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:
•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/
rear doors 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.
WARNING! (Continued)
•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.
Whenever a change is noticed in the sound of the exhaust
system, when exhaust fumes can be detected inside the
vehicle, or when the underside or rear of the vehicle is
damaged, have a competent mechanic inspect the com-
plete exhaust system and adjacent body areas for broken,
damaged, deteriorated, or mispositioned parts. Open
seams or loose connections could permit exhaust fumes
to seep into the passenger compartment. In addition,
inspect the exhaust system each time the vehicle is raised
for lubrication or oil change. Replace as required.
100 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
1.Fuel Gauge
• The pointer shows the level of fuel in the fuel tank
when the ignition switch is in the ON/RUN position.
• The fuel pump symbol
points to the side of the
vehicle where the fuel filler door is located.
2. Speedometer
• Indicates vehicle speed.
3. Tachometer
• Indicates the engine speed in revolutions per minute
(RPM x 1000).
CAUTION!
Do not operate the engine with the tachometer
pointer in the red area. Engine damage will occur. 4.
Temperature Gauge
• The temperature gauge shows engine coolant tem-
perature. Any reading within the normal range indi-
cates that the engine cooling system is operating
satisfactorily.
• The gauge pointer will likely indicate a higher tem-
perature 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
(Continued)
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 311
CAUTION!(Continued)
remains on the “H”, turn the engine off immediately
and call an authorized 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.
5. Odometer / Trip Odometer Display Area
• The odometer display shows the total distance the
vehicle has been driven. The trip odometer shows individual trip mileage. Refer to “Odometer/Trip
Odometer/ECO (Fuel Saver Indicator) Button” for
further information.
• U.S. Federal regulations require that upon transfer of
vehicle ownership, the seller certify to the purchaser
the correct mileage that the vehicle has been driven.
If your odometer needs to be repaired or serviced,
the repair technician should leave the odometer
reading the same as it was before the repair or
service. If they cannot do so, then the odometer must
be set at zero, and a sticker must be placed in the
door jamb stating what the mileage was before the
repair or service. It is a good idea for you to make a
record of the odometer reading before the repair/
service, so that you can be sure that it is properly
reset, or that the door jamb sticker is accurate if the
odometer must be reset at zero.
312 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
NOTE:If your air conditioning performance seems lower
than expected, check the front of the A/C condenser
located in front of the radiator for an accumulation of dirt
or insects. Clean with a gentle water spray from behind
the radiator and through the condenser. Fabric front
fascia protectors may reduce airflow to the condenser,
reducing air conditioning performance.
Air Conditioning Control
Push this button to engage the Air
Conditioning. A light will illuminate
when the Air Conditioning system is
engaged. Rotating the dial left into the
blue area of the scale indicates cooler
temperatures, while rotating right into
the red area indicates warmer
temperatures.
NOTE: The air conditioning compressor will not engage
until the engine has been running for about ten seconds. •
MAX A/C
For maximum cooling, turn on the A/C and recirculation
buttons at the same time.
• ECONOMY MODE
If economy mode is desired, push the A/C button to turn
OFF the indicator light and the A/C compressor. Then,
move the temperature control to the desired temperature.Mode Control (Air Direction)
Rotate this control to choose from sev-
eral patterns of air distribution. You
can select either a primary mode as
identified by the symbols on the con-
trol, or a blend of two of these modes.
The closer the setting is to a particular
symbol, the more air distribution you
receive from that mode.
416 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
•Extended use of recirculation may cause the windows
to fog. If the interior of the windows begins to fog,
push the Recirculation button to return to outside air.
Some temp/humidity conditions will cause captured
interior air to condense on windows and hamper
visibility. For this reason, the system will not allow
recirculation to be selected while in defrost mode.
Attempting to use recirculation while in this mode will
cause the LED in the control button to blink and then
turn off.
• Most of the time, when in Automatic Operation, you
can temporarily put the system into Recirculation
mode by pushing the Recirculation button. However,
under certain conditions, while in Automatic mode,
the system is blowing air out the defrost vents. When
these conditions are present, and the Recirculation
button is pushed, the indicator will flash and then turn
off. This tells you that you are unable to go into
Recirculation mode at this time. If you would like the system to go into Recirculation mode, you must first
move the Mode knob to Panel, Bi-Level, Floor, or Mix
and then push the Recirculation button. This feature
reduces the possibility of window fogging.
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 must be protected with a
high-quality antifreeze coolant to provide proper corro-
sion protection and to protect against engine overheating.
A solution of 50% OAT (Organic Additive Technology)
coolant that meets the requirements of FCA Material
Standard MS.90032 and 50% water is recommended.
Refer to “Maintenance Procedures” in “Maintaining Your
Vehicle” for proper coolant selection.
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 425
waters; check for hidden obstacles. Make sure you will not
be intruding on any wildlife, and you can recover the
vehicle if necessary. The key to a safe crossing is the water
depth, current and bottom conditions. On soft bottoms, the
vehicle will sink in, effectively increasing the water level on
the vehicle. Be sure to consider this when determining the
depth and the ability to safely cross.
Crossing Puddles, Pools, Flooded Areas Or Other
Standing Water
Puddles, pools, flooded or other standing water areas
normally contain murky or muddy waters. These water
types normally contain hidden obstacles and make it
difficult to determine an accurate water depth, approach
angle, and bottom condition. Murky or muddy water holes
are where you want to hook up tow straps prior to
entering. This makes for a faster, cleaner and easier vehicle
recovery. If you are able to determine you can safely cross,
than proceed using the low and slow method.
CAUTION!
Muddy waters can reduce the cooling system effec-
tiveness by depositing debris onto the radiator.
Crossing Ditches, Streams, Shallow Rivers Or
Other Flowing Water
Flowing water can be extremely dangerous. Never at-
tempt to cross a fast running stream or river even in
shallow water. Fast moving water can easily push your
vehicle downstream, sweeping it out of control. Even in
very shallow water, a high current can still wash the dirt
out from around your tires putting you and your vehicle
in jeopardy. There is still a high risk of personal injury
and vehicle damage with slower water currents in depths
greater than the vehicle’s running ground clearance. You
should never attempt to cross flowing water which is
deeper than the vehicle’s running ground clearance. Even
474 STARTING AND OPERATING
AutoStick — If Equipped
•When using the AutoStick shift control, select the
highest gear that allows for adequate performance and
avoids frequent downshifts. For example, choose “4” if
the desired speed can be maintained. Choose “3” or
“2” if needed to maintain the desired speed.
• To prevent excess heat generation, avoid continuous
driving at high RPM. Reduce vehicle speed as neces-
sary to avoid extended driving at high RPM. Return to
a higher gear or vehicle speed when grade and road
conditions allow.
Electronic Speed Control — If Equipped
• Do not use in hilly terrain or with heavy loads.
• When using the speed control, if you experience speed
drops greater than 10 mph (16 km/h), disengage until
you can get back to cruising speed. •
Use speed control in flat terrain and with light loads to
maximize fuel efficiency.
Cooling System
To reduce potential for engine and transmission over-
heating, take the following actions:
City Driving
When stopped for short periods of time, shift the trans-
mission into NEUTRAL and increase engine idle speed.
Highway Driving
Reduce speed.
Air Conditioning
Turn off temporarily.
562 STARTING AND OPERATING
HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS
The Hazard Warning flasher switch is located on the
instrument panel below the climate controls.Push the switch to turn on the Hazard Warning
flasher. When the switch is activated, all direc-
tional turn signals will flash on and off to warn oncoming
traffic of an emergency. Push 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 action.
• On the highways — slow down.
• In city traffic — while stopped, shift transmission into
NEUTRAL, but do not increase engine idle speed.
CAUTION!
Driving with a hot cooling system could damage
your vehicle. If the temperature gauge reads HOT
(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 HOT (H), and you hear continuous
chimes, turn the engine off immediately, and call for
service.
570 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES