oil change DODGE AVENGER 2011 2.G Owners Manual

•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.
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.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 83

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

UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
CONTENTS
Instrument Panel Features ............... 186
 Instrument Cluster .................... 187
 Instrument Cluster Descriptions ........... 188
 Mini-Trip Computer — If Equipped ........ 201
▫ Control Buttons ..................... 202
 Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC) – If Equipped .................... 203
▫ Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)
Displays ........................... 205
▫ Oil Change Required — If Equipped ...... 206▫
Trip Functions ...................... 207
▫ Display Units In ..................... 208
▫ TirePsi ........................... 209
▫ Compass Display .................... 209
▫ Personal Settings
(Customer-Programmable Features) ....... 212
 Media Center 230 (REQ) — AM/FM Stereo
Radio And 6–Disc CD/DVD Changer
(MP3/WMA AUX Jack) .................. 215
▫ Operating Instructions - Radio Mode ...... 215
4

Vehicle Odometer Messages
When the appropriate conditions exist, the odometer will
display the following messages:
door............................. Door Ajar
dECK ............................ T runk Ajar
LoW tirE ..................... LowTirePr essure
CHANgE OIL ............... Oil Change Required
gASCAP ....................... Fuel Cap Fault
HOTOIL ............ Tr ansmission Oil Temperature
Exceeds Safe Threshold
NOTE: If the instrument cluster is equipped with the
optional Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC),
then all warnings including ”Low Tire,” “Door Ajar” and
“Trunk Ajar” will only display in the EVIC. (Refer to
“Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)” for spe-
cific messages). LoW tirE
When the appropriate condition exists, the odometer
display will toggle between LoW and tirE for three
cycles.
HOTOIL
When this message is displayed there is a transmission
over-temperature condition. When this condition occurs,
the “HOTOIL” message will be displayed in the odom-
eter along with a chime.
NOTE:
When this message is displayed, bring the
vehicle to a stop and idle the engine in park until the
message clears. Raising the idle of the engine slightly will
help speed up the cooling.
gASCAP
If the vehicle diagnostic system detects a leak or change
in the evaporative system, or the fuel filler cap is loose,
improperly installed, or damaged, the words “gASCAP”
will display in the odometer display area. If this occurs,
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 193

tighten the fuel filler cap properly and press the odom-
eter reset button to turn off the “gASCAP” message.
(Refer to “Onboard Diagnostic System — OBDII” in
“Maintaining Your Vehicle” for further information). If
the problem continues, the message will appear the next
time the vehicle is started. See your authorized dealer
service center as soon as possible.
CHANgE OIL
Your vehicle is equipped with an engine oil change
indicator system. The “CHANgE OIL” message will flash
in the instrument cluster odometer for approximately
12 seconds after a single chime has sounded to indicate
the next scheduled oil change interval. The engine oil
change indicator system is duty cycle based, which
means the engine oil change interval may fluctuate
dependent upon your personal driving style.
Unless reset, this message will continue to display each
time you turn the ignition switch to the “ON” position.To turn off the message temporarily, press and release the
Trip Odometer button on the instrument cluster. To reset
the oil change indicator system (after performing the
scheduled maintenance) perform the following proce-
dure:
1. Turn the ignition switch to the ON/RUN position
(do not start the engine).
2. Fully depress the accelerator pedal slowly 3 times
within 10 seconds.
3. Turn the ignition switch to the LOCK position.
NOTE: If the indicator message illuminates when you
start the vehicle, the oil change indicator system did not
reset. If necessary, repeat this procedure.
4. For vehicles equipped with the Electronic Vehicle
Information Center (EVIC), refer to “Electronic Vehicle
Information Center (EVIC)”.
194 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

