engine oil DODGE AVENGER 2011 2.G User Guide

CAUTION! (Continued)
•Driving through standing water may cause dam-
age to your vehicle’s drivetrain components. Al-
ways inspect your vehicle’s fluids (i.e., engine oil,
transmission, axle, etc.) for signs of contamination
(i.e., fluid that is milky or foamy in appearance)
after driving through standing water. Do not con-
tinue to operate the vehicle if any fluid appears
contaminated, as this may result in further dam-
age. Such damage is not covered by the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty.
•Getting water inside your vehicle’s engine can
cause it to lock up and stall out, and cause serious
internal damage to the engine. Such damage is not
covered by the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
WARNING!
•Driving through standing water limits your vehi-
cle’s traction capabilities. Do not exceed 5 mph
(8 km/h) when driving through standing water.
•Driving through standing water limits your vehi-
cle’s braking capabilities, which increases stop-
ping distances. Therefore, after driving through
standing water, drive slowly and lightly press on
the brake pedal several times to dry the brakes.
•Getting water inside your vehicle’s engine can
cause it to lock up and stall out, and leave you
stranded.
•Failure to follow these warnings may result in
injuries that are serious or fatal to you, your
passengers, and others around you.
302 STARTING AND OPERATING

To fix a Non-FFV vehicle inadvertently fueled once with
E-85 perform the following:
•change the engine oil and oil filter
•disconnect and reconnect the battery
•drain the fuel tank (see your authorized dealer)
More extensive repairs will be required for prolonged
exposure to E-85 fuel.
MMT In Gasoline
MMT is a manganese-containing metallic additive that is
blended into some gasoline to increase octane. Gasoline
blended with MMT provides no performance advantage
beyond gasoline of the same octane number without
MMT. Gasoline blended with MMT reduces spark plug
life and reduces emissions system performance in some
vehicles. The manufacturer recommends that gasoline
without MMT be used in your vehicle. The MMT content
of gasoline may not be indicated on the gasoline pump, therefore, you should ask your gasoline retailer whether
the gasoline contains MMT. It is even more important to
look for gasoline without MMT in Canada, because MMT
can be used at levels higher than those allowed in the
United States. MMT is prohibited in Federal and Califor-
nia reformulated gasoline.
Materials Added To Fuel
All gasoline sold in the United States is required to
contain effective detergent additives. Use of additional
detergents or other additives is not needed under normal
conditions and they would result in additional cost.
Therefore, you should not have to add anything to the
fuel.
348 STARTING AND OPERATING

Fuel Requirements
Your vehicle will operate on both unleaded gasoline with
an octane rating of 87, or E-85 fuel, or any mixture of
these two. For best results, a refueling pattern that
alternates between E-85 and unleaded gasoline should be
avoided.
When you do switch fuel types it is recommended that:
•you do not switch when the fuel gauge indicates less
than 1/4 full
•you do not add less than 5 gallons (19 Liters) when
refueling
•you operate the vehicle immediately after refueling for
a period of at least 5 minutes
Observing these precautions will avoid possible hard
starting and/or significant deterioration in driveability
during warm up. NOTE:
•When the ambient temperature is above 90° F (32° C),
you may experience hard starting and rough idle
following start up even if the above recommendations
are followed.
•Some additives used in regular gasoline are not fully
compatible with E-85 and may form deposits in your
engine. To eliminate driveability issues that may be
caused by these deposits, a supplemental gasoline
additive, such as MOPAR
Injector Cleanup or
Techron may be used.
Selection Of Engine Oil For Flexible Fuel Vehicles
(E-85) And Gasoline Vehicles
FFV vehicles operated on E-85 require specially formu-
lated engine oils. These special requirements are included
in MOPAR engine oils, and in equivalent oils meeting
Chrysler Specification MS-6395. The manufacturer re-
quires engine oils that are API Certified and meet the
352 STARTING AND OPERATING

requirements of Material Standard MS-6395. MS-6395
contains additional requirements, developed during ex-
tensive fleet testing, to provide additional protection to
Chrysler Group LLC engines. Use MOPARor an
equivalent oil meeting the specification MS-6395.
Starting
The characteristics of E-85 fuel make it unsuitable for use
when ambient temperatures fall below 0°F (-18°C). In the
range of 0°F (-18°C) to 32°F (0°C), you may experience an
increase in the time it takes for your engine to start, and
a deterioration in driveability (sags and/or hesitations)
until the engine is fully warmed up.
NOTE: Use of the engine block heater (if equipped) is
beneficial for E-85 startability when the ambient tempera-
ture is less than 32°F (0°C).
Cruising Range
Because E-85 fuel contains less energy per gallon/liter
than gasoline, you will experience an increase in fuel
consumption. You can expect your miles per gallon
(mpg)/miles per liter and your driving range to decrease
by about 30%, compared to gasoline operation.
Replacement Parts
Many components in your Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) are
designed to be compatible with ethanol. Always be sure
that your vehicle is serviced with correct ethanol com-
patible parts.
CAUTION!
Replacing fuel system components with non-ethanol
compatible components can damage your vehicle.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 353

WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
CONTENTS
Hazard Warning Flashers ................ 372
 If Your Engine Overheats ................ 372
▫ Engine Oil Overheating
(2.4L Engine Only) — If Equipped ........ 373
 Jacking And Tire Changing ............... 374
▫ Jack Location ....................... 374
▫ Spare Tire Stowage ................... 374
▫ Preparations For Jacking ............... 375
▫ Jacking Instructions ................... 376 ▫
Road Tire Installation ................. 382
 Jump-Starting ........................ 384
▫ Preparations For Jump-Start ............. 385
▫ Jump-Starting Procedure ............... 387
 Freeing A Stuck Vehicle ................. 389
 Shift Lever Override ................... 390
 Towing A Disabled Vehicle ............... 391
▫ Without The Ignition Key .............. 393
6

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 blower 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.
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 Engine Only) — If
Equipped
During sustained high-speed driving or trailer tow up
long grades on a hot day, the engine oil temperature may
become too hot. If this happens, the “HOTOIL” message
flashes in the odometer and the vehicle speed will be
reduced to 53 mph (85 km/h) until the engine oil
temperature is reduced.
NOTE: The vehicle speed is reduced to a maximum of
53 mph (85 km/h). You may of course, reduce your
vehicle speed further if needed.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 373

MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
CONTENTS
Engine Compartment — 2.4L ............. 397
 Engine Compartment — 3.6L ............. 398
 Onboard Diagnostic System — OBD II ...... 399
▫ Loose Fuel Filler Cap Message ........... 399
 Emissions Inspection And Maintenance
Programs ............................ 400
 Replacement Parts ..................... 401
 Dealer Service ........................ 402 
Maintenance Procedures ................. 402
▫ Engine Oil ......................... 403
▫ Engine Oil Filter ..................... 406
▫ Engine Air Cleaner Filter ............... 407
▫ Maintenance-Free Battery .............. 407
▫ Air Conditioner Maintenance ............ 409
▫ A/C Air Filter – If Equipped ............ 410
▫ Body Lubrication .................... 411
▫ Windshield Wiper Blades ............... 412
7

ENGINE COMPARTMENT — 2.4L
1 — Engine Coolant Reservoir7 — Air Cleaner Filter
2 — Power Steering Fluid Reservoir 8 — Engine Oil Fill
3 — Automatic Transmission Dipstick 9 — Coolant Pressure Cap
4 — Brake Fluid Reservoir 10 — Engine Oil Dipstick
5 — Integrated Power Module (Fuses) 11 — Washer Fluid Reservoir
6 — Power Distribution Center (Fuses)
7
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 397

ENGINE COMPARTMENT — 3.6L
1 — Engine Coolant Reservoir5 — Air Cleaner Filter
2 — Power Steering Fluid Reservoir 6 — Engine Oil Dipstick
3 — Brake Fluid Reservoir 7 — Engine Oil Fill
4 — Totally Integrated Power Module (Fuses) 8 — Washer Fluid Reservoir
398 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

CAUTION! (Continued)
•Your vehicle has been built with improved fluids
that protect the performance and durability of
your vehicle and also allow extended maintenance
intervals. Do not use chemical flushes in these
components as the chemicals can damage your
engine, transmission, power steering or air condi-
tioning. Such damage is not covered by the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty. If a flush is needed
because of component malfunction, use only the
specified fluid for the flushing procedure.
Engine Oil
Checking Oil Level
To assure proper engine lubrication, the engine oil must
be maintained at the correct level. Check the oil level at
regular intervals, such as every fuel stop. The best time to
check the engine oil level is about five minutes after afully warmed engine is shut off. Do not check oil level
before starting the engine after it has sat overnight.
Checking engine oil level when the engine is cold will
give you an incorrect reading.
Checking the oil while the vehicle is on level ground and
only when the engine is hot, will improve the accuracy of
the oil level readings. Maintain the oil level between the
range markings on the dipstick. Either the range mark-
ings consist of a crosshatch zone marked SAFE or a
crosshatch zone marked with MIN at the low end of the
range and MAX at the high end of the range. Adding one
quart of oil when the reading is at the low end of the
range marking will raise the oil level to the high end of
the range marking.
7
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 403