DODGE AVENGER 2008 Owners Manual

1. Wear eye protection and remove any metal jewelry
such as watchbands or bracelets that might make an
inadvertent electrical contact.
2. When boosting from a battery in another vehicle, park
that vehicle within booster cable reach, but without
allowing the vehicles to touch. Set parking brake, place
automatic transaxle in PARK and turn ignition to LOCK
for both vehicles.
WARNING!Do not permit vehicles to touch each other as this
could establish a ground connection and personal
injury could result.
3. Turn off the heater, radio, and all unnecessary electri-
cal loads. 4. Remove the protective cover over the remote jump-
start positive battery post (+) in the engine compartment.
Connect one end of the jumper cable to the positive
battery post. Connect the other end of the same cable to
the positive terminal of the booster battery. Refer to the
following illustration for jump-starting connections.
Jump-Starting Location WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 359
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5. Connect the other cable, first to the negative terminal
of the booster battery and then to the engine ground (-)
of the vehicle with the discharged battery. Make sure
you have a good contact on the engine ground. Refer to
the following illustration for jump-starting connections.
6. If the vehicle is equipped with Sentry Key t Immobi-
lizer, turn the ignition switch to the ON position for three
seconds before moving the ignition switch to the START
position.
7. 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.
8. When removing the jumper cables, reverse the se-
quence exactly. Be careful of the moving belts and fan.
9. Reinstall the protective cover over the remote jump-
start positive battery post. NOTE: Refer to ªMaintenance Proceduresº in Section 7
of this manual for information on accessing the battery
for service or replacement.
WARNING!Any procedure other than above could result in:
1. Personal injury caused by electrolyte squirting out
the battery vent;
2. Personal injury or property damage due to battery
explosion;
3. Damage to charging system of booster vehicle or
of immobilized vehicle.360 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

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 shift back and forth between Reverse
and First gear. Usually the least accelerator pedal pres-
sure to maintain the rocking motion without spinning the
wheels is most effective.
NOTE:
If your vehicle is equipped with Traction Con-
trol, turn the system to Partial OFF before
attempting to ªrockº the vehicle. Refer to ªPar-
tial Off Modeº under ªElectronic Stability Pro-
gram (ESP)º in Section 5 of this manual. WARNING!Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces gener-
ated by excessive wheel speeds may cause axle and
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) or for longer than 30
seconds continuously without stopping when you
are stuck, and don't let anyone near a spinning
wheel, no matter what the speed. WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 361
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CAUTION!Racing the engine or spinning the wheels too fast
may lead to transaxle overheating and failure. It can
also damage the tires. Do not spin the wheels above
30 mph (48 km/h). Do not spin the wheels continu-
ously for more than 30 seconds.
TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
TOWING WITH THE IGNITION KEY
Front Wheel Drive
Your vehicle may be towed (with all 4 wheels flat on the
ground), under the following conditions: The gear selector
must be in NEUTRAL, the distance to be traveled must not
exceed 15 mi (25 km), and the towing speed must not exceed
25 mph (40 km/h). Exceeding these towing limits may cause
a transaxle failure. If the transaxle is not operative, or if the vehicle is to be towed more than 15 mi (25 km), the vehicle
must be transported either with a flat bed truck or with the
front wheels off the ground.
All Wheel Drive
Your All Wheel Drive vehicle must be transported on a
flat bed truck.
CAUTION!² If the vehicle being towed requires steering, the
ignition switch must be in the ON position, not in
the LOCK or ACC position.
² Do not attempt to tow this vehicle from the front
with sling type towing equipment. Damage to the
front fascia will result.
² Do not push or tow this vehicle with another
vehicle as damage to the bumper fascia and trans-
axle may result.362 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

If you must use the accessories (wipers, defrosters, etc.)
while being towed, the key must be in the ON position,
not the ACC position. Make certain the transaxle remains
in NEUTRAL.
TOWING WITHOUT THE IGNITION KEY
Special care must be taken when the vehicle is towed
with the ignition in the LOCK position. Flat bed towing
is the preferred towing method. However, if a flat bed
towing vehicle is not available, a wheel lift towing
vehicle may be used. Furthermore, rear towing is not
recommended with the front wheels on the ground, as
transaxle damage can result. If rear towing is the only
alternative, a front end dolly must be used. Proper
towing equipment is necessary to prevent damage to the
vehicle. TOWING THIS VEHICLE BEHIND ANOTHER
VEHICLE
Flat towing with all four wheels on the ground of
vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, is
only permitted within the limitations described in this
section.
TOWING THIS VEHICLE BEHIND ANOTHER
VEHICLE WITH A TOW DOLLY
Rear towing is not recommended with the front wheels
on the ground, as transaxle damage can result. If rear
towing is the only alternative, a front end dolly must be
used. Proper towing equipment is necessary to prevent
damage to the vehicle. WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 363
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TOWING WITHOUT POWER Ð OVERRIDE
TRANSAXLE INTERLOCK SYSTEM
Special care must be taken when the vehicle is towed
with the ignition in the LOCK position. A dolly should be
used under the front wheels if the rear wheels are raised.
Proper towing equipment is necessary to prevent dam-
age to the vehicle.
Battery power is required to release the brake/transaxle
interlock system. There is an override system that allows
you to shift out of PARK in case of loss of power. To
activate the override system: ² Firmly apply the parking brake.
² Insert the ignition key and rotate it to the ON position.
² Remove the cupholder liner.
² Insert a key, screwdriver, or similar object into the
front hole then push and hold the manual override
release lever forward.
² While holding the release lever forward, move the
shift lever from PARK to NEUTRAL.
² Release the override.364 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLECONTENTS m 2.4L Engine Compartment ................368
m 2.7L Engine Compartment ................369
m 3.5L Engine Compartment ................370
m Onboard Diagnostic System Ð OBD II ........371
N Loose Fuel Filler Cap Message ............371
m Emissions Inspection And Maintenance
Programs .............................372
m Replacement Parts ......................373
m Authorized Dealer Service ................374 m Maintenance Procedures ..................374
N Engine Oil ..........................374
N Engine Oil Filter ......................378
N Drive Belt ...........................378
N Spark Plugs .........................379
N Engine Air Cleaner Filter ................379
N Catalytic Converter ....................379
N Maintenance-Free Battery ................381
N Air Conditioner Maintenance .............382
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N A/C Air Filter Ð If Equipped ............383
N Power Steering .......................385
N Front Suspension .....................385
N Steering Linkage ......................386
N Body Lubrication .....................386
N Windshield Wiper Blades ................386
N Windshield Washers ...................387
N Exhaust System ......................387
N Cooling System .......................388
N Hoses And Vacuum/Vapor Harnesses .......394
N Fuel System .........................394
N Brake System ........................394
N Automatic Transaxle ...................397 N Front And Rear Wheel Bearings ...........400
N Appearance Care And Protection From
Corrosion ...........................400
N Cleaning Center Console Cupholders .......405
m Fuses Ð Totally Integrated Power Module
(TIPM) ..............................406
m Vehicle Storage ........................411
m Replacement Bulbs ......................411
m Bulb Replacement ......................412
N Headlight Bulb Replacement .............412
N Fog Lights ..........................415
N Taillights, Rear Turn Signals And Backup Lights Ð
Replacement .........................416
N License Plate Light Ð Rear ..............418366 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

N Center High-Mounted Stop Light ..........418
m Fluids And Capacities ...................420 m Fluids, Lubricants, And Genuine Parts ........422
N Engine .............................422 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 367
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2.4L ENGINE COMPARTMENT 368 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE