2014 DODGE DURANGO towing

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 dealer for service.
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
for service if your vehicle overheats. If you decide to
look under the hood yourself, see “Maintaining Your
Vehicle”. Follow the warnings under the Cooling
System Pressure Cap paragraph.
13. Brake Warning Light This light monitors various brake functions,
including brake fluid level and parking brake
application. If the brake light turns on it may
indicate that the parking brake is applied, that
the brake fluid level is low, or that there is a problem with
the anti-lock brake system reservoir.
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 295

•Windshield Washer Fluid Low Indicator
This telltale will turn on to indicate the wind-
shield washer fluid is low.
• Transmission Temperature Warning Telltale
This telltale indicates that the transmission
fluid temperature is running hot. This may
occur with severe usage, such as trailer towing.
If this telltale turns on, safely pull over and
stop the vehicle. Then, shift the transmission into NEU-
TRAL and run the engine at idle or faster until the light
turns off.
• Service Forward Collision Warming — If Equipped
This light warns the driver of a potential colli-
sion with the vehicle in front and prompts the
driver to take action in order to avoid the collision. For further information, refer to “Adaptive
Cruise Control (ACC)” in “Understanding The Features
Of Your Vehicle.”
•
Service Adaptive Cruise Control — If Equipped
This light will turn on when a ACC is not
operating and needs service. For further infor-
mation, refer to “Adaptive Cruise Control
(ACC)” in “Understanding The Features Of
Your Vehicle.”
EVIC Red Telltales
This area will show reconfigurable red telltales. These
telltales include:
• Door Ajar
This light will turn on to indicate that one or
more doors may be ajar.
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 309

vehicle has completely stopped and the gear selector is
placed in the PARK position. The light should turn off.
If the light remains lit with the engine running, your
vehicle will usually be drivable. However, see an autho-
rized dealer for service as soon as possible. If the light is
flashing when the engine is running, immediate service is
required. You may experience reduced performance, an
elevated/rough idle or engine stall and your vehicle may
require towing.
•Engine Temperature Warning Light
This light warns of an overheated engine condi-
tion. As temperatures rise and the gauge ap-
proaches H,this indicator will illuminate and a single
chime will sound after reaching a set threshold. Further
overheating will cause the temperature gauge to pass H,
the indicator will continuously flash and a continuous
chime will occur until the engine is allowed to cool. If the light turns on while driving, safely pull over and
stop the vehicle. If the A/C system is on, turn it off. Also,
shift the transmission into NEUTRAL and idle the ve-
hicle. If the temperature reading does not return to
normal, turn the engine off immediately and call for
service. Refer to “If Your Engine Overheats” in “What To
Do In Emergencies” for more information.
•
Electric Power Steering Malfunction – If Equipped
This telltale is on when the Electric Power
Steering is not operating and needs service.
• Liftgate Ajar
This light will turn on to indicate that liftgate
may be ajar.
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 311

TRAILER TOWING .....................501
▫ Common Towing Definitions .............501
▫ Trailer Hitch Classification ...............505
▫ Trailer Towing Weights (Maximum Trailer Weight
Ratings) ........................... .506
▫ Trailer Hitch Receiver Cover Removal — If
Equipped .......................... .507
▫ Trailer And Tongue Weight ..............509
▫ Towing Requirements ..................510
▫ Towing Tips ........................ .515
SNOW PLOW ........................ .516
 RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND
MOTORHOME, ETC.) ...................517
▫ Towing This Vehicle Behind Another Vehicle . .517
▫ Recreational Towing — Rear-Wheel Drive
Models ............................ .518
▫ Recreational Towing — All-Wheel Drive Models
(Single-Speed Transfer Case) ..............518
▫ Recreational Towing — All-Wheel Drive Models
(Two-Speed Transfer Case) ...............519
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STARTING AND OPERATING 405

WARNING!
Do not coast in NEUTRAL and never turn off the
ignition to coast down a hill. These are unsafe
practices that limit your response to changing traffic
or road conditions. You might lose control of the
vehicle and have a collision.
CAUTION!
Towing the vehicle, coasting, or driving for any other
reason with the transmission in NEUTRAL can cause
severe transmission damage. Refer to “Recreational
Towing” in “Starting And Operating” and “Towing A
Disabled Vehicle” in “What To Do In Emergencies”
for further information.DRIVE (D)
This range should be used for most city and highway
driving. It provides the smoothest upshifts and down-
shifts, and the best fuel economy. The transmission
automatically upshifts through all forward gears. The
DRIVE position provides optimum driving characteris-
tics under all normal operating conditions.
When frequent transmission shifting occurs (such as
when operating the vehicle under heavy loading condi-
tions, in hilly terrain, traveling into strong head winds, or
while towing heavy trailers), use the AutoStick® shift
control (refer to AutoStick® in this section for further
information) to select a lower gear. Under these condi-
tions, using a lower gear will improve performance and
extend transmission life by reducing excessive shifting
and heat buildup.
420 STARTING AND OPERATING

