heating DODGE AVENGER 2011 2.G Owners Manual

Exhaust Gas
WARNING!
Exhaust gases can injure or kill. They contain carbon
monoxide (CO), which is colorless and odorless.
Breathing it can make you unconscious and can
eventually poison you. To avoid breathing (CO),
follow these safety tips:
Do not run the engine in a closed garage or in confined
areas any longer than needed to move your vehicle in or
out of the area.
If it is necessary to sit in a parked vehicle with the engine
running, adjust your heating or cooling controls to force
outside air into the vehicle. Set the blower at high speed. If you are required to drive with the trunk/liftgate open,
make sure that all windows are closed and the climate
control BLOWER switch is set at high speed. DO NOT
use the recirculation mode.
The best protection against carbon monoxide entry into
the vehicle body is a properly maintained engine exhaust
system.
Whenever a change is noticed in the sound of the exhaust
system, when exhaust fumes can be detected inside the
vehicle, or when the underside or rear of the vehicle is
damaged, have a competent mechanic inspect the com-
plete exhaust system and adjacent body areas for broken,
damaged, deteriorated, or mispositioned parts. Open
seams or loose connections could permit exhaust fumes
to seep into the passenger compartment. In addition,
inspect the exhaust system each time the vehicle is raised
for lubrication or oil change. Replace as required.2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 85

Heated Seats — If Equipped
There are two heated seat switches that allow the driver
and passenger to operate the seats independently. The
controls for each heater are located near the bottom
center of the instrument panel (below the climate con-
trols).
You can choose from HIGH, LOW or OFF heat settings.
Amber indicator lights in each switch indicate the level of
heat in use. Two indicator lights will illuminate for
HIGH, one for LOW and none for OFF.Press the switch once to select HIGH-level
heating. Press the switch a second time to select
LOW-level heating. Press the switch a third
time to shut the heating elements OFF. NOTE:
Once a heat setting is selected, heat will be felt
within two to five minutes.
When the HIGH-level setting is selected, the heater will
provide a boosted heat level during the first four minutes
of operation. Then, the heat output will drop to the
normal HIGH-level. If the HIGH-level setting is selected,
the system will automatically switch to LOW-level after a
maximum of 60 minutes of continuous operation. At that
time, the number of illuminated LEDs changes from two
to one, indicating the change. The LOW-level setting will
turn OFF automatically after a maximum of 45 minutes.
136 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Gate Operator/Canadian Programming
Canadian radio frequency laws require transmitter sig-
nals to time-out (or quit) after several seconds of trans-
mission – which may not be long enough for HomeLink
to pick up the signal during programming. Similar to this
Canadian law, some U.S. gate operators are designed to
time-out in the same manner.
It may be helpful to unplug the device during the cycling
process to prevent possible overheating of the garage
door or gate motor.
If you are having difficulties programming a garage door
opener or a gate operator, replace “Programming
HomeLink” Step 3, with the following:
3. Continue to press and hold the HomeLinkbutton,
while you press and release (“cycle”), your handheld
transmitter every two seconds until HomeLink hassuccessfully accepted the frequency signal. The indica-
tor light will flash slowly and then rapidly when fully
trained.
If you unplugged the device for training, plug it back in
at this time.
Then proceed with Step 4 under “Programming
HomeLink,” earlier in this section.
Using HomeLink
To operate, press and release the programmed
HomeLink
button. Activation will now occur for the
trained device (i.e., garage door opener, gate operator,
security system, entry door lock, home/office lighting,
etc.,). The handheld transmitter of the device may also be
used at any time.
166 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

The instrument panel power outlet, located below the
climate control knobs, has power available only when the
ignition is ON. This power outlet will also operate a
conventional cigar lighter unit.
NOTE:To preserve the heating element, do not hold the
lighter in the heating position. A second power outlet is located inside the center con-
sole.
The center console power outlet is powered directly from
the battery (power available at all times). Items plugged
into this power outlet may discharge the battery and/or
prevent the engine from starting.
Instrument Panel Power Outlet
Center Console
172 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

REAR WINDOW FEATURES
Rear Window Defroster
The rear window defroster button is located on the
climate control (Mode) knob. Press this button to
turn on the rear window defroster and the heated outside
mirrors (if equipped). An indicator in the button will
illuminate when the rear window defroster is on. The
rear window defroster automatically turns off after ap-
proximately 10 minutes. For an additional five minutes of
operation, press the button a second time.
NOTE: To prevent excessive battery drain, use the rear
window defroster only when the engine is operating.
CAUTION!
Failure to follow these cautions can cause damage to
the heating elements:
•Use care when washing the inside of the rear
window. Do not use abrasive window cleaners on
the interior surface of the window. Use a soft cloth
and a mild washing solution, wiping parallel to
the heating elements. Labels can be peeled off
after soaking with warm water.
•Do not use scrapers, sharp instruments, or abra-
sive window cleaners on the interior surface of the
window.
•Keep all objects a safe distance from the window.
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 181

▫Uconnect™ Multimedia (Satellite Radio) — If
Equipped .......................... 255
 iPod/USB/MP3 Control — If Equipped ..... 259
▫ Connecting The iPod Or External USB
Device ............................ 260
▫ Using This Feature ................... 260
▫ Controlling The iPod Or External USB
Device Using Radio Buttons ............. 261
▫ Play Mode ......................... 261
▫ List Or Browse Mode ................. 263
▫ Bluetooth Streaming Audio (BTSA) ........ 265
Steering Wheel Audio
Controls — If Equipped .................. 266
▫ Right-Hand Switch Functions ............ 266
▫ Left-Hand Switch Functions For Radio
Operation .......................... 267
▫ Left-Hand Switch Functions For Media
(i.e., CD) Operation ................... 267
 CD/DVD Disc Maintenance .............. 267
 Radio Operation And Mobile Phones ....... 268
 Climate Controls ...................... 268
▫ Manual Heating And Air Conditioning ..... 269
▫ Automatic Temperature Control (ATC) — If
Equipped .......................... 273
▫ Operating Tips ...................... 279
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 185

4. Do not use solvents such as benzene, thinner, cleaners,
or anti-static sprays.
5. Store the disc in its case after playing.
6. Do not expose the disc to direct sunlight.
7. Do not store the disc where temperatures may become
too high.
NOTE:If you experience difficulty in playing a particu-
lar disc, it may be damaged (i.e., scratched, reflective
coating removed, a hair, moisture or dew on the disc)
oversized, or have protection encoding. Try a known
good disc before considering disc player service.RADIO OPERATION AND MOBILE PHONES
Under certain conditions, the mobile phone being on in
your vehicle can cause erratic or noisy performance from
your radio. This condition may be lessened or eliminated
by relocating the mobile phone antenna. This condition is
not harmful to the radio. If your radio performance does
not satisfactorily “clear” by the repositioning of the
antenna, it is recommended that the radio volume be
turned down or off during mobile phone operation when
not using Uconnect™ (if equipped).
CLIMATE CONTROLS
The air conditioning and heating system is designed to
make you comfortable in all types of weather.
268 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

Manual Heating And Air Conditioning
The Manual Temperature Controls consist of a series of
outer rotary dials and inner push knobs.
Blower Control
Rotate this control to regulate the
amount of air forced through the ven-
tilation system in any mode. The
blower speed increases as you move
the control to the right from the “O”
(OFF) position. There are four blower
speeds.
NOTE: For vehicles equipped with Remote Start, the
climate controls will not function during Remote Start
operation if the blower control is left in the “O” (Off)
position.
Manual Temperature Control
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 269

•ECONOMY MODE
If economy mode is desired, press the A/C button to turn
OFF the indicator light and the A/C compressor. Then,
move the temperature control to the desired temperature.
Automatic Temperature Control (ATC) — If
Equipped Automatic Operation
The Automatic Temperature Control system automati-
cally maintains the climate in the cabin of the vehicle at
the comfort levels desired by the driver and passenger.
Operation of the system is quite simple.
1. Turn the Mode Control knob (on the right) and the
Blower Control knob (on the left) to AUTO.
NOTE:
The AUTO position performs best for front seat
occupants only.
2. Dial in the temperature you would
like the system to maintain by rotating
the Temperature Control knob. Once
the comfort level is selected, the sys-
tem will maintain that level automati-
cally using the heating system. Should
Automatic Temperature Control
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 273

•Most of the time, when in Automatic Operation, you
can temporarily put the system into Recirculation
Mode by pressing the Recirculation button. However,
under certain conditions, while in Automatic Mode,
the system is blowing air out the defrost vents. When
these conditions are present, and the Recirculation
button is pressed, the indicator will flash and then turn
off. This tells you that you are unable to go into
Recirculation Mode at this time. If you would like the
system to go into Recirculation Mode, you must first
move the Mode knob to Panel, Mix and then press the
Recirculation button. This feature reduces the possibil-
ity of window fogging.
Operating Tips
NOTE:Refer to the chart at the end of this section for
suggested control settings for various weather condi-
tions.
Summer Operation
The engine cooling system in air-conditioned vehicles
must be protected with a high-quality antifreeze coolant
to provide proper corrosion protection and to protect
against engine overheating. A solution of 50% ethylene
glycol antifreeze coolant and 50% water is recommended.
Refer to “Maintenance Procedures” in “Maintaining Your
Vehicle” for proper coolant selection.
Winter Operation
Use of the air Recirculation Mode during winter months is
not recommended because it may cause window fogging.
Vacation Storage
Anytime you store your vehicle, or keep it out of service
(i.e., vacation) for two weeks or more, run the air
conditioning system at idle for about five minutes in the
fresh air and high blower settings. This will ensure
adequate system lubrication to minimize the possibility
of compressor damage when the system is started again.
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 279