DODGE DAKOTA 2011 3.G Owner's Manual

WARNING!
• Do not start or run an engine in a closed garage or confined area.Exhaust gas contains Carbon Monoxide (CO) which is odorless and
colorless. Carbon Monoxide is poisonous and can cause serious injury or
death when inhaled.
• Keep Key Fob transmitters away from children. Operation of the Remote Start System, windows, door locks or other controls could cause serious
injury or death.
THEFT ALARM
To Arm
• Press the Key Fob LOCK button or the power door lock switch while the door
is open.
To Disarm
• Press the Key Fob UNLOCK button and turn the ignition to the ON/RUNposition.
SEAT BELT
• Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a seat belt properly.
• Position the lap belt across your thighs, below your abdomen. To remove slackin the lap portion, pull up a bit on the shoulder belt. To loosen the lap belt if it
is too tight, tilt the latch plate and pull on the lap belt. A snug belt reduces the
risk of sliding under the belt in a collision.
• Position the shoulder belt on your chest so that it is comfortable and not resting on your neck. The retractor will withdraw any slack in the belt.
• A shoulder belt placed behind you will not protect you from injury during a collision. You are more likely to hit your head in a collision if you do not wear
your shoulder belt. The lap and shoulder belt are meant to be used together.
• A belt that is too loose will not protect you properly. In a sudden stop you could move too far forward, increasing the possibility of injury. Wear your seat
belt snugly.
• A frayed or torn belt could rip apart in a collision and leave you with no protection. Inspect the belt system periodically, checking for cuts, frays, or
loose parts. Damaged parts must be replaced immediately. Do not
disassemble or modify the system. Seat belt assemblies must be replaced
after a collision if they have been damaged (bent retractor, torn webbing, etc.).
• The seat belts for both front seating positions are equipped with pretensioning devices that are designed to remove slack from the seat belt in the event of a
collision.
• A deployed pretensioner or a deployed airbag must be replaced immediately.
GETTING STARTED
9

WARNING!
In a collision, you and your passengers can suffer much greater injuries if
you are not buckled up properly. You can strike the interior of your vehicle
or other passengers, or you can be thrown out of the vehicle. Always be
sure you and others in your vehicle are buckled up properly.
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS) — AIRBAGS
• This vehicle has Advanced Front Airbags for both the driver and right frontpassenger as a supplement to the seat belt restraint system. The Advanced
Front Airbags will not deploy in every type of collision.
• Advanced Front Airbags are designed to provide additional protection by supplementing the seat belts in certain frontal collisions depending on the
severity and type of collision. Advanced Front Airbags are not expected to
reduce the risk of injury in rear, side, or rollover collisions.
• This vehicle may be equipped with Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains to protect the driver, front and rear passengers sitting next to a
window.
• If the Airbag Warning Light
is not on during starting, stays on, or turns on
while driving, have the vehicle serviced by an authorized service center
immediately.
• Refer to the Owner's Manual on the DVD for further details regarding the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS).
WARNING!
• Relying on the airbags alone could lead to more severe injuries in acollision. The airbags work with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions, the airbags won't deploy at all. Always wear your seat
belts even though you have airbags.
• Being too close to the steering wheel or instrument panel during Advanced Front Airbag deployment could cause serious injury, including
death. Airbags need room to inflate. Sit back, comfortably extending your
arms to reach the steering wheel or instrument panel.
• Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains need room to inflate. Do not lean against the door or window. Sit upright in the center of the seat.
• Being too close to the Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtain during deployment could cause you to be severely injured or killed.
• Do not drive your vehicle after the airbags have deployed. If you are involved in another collision, the airbags will not be in place to protect
you.
• After any collision, the vehicle should be taken to an authorized dealer immediately.
GETTING STARTED
10

CHILD RESTRAINTS
• Children 12 years and under should ride properly buckled up in a rear seat, ifavailable. According to crash statistics, children are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seats rather than in the front.
• Every state in the United States and all Canadian provinces require that small children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the law, and you can be
prosecuted for ignoring it.
Installing The LATCH - Compatible Child Restraint System
• Your vehicle is equipped with the child restraint anchorage system calledLATCH, which stands for Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren.
Extended Cab • The Extended Cab right rear (if equipped with a rear seat) passenger seating position has lower anchorages that is capable of accommodating a LATCH
compatible child seat having flexible, webbing mounted lower attachments.
• Loosen the child seat adjusters onthe lower straps and tether straps so
that you can attach the hook or
connector to the lower and tether
anchorages more easily.
• Attach the lower hooks or connectors over the top of the anchorage bars, pushing aside the seat cover material. You will easily feel the anchorage bars if
you run your finger along the intersection of the seatback and seat cushion
surfaces.
Tether Straps at the Rear Passenger Seat (Extended Cab)
• Route the child restraint tether strap through the routing loop, located directly behind the child restraint. The routing loops are located behind the flip-down
door on the cab back panel (padded bolster).
GETTING STARTED
11

• Route the tether strap across to thecenter tether anchorage. The center
tether is located behind the slide
door in the center of the vehicle,
between the two seating positions.
• Remove the slack in the tether strap so that the anchor strap is pulled
tight.
Crew Cab • The Crew Cab second row seat has lower anchorages that are capable of accommodating LATCH compatible child seats having flexible, webbing
mounted lower attachments at all three seating positions.
• Child seats with fixed lowerattachments must be installed in the
outboard positions only.
• Never install LATCH-compatible
child seats such that two seats share
a common lower anchorage.
• Loosen the child seat adjusters on the lower straps and tether straps so
that you can attach the hook or
connector to the lower and tether
anchorages more easily.
• Attach the lower hooks or connectors over the top of the anchorage bars, pushing aside the seat cover material. You will easily feel the anchorage bars if
you run your finger along the intersection of the seatback and seat cushion
surfaces.
GETTING STARTED
12

Tether Straps at the Rear Passenger Seat (Crew Cab)• Route the child restraint tether strap over the seatback and under the head restraint (for outboard seating position only) and through the anchor strap
outer loop (webbing material loop) located directly behind the child restraint.
• Connect the tether strap hook to theanchor loop in the ADJACENT
seating position.
• Remove the slack in the tether strap so that both anchor straps are pulled
tight.
NOTE: Two anchors must be used for any of the three seating positions.
1. Anchor Loops
2. Snap Hook
3. Tether Strap
4. Passenger's Side Rear Child Seat
5. Rear Center Child Seat
6. Driver's Side Rear Child Seat
Installing The Child Restraint Using The Vehicle Seat Belts
• To install a child restraint, first, pull enough of the seat belt webbing from theretractor to route it through the belt path of the child restraint and slide the
latch plate into the buckle.
• Next, extract all the seat belt webbing out of the retractor and then allow the belt to retract into the retractor. Finally, pull on any excess webbing to tighten
the lap portion around the child restraint. Any seat belt system will loosen with
time, so check the belt occasionally, and pull it tight if necessary.
• Once you have completed securing the child restraint with the seat belt, secure the top tether strap as described on the previous pages.
GETTING STARTED
13

WARNING!
• In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny baby, can become aprojectile inside the vehicle. The force required to hold even an infant on
your lap could become so great that you could not hold the child, no
matter how strong you are. The child and others could be severely
injured or killed. Any child riding in your vehicle should be in a proper
restraint for the child's size.
• Improper installation of a child restraint to the LATCH anchorages can lead to failure of an infant or child restraint. The child could be severely
injured or killed. Follow the manufacturer’s directions exactly when
installing an infant or child restraint.
• An incorrectly anchored tether strap could lead to increased head motion and possible injury to the child. Use only the anchor positions directly
behind the child seat to secure a child restraint top tether strap.
• Rearward-facing child seats must never be used in the front seat of a vehicle with a front passenger airbag. An airbag deployment could cause
severe injury or death to infants in this position.
FRONT SEATS
Power Seat — Driver's Side Only
• The power seat controls are locatedon the outboard side of the driver's
seat cushion.
• The power seat switch controls the forward, backward, up, or down
adjustment.
• The two tilt switches control the tilt up or down adjustment.
GETTING STARTED
14

