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WARNING!(Continued)
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. A child could
operate power windows, other controls, 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.
CAUTION!
An unlocked vehicle is an invitation to thieves.
Always remove the key from the ignition and lock all
the doors when leaving the vehicle unattended.
Locking Doors With A Key
You can insert the key with either side up. To lock the
door, turn the key to the right. To unlock the door, turn
the key to the left. Refer to “Body Lubrication” in
“Maintaining Your Vehicle” for maintenance procedures.
Key-In-Ignition Reminder
Opening the driver’s door when the key is in the ignition
and the ignition switch position is OFF/LOCK sounds a
signal to remove the key.
SENTRY KEY
The Sentry Key Immobilizer System prevents unauthor-
ized vehicle operation by disabling the engine. The
system does not need to be armed or activated. Operation
is automatic, regardless of whether the vehicle is locked
or unlocked.
14 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
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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.
• 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.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 87
Page 104 of 438
4. Reverse order for original setting.
Heated Seats — If Equipped
On some models, the front driver and passenger seats
may be equipped with heaters in both the seat cushionsand seatbacks. The controls for the front heated seats are
located on the lower outboard side of the seat.
Push the button once to turn on the heated seats. The
LED on the button turns on when the heated seat is on.
Push the button a second time to shut the heating
elements off.
Extended Cargo Space
Heated Seat Control Button
102 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
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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.
3. Recirculation Control
Push this control button to change the system between
recirculation mode and outside air mode. Recirculation
can be used when outside conditions such as smoke,
odors, dust, or high humidity are present.
NOTE:•Continuous use of the Recirculation mode may make
the inside air stuffy and window fogging may occur.
Extended use of this mode is not recommended.
• The use of the Recirculation mode in cold or damp
weather could cause windows to fog on the inside,
because of moisture buildup inside the vehicle. Se-
lect the outside air position for maximum defogging. •
Recirculation can be used in all modes except for
Defrost. If the recirculation button is pressed in
Defrost mode, the recirculation LED will blink.
• The A/C can be deselected manually without dis-
turbing the mode control selection.
4. Rear Defrost Control
Push and release the Rear Defrost Control button to turn
ON the rear window defroster and the heated outside
mirrors (if equipped). An indicator will illuminate when
the rear window defroster is ON. The rear window
defroster automatically turns OFF after 20 minutes.
206 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
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5. Mode Control
Rotate this control to change the system between Modes
(Panel, Bi-Level, Floor, Mix, Defrost).•Panel
Air is directed through the outlets in the
instrument panel. These outlets can be ad-
justed to direct airflow.
NOTE: The center instrument panel outlets can be aimed
so that they are directed toward the rear seat passengers
for maximum airflow to the rear.
•Bi-Level
Air is directed through the panel and floor
outlets.
• Floor
Air is directed through the floor outlets with a
small amount flowing through the defrost and
side window demister outlets. •
Mix
Air is directed through the floor, defrost, and
side window demister outlets. This setting
works best in cold or snowy conditions that
require extra heat to the windshield. This setting is
good for maintaining comfort while reducing mois-
ture on the windshield.
• Defrost
Air is directed through the windshield and
side window demister outlets. Use this mode
with maximum blower and temperature settings for
best windshield and side window defrosting.
NOTE: The air conditioning compressor operates in Mix
or Defrost, even if the Air Conditioning (A/C) button is
not pressed. This dehumidifies the air to help dry the
windshield. To improve fuel economy, use these modes
only when necessary.
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 207
Page 210 of 438

6. Blower Control
Rotate this control to regulate the amount of air forced
through the ventilation system in any mode. The blower
speed increases as you move the control to the right from
the “0” (OFF) position. There are four blower speeds.
Rear Window/Mirror Defrosting
Push, and release the rear window defrost button to turn
the function on/off.
The activation of the rear defroster is indicated by the
rear defrost indicator on the instrument panel. The func-
tion is automatically deactivated after 20 minutes.
If equipped, push the rear defrost button to activate
defrosting of door mirrors and heated rear window.
NOTE:Do not affix stickers to the inside of the heated
rear window over the heating filaments, to avoid damage
that might cause them to stop working properly.
Air Recirculation
Press and release the Air Recirculation button, LED
indicator On, to enter recirculation mode. It is recom-
mended to turn the internal air recirculation On while
standing in traffic or in tunnels to prevent the introduc-
tion of polluted air.
Do not use this function for an extended period of time,
particularly if there are many passengers on board, to
prevent the windows from misting up.
NOTE: Internal air recirculation makes it possible to
reach the required heating or cooling conditions more
quickly depending on the mode selected. Do not use the
internal air recirculation function on rainy/cold days as it
would considerably increase the possibility of the win-
dows misting.
208 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
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Air Distribution Selection
Rotate the Mode Control knob to manually select one of
the five possible air distribution settings in the passenger
compartment:Air flow to the front windshield, front side win-
dow and front/rear footwell diffusers.
Air flow to the front/rear footwell diffusers. This
air distribution allows the passenger compart-
ment to be heated quickly.
Air flow distributed between central and side
dashboard vents and front/rear footwell vents. Air flow to central/side dashboard vents (passen-
ger ’s body).
Air flow to windshield and side windows.
Selecting the footwell/windshield or only windshield
distribution activates the climate control system com-
pressor (LED on A/C button on) and the air recirculation
is set to outside air (LED on Recirculation Control
button off). This logic guarantees optimum visibility at
the windows. The user can always set air recirculation
and climate control system compressor.
System Maintenance
In winter, the climate control system must be turned on at
least once a month for about 10 minutes.
Have the system inspected at a Ram dealership before the
summer.
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 209
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If Engine Fails To Start
WARNING!
Never pour fuel or other flammable liquids into the
throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to start
the vehicle. This could result in a flash fire causing
serious personal injury.
CAUTION!
•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.
• To prevent damage to the starter, do not continu-
ously crank the engine for more than 15 seconds at
a time. 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 110-115 Volt AC electrical outlet
with a grounded, three-wire extension cord.
For ambient temperatures below 0°F (-18°C), the engine
block heater is recommended. For ambient temperatures
below -20°F (-29°C), the engine block heater is required.
The engine block heater cord is routed under the hood,
behind to the driver ’s side headlamp. Follow the steps
below to properly use the engine block heater:
1. Locate the engine block heater cord (behind the driv- er ’s side headlamp).
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 225