automatic transmission DODGE DURANGO 2009 2.G Owners Manual

A WORD ABOUT YOUR KEYS
The authorized dealer that sold you your vehicle has the
key code numbers for your vehicle locks. These numbers
can be used to order duplicate keys from your authorized
dealer. Ask your authorized dealer for these numbers
and keep them in a safe place.
Ignition Key Removal
Automatic Transmission
Place the shift lever in PARK. Turn the ignition switch to
the LOCK position and remove the key.
Ignition Key
12 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

To Vary The Speed Setting
When the Electronic Speed Control System is ON, the
speed can be increased by pressing and holding the
RESUME/ACCEL button. When the button is released, a
new set speed will be established.
Tapping the ACCEL button once will result in a speed
increase of 1 mph (2 km/h). Each time the button is
tapped, speed increases so that tapping the button three
times will increase speed by 3 mph (4.8 km/h).
Tapping the DECEL button once will result in a speed
decrease of 1 mph (2 km/h). Each time the button is
tapped, speed will decrease. For example, tapping the
button three times will decrease the speed by 3 mph
(4.8 km/h).
To decrease the speed while the Electronic Speed Control
is on, press and hold the DECEL button. Release the
button when the desired speed is reached, and the new
speed will be set.
To Accelerate For Passing
Press the accelerator as you would normally. When the
pedal is released, the vehicle will return to the set speed.
NOTE:When driving uphill, at elevations above 2,000 ft
(610 m), or when the vehicle is heavily loaded (especially
when towing) the vehicle may slow below the SET speed.
If the vehicle speed drops below 25 mph (40 km/h), the
Electronic Speed Control will automatically disengage. If
this happens, you can push down on the accelerator
pedal to maintain the desired speed.
Vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission may
exhibit several downshifts under the above conditions.
To reduce the frequency of the downshifts and to im-
prove vehicle performance, it is advisable to lock out
OVERDRIVE by pressing the TOW/HAUL button lo-
cated at the end of the shift lever.
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 157
3

•“AUTO DOOR LOCK > ON” – When ON is selected,
all doors will lock automatically when the vehicle
reaches a speed of 15 mph (24 km/h). To make your
selection, press and release the RESET button until
“ON” or “OFF” appears.
•“AUTO UNLOCK ON EXIT > ON” – When ON is
selected, all doors will unlock when the vehicle is
stopped and the transmission is in the PARK or
NEUTRAL position and the driver’s door is opened.
To make your selection, press and release the RESET
button until “ON” or “OFF” appears.
•“RKE UNLOCK DRV DR 1st” – WhenDRV DR 1stis
selected, only the driver’s door will unlock on the first
press of the RKE UNLOCK button. When Driver Door
1st Press is selected, you must press the Remote
Keyless Entry UNLOCK button twice to unlock the
passenger’s doors. To make your selection, press and
release the RESET button until “DRV DR 1st ” appears.
•“RKE UNLOCK ALL DR 1ST” – When AllALL DR
1STis selected, all of the doors will unlock on the first
press of the RKE UNLOCK button. To make your
selection, press and release the RESET button until
“All DR 1st” appears.
•MEM. RECALL WITH RKE > ON – When ON is
selected, pressing the UNLOCK button on the RKE
will recall the memory settings for the seat, mirror and
radio. To make your selection, press and release the
RESET button until “ONor “OFF” appears.
•“SOUND HORN W/LOCK > ON” – When ON is
selected, a short horn sound will occur when the
Remote Keyless Entry LOCK button is pressed. This
feature may be selected with or without the flash lights
on lock/unlock feature. To make your selection, press
and release the RESET button until “ON” or “OFF”
appears.
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 171
3

•“FLASH LAMPS W/LOCK >ON” – When ON is
selected, the front and rear turn signals will flash when
the doors are locked or unlocked with the RKE Trans-
mitter. This feature may be selected with or without
the sound horn on lock feature selected. To make your
selection, press and release the RESET button until
“ON” or “OFF” appears.
•“HEADLAMP OFF DELAY > 0 SEC” – When this
feature is selected, the driver can choose to have the
headlamps remain on for 0, 30, 60, or 90 seconds when
exiting the vehicle. To make your selection, press and
release the RESET button until “0,” “30,” “60,” or “90”
appears.
NOTE:The headlamp switch must be in the “A” auto
mode before this feature will work.
•HEADLAMPS W/WIPERS > ON – When ON is
selected, the headlamps will automatically turn on
when the wiper switch is activated.
•EASY EXIT SEAT > ON – When ON is selected, and
the key is removed from the ignition, the driver’s seat
will automatically move rearward to allow easy exit.
•TILT MIRRORS IN “R” > ON – When ON is selected,
and the transmission is put in REVERSE, the outside
mirrors will tilt downward.
•“KEY OFF POWER DELAY> OFF” – When this feature
is selected, the power window switches, radio, hands–
free system (if equipped), and power outlets will
remain active for up to 10 minutes after the ignition
switch is turned off. Opening a vehicle door will
cancel this feature. To make your selection, press and
release the RESET button until “Off,” “45 sec.,”
“5 min.,” “10 min.” appears.
•“ILLUMINATED APRCH > OFF” – When this feature
is selected, the headlights will activate and remain on
for up to 90 seconds when the doors are unlocked with
172 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

