ECU DODGE NITRO 2011 1.G Owner's Manual

designed to keep the lap portion tight around the child
restraint so that it is not necessary to use a locking clip.
If the seat belt has a cinching latch plate, pulling up on
the shoulder portion of the lap/shoulder belt will
tighten the belt (the cinching latch plate will keep the
belt tight). However, any seat belt system may loosen
with time, so check the belt occasionally and pull it
tight if necessary. For the second row seat belts with
the automatic locking retractors, pull the belt from the
retractor until there is enough to allow it to pass
through the child restraint and slide the latch plate
into the buckle. Then, pull the belt until it is fully
extracted from the retractor. Allow the belt to return to
the retractor, pulling on the excess webbing to tighten
the lap portion around the child restraint. For addi-
tional information, refer toAutomatic Locking
Mode.•In the rear seat, you may have trouble tightening the
lap/shoulder belt on the child restraint because the
buckle or latch plate is too close to the belt path
opening on the restraint. Disconnect the latch plate
from the buckle and twist the short buckle-end belt
several times to shorten it. Insert the latch plate into
the buckle with the release button facing out.
•If the belt still cannot be tightened, or if pulling and
pushing on the restraint loosens the belt, disconnect
the latch plate from the buckle, turn the buckle
around, and insert the latch plate into the buckle
again. If you still cannot make the child restraint
secure, try a different seating position.
•Buckle the child into the restraint exactly as the
manufacturer’s instructions tell you.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 79

WARNING!
When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in
the vehicle with the seat belt or remove it from the
vehicle. Do not leave it loose in the vehicle. In a
sudden stop or accident, it could strike the occupants
or seatbacks and cause serious personal injury.
NOTE: For additional information, refer to
www.seatcheck.org or call 1–866–SEATCHECK. Cana-
dian residents should refer to Transport Canada’s web-
site for additional information: http://www.tc.gc.ca/
roadsafety/safedrivers/childsafety/index.htm
Older Children And Child Restraints
Children who weigh more than 20 lbs (9 kg) and who are
older than one year can ride forward-facing in the
vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and convertible child
seats used in the forward-facing direction are for children
who weigh 20 to 40 lbs (9 to 18 kg), and who are older than one year. These child seats are also held in the
vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt or the LATCH child
restraint anchorage system (refer to Lower Anchors and
Tether for CHildren (LATCH).
The belt-positioning booster seat is for children weighing
more than 40 lbs (18 kg), but who are still too small to fit
the vehicle’s seat belts properly. If the child cannot sit
with knees bent over the vehicle’s seat cushion while the
child’s back is against the seatback, they should use a
belt-positioning booster seat. The child and belt-
positioning booster seat are held in the vehicle by the
lap/shoulder belt.
Children Too Large For Booster Seats
Children who are large enough to wear the shoulder belt
comfortably and whose legs are long enough to bend
over the front of the seat when their back is against the
seatback, should use the lap/shoulder belt in a rear seat.
•Make sure that the child is upright in the seat.
80 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

•The lap portion should be low on the hips and as snug
as possible.
•Check belt fit periodically. A child’s squirming or
slouching can move the belt out of position.
•If the shoulder belt contacts the face or neck, move the
child closer to the center of the vehicle. Never allow a
child to put the shoulder belt under an arm or behind
their back.
Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren (LATCH)
Your vehicle’s rear seat is equipped with the child re-
straint anchorage system called LATCH. The LATCH
system provides for the installation of the child restraint
without using the vehicle’s seat belts, instead securing the
child restraint using lower anchorages and upper tether
straps from the child restraint to the vehicle structure.
LATCH-compatible child restraint systems are now avail-
able. However, because the lower anchorages are to beintroduced over a period of years, child restraint systems
having attachments for those anchorages will continue to
also have features for installation using the vehicle’s seat
belts. Child restraints having tether straps and hooks for
connection to the top tether anchorages have been avail-
able for some time. For some older child restraints, many
child restraint manufacturers offer add-on tether strap
kits or retro-fit kits. You are urged to take advantage of all
the available attachments provided with your child re-
straint in any vehicle.
All three rear seating positions have lower anchorages
that are capable of accommodating LATCH-compatible
child seats having flexible webbing mounted attach-
ments. Child seats with fixed lower attachments must be
installed in the outboard seating positions only. The
center seating position will accommodate LATCH-
compatible lower anchorages with flexible webbing
mounted attachments only. Regardless of the specific
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 81

If the belt still can’t be tightened, or if pulling and
pushing on the restraint loosens the belt, you may need
to do something more. Disconnect the latch plate from
the buckle, turn the buckle around, and insert the latch
plate into the buckle again. If you still can’t make the
child restraint secure, try a different seating position.
To attach a child restraint tether strap:
Route the tether strap over the seatback and attach the
hook to the tether anchor located on the back of the seat.
For the outboard seating positions, route the tether under
the head restraints, and attach the hook to the tether
anchor located on the back of the seat.
Tether Strap Mounting
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 85

WARNING!
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.
Transporting Pets
Air Bags deploying in the front seat could harm your pet.
An unrestrained pet will be thrown about and possibly
injured, or injure a passenger during panic braking or in
an accident. Pets should be restrained in the rear seat in
pet harnesses or pet carriers that are secured by seat belts.
ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS
A long break-in period is not required for the engine and
drivetrain (transmission and axle) in your vehicle.
Drive moderately during the first 300 miles (500 km).
After the initial 60 miles (100 km), speeds up to 50 or
55 mph (80 or 90 km/h) are desirable.
While cruising, brief full-throttle acceleration within the
limits of local traffic laws contributes to a good break-in.
Wide-open throttle acceleration in low gear can be detri-
mental and should be avoided.
The engine oil installed in the engine at the factory is a
high-quality energy conserving type lubricant. Oil
changes should be consistent with anticipated climate
conditions under which vehicle operations will occur. For
the recommended viscosity and quality grades, refer to
“Maintenance Procedures” in “Maintaining Your Ve-
hicle”. NON-DETERGENT OR STRAIGHT MINERAL
OILS MUST NEVER BE USED.
86 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle
Seat Belts
Inspect the belt system periodically, checking for cuts,
frays, and loose parts. Damaged parts must be replaced
immediately. Do not disassemble or modify the system.
Front seat belt assemblies must be replaced after a
collision. Rear seat belt assemblies must be replaced after
a collision if they have been damaged (i.e., bent retractor,
torn webbing, etc.). If there is any question regarding belt
or retractor condition, replace the belt.
Air Bag Warning Light
The light should come on and remain on for four to eight
seconds as a bulb check when the ignition switch is first
turned ON. If the light is not lit during starting, see your
authorized dealer. If the light stays on, flickers, or comes
on while driving, have the system checked by an autho-
rized dealer.
Defroster
Check operation by selecting the defrost mode and place
the blower control on high speed. You should be able to
feel the air directed against the windshield. See your
authorized dealer for service if your defroster is
inoperable.
Floor Mat Safety Information
Always use floor mats designed to fit the footwell of your
vehicle. Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area
unobstructed and that are firmly secured so that they
cannot slip out of position and interfere with the pedals
or impair safe operation of your vehicle in other ways.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 89

WARNING!
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss of
vehicle control and increase the risk of serious per-
sonal injury.
•Always make sure that floor mats are properly
attached to the floor mat fasteners.
•Never place or install floor mats or other floor
coverings in the vehicle that cannot be properly
secured to prevent them from moving and inter-
fering with the pedals or the ability to control the
vehicle.
•Never put floor mats or other floor coverings on
top of already installed floor mats. Additional
floor mats and other coverings will reduce the size
of the pedal area and interfere with the pedals.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Check mounting of mats on a regular basis. Al-
ways properly reinstall and secure floor mats that
have been removed for cleaning.
•Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the
driver footwell while the vehicle is moving. Ob-
jects can become trapped under the brake pedal
and accelerator pedal causing a loss of vehicle
control.
•If required, mounting posts must be properly
installed, if not equipped from the factory.
Failure to properly follow floor mat installation or
mounting can cause interference with the brake
pedal and accelerator pedal operation causing loss
of control of the vehicle.
90 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

▫Mist Feature ........................ 159
 Tilt Steering Column ................... 159
 Electronic Speed Control — If Equipped ..... 160
▫ To Activate ......................... 161
▫ To Set A Desired Speed ................ 162
▫ To Deactivate ....................... 162
▫ To Resume Speed .................... 162
▫ To Vary The Speed Setting .............. 162
▫ To Accelerate For Passing .............. 163
 Parksense Rear Park Assist — If Equipped . . . 163
▫ System Usage Precautions .............. 163
▫ Enabling And Disabling Parksense ....... 166
▫ Parksense Operation................. 166 ▫
Service Parksense Rear Park Assist....... 168
 Garage Door Opener — If Equipped ........ 169
▫ Programming HomeLink .............. 170
▫ Gate Operator/Canadian Programming .... 173
▫ Using HomeLink ................... 173
▫ Reprogramming A Single
HomeLink Button................... 173
▫ Security ........................... 174
▫ Troubleshooting Tips .................. 174
▫ General Information .................. 174
 Power Sunroof — If Equipped ............ 175
▫ Opening Sunroof — Express ............ 176
▫ Opening Sunroof — Manual Mode ........ 176
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 95

To Raise Rear Seat
If locked in the folded position, pull the release strap
(toward the front of the vehicle).
Raise the seatback and lock it into place. If interference
from the cargo area prevents the seatback from fully
locking, you will have difficulty returning the seat to its
proper position.
WARNING!
Be certain that the seatback is securely locked into
position. If the seatback is not securely locked into
position, the seat will not provide the proper stability
for child seats and/or passengers. An improperly
latched seat could cause serious injury.
Recliner Adjustment
The rear seatback also reclines for additional passenger
comfort. Pull the release strap while sitting in the rear
seat to recline the seatback.
Rear Seatback Release Strap
148 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

If “SERVICE PARK ASSIST SYSTEM” appears in the
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) after mak-
ing sure the rear fascia/bumper is clean and clear of
snow, ice, mud, dirt, or other obstruction, see your
authorized dealer.
GARAGE DOOR OPENER — IF EQUIPPED
HomeLinkreplaces up to three remote controls (hand-
held transmitters) that operate devices such as garage
door openers, motorized gates, lighting or home security
systems. The HomeLink unit operates off your vehicle’s
battery.
The HomeLink buttons that are located in the headliner
or sun visor designate the three different HomeLink
channels. NOTE:
HomeLink is disabled when the Vehicle Secu-
rity Alarm is active.
HomeLink Buttons
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 169