2014 DODGE AVENGER User Guide

BATTERY LOCATION
• The battery in your vehicle is located between the left front headlight assembly and theleft front wheel splash shield. To allow jump-starting there are remote battery posts
located on the left side of the engine compartment.
JUMP-STARTING
• If your vehicle has a discharged battery it can be jump-started using a set of jumpercables 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 instruc-
tions and precautions.
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Preparations For Jump-Start
• The battery in your vehicle is located between the left front headlight assembly and theleft front wheel splash shield. To allow jump-starting there are remote battery posts
located on the left side of the engine compartment.
1. Set the parking brake, shift the automatic transmission into PARK and turn the igni-
tion to LOCK.
2. Turn off the heater, radio, and all unnec- essary electrical accessories.
3. Remove the protective cover over the re- mote positive (+)battery post. To remove
the cover, press the locking tab and pull
upward on the cover.
4. 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
1. Connect the positive (+)end of the jumper cable to the remote positive (+)post of the
discharged vehicle.
2. Connect the opposite end of the positive (+)jumper cable to the positive (+)post of the
booster battery.
3. Connect the negative end (-)of the jumper cable to the negative (-)post of the booster
battery.
4. Connect the opposite end of the negative (-)jumper cable to the remote negative (-)post
of the vehicle with the discharged battery.
5. 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:
1. Disconnect the negative (-)jumper cable from the remote negative (-)post of the vehicle
with the discharged battery.
2. Disconnect the negative end (-)of the jumper cable from the negative (-)post of the
booster battery.
3. Disconnect the opposite end of the positive (+)jumper cable from the positive (+)post of
the booster battery.
1 — Positive Jump Starting Post
2 — Negative Jump Starting Post
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4. Disconnect the positive(+)end of the jumper cable from the remote positive (+)post of
the discharged vehicle.
5. Reinstall the protective cover over the remote positive (+)battery post of the discharged
vehicle.
NOTE:
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 a system 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 (e.g., cellular phones, etc.). Eventually, if
plugged in long enough, the vehicle’s battery discharges sufficiently to degrade
battery life and/or prevent the engine from starting.
WARNING!
• When temperatures are below the freezing point, electrolyte in a discharged batterymay 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.
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SHIFT LEVER OVERRIDE
• If a malfunction occurs and the shift lever cannot be moved out of the PARK position, youcan use the following procedure to temporarily move the shift lever:
1. Turn the engine OFF.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
3. Remove the rubber cupholder liner. Squeeze one side of the liner’s center to expose its edge and facilitate removal.
4. Turn the ignition to the ACC or ON/RUN position, but do not start the engine.
5. Press and maintain firm pressure on the brake pedal.
6. Insert a screwdriver or similar tool into the access hole (at the front of the cupholder) and push and hold the override release lever forward.
7. Move the shift lever to the NEUTRAL position.
8. The vehicle may then be started in NEUTRAL.
9. Reinstall the cupholder liner.
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TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLEModelFlat Towing (all four wheels
on the ground) Rear Wheels Raised, Front
Wheels on the GroundFront Wheels Raised, Rear
Wheels on the GroundFlatbed Towing (all four
wheels suspended OFF the
ground)
FWDWithoutaKey NOT Permitted
NOT Permitted without a
front end dolly May Be Used
Recommended Method
FWDWithaKey Shift lever must be in NEUTRAL. The distance to be trav-
eled must not exceed 15 mi (25 km), and the towing speed
must not exceed 25 mph (40 km/h). May Be Used
Recommended Method
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FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
• If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand or snow, it can often be moved by a rockingmotion. Turn your steering wheel right and left to clear the area around the front wheels.
Then move the shift lever 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:
To improve the vehicle's traction when starting off in deep snow, sand or gravel, it may be
desirable to switch the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) to “Partial Off” mode by momen-
tarily pressing the ESC Off
switch. For further information on ESC, refer to the Owner's
Manual on the DVD.
CAUTION!
• When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by shifting 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 over-
heating 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 tire damage or failure. A tire could explode and injure someone. Do not spin your
vehicle's wheels faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) when you are stuck. 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 of an EDRis 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.
• 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 is recorded by your vehicle only if a non-trivial crash situation occurs; no data is
recorded by the EDR under normal driving conditions and no personal data (e.g. name,
gender, age, and crash location) is recorded. However, other parties, such as law enforce-
ment, 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 the vehicle 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
1. Pull the release lever located below theinstrument panel and in front of the driv-
er’s door.
2. Raise the hood and locate the safety latch, in the middle of the hood opening.
3. Move the safety latch while lifting the hood at the same time.
4. Insert the support rod into the slot on the hood.
5. 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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