STARTING AND OPERATING
CONTENTS
Starting Procedures.................... 289
▫Normal Starting..................... 289
▫Extremely Cold Weather
(Below20°F Or29°C)............... 290
▫If Engine Fails To Start................ 290
▫After Starting....................... 291
Engine Block Heater – If Equipped......... 291
Automatic Transmission................. 292
▫Brake/Transmission Interlock System...... 293▫Gear Ranges........................ 293
Four-Wheel Drive Operation............. 298
▫NV 140 Transfer Case Operating
Information/Precautions — If Equipped.... 298
▫NV 244 Generation II Transfer Case
Operating Information/Precautions —
If Equipped........................ 298
▫Shifting Procedure - NV 244 Generation II
Transfer Case....................... 302
Driving On Slippery Surfaces............. 303
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Extremely Cold Weather (below20°F or29°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 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.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get
it started. Vehicles equipped with an automatic
transmission 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. If the vehicle has a dis-
charged 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 dan-
gerous if done improperly. Refer to Section 6 of
this manual for proper jump starting procedures
and follow them carefully.
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, push
the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and hold it.
Then, turn the ignition switch to the START position and
290 STARTING AND OPERATING

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
NOTE:Under extreme cold temperatures (-6°F (-21°C)
and when in DRIVE, transmission operation may be
briefly limited to only 2nd gear operation. Normal op-
eration will resume once the transmission temperature
has risen to a suitable level.
CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may occur if the follow-
ing precautions are not observed:
•Shift into PARK only after the vehicle has come to
a complete stop.
•Shift into or out of REVERSE only after the
vehicle has come to a complete stop and the engine
is at idle speed.
(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
•Do not shift from REVERSE, PARK, or NEUTRAL
into any forward gear when the engine is above
idle speed.
•Before shifting into any gear, make sure your foot
is firmly on the brake pedal.
WARNING!
It is dangerous to move the shift lever out of PARK or
NEUTRAL if the engine speed is higher than idle
speed. If your foot is not firmly on the brake pedal,
the vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in
reverse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when the
engine is idling normally and when your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal.
292 STARTING AND OPERATING

Overdrive Operation
The automatic transmission contains an electronically
controlled fourth and fifth (if equipped) speed (OVER-
DRIVE). The transmission will automatically shift from
DRIVE to OVERDRIVE if the following conditions are
present:
•the transmission selector is in DRIVE;
•the engine coolant has reached normal operating tem-
perature;
•vehicle speed is above approximately 30 mph
(48 km/h);
•the TOW/HAUL switch has not been activated;
•transmission has reached normal operating
temperature.NOTE:If the vehicle is started in extremely cold tem-
peratures, the transmission may not shift into OVER-
DRIVE and will automatically select the most desirable
gear for operation at this temperature. Normal operation
will resume when the transmission fluid temperature has
risen to a suitable level. Refer also to the Note under
torque converter clutch, later in this section.
If the transmission temperature gets extremely hot, the
transmission will automatically select the most desirable
gear for operation at this temperature. If the transmission
temperature becomes hot enough, the “Transmission
Temperature Indicator Light” may illuminate and the
transmission may downshift out of OVERDRIVE until
the transmission cools down. After cooldown, the trans-
mission will resume normal operation.
The transmission will downshift from OVERDRIVE to
DRIVE if the accelerator pedal is fully depressed at
vehicle speeds above approximately 35 mph (56 km/h).
STARTING AND OPERATING 295
5

When To Use TOW/HAUL Mode
When driving in hilly areas, towing a trailer, carrying a
heavy load, etc., and frequent transmission shifting oc-
curs, press the TOW/HAUL button. This will improve
performance and reduce the potential for transmission
overheating or failure due to excessive shifting. When
operating in TOW/HAUL mode, 5th gear (if equipped) is
disabled and 2-3 and 3-4 shift patterns are modified.
Shifts into OVERDRIVE (4th gear) are allowed during
steady cruise (for improved fuel economy) and automatic
closed-throttle downshifts to 3rd gear (for improved
braking) will occur during steady braking.
The “TOW/HAUL Indicator Light” will illuminate in the
instrument cluster to indicate when the switch has been
activated. Pressing the switch a second time restores
normal operation. If the TOW/HAUL mode is desired,
the button must be pressed each time the engine is
started.
TOW/HAUL Button
296 STARTING AND OPERATING

Torque Converter Clutch
A feature designed to improve fuel economy is included
in all automatic transmissions. A clutch within the torque
converter engages automatically at a calibrated speed at
light throttle. It engages at higher speeds under heavier
acceleration. This may result in a slightly different feeling
or response during normal operation in high gear. When
the vehicle speed drops below a calibrated speed, or
during acceleration, the clutch automatically and
smoothly disengages. The feature is operational in
OVERDRIVE and in DRIVE.
NOTE:
•The torque converter clutch will not engage until the
transmission fluid and engine coolant are warm (usu-
ally after 1-3 miles [1.6 - 4.8 km] of driving). Because
the engine speed is higher when the torque converter
clutch is not engaged, it may seem as if the transmis-
sion is not shifting into Overdrive when cold. This is
normal. Pressing the TOW/HAUL button, when thetransmission is sufficiently warm, will demonstrate
that the transmission is able to shift into, and out of,
Overdrive. For vehicles with 4.7L or 5.7L engines
(which have two Overdrive gears), the transmission
may not shift into 5th gear until the transmission fluid
and engine coolant are warm.
•If the vehicle has not been driven in several days, the
first few seconds of operation after shifting the trans-
mission into gear may seem sluggish. This is due to the
fluid partially draining from the torque converter into
the transmission. This condition is normal and will not
cause damage to the transmission. The torque con-
verter will refill within five seconds of shifting from
PARK into any other gear position.
STARTING AND OPERATING 297
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