•Oil Change Required (with a single chime)
•ECO (Fuel Saver Indicator) — If Equipped
•Low Pressure (with a single chime) Refer toTi re
Pressure Monitoring System inStarting and Operat-
ing.
•Check TPM System (with a single chime) Refer to Ti re
Pressure Monitoring System inStarting and
Operating.
Oil Change Required — If Equipped
Your vehicle is equipped with an engine oil change
indicator system. The Oil Change Required message will
flash in the EVIC display for approximately five seconds
after a single chime has sounded to indicate the next
scheduled oil change interval. The engine oil change
indicator system is duty cycle based, which means the
engine oil change interval may fluctuate dependent upon
your personal driving style. Unless reset, this message will continue to display each
time you turn the ignition switch to the ON/RUN
position. To turn off the message temporarily, press and
release the MENU button. To reset the oil change indica-
tor system (after performing the scheduled maintenance),
perform the following procedure:
1. Turn the ignition switch to the ON position (Do not
start the engine.)
2. Fully depress the accelerator pedal slowly three times
within 10 seconds.
3. Turn the ignition switch to the LOCK position.
NOTE:
If the indicator message illuminates when you
start the vehicle, the oil change indicator system did not
reset. If necessary repeat this procedure.
206 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

Keep dismounted tires in a cool, dry place with as little
exposure to light as possible. Protect tires from contact
with oil, grease, and gasoline.
Replacement Tires
The tires on your new vehicle provide a balance of many
characteristics. They should be inspected regularly for
wear and correct cold tire inflation pressure. The manu-
facturer strongly recommends that you use tires equiva-
lent to the originals in size, quality and performance
when replacement is needed (refer to the paragraph on
“Tread Wear Indicators”). Refer to the “Tire and Loading
Information” placard for the size designation of your tire.
The service description and load identification will be
found on the original equipment tire. Failure to use
equivalent replacement tires may adversely affect the
safety, handling, and ride of your vehicle. We recommend
that you contact your original equipment or an autho-
rized tire dealer with any questions you may have on tire
specifications or capability.
WARNING!
•Do not use a tire, wheel size or rating other than
that specified for your vehicle. Some combinations
of unapproved tires and wheels may change sus-
pension dimensions and performance characteris-
tics, resulting in changes to steering, handling, and
braking of your vehicle. This can cause unpredict-
able handling and stress to steering and suspen-
sion components. You could lose control and have
a collision resulting in serious injury or death. Use
only the tire and wheel sizes with load ratings
approved for your vehicle.
•Never use a tire with a smaller load index or
capacity, other than what was originally equipped
on your vehicle. Using a tire with a smaller load
index could result in tire overloading and failure.
You could lose control and have a collision.(Continued)
334 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

CAUTION!
Do not overfill the engine. Overfilling the engine
will cause oil aeration, which can lead to loss of oil
pressure and an increase in oil temperature. This
could damage your engine. Also, be sure the oil fill
cap is replaced and tightened after adding oil.
Change Engine Oil
The oil change indicator system will remind you that it is
time to take your vehicle in for scheduled maintenance.
Refer to “Maintenance Schedule” for further information.
NOTE: Under no circumstances should oil change
intervals exceed 8,000 miles (13 000 km) or six months,
whichever occurs first.
Engine Oil Selection
For best performance and maximum protection under all
types of operating conditions, the manufacturer recom-
mends engine oils that are API Certified and meet the
requirements of Chrysler Material Standard MS-6395.
American Petroleum Institute (API) Engine Oil
Identification Symbol
This symbol means that the oil has
been certified by the American
Petroleum Institute (API). The
manufacturer only recommends
API Certified engine oils.
404 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

Lubricants which do not have both, the engine oil certi-
fication mark and the correct SAE viscosity grade num-
ber should not be used.
Synthetic Engine Oils
You may use synthetic engine oils provided the recom-
mended oil quality requirements are met, and the recom-
mended maintenance intervals for oil and filter changes
are followed.
Materials Added To Engine Oils
Do not add any supplemental materials, other than leak
detection dyes, to your engine oil. Engine oil is an
engineered product and it’s performance may be im-
paired by supplemental additives.
Disposing Of Used Engine Oil And Oil Filters
Care should be taken in disposing of used engine oil and
oil filters from your vehicle. Used oil and oil filters,
indiscriminately discarded, can present a problem to the
environment. Contact your authorized dealer, service
station, or governmental agency for advice on how and
where used oil and oil filters can be safely discarded in
your area.
Engine Oil Filter
The engine oil filter should be replaced with a new filter
at every engine oil change.
Engine Oil Filter Selection
All of this manufacturer’s engines have a full-flow type
disposable oil filter. Use a filter of this type for replace-
ment. The quality of replacement filters varies consider-
ably. Only high quality filters should be used to assure
most efficient service. MOPARengine oil filters are high
quality oil filters and are recommended.
406 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE