 4
(ERS 4 is direct gear). Another tap to the left (-) will shift
the transmission down to ERS 3 (the added underdrivegear). When in the DRIVE position in fifth gear, the first
tap to the left (-) will downshift the transmission and
display 5 (ERS 5 is the same as normal fourth gear).
Another tap to the left (-) will shift the transmission
down to ERS 4 (direct gear).
WARNING!
Do not downshift for additional engine braking on a
slippery surface. The drive wheels could lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid.
Screen Display
12345*D
Actual Gear(s) Allowed 1 1-2 1-3 1-4 1-5 1-5
* Applies to vehicles equipped with 5.7L engines only.
NOTE:
To select the proper gear position for maximum
deceleration (engine braking), move the shift lever to the
left “D(-)” and hold it there. The transmission will shift to
the range from which the vehicle can best be slowed down.
346 STARTING AND OPERATING

Cooling System
To reduce potential for engine and transmission over-
heating, take the following actions:
City Driving
When stopped for short periods of time, shift the trans-
mission into NEUTRAL and increase engine idle speed.
Highway Driving
Reduce speed.
Air Conditioning
Turn off temporarily.
SNOW PLOW
Snow plows, winches, and other aftermarket equipment
should notbe added to the front end of your vehicle. The
airbag crash sensors may be affected by the change in the
front end structure. The airbags could deploy unexpect-
edly or could fail to deploy during a collision.
WARNING!
Do not add a snow plow, winches, or any other
aftermarket equipment to the front of your vehicle.
This could adversely affect the functioning of the
airbag system and you could be injured.
438 STARTING AND OPERATING

HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS
The Hazard Warning flasher switch is located on the
switch bank just above the climate controls.Press the switch to turn on the Hazard Warning
flasher. When the switch is activated, all directional
turn signals will flash on and off to warn oncoming
traffic of an emergency. Press the switch a second time to
turn off the Hazard Warning flashers.
This is an emergency warning system and it should not
be used when the vehicle is in motion. Use it when your
vehicle is disabled and it is creating a safety hazard for
other motorists.
When you must leave the vehicle to seek assistance, the
Hazard Warning flashers will continue to operate even
though the ignition is placed in the OFF position.
NOTE: With extended use the Hazard Warning flashers
may wear down your battery.
IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS
In any of the following situations, you can reduce the
potential for overheating by taking the appropriate ac-
tion.
•On the highways — slow down.
•In city traffic — while stopped, place the transmission
in NEUTRAL, but do not increase the engine idle
speed.
NOTE: There are steps that you can take to slow down
an impending overheat condition:
•If your air conditioner (A/C) is on, turn it off. The A/C
system adds heat to the engine cooling system and
turning the A/C off can help remove this heat.
448 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

•You can also turn the temperature control to maximum
heat, the mode control to floor and the blower control
to high. This allows the heater core to act as a
supplement to the radiator and aids in removing heat
from the engine cooling system.
CAUTION!
Driving with a hot cooling system could damage
your vehicle. If the temperature gauge reads HOT
(H), pull over and stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle
with the air conditioner turned off until the pointer
drops back into the normal range. If the pointer
remains on HOT (H), and you hear continuous
chimes, turn the engine off immediately and call for
service.
WARNING!
You or others can be badly burned by hot engine
coolant (antifreeze) or steam from your radiator. If
you see or hear steam coming from under the hood,
do not open the hood until the radiator has had time
to cool. Never try to open a cooling system pressure
cap when the radiator or coolant bottle is hot.
JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING
WARNING!
•Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of the
vehicle close to moving traffic. Pull far enough off
the road to avoid the danger of being hit when
operating the jack or changing the wheel.(Continued)
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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 449