2011 DODGE NITRO User Guide

• Locate the jack:• For the front tires, place it (rearward) of the notch on the body weld seambehind the wheel to be changed.
• For the rear tires, place it under the axle by the wheel to be changed.
• Raise the vehicle by turning the jack screw clockwise. Raise the vehicle only until the tire just clears the surface and enough clearance is obtained to install the
spare tire.
• Remove the lug nuts, wheel cover (if equipped) and the wheel.
• Position the spare wheel/tire on the vehicle and install the lug nuts with the cone-shaped end toward the wheel. Do NOT attempt to install a center cap or
wheel cover on the compact spare. Lightly tighten the lug nuts clockwise. To avoid
the risk of forcing the vehicle off the jack, do not tighten the nuts fully until the
vehicle has been lowered.
• Lower the vehicle by turning the jack screw counterclockwise, and remove the jack and wheel blocks.
• Finish tightening the lug nuts. Push down on the wrench while tightening for increased leverage. Alternate nuts until each one has been tightened twice. The
correct wheel nut tightness is 95 ft lbs (130 N•m). If in doubt about the correct
tightness, have them checked with a torque wrench by your authorized dealer or at
a service station.
• Secure the tire, jack, and tools in their proper locations.
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.
• Getting under a jacked-up vehicle is dangerous. The vehicle could slip off the jack and fall on you. You could be crushed. Never get any part of your body
under a vehicle that is on a jack. If you need to get under a raised vehicle,
take it to a service center where it can be raised on a lift.
• The jack is designed to use as a tool for changing tires only. The jack should not be used to lift the vehicle for service purposes. The vehicle should be
jacked on a firm, level surface only. Avoid ice or slippery areas.
• If it is necessary to retrieve the spare tire from under the vehicle on the side of the vehicle close to moving traffic, pull far enough off the road to avoid the
danger of being hit.
• Carefully follow these tire changing procedures to help prevent personal injury or damage to your vehicle: Always park on a firm, level surface as far
from the edge of the roadway as possible before raising the vehicle.
• Raising the vehicle higher than necessary can make the vehicle less stable and could cause it to slip off the jack and hurt someone near it. Raise the
vehicle only enough to remove the tire.
(Continued)
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WARNING!(Continued)
• A loose tire or jack, thrown forward in a collision or hard stop, could endangerthe 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 jumpstarted 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.
NOTE: The positive battery post is covered with a protective cap. Lift up on the cap to
gain access to the positive battery post.
• Set the parking brake, shift the automatic transmission into PARK and turn theignition 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 thedischarged 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!
• Do not use a portable battery booster pack or any other booster source with asystem 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.
• Accessories that can be plugged into the vehicle power outlets draw power 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.
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WARNING!
• When temperatures are below the freezing point, electrolyte in a dischargedbattery may freeze. Do not attempt jump-starting because the battery could
rupture or explode and cause personal injury. Battery temperature must be
brought above the 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.
SHIFT LEVER OVERRIDE
• If a malfunction occurs and the shiftlever cannot be moved out of the PARK
position, you can use the following
procedure to temporarily move the shift
lever:
• To access the shift lever override,
remove the override cover located on
the PRNDL bezel, next to the shift
lever.
• Firmly set the parking brake.
• Turn the ignition switch to the ACC or ON position without starting the
engine.
• Press and maintain firm pressure on the brake pedal.
• Using a screwdriver or similar tool, press and hold the override tab through the access port on the center console.
• Move the shift lever into the NEUTRAL position.
• The vehicle may then be started in NEUTRAL.
• Reinstall the override cover.
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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 Ground
Rear 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).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).
Four-Wheel Drive NOT Permitted
Recommended Method NOT Permitted NOT Permitted
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FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
• If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand or snow, it can often be moved by arocking motion. Turn your steering wheel right and left to clear the area around the
front wheels. Then shift back and forth between REVERSE and DRIVE. Using
minimal accelerator pedal pressure to maintain the rocking motion, without
spinning the wheels, is most effective.
NOTE: If your vehicle is equipped with Traction Control or Electronic Stability Control
(ESC), turn the system OFF before attempting to “rock” the vehicle.
CAUTION!
• Racing the engine or spinning the wheels may lead to transmission overheating and failure. 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.
• When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by moving between REVERSE and DRIVE, 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 excessive wheel
speeds may cause damage, or even failure, of the axle and tires. A tire could
explode and injure someone. Do not spin your vehicle's wheels faster than
30 mph (48 km/h) or for longer than 30 seconds continuously without stopping
when you are stuck and do not let anyone near a spinning wheel, no matter
what the speed.
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EVENT DATA RECORDER (EDR)
• This vehicle is equipped with an event data recorder (EDR). The main purpose ofan 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;
• Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts were buckled/fastened;
• 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 access to thevehicle 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 release lever located below theinstrument panel and in front of the
driver’s door.
• Raise the hood and locate the safety latch, in the middle of the hood
opening.
• Move the safety latch while lifting the hood at the same time.
• Insert the support rod into the slot on the hood.
• To close the hood, remove the support rod and place it in the retaining clip,
then lower the hood slowly.
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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