2016 DODGE DURANGO warning

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!
•Before exiting a vehicle, always shift the automatic
transmission into PARK and apply the parking
brake. Always make sure the keyless ignition node
is in the “OFF” mode, remove the Key Fob from the
vehicle and lock the vehicle.
• Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Leaving children in
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
a vehicle unattended is dangerous for a number of
reasons. A child or others could be seriously or
fatally injured. Children should be warned not to
touch the parking brake, brake pedal or the gear
selector.
• 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 con-
trols, or move the vehicle.
• Do not leave children or animals inside parked
vehicles in hot weather. Interior heat build-up may
cause serious injury or death.
470 STARTING AND OPERATING

Extreme Cold Weather (Below –22°F Or 30°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.
•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.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•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.
Clearing A Flooded Engine (Using ENGINE
START/STOP Button)
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:
1. Press and hold the brake pedal.
2. Press the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and hold it.
474 STARTING AND OPERATING

System Malfunction
If there is a malfunction in the STOP/START system, the
system will not shut down the engine. A “SERVICE
STOP/START SYSTEM” message will appear in the
Driver Information Display (DID). Refer to “Driver In-
formation Display (DID)“ in “Understanding Your In-
strument Panel” for further information.
If the “SERVICE STOP/START SYSTEM” message ap-
pears in the DID, have the system checked by your
authorized dealer.
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 warming effect on the engine.
The engine block heater cord is located:
•
3.6L Engine — Coiled and strapped to the engine oil
dipstick tube.
• 5.7L Engine — Bundled and fastened to the injector
harness.
WARNING!
Remember to disconnect the engine block heater
cord before driving. Damage to the 110-115 Volt
electrical cord could cause electrocution.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 479

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WARNING!
•It is dangerous to shift out of PARK or NEUTRAL
if the engine speed is higher than idle speed. If
your foot is not firmly pressing the brake pedal, the
vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in re-
verse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when
the engine is idling normally and your foot is
firmly pressing the brake pedal.
• Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in or near the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running. Before exiting a vehicle, always apply the
parking brake, shift the transmission into PARK,
and make sure the keyless ignition node is in the
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
\bOFF\bmode. Remove the Key Fob from the vehicle,
and lock the vehicle. When the keyless ignition is
in the OFF mode, the transmission is locked in
PARK, securing the vehicle against unwanted
movement.
• 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. Children should be
warned not to touch the parking brake, brake pedal
or the transmission gear selector.
• When leaving the vehicle, always make sure the
keyless ignition node is in the “OFF” mode, re-
move the key fob from the vehicle and lock the
vehicle.
(Continued)
480 STARTING AND OPERATING

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 in the ACC or ON/RUN mode. A
child could operate power windows, other controls,
or move the vehicle.
CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may occur if the follow-
ing precautions are not observed:
• Shift into or out of PARK or REVERSE only after
the vehicle has come to a complete stop.
• Do not shift between PARK, REVERSE, NEU-
TRAL, or DRIVE when the engine is above idle
speed.
• Before shifting into any gear, make sure your foot
is firmly pressing the brake pedal. NOTE:
You must press and hold the brake pedal while
shifting out of PARK.
Key Ignition Park Interlock
This vehicle is equipped with a Key Ignition Park Inter-
lock which requires the transmission to be in PARK
before the engine can be turned off. This helps the driver
avoid inadvertently leaving the vehicle without placing
the transmission in PARK.
This system also locks the transmission in PARK when-
ever the ignition switch is in the OFF position.
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake Transmission Shift
Interlock System (BTSI) that holds the transmission gear
selector in PARK unless the brakes are applied. To shift
the transmission out of PARK, the engine must be
running and the brake pedal must be pressed.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 481

When parking on a hill, apply the parking brake before
shifting the transmission to PARK. As an added precau-
tion, turn the front wheels toward the curb on a downhill
grade and away from the curb on an uphill grade.
NOTE:On vehicles equipped with the electronically
shifted transfer case, ensure that the transfer case is in
AWD AUTO or LOW RANGE position on the AWD
Control Switch. Ensure that the NEUTRAL position light
is NOT illuminated.
WARNING!
• Never use the PARK position as a substitute for the
parking brake. Always apply the parking brake
fully when parked to guard against vehicle move-
ment and possible injury or damage.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Your vehicle could move and injure you and others
if it is not in PARK. Make sure the transmission is
in PARK before leaving the vehicle.
• It is dangerous to shift out of PARK or NEUTRAL
if the engine speed is higher than idle speed. If
your foot is not firmly pressing the brake pedal, the
vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in re-
verse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when
the engine is idling normally and your foot is
firmly pressing the brake pedal.
•
Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in or near the vehicle. As with all vehicles, you
should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running. Before exiting a vehicle, always apply the
parking brake, shift the transmission into PARK, and
(Continued)
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 485

WARNING!(Continued)
make sure the keyless ignition node is in the \bOFF\b
mode. Remove the Key Fob from the vehicle, and
lock the vehicle. When the keyless ignition is in the
“OFF” mode, the transmission is locked in PARK,
securing the vehicle against unwanted movement.
• 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. Children should be
warned not to touch the parking brake, brake pedal
or the transmission gear selector.
• Do not leave the Key Fob in or near the vehicle (or
in a location accessible to children), and do not
leave the ignition in the ACC or ON/RUN mode. A
child could operate power windows, other controls,
or move the vehicle. NOTE:
•
Before moving the transmission gear selector out of
PARK, you must start the engine and also press the
brake pedal. Otherwise, damage to the gear selector
could result.
• DO NOT race the engine when shifting from PARK or
NEUTRAL into another gear range, as this can damage
the drivetrain.
The following indicator should be used to ensure that
you have engaged the transmission into the PARK posi-
tion:
• With brake pedal released, look at the transmission
gear position display and verify that it indicates the
PARK position (P).
486 STARTING AND OPERATING

REVERSE (R)
This range is for moving the vehicle backward. Shift into
REVERSE only after the vehicle has come to a complete
stop.
NEUTRAL (N)
Use this range when the vehicle is standing for prolonged
periods with the engine running. Apply the parking
brake and shift the transmission into PARK if you must
leave the vehicle.
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.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 487