Manual Seat Adjustment
Forward/Rearward• Lift up on the adjusting bar locatedat the front of the seat near the floor
and release bar to lock seat at the
desired position.
Lumbar Support/Recliner • Rotate the lumbar knob, located onthe left-side of the driver's seat, to
increase or decrease the amount of
lumbar support.
• Lean forward slightly, lift the recline lever located on the outboard side of
the seat, then push back to the
desired position and release the
lever.
• Lean forward and lift the recline lever to return the seatback to its normal
position.
CAUTION!
Do not place any article under a power seat or impede its ability to move as
it may cause damage to the seat controls. Seat travel may become limited
if movement is stopped by an obstruction in the seat’s path.
WARNING!
• Adjusting a seat while the vehicle is moving is dangerous. The suddenmovement of the seat could cause you to lose control. The seat belt
might not be properly adjusted, and you could be severely injured or
killed. Only adjust a seat while the vehicle is parked.
(Continued)
GETTING STARTED
15

WARNING!(Continued)
• Do not ride with the seatback reclined so that the shoulder belt is nolonger resting against your chest. In a collision, you could slide under the
seat belt and be severely injured or killed. Use the recliner only when the
vehicle is parked.
HEATED SEATS
Front Heated Seats
• The heated seat switches arelocated on the center of the
instrument panel.
• After turning the ignition ON, press the switch once to select High-level
heating. Press the switch a second
time to select Low-level heating.
Press the switch a third time to shut
the heating elements Off.
• If the High-level setting is selected, the system will automatically switch to Low-level after approximately 30 minutes. The Low-level setting will turn Off
automatically after approximately 30 minutes.
WARNING!
• Persons who are unable to feel pain to the skin because of advancedage, chronic illness, diabetes, spinal cord injury, medication, alcohol use,
exhaustion or other physical conditions must exercise care when using
the seat heater. It may cause burns even at low temperatures, especially
if used for long periods of time.
• Do not place anything on the seat that insulates against heat, such as a blanket or cushion. This may cause the seat heater to overheat. Sitting in
a seat that has been overheated could cause serious burns due to the
increased surface temperature of the seat.
GETTING STARTED
16

TILT STEERING COLUMN
• The tilt lever is located on thesteering column, below the turn
signal lever.
• Pull the lever toward the steering wheel to unlock the steering column.
• With one hand firmly on the steering wheel, move the steering column up
or down as desired.
• Push the lever away from the steering wheel to lock the column
firmly in place.
WARNING!
Tilting the steering column while the vehicle is moving is dangerous.
Without a stable steering column, you could lose control of the vehicle and
have a collision. Adjust the column only while the vehicle is stopped. Be
sure the column is locked before driving.
GETTING STARTED
17

TURN SIGNALS/WIPER/WASHER/HIGH BEAMS LEVER
Turn Signals/Lane Change Assist
• Tap the lever up or down once and the turn signal (right or left) will flash threetimes and automatically turn off.
Wipers
Intermittent, Low And High Operation
• Rotate the end of the lever to the first detent position for one of five intermittent settings, the second detent for low wiper operation and the third
detent for high wiper operation.
Washer Operation
• Push the end of the lever inward to the second detent and hold for as long as spray is desired.
High Beams
• Pull the lever toward you to activate the high beams.
• A high beam symbol will illuminate in the cluster to indicate the high beamsare on.
NOTE: For safe driving, turn off the high beams when oncoming traffic is present
to prevent headlight glare and as a courtesy to other motorists.
OPERATING YOUR VEHICLE
18