5. Restart the engine.
6. Shift into the desired gear range. If the problem is nolonger detected, the transmission will return to normal
operation.
NOTE: Even if the transmission can be reset, we recom-
mend that you visit your authorized dealer at your
earliest possible convenience. Your authorized dealer has
diagnostic equipment to determine if the problem could
recur.
If the transmission cannot be reset, authorized dealer
service is required.
AutoStick®
AutoStick® is a driver-interactive transmission feature
providing manual shift control, giving you more control
of the vehicle. AutoStick® allows you to maximize en-
gine braking, eliminate undesirable upshifts and down-
shifts, and improve overall vehicle performance. This system can also provide you with more control during
passing, city driving, cold slippery conditions, mountain
driving, trailer towing, and many other situations.
Operation
When the transmission is in DRIVE, it will operate
automatically, shifting between the eight available gears.
To engage AutoStick®, simply tap one of the steering
wheel-mounted shift paddles (+/-). Tapping (-) to enter
AutoStick® will downshift the transmission to the next
lower gear, while using (+) to enter AutoStick® will
retain the current gear. When AutoStick® is active, the
current transmission gear is displayed in the instrument
cluster.
In AutoStick® mode, the transmission will shift up or
down when (+/-) is manually selected by the driver,
unless an engine lugging or overspeed condition would
422 STARTING AND OPERATING

For additional information on the appropriate use of each
transfer case mode position, see the information below:
AWD Auto
All-Wheel Drive Auto Range – This range sends power to
the rear wheels. The all-wheel drive system will be
automatically engaged when the vehicle senses a loss of
traction. Additional traction for varying road conditions.
LOW Range
All-Wheel Drive Low Range – This range provides low
speed all-wheel drive. Locks the front and rear drive-
shafts together forcing the front and rear wheels to rotate
at the same speed. Additional traction and maximum
pulling power for loose, slippery road surfaces only. Do
not exceed 25 mph (40 km/h).Neutral (N)
Neutral – This range disengages both the front and rear
driveshafts from the powertrain. To be used for flat
towing behind another vehicle. Refer to “Recreational
Towing” in “Starting And Operating” for further infor-
mation.
Shifting Procedure
NOTE:
•
If any of the requirements to select a new transfer case
position have not been met, the transfer case will not
shift. The position indicator light for the previous posi-
tion will remain ON and the newly selected position
indicator light will continue to flash until all the require-
ments for the selected position have been met. To retry a
shift: return the control knob back to the original posi-
tion, make certain all shift requirements have been met,
wait five seconds and try the shift again.
428 STARTING AND OPERATING

will become active automatically once an excessively
swaying trailer is recognized. Note that TSC cannot stop
all trailers from swaying. Always use caution when
towing a trailer and follow the trailer tongue weight
recommendations. Refer to “Trailer Towing” in this sec-
tion for further information. When TSC is functioning,
the “ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” will
flash, the engine power may be reduced and you may
feel the brakes being applied to individual wheels to
attempt to stop the trailer from swaying. TSC is disabled
when the ESC system is in the “Partial Off” mode.
WARNING!
If TSC activates while driving, slow the vehicle
down, stop at the nearest safe location, and adjust the
trailer load to eliminate trailer sway.
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
The HSA system is designed to assist the driver when
starting a vehicle from a stop on a hill. HSA will maintain
the level of brake pressure the driver applied for a short
period of time after the driver takes their foot off of the
brake pedal. If the driver does not apply the throttle
during this short period of time, the system will release
brake pressure and the vehicle will roll down the hill. The
system will release brake pressure in proportion to the
amount of throttle applied as the vehicle starts to move in
the intended direction of travel.
HSA Activation Criteria
The following criteria must be met in order for HSA to
activate:
•Vehicle must be stopped.
• Vehicle must be on a 6% (approximate) grade or
greater hill.
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