2012 DODGE JOURNEY cooling

WARNING! (Continued)
•On seven passenger models, do not allow a pas-
senger to sit in a third row seat with the second
row seatback(s) folded flat. In a collision, the
passenger could slide underneath the seat belt and
be seriously or even fatally injured.
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:(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•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 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.
•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.
The best protection against carbon monoxide entry into
the vehicle body is a properly maintained engine exhaust
system.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 91

brakes. If the ABS light does not turn on when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON/RUN position, have
the light inspected by an authorized dealer.
14. Speedometer
Indicates vehicle speed.
15. Fuel Door ReminderThe arrow in this symbol is a reminder that the
Fuel Filler Door is located on the left side of the
vehicle.
16. Fuel Gauge
The pointer shows the level of fuel in the fuel tank when
the ignition switch is in the ON/RUN position.
17. Vehicle Security Light — If Equipped This light will flash at a fast rate for approxi-
mately 15 seconds, when the vehicle security
alarm is arming, and then will flash slowly
until the vehicle is disarmed. 18. 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.
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.
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 281

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.
ELECTRONIC VEHICLE INFORMATION CENTER
(EVIC)
The Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) fea-
tures a driver-interactive display that is located in the
instrument cluster.
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)
282 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

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. The
recirculation indicator will illuminate when this button is
selected. Push the button a second time to turn off the
Recirculation mode 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 Mix, Floor and Defrost modes to
improve window clearing operation. Recirculation will
be disabled automatically if these modes are selected.
Attempting to use Recirculation while in these modes
will cause the LED in the control button to blink and then
turn off.
Automatic Temperature Control (ATC)
ATC Hard-keys are located in the center of the instru-
ment panel.
Soft-keys are accessible on the Uconnect Touch™ system
screen.
Automatic Operation
1. Press the AUTO hard-key or soft-key button (9) on the
Automatic Temperature Control (ATC) Panel.
2. Next, adjust the temperature you would like the
system to maintain by adjusting the driver and passenger
temperature hard or soft control buttons (6, 7, 10, 11).
Once the desired temperature is displayed, the system
will achieve and automatically maintain that comfort
level.4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 353

Headliner ModeAir comes from the outlets in the headliner. Each of
these outlets can be individually adjusted to direct
the flow of air. Moving the air vanes of the outlets to one
side will shut off the airflow.
Bi-Level Mode Air comes from both the headliner outlets and the
floor outlets.
NOTE: In many temperature positions, the BI-LEVEL
mode is designed to provide cooler air out of the head-
liner outlets and warmer air from the floor outlets.
Floor Mode Air comes from the floor outlets.Operating Tips
NOTE: Refer to the chart at the end of this section for
suggested control settings for various weather condi-
tions.
Summer Operation
The engine cooling system in air-conditioned vehicles
must be protected with a high-quality antifreeze coolant
to provide proper corrosion protection and to protect
against engine overheating. A solution of 50% ethylene
glycol antifreeze coolant and 50% water is recommended.
Refer to “Maintenance Procedures” in “Maintaining Your
Vehicle” for proper coolant selection.
Winter Operation
Use of the air Recirculation mode during Winter months
is not recommended because it may cause window
fogging.
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 359

adequate performance. For example, choose “4” if the
desired speed can be maintained. Choose “3” or “2” if
needed to maintain the desired speed.
Extended driving at high RPM should be avoided to
prevent excess heat generation. A reduction in vehicle
speed may be required to avoid extended driving at
high RPM. Return to a higher gear range or vehicle
speed when road conditions and RPM level allows.
Cooling System
To reduce potential for engine and transmission over-
heating, take the following actions:
City Driving
When stopped for short periods, shift the transmission
into NEUTRAL and increase engine idle speed.
Highway Driving
Reduce speed.
Air Conditioning
Turn off temporarily.
RECREATIONAL TOWING
(BEHIND MOTORHOME, ETC.)
Recreational towing is not allowed. DO NOT flat tow
this vehicle. Damage to the drivetrain will result.
NOTE: This vehicle may be towed on a flatbed or
vehicle trailer provided all four wheels are OFFthe
ground.
CAUTION!
Towing this vehicle in violation of the above require-
ments can cause severe transmission and/or transfer
case damage. Damage from improper towing is not
covered under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 465

HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS
The Hazard Warning flasher switch is located in the
instrument panel switch bank, 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 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.
•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.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 469

CAUTION!
Driving with a hot cooling system could damage
your vehicle. If the temperature gauge reads “H,”
safely pull over and stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle
with the A/C 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 en-
gine 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.
2.4L Engine — If Equipped
On hot days the engine oil temperature may become too
hot during sustained high-speed driving or if towing a
trailer up long grades. If this happens, a HOTOIL mes-
sage will flash in the odometer and the vehicle speed will
be reduced to 48 mph (77 km/h) maximum until the
engine oil temperature is reduced.
NOTE:The maximum vehicle speed is reduced to
48 mph (77 km/h), you may reduce vehicle speed further
as needed. Once the engine oil temperature is reduced,
you may continue to drive normally.
470 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES