2023 DODGE HORNET esc

SAFETY157
Full Off
To enter the “Full Off” mode, push the Sport Mode button
and then hold the ESC OFF button for two seconds while
the vehicle is stopped with the engine running. After two
seconds, a chime will sound, the ESC OFF Indicator Light
will illuminate, and the “ESC OFF” message will display in
the instrument cluster. To turn ESC on again, momentarily
push the ESC OFF button.ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light
And ESC OFF Indicator Light
The ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light
in the instrument cluster will come on when the
ignition is placed in the ON mode. It should go
out with the engine running. If the ESC
Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light comes on
continuously with the engine running, a malfunction has
been detected in the ESC system. If this light remains on
after several ignition cycles, and the vehicle has been
driven several miles (km) at speeds greater than 30 mph
(48 km/h), see an authorized dealer as soon as possible
to have the problem diagnosed and corrected.
The ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light starts to
flash as soon as the tires lose traction and the ESC system
becomes active. The ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator
Light also flashes when Traction Control System (TCS) is
active. If the ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light
begins to flash during acceleration, ease up on the
accelerator and apply as little throttle as possible. Be sure
to adapt your speed and driving to the prevailing road
conditions.
The ESC OFF Indicator Light indicates the
customer has elected to have the Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) in a reduced mode.
NOTE:
The ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light and the
ESC OFF Indicator Light come on momentarily each
time the ignition is placed in the ON/RUN position.
 Each time the ignition is placed in the ON/RUN posi -
tion, the ESC system will be on even if it was turned off
previously.
 The ESC system will make buzzing or clicking sounds
when it is active. This is normal; the sounds will stop
when ESC becomes inactive following the maneuver
that caused the ESC activation.
Emergency Stop Signal (ESS) —
If Equipped
The ESS activates the hazard lights at a faster than normal
speed when heavy brake pressure is applied. ESS will only
activate when the speed is above 31 mph (50 km/h). The
ESS operates independently of other lamps, and will turn
on and off automatically. This indicates to others that the
vehicle is stopping quickly.
NOTE:
A warning light will illuminate within the instrument
cluster to inform the driver that the ESS feature has
been activated.
 When towing a trailer, ESS will also activate the rear
indicator lights of the trailer.
WARNING!
In the ESC “Full Off” mode, the engine torque reduc -
tion and stability features are disabled. Therefore,
enhanced vehicle stability offered by the ESC system
is unavailable. In an emergency evasive maneuver,
the ESC system will not engage to assist in main -
taining stability. ESC “Full Off” mode is intended for
off-highway or off-road use only.
 With the ESC switched off, the enhanced vehicle
stability offered by ESC is unavailable. In an
emergency evasive maneuver, the ESC system
will not engage to assist in maintaining stability.
ESC “Full Off” mode is only intended for off-highway
or off-road use.
 The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) cannot prevent
the natural laws of physics from acting on the
vehicle, nor can it increase the traction afforded by
prevailing road conditions. ESC cannot prevent all
accidents, including those resulting from excessive
speed in turns, driving on very slippery surfaces, or
hydroplaning. ESC also cannot prevent collisions.
6

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158SAFETY
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
HSA is designed to mitigate roll back from a complete stop
while on an incline. If the driver releases the brake while
stopped on an incline, HSA will continue to hold the brake
pressure for a short period. If the driver does not apply the
throttle before this time expires, the system will release
brake pressure and the vehicle will roll down the hill as
normal.
The following conditions must be met in order for HSA to
activate:
The feature must be enabled.
 The vehicle must be stopped.
 The parking brake must be off.
 The driver’s door must be closed.
 The vehicle must be on a sufficient grade.
 The gear selection must match vehicle uphill direction
(i.e., vehicle facing uphill is in forward gear; vehicle
backing uphill is in REVERSE gear).
 HSA will work in REVERSE gear and all forward gears.
The system will not activate if the transmission is in
PARK or NEUTRAL.
Rain Brake Support (RBS)
RBS may improve braking performance in wet conditions.
It will periodically apply a small amount of brake pressure
to remove any water buildup on the front brake rotors.
It functions when the windshield wipers are in LO or
HI speed. When Rain Brake Support is active, there is
no notification to the driver and no driver interaction
is required.
Ready Alert Braking (RAB)
RAB may reduce the time required to reach full braking
during emergency braking situations. It anticipates when
an emergency braking situation may occur by monitoring
how fast the throttle is released by the driver. The
Electronic Brake Controller (EBC) system will prepare
the brake system for a panic stop.
Traction Control System (TCS)
The TCS monitors the amount of wheel spin for each of the
driven wheels. If wheel spin is detected, the TCS may apply
brake pressure to the spinning wheel(s) and/or reduce
vehicle power to provide enhanced acceleration and
stability. A feature of the TCS, Brake Limited Differential
(BLD) functions similarly to a limited slip differential and
controls the wheel spin across a driven axle. If one wheel
on a driven axle is spinning faster than the other, the
system will apply the brake of the spinning wheel. This will
allow more vehicle torque to be applied to the wheel that
is not spinning. BLD may remain enabled even if TCS and
ESC are in reduced modes.
WARNING!
There may be situations where the Hill Start Assist
(HSA) will not activate and slight rolling may occur, such
as on minor hills or with a loaded vehicle, or while
pulling a trailer. HSA is not a substitute for active driving
involvement. It is always the driver’s responsibility to be
attentive to distance to other vehicles, people, and
objects, and most importantly brake operation to
ensure safe operation of the vehicle under all road
conditions. Your complete attention is always required
while driving to maintain safe control of your vehicle.
Failure to follow these warnings can result in a collision
or serious personal injury.

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168SAFETY
To reactivate the TPMS, replace all four wheel and tire
assemblies (road tires) with tires equipped with TPMS
sensors. Then, drive the vehicle for up to 20 minutes
above 15 mph (24 km/h). The TPMS will chime, the Tire
Pressure Monitoring System Warning Light will flash on
and off for 75 seconds and then turn off. The instrument
cluster will display the “SERVICE TPM SYSTEM” message
and then display pressure values in place of the dashes.
On the next ignition cycle the "SERVICE TPM SYSTEM"
message will no longer be displayed as long as no system
fault exists.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
Some of the most important safety features in your vehicle
are the restraint systems:
OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
F
EATURES
 Seat Belt Systems
 Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Air Bags
 Child Restraints
Some of the safety features described in this section may
be standard equipment on some models, or may be
optional equipment on others. If you are not sure, ask an
authorized dealer.
IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Please pay close attention to the information in this
section. It tells you how to use your restraint system
properly, to keep you and your passengers as safe as
possible.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying air bag:

1. Children 12 years old and under should always ride buckled up in the rear seat of a vehicle with a rear
seat.

2. A child who is not big enough to wear the vehicle seat belt properly must be secured in the appropriate child
restraint or belt-positioning booster seat in a rear
seating position
Úpage 188.
3. If a child from 2 to 12 years old (not in a rear-facing child restraint) must ride in the front passenger seat,
move the seat as far back as possible and use the
proper child restraint
Úpage 188.
4. Never allow children to slide the shoulder belt behind them or under their arm.
5. You should read the instructions provided with your child restraint to make sure that you are using it
properly.
6. All occupants should always wear their lap and shoulder belts properly. 7. The driver and front passenger seats should be
moved back as far as practical to allow the front air
bags room to inflate.
8. Do not lean against the door or window. If your vehicle has side air bags, and deployment occurs, the side air
bags will inflate forcefully into the space between
occupants and the door and occupants could be
injured.
9. If the air bag system in this vehicle needs to be modified to accommodate a disabled person, see
Úpage 270 for customer service contact
information.
WARNING!
 Never place a rear-facing child restraint in front of an
air bag. A deploying passenger front air bag can
cause death or serious injury to a child 12 years or
younger, including a child in a rear-facing child
restraint.
 Never install a rear-facing child restraint in the front
seat of a vehicle. Only use a rear-facing child
restraint in the rear seat. If the vehicle does not have
a rear seat, do not transport a rear-facing child
restraint in that vehicle.

23_GG_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 168

SAFETY175
If the passenger seating position is equipped with an ALR
and is being used for normal usage, only pull the seat belt
webbing out far enough to comfortably wrap around the
occupant’s mid-section so as to not activate the ALR. If the
ALR is activated, you will hear a clicking sound as the seat
belt retracts. Allow the webbing to retract completely in
this case and then carefully pull out only the amount of
webbing necessary to comfortably wrap around the
occupant’s mid-section. Slide the latch plate into the
buckle until you hear a "click."
In Automatic Locking Mode, the shoulder belt is
automatically pre-locked. The seat belt will still retract to
remove any slack in the shoulder belt. Use the Automatic
Locking Mode anytime a child restraint is installed in a
seating position that has a seat belt with this feature.
Children 12 years old and under should always be properly
restrained in the rear seat of a vehicle with a rear seat. How To Engage The Automatic Locking Mode

1. Buckle the combination lap and shoulder belt.

2. Grab the shoulder portion and pull downward until
the entire seat belt is extracted.
3. Allow the seat belt to retract. As the seat belt retracts, you will hear a clicking sound. This indicates the seat
belt is now in the Automatic Locking Mode.
How To Disengage The Automatic Locking Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap/shoulder belt and allow it
to retract completely to disengage the Automatic Locking
Mode and activate the vehicle sensitive (emergency)
locking mode.SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
(SRS)
Some of the safety features described in this section may
be standard equipment on some models, or may be
optional equipment on others. If you are not sure, ask an
authorized dealer.
The air bag system must be ready to protect you in a
collision. The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
monitors the internal circuits and interconnecting wiring
associated with the electrical Air Bag System
Components. Your vehicle may be equipped with the
following Air Bag System Components:
Air Bag System Components
 Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
 Air Bag Warning Light
 Steering Wheel and Column
 Instrument Panel
 Knee Impact Bolsters
 Driver and Front Passenger Air Bags
 Seat Belt Buckle Switch
 Supplemental Side Air Bags
 Supplemental Knee Air Bags
 Front and Side Impact Sensors
 Seat Belt Pretensioners
 Seat Track Position Sensors
 Occupant Classification System
WARNING!
Never place a rear-facing child restraint in front of an
air bag. A deploying passenger front air bag can
cause death or serious injury to a child 12 years or
younger, including a child in a rear-facing child
restraint.
 Never install a rear-facing child restraint in the
front seat of a vehicle. Only use a rear-facing child
restraint in the rear seat. If the vehicle does not have
a rear seat, do not transport a rear-facing child
restraint in that vehicle.
WARNING!
The seat belt assembly must be replaced if the
switchable Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
feature or any other seat belt function is not working
properly when checked according to the procedures
in the Service Manual.
 Failure to replace the seat belt assembly could
increase the risk of injury in collisions.
 Do not use the Automatic Locking Mode to restrain
occupants who are wearing the seat belt or children
who are using booster seats. The locked mode is only
used to install rear-facing or forward-facing child
restraints that have a harness for restraining the
child.6

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SAFETY195
Center Seat LATCH
Always follow the directions of the child restraint
manufacturer when installing your child restraint. Not all
child restraint systems will be installed as described here.
To Install A LATCH-Compatible Child
Restraint
If the selected seating position has a Switchable
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) seat belt, stow the seat
belt, following the instructions provided. See
Úpage 196
to check what type of seat belt each seating position has.

1. Loosen the adjusters on the lower straps and on the tether strap of the child seat so that you can more
easily attach the hooks or connectors to the vehicle
anchorages.
2. Place the child seat between the lower anchorages
for that seating position. If the second row seat can
be reclined, you may recline the seat and/or raise the
head restraint (if adjustable) to get a better fit. If the
rear seat can be moved forward and rearward in the
vehicle, you may wish to move it to its rear-most
position to make room for the child seat. You may
also move the front seat forward to allow more room
for the child seat.
3. Attach the lower hooks or connectors of the child restraint to the lower anchorages in the selected
seating position.
4. If the child restraint has a tether strap, connect it to the top tether anchorage. See
Úpage 198 for
directions to attach a tether anchor.
5. Tighten all of the straps as you push the child restraint rearward and downward into the seat.
Remove slack in the straps according to the child
restraint manufacturer’s instructions.
6. Test that the child restraint is installed tightly by pulling back and forth on the child seat at the belt
path. It should not move more than 1 inch (25.4 mm) in any direction.
How To Stow An Unused Switchable-ALR
(ALR) Seat Belt:
When using the LATCH attaching system to install a child
restraint, stow all ALR seat belts that are not being used
by other occupants or being used to secure child
restraints. An unused belt could injure a child if they play
with it and accidentally lock the seat belt retractor. Before
installing a child restraint using the LATCH system, buckle
the seat belt behind the child restraint and out of the
child’s reach. If the buckled seat belt interferes with the
child restraint installation, instead of buckling it behind
the child restraint, route the seat belt through the child
restraint belt path and then buckle it. Do not lock the seat
belt. Remind all children in the vehicle that the seat belts
are not toys and that they should not play with them.WARNING!
Do not install a child restraint in the center position
using the LATCH system. This position is not approved
for installing child seats using the LATCH attachments.
You must use the seat belt and tether anchor to install
a child seat in the center seating position.
Never use the same lower anchorage to attach more
than one child restraint.
Please see
Úpage 195 for typical installation
instructions.
WARNING!
 Improper installation of a child restraint to the LATCH
anchorages can lead to failure of the restraint. The
child could be badly injured or killed. Follow the child
restraint manufacturer’s directions exactly when
installing an infant or child restraint.
 Child restraint anchorages are designed to withstand
only those loads imposed by correctly-fitted child
restraints. Under no circumstances are they to be
used for adult seat belts, harnesses, or for attaching
other items or equipment to the vehicle.6

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196SAFETY
Installing Child Restraints Using The
Vehicle Seat Belt
Child restraint systems are designed to be secured in
vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a
lap/shoulder belt. The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with a Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
(ALR) that is designed to keep the lap portion of the seat
belt tight around the child restraint so that it is not
necessary to use a locking clip. The ALR retractor can be
“switched” into a locked mode by pulling all of the webbing
out of the retractor and then letting the webbing retract
back into the retractor. If it is locked, the ALR will make a
clicking noise while the webbing is pulled back into the
retractor.
See the “Automatic Locking Mode” description
Úpage 174 for additional information on ALR.
Please see the table in the following sections for more
information.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Systems For Installing
Child Restraints In This Vehicle

Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Locations

WARNING!
 Improper installation or failure to properly secure a
child restraint can lead to failure of the restraint.
The child could be badly injured or killed.
 Follow the child restraint manufacturer’s directions
exactly when installing an infant or child restraint.
ALR — Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
Top Tether Anchorage Symbol

23_GG_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 196

SAFETY197
Frequently Asked Questions About Installing Child Restraints With Seat Belts
What is the weight limit (child’s weight + weight of the child
restraint) for using the Tether Anchor with the seat belt to
attach a forward-facing child restraint? Weight limit of the Child RestraintAlways use the tether anchor when using the seat belt to
install a forward-facing child restraint, up to the
recommended weight limit of the child restraint.
Can the rear-facing child restraint touch the back of the
front passenger seat? YesContact between the front passenger seat and the child
restraint is allowed, if the child restraint manufacturer also
allows contact.
Can the rear head restraints be removed? YesThe rear outboard head restraints can be removed if they
interfere with the installation of the child restraint.
Can the buckle stalk be twisted to tighten the seat belt
against the belt path of the child restraint? NoDo not twist the buckle stalk in a seating position with an
ALR retractor.
6

23_GG_OM_EN_USC_t.book Page 197

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY211
10. Lower the jack until it is free. Remove the wheel
blocks. Stow the wheel bolt wrench, jack assembly
and wheel blocks in the provided storage. Secure the
assembly using the means provided. Release the
parking brake before driving the vehicle.

Damaged Tire Stowage

11. After 25 miles (40 km), check the wheel bolt torque with a torque wrench to ensure that all wheel bolts
are properly seated against the wheel.
TIRE INFLATOR KIT — IF EQUIPPED
Use this QR code to access your digital
experience.
DESCRIPTION
If a tire is punctured, you can make an emergency repair
using the Tire Inflator Kit located beneath the load floor in
the rear cargo area.

Tire Inflator Kit Storage

The Tire Inflator Kit includes:
Power Cord.
 Sealant cartridge containing the sealing fluid.
 Filler tube.

 Adhesive label with the writing "Max. 50 mph (80 km/h)”,
to be attached in a position easily visible to the driver
(e.g. on the dashboard) after repairing the tire.

 Air compressor, complete with pressure gauge and
connectors.
 A pair of protective gloves (if equipped).
 Adapters for inflating different elements.

Tire Inflator Kit Components

WARNING!
A loose tire or jack thrown forward in a collision or hard
stop could endanger the occupants of the vehicle.
Always stow the jack parts and the spare tire in the
places provided. Have the deflated (flat) tire repaired or
replaced immediately.
1 — Adhesive Label
2 — Sealant Cartridge
3 — Filler Tube
4 — Power Cord
5 — Air Compressor
7

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