2013 DODGE AVENGER Owners Manual

▫All Season Tires – If Equipped ............353
▫
Summer Or Three Season Tires – If Equipped . . .353
▫ Snow Tires ......................... .353
▫ Spare Tire Matching Original Equipped Tire
And Wheel – If Equipped ................354
▫ Compact Spare Tire – If Equipped .........354
▫ Full Size Spare – If Equipped .............355
▫ Limited-Use Spare – If Equipped ..........355
▫ Tire Spinning ....................... .356
▫ Tread Wear Indicators ..................357
▫ Life Of Tire ........................ .357
▫ Replacement Tires .....................358 
TIRE CHAINS (TRACTION DEVICES) .......360
 TIRE ROTATION RECOMMENDATIONS .....360
TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR SYSTEM (TPMS) . . .361
▫ Base System ........................ .364
▫ Premium System – If Equipped ............366
▫ General Information ...................370
 FUEL REQUIREMENTS ..................370
▫ Reformulated Gasoline .................371
▫ Gasoline/Oxygenate Blends ..............371
▫ E-85 Usage In Non-Flex Fuel Vehicles .......372
▫ MMT In Gasoline .....................372
▫ Materials Added To Fuel ................373
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▫Fuel System Cautions ...................373
▫ Carbon Monoxide Warnings .............374
 FLEXIBLE FUEL (3.6L ENGINE ONLY) —
IF EQUIPPED ........................ .375
▫ E-85 General Information ...............375
▫ Ethanol Fuel (E-85) ....................376
▫ Fuel Requirements ....................376
▫ Selection Of Engine Oil For Flexible Fuel
Vehicles (E-85) And Gasoline Vehicles .......377
▫ Starting ........................... .378
▫ Cruising Range ...................... .378
▫ Replacement Parts ....................378
▫ Maintenance ....................... .378
ADDING FUEL ....................... .379
▫ Fuel Filler Cap (Gas Cap) ...............379
▫ Loose Filler Cap Message ...............381
 VEHICLE LOADING ....................381
▫ Vehicle Certification Label ...............381
▫ Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) .......381
▫ Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) .........382
▫ Overloading ........................ .382
▫ Loading ........................... .382
 TRAILER TOWING .....................383
▫ Common Towing Definitions .............383
▫ Trailer Hitch Classification ...............385
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▫Trailer Towing Weights (Maximum Trailer
Weight Ratings) ..................... .386
▫ Trailer And Tongue Weight ..............387
▫ Towing Requirements ..................388
▫ Towing Tips ........................ .393
RECREATIONAL TOWING
(BEHIND MOTORHOME, ETC.) ............395
▫
Towing This Vehicle Behind Another Vehicle . . .395
▫ Recreational Towing – All Models ..........395
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STARTING PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust the
inside and outside mirrors, fasten your seat belt, and if
present, instruct all other occupants to buckle their seat
belts.
WARNING!
•When leaving the vehicle, always remove the key
fob from the ignition and lock your vehicle.
• Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle.
• Allowing children to be in a vehicle unattended is
dangerous for a number of reasons. A child or
others could be seriously or fatally injured. Chil-
dren should be warned not to touch the parking
brake, brake pedal or the shift lever.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not leave the key fob in or near the vehicle, or
in a location accessible to children, and do not
leave the ignition of a vehicle equipped with
Keyless Enter-N-Go™ in the ACC or ON/RUN
mode. A child could operate power windows, other
controls, or move the vehicle.
Automatic Transmission
The shift lever must be in the NEUTRAL or PARK
position before you can start the engine. Apply the brakes
before shifting into any driving gear.
298 STARTING AND OPERATING

CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may occur if the follow-
ing precautions are not observed:
•Do not shift from REVERSE, PARK, or NEUTRAL
into any forward gear when the engine is above
idle speed.
• Shift into PARK only after the vehicle has come to
a complete stop.
• Shift into or out of REVERSE only after the vehicle
has come to a complete stop and the engine is at
idle speed.
• Before shifting into any gear, make sure your foot
is firmly on the brake pedal.
Normal Starting
NOTE: Normal starting of either a cold or a warm
engine is obtained without pumping or pressing the
accelerator pedal.
For vehicles not equipped with Tip Start (Four-Speed
Transmission), turn the ignition switch to the START
position and release it when the engine starts. If the
engine fails to start within 10 seconds, turn the ignition
switch to the LOCK position, wait 10 to 15 seconds, then
repeat the “Normal Starting” procedure.
For vehicles equipped with Tip Start (Six-Speed Trans-
mission), turn the ignition switch to the START position
and release it as soon as the starter engages. The starter
motor will continue to run, and it will disengage auto-
matically when the engine is running. If the engine fails
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STARTING AND OPERATING 299

to start, the starter will disengage automatically in 10 sec-
onds. If this occurs, turn the ignition switch to the LOCK
position, wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat the “Normal
Starting” procedure.
Extreme Cold Weather (Below –20°F Or 29°C)
To ensure reliable starting at these temperatures, use of
an externally powered electric engine block heater (avail-
able from your authorized dealer) is recommended.
If Engine Fails To Start
WARNING!
•Never pour fuel or other flammable liquid into the
throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to start
the vehicle. This could result in flash fire causing
serious personal injury.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get it
started. Vehicles equipped with an automatic trans-
mission cannot be started this way. Unburned fuel
could enter the catalytic converter and once the
engine has started, ignite and damage the converter
and vehicle.
• If the vehicle has a discharged battery, booster
cables may be used to obtain a start from a booster
battery or the battery in another vehicle. This type
of start can be dangerous if done improperly. Refer
to “Jump Starting” in “What To Do In Emergen-
cies” for further information.
300 STARTING AND OPERATING

Without Tip Start
If the engine fails to start after you have followed the
“Normal Starting” or “Extreme Cold Weather” proce-
dures, it may be flooded. Push the accelerator pedal all
the way to the floor and hold it there while cranking the
engine. This should clear any excess fuel in case the
engine is flooded.
CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter, do not crank the
engine for more than 15 seconds at a time. Wait 10 to
15 seconds before trying again.
If the engine is flooded, it may start to run, but not have
enough power to continue running when the key is re-
leased. If this occurs, continue cranking up to 15 seconds
with the accelerator pedal pushed all the way to the floor.If the engine shows no sign of starting after two 15-second
periods of cranking with the accelerator pedal held to the
floor, repeat the “Normal Starting” or “Extreme Cold
Weather” procedures.
With Tip Start
If the engine fails to start after you have followed the
“Normal Starting” or “Extreme Cold Weather” proce-
dures, it may be flooded. To clear any excess fuel, push
the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and hold it.
Then, turn the ignition switch to the START position and
release it as soon as the starter engages. The starter motor
will disengage automatically in 10 seconds. Once this
occurs, release the accelerator pedal, turn the ignition
switch to the LOCK position, wait 10 to 15 seconds, then
repeat the “Normal Starting” procedure.
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CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter, wait 10 to 15 seconds
before trying again.
After Starting
The idle speed is controlled automatically and it will
decrease as the engine warms up.
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED
The engine block heater warms the engine, and permits
quicker starts in cold weather. Connect the cord to a
standard 110-115 Volt AC electrical outlet with a
grounded, three-wire extension cord.The engine block heater must be plugged in at least one
hour to have an adequate warning effect on the engine.
The engine block heater cord is bundled under the hood
between the headlight assembly and the Totally Inte-
grated Power Module (Fuse Box) on the driver ’s side of
the vehicle.
WARNING!
Remember to disconnect the engine block heater
cord before driving. Damage to the 110-115 Volt
electrical cord could cause electrocution.
302 STARTING AND OPERATING