2012 DODGE DURANGO User Guide

BATTERY LOCATION
• The battery in your vehicle is located under the passenger's front seat. Remotebattery posts are located on the right side of the engine compartment for
jump-starting.
JUMP-STARTING
• If your vehicle has a discharged battery it can be jump-started using a set ofjumper 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 under the passengers front seat. There
are remote locations under the hood to
assist in jump starting.
• Set the parking brake, shift the automatic transmission into PARK and
turn the ignition to OFF.
• Turn off the heater, radio, and all unnecessary electrical accessories.
• Remove the protective cover over the remote positive (+) battery post. Pull
upward on the cover to remove it.
• If using another vehicle to jump-start the battery, park the vehicle within the jumper 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 remote positive (+)post of
the discharged vehicle.
• Connect the opposite end of the positive (+)jumper cable to the positive (+)post
of the booster battery.
• Remove the protective cap from the negative jump post. 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 the remote negative
(-) post of the vehicle with the discharged battery.
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• Start the engine in the vehicle that has the booster battery, let the engine idle afew 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 remote negative (-)post of the
vehicle with the discharged battery. Replace the protective cap.
• 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 remote positive (+)
post of the discharged vehicle.
• Reinstall the protective cover over the remote positive (+)battery 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.
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 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.
(Continued)
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WARNING!(Continued)
• Do not allow vehicles to touch each other as this could establish a groundconnection 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.
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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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 rubber cupholder liner to
the right of 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 VEHICLE
Towing ConditionWheels OFF the Ground RWD ModelsAWD MODELS
Flat Tow NONE
• Transmission inNEUTRAL
• 30 mph (48 km/h)
• 15 miles (24 km) max
distance • Trans in
PARK
• T/case in NEUTRAL
• Tow in Forward
direction
Wheel Lift or Dolly Tow
Front
Rear OK
NO
Flatbed ALLBEST METHOD BEST METHOD
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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 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.
FUEL DOOR RELEASE
• The fuel door release button is locatedon the instrument panel below the
headlight switch.
• Push the button once and release to open the fuel door.
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Fuel Door Emergency Release
• To manually open the fuel door, removethe storage bin located in the left rear
cargo area.
• Pull the release cable located in the storage bin opening.
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