warning CHRYSLER 200 2011 1.G Owner's Manual

WARNING!
Driving a vehicle with the red brake light on is dangerous. Part of the brake system may
have failed. It will take longer to stop the vehicle. You could have a collision. Have the
vehicle checked immediately.
- Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)
• Certain conditions, such as a loose or missing gas cap, poor fuel quality, etc., may illuminate theMIL after engine start. The vehicle should be serviced if the light stays on through several
typical driving cycles. In most situations, the vehicle will drive normally and not require towing.
• If the MIL flashes when the engine is running, serious conditions may exist that could lead to immediate loss of power or severe catalytic converter damage. We recommend you do not
operate the vehicle. Have the vehicle serviced immediately.
- Charging System Light
• This light shows the status of the electrical charging system. If the charging system lightremains on, it means that the vehicle is experiencing a problem with the charging system.
• We recommend you do not continue driving if the charging system light is on. Have the vehicle serviced immediately.
- Oil Pressure Warning Light
• This light indicates low engine oil pressure. If the light turns on while driving, stop the vehicleand shut off the engine as soon as possible. A chime will sound for four minutes when this light
turns on.
• We recommend you do not operate the vehicle or engine damage will occur. Have the vehicle serviced immediately.
- Anti-Lock Brake (ABS) Light
• This light monitors the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).
• If the light is not on during starting, stays on, or turns on while driving, we recommend you driveto the nearest service center and have the vehicle serviced immediately.
- Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) Light
• This light informs you of a problem with the Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) system.
• If a problem is detected, the light will come on while the engine is running. Cycle the ignitionwhen the vehicle has completely stopped and the shift lever is placed in the PARK position; the
light should turn off.
• If the light remains lit with the engine running, your vehicle will usually be drivable; however, see an authorized service center immediately. If the light is flashing when the engine is running,
immediate service is required and you may experience reduced performance, an
elevated/rough idle or engine stall and your vehicle may require towing. WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
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- Transmission Temperature Warning Light
• This light indicates that there is excessive transmission fluid temperature that might occur withsevere usage such as trailer towing. If this light turns on, stop the vehicle and run the engine at
idle, with the transmission in NEUTRAL, until the light turns off. Once the light turns off, you
may continue to drive normally.
- Airbag Warning Light
• If the light is not on during starting, stays on, or turns on while driving, have the vehicle servicedby an authorized service center immediately.
Fuel Cap/Loose Gas Cap Message
• If a “gas cap” message (shown as gASCAP) appears, tighten the gas cap until a “clicking” soundis heard.
• Press the odometer reset button to turn the message off.
• If the message continues to appear for more than three days after tightening the gas cap, see your authorized service center.
Oil Change Indicator
Message
• If an “oil change” message (shown as CHAngE OIL) appears and a single chime sounds, it is time for your next required oil change.
Resetting The Light After Servicing
• Turn the ignition switch to the ON/RUN position (do not start engine).
• Fully depress the accelerator pedal three times within 10 seconds.
• Turn the ignition switch to the OFF/LOCK position.
IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS • In any of the following situations, you can reduce the potential for overheating by taking theappropriate action.
• On the highways — slow down.
• In city traffic — while stopped, shift transmission into NEUTRAL, but do not increase engine idle speed.
NOTE: There are steps that you can take to slow down an impending overheat condition:
• If your air conditioner (A/C) is on, turn it off. The A/C system adds heat to the engine cooling system and turning the A/C off can help remove this heat.
• You can also turn the Temperature Control to maximum heat, the Mode Control to floor and the Fan Control to high. This allows the heater core to act as a supplement to the radiator and aids in
removing heat from the engine cooling system.
• If the temperature reading does not return to normal, turn the engine off immediately.
• We recommend that you do not operate the vehicle or engine damage will occur. Have the vehicle serviced immediately. WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
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CAUTION!
Driving with a hot cooling system could damage your vehicle. If the temperature gauge
reads HOT (H), pull over and stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle with the air conditioner
turned off until the pointer drops back into the normal range. If the pointer remains on
HOT (H), and you hear continuous chimes, turn the engine off immediately, and call for
service.
WARNING!
You or others can be badly burned by hot engine coolant (antifreeze) or steam from your
radiator. If you see or hear steam coming from under the hood, do not open the hood until
the radiator has had time to cool. Never try to open a cooling system pressure cap when
the radiator or coolant bottle is hot.
Engine Oil Overheating — 2.4L Gas
• On hot days the engine oil temperature may become too hot during sustained high-speeddriving or if towing a trailer up long grades. If this happens, a HOTOIL message will flash in the
odometer and the vehicle speed will be reduced to 48 mph (77 km/h) maximum until the
engine oil temperature is reduced.
NOTE: Although the maximum vehicle speed is reduced to 48 mph (77 km/h), you may reduce
vehicle speed further as needed. Once the engine oil temperature is reduced, you may continue to
drive normally. WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
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JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING
Jack Location
• The jack and jack-handle are stowed under the load floor in the trunk.
Spare Tire Stowage
• The compact spare tire is stowed under the rear load floor in the trunk.
• To remove the spare tire, lift up the load floor cover and remove the hold down.
Preparations For Jacking
• Park on a firm, level surface. Avoid ice or slippery areas.
• Set the parking brake and shift the automatic transmission into PARK.
• Turn the ignition to LOCK and turn on the Hazard Warning flasher.
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• Raise the vehicle by turning the jack screwclockwise. Raise the vehicle only until the tire
just clears the surface and enough clearance
is obtained to install the spare tire.
• Remove the lug nuts, wheel cover (if equipped) and wheel.
• Position the spare wheel/tire on the vehicle and install the lug nuts with the cone-shaped
end toward the wheel. Do NOT attempt to
install a center cap or wheel cover on the
compact spare. Lightly tighten the lug nuts
clockwise. To avoid the risk of forcing the
vehicle off the jack, do not tighten the nuts
fully until the vehicle has been lowered.
• Lower the vehicle by turning the jack screw counterclockwise, and remove the jack and wheel blocks.
• Finish tightening the lug nuts. Push down on the wrench while tightening for increased leverage. Alternate nuts until each one has been tightened twice. The correct wheel nut tightness is
100 ft lbs (135 N•m). If in doubt about the correct tightness, have them checked with a torque
wrench by your authorized dealer or at a service station.
• Secure the tire, jack and tools in their proper locations.
WARNING!
• Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of the vehicle close to moving traffic. Pull far enough off the road to avoid the danger of being hit when operating the jack or
changing the wheel.
• Getting under a jacked-up vehicle is dangerous. The vehicle could slip off the jack and fall on you. You could be crushed. Never get any part of your body under a vehicle that is
on a jack. If you need to get under a raised vehicle, take it to a service center where it can
be raised on a lift.
• The jack is designed to use as a tool for changing tires only. The jack should not be used to lift the vehicle for service purposes. The vehicle should be jacked on a firm, level
surface only. Avoid ice or slippery areas.
• Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of the vehicle close to moving traffic. Pull far enough off the road to avoid being hit when operating the jack or changing the wheel.
• Carefully follow these tire changing procedures to help prevent personal injury or damage to your vehicle: Always park on a firm, level surface as far from the edge of the
roadway as possible before raising the vehicle.
• Raising the vehicle higher than necessary can make the vehicle less stable and could cause it to slip off the jack and hurt someone near it. Raise the vehicle only enough to
remove the tire.
(Continued)
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
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WARNING!(Continued)
• A loose tire or jack, thrown forward in a collision or hard stop, could endanger theoccupants of the vehicle. Always stow the jack parts and the spare tire in the places
provided.
JUMP-STARTING
• If your vehicle has a discharged battery it canbe jump-started using a set of jumper cables
and a battery in another vehicle or by using a
portable battery booster pack.
• Jump-starting can be dangerous if done improperly so please follow the procedures in
this section carefully.
NOTE: When using a portable battery booster
pack follow the manufacturer’s operating
instructions and precautions.
Preparations for Jump-Start
• The battery is stored under an access cover in the trunk. Remote battery posts are located on
the right side of the engine compartment for jump-starting.
NOTE: The remote battery posts are viewed by standing on the right side of the vehicle looking
over the fender.
• Set the parking brake, shift the automatic transmission into PARK and turn the ignition toLOCK.
• Turn off the heater, radio, and all unnecessary electrical accessories.
• If using another vehicle to jump-start the battery, park the vehicle within the jumper cables reach, set the parking brake and make sure the ignition is OFF.
Jump-Starting Procedure
• Connect the positive (+)end of the jumper cable to the remote positive (+)post of the
discharged vehicle.
• Connect the opposite end of the positive (+)jumper cable to the positive (+)post of the
booster battery.
• Connect the negative end (-)of the jumper cable to the negative (-)post of the booster
battery.
• Connect the opposite end of the negative (-)jumper cable to the remote negative (-)post of
the vehicle with the discharged battery.
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
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• Start the engine in the vehicle that has the booster battery, let the engine idle a few minutes,and then start the engine in the vehicle with the discharged battery.
Once the engine is started, remove the jumper cables in the reverse sequence:
• Disconnect the negative (-)jumper cable from the remote negative (-)post of the vehicle with
the discharged battery.
• Disconnect the negative end (-)of the jumper cable from the negative (-)post of the booster
battery.
• Disconnect the opposite end of the positive (+)jumper cable from the positive (+)post of the
booster battery.
• Disconnect the positive (+)end of the jumper cable from the remote positive (+)post of the
discharged vehicle.
• If frequent jump-starting is required to start your vehicle you should have the battery and charging system inspected at your authorized dealer.
CAUTION!
• Do not use a portable battery booster pack or any other booster source with a systemvoltage greater than 12 Volts or damage to the battery, starter motor, alternator or
electrical system may occur.
• Failure to follow these procedures could result in damage to the charging system of the booster vehicle or the discharged vehicle.
• Accessories that can be plugged into the vehicle power outlets draw power from the vehicle’s battery, even when not in use (i.e., cellular phones, etc.). Eventually, if plugged
in long enough, the vehicle’s battery will discharge sufficiently to degrade battery life
and/or prevent the engine from starting.
WARNING!
• When temperatures are below the freezing point, electrolyte in a discharged battery mayfreeze. Do not attempt jump-starting because the battery could rupture or explode and
cause personal injury. Battery temperature must be brought above freezing point before
attempting a jump-start.
• Take care to avoid the radiator cooling fan whenever the hood is raised. It can start anytime the ignition switch is on. You can be injured by moving fan blades.
• Remove any metal jewelry, such as watch bands or bracelets, that might make an inadvertent electrical contact. You could be severely injured.
• Batteries contain sulfuric acid that can burn your skin or eyes and generate hydrogen gas which is flammable and explosive. Keep open flames or sparks away from the battery.
• Do not allow vehicles to touch each other as this could establish a ground connection and personal injury could result.
• Failure to follow this procedure could result in personal injury or property damage due to battery explosion.
(Continued)
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
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WARNING!(Continued)
• Do not connect the cable to the negative post(-)of the discharged battery. The
resulting electrical spark could cause the battery to explode and could result in personal
injury.
SHIFT LEVER OVERRIDE
• If a malfunction occurs and the shift lever cannot be moved out of the PARK position, you canuse the following procedure to temporarily move the shift lever:
• To access the shift lever override, remove the cupholder liner.
• Firmly set the parking brake.
• Turn the ignition switch to the ACC or ON position without starting the engine.
• Press and maintain firm pressure on the brake pedal.
• Using a screwdriver or similar tool, press and hold the override tab through the access port on the center console.
• Move the shift lever into the NEUTRAL position.
• The vehicle may then be started in NEUTRAL.
• Reinstall the override cover. WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
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FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE• If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand or snow, it can often be moved by a rocking motion.Turn your steering wheel right and left to clear the area around the front wheels. Then move the
shift lever back and forth between REVERSE and DRIVE. Using minimal accelerator pedal
pressure to maintain the rocking motion, without spinning the wheels, is most effective.
NOTE: To improve the vehicle's traction when starting off in deep snow, sand or gravel, it may be
desirable to switch the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) to “Partial Off ” mode by momentarily
pressing the ESC Off
switch. For further information on ESC, refer to the Owner's Manual on
the DVD.
CAUTION!
• When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by moving between 1st and REVERSE, do not spin the wheels faster than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drivetrain damage may result.
• Revving the engine or spinning the wheels too fast may lead to transmission overheating and failure. It can also damage the tires. Do not spin the wheels above 30 mph (48 km/h)
while in gear (no transmission shifting occurring).
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces generated by excessive wheel speeds may
cause tire damage or failure. A tire could explode and injure someone. Do not spin your
vehicle's wheels faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) when you are stuck. Do not let anyone near
a spinning wheel, no matter what the speed.
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
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OPENING THE HOOD• Pull the release lever located below theinstrument panel and in front of the driver’s
door.
• Raise the hood and locate the safety latch, in the middle of the hood opening.
• Move the safety latch while lifting the hood at the same time.
• Insert the support rod into the slot on the hood.
• To close the hood, remove the support rod and place it in the retaining clip, then lower
the hood slowly.
WARNING!
Be sure the hood is fully latched before driving your vehicle. If the hood is not fully latched,
it could open when the vehicle is in motion and block your vision. Failure to follow this
warning could result in serious injury or death.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
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