warning DODGE DAKOTA 2007 3.G Owner's Guide

A new engine may consume some oil during its first few
thousand miles of operation. This is a normal part of the
break-in and is not an indication of difficulty.
SAFETY TIPS
Exhaust System
WARNING!
Exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide, an ex-
tremely toxic gas that by itself is colorless and
odorless. To avoid inhaling these gases, the follow-
ing precautions should be observed:
•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.
•It may be necessary to sit in a parked vehicle with the
engine running for more than a short period. If so,
adjust your climate control system to force outside air
into the vehicle. Set the blower at high speed and the
controls in any position except OFF or RECIRC.
•The best protection against carbon monoxide entry
into the vehicle body is a properly maintained engine
exhaust system.
Be aware of changes in the sound of the exhaust system;
exhaust fumes detected inside the vehicle; or damage to
the underside or rear of the vehicle. Have a competent
mechanic inspect the complete exhaust system and adja-
cent 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 or adjust as required.
72 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Floor Console — If Equipped..............121
▫Floor Console Features.................121

Center Storage Compartment — If Equipped . . . 122

Cup Holders..........................123

Rear Window Features...................124
▫Rear Window Defroster – If Equipped.......124
▫Sliding Rear Window – If Equipped........125

Tailgate..............................125▫Tailgate Removal.....................125
▫Two Position Tailgate / Upper Load Platform . 126

Slide-In Campers.......................128
▫Camper Applications...................128
▫General Information...................128
▫Carbon Monoxide Warning Vehicles Equipped
With A Cap Or Slide-In Campers..........129
78 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
Vehicles and other objects seen in the right side
convex mirror will look smaller and farther away
than they really are. Relying too much on your right
side mirror could cause you to collide with another
vehicle or other object. Use your inside mirror when
judging the size or distance of a vehicle seen in the
right side mirror.
Heated Mirrors — If Equipped
Heated mirrors are automatically activated when you
depress the rear window defroster switch located on the
instrument panel. The light will illuminate to indicate
that the heating elements are ON. Turning Off the rear
window defroster or the ignition will deactivate the
heated mirrors.
SEATS
Manual Seat Adjustment
The adjusting lever is at the front of the seat, near the
floor. Lift the lever and move the seat to the desired
position. Release the bar to lock the seat into position.
Using body pressure, move forward and rearward on the
seat to be sure the seat adjusters have latched.
82 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
Adjusting a seat while the vehicle is moving is
dangerous. The sudden movement of the seat could
cause you to lose control. The seat belt might not be
properly adjusted and you could be injured. Adjust
any seat only while the vehicle is parked.
Front Seats Manual Seat Recliners
The front seats are equipped with recliners. The reclining
mechanism is operated by a lever located on the right
side of the passenger’s seat and the left side of the
driver’s seat. To recline, lean forward slightly before
lifting the lever, then push back to the desired position
and release the lever. Lean forward and lift the lever to
return the seatback to its normal position. Using body
pressure, lean forward and rearward on the seat to be
sure the seatback is locked.
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 83
3

WARNING!
Do not ride with the seatback reclined so that the
shoulder belt is no longer resting against your chest. In
a collision you could slide under the seat belt and be
seriously or even fatally injured. Use the recliner only
when the vehicle is parked.
Manual Lumbar Support Adjustment — If
Equipped
The manual lumbar support rotary control adjustment is
located on the left side of the driver’s seat. Rotate the
knob to increase or decrease the amount of lumbar
support.
84 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

heat level. Flashing indicator lights on the switch indicate
that the Heated Seat system needs servicing.
WARNING!
Persons who are unable to feel pain to the skin
because of advanced age, chronic illness, diabetes,
spinal cord injury, medication, alcohol use, exhaus-
tion or other physical condition must exercise care
when using the seat heater. It may cause burns even
at low temperatures, especially if used for long
periods of time.
Do not place anything on the seat that insulates
against heat, such as a blanket or cushion. This may
cause the seat heater to overheat.
TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE HOOD
To open the hood, two latches must be released. First pull
the hood release lever located under the left side of the
instrument panel.
Hood Release Lever Location
88 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Then push the safety latch lever down while lifting the
grille with your right hand. It is located at the top center
of the grille just left of center.
Lift the hood and gas filled props will hold it open.To prevent possible damage, do not slam the hood to
close it. Use a firm downward push at the center front
edge of the hood to ensure that both latches engage.
Never drive your vehicle unless the hood is fully closed,
with both latches engaged.
WARNING!
If the hood is not fully latched, it could fly up when
the vehicle is moving and block your forward vision.
Be sure all hood latches are fully latched before
driving.
Secondary Latch Location (Push Down)
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 89
3

Intermittent Wiper System
The intermittent feature of this system was designed for
use when weather conditions make a single wiping cycle,
with a variable pause between cycles, desirable. For
maximum delay between cycles, rotate the control knob
into the upper end of the delay range.
The delay interval decreases as you rotate the knob until
it enters the LO continual speed position. The delay can
be regulated from a maximum of about 18 seconds
between cycles, to a cycle every 2 seconds. The delay
intervals will double in duration when the vehicle speed
is 10 mph (16 km) or less.WARNING!
Sudden loss of visibility through the windshield
could lead to an accident. You might not see other
vehicles or other obstacles. To avoid sudden icing of
the windshield during freezing weather, warm the
windshield with defroster before and during wind-
shield washer use.
NOTE:If the front wiper is operating when the ignition
is turned off, the wiper will automatically return to the
Parkposition. When the vehicle is restarted, the wipers
will resume operation.
Windshield Washers
To use the washer, push in on the washer knob on the end
of the multifunction control lever and hold while spray is
desired. If the washer knob is depressed while in the
delay range, the wiper will operate for several seconds
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 97
3

WARNING!
Tilting the steering column while the vehicle is
moving is dangerous. Without a stable steering col-
umn, you could lose control of the vehicle and have
an accident. Adjust the column only while the ve-
hicle is stopped. Be sure it is locked before driving.
ELECTRONIC SPEED CONTROL — IF EQUIPPED
When engaged, this device takes over accelerator opera-
tion at speeds greater than (refer to the table below for
the speed for your specific engine). The controls are
mounted on the steering wheel.
To Activate
Push the ON/OFF button to the ON position. In the
instrument cluster, the word “CRUISE” illuminates when
the system is on.
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 99
3

To Set At A Desired Speed
When the vehicle has reached the desired speed, press
and release the SET button. Release the accelerator and
the vehicle will operate at the selected speed.
To Deactivate
A soft tap on the brake pedal, normal braking, or pressing
the CANCEL button will deactivate speed control with-
out erasing the memory. Pushing the ON/OFF button to
the OFF position or turning off the ignition erases the
memory.
WARNING!
Leaving the Speed Control ON when not in use is
dangerous. You could accidentally set the system to
cause it to go faster than you want. You could lose
control and have an accident. Always leave the
system OFF when you aren’t using it.
To Resume Speed
To resume a previously set speed, push and release the
RESUME button. Resume can be used at any speed above
(refer to the table below for the speed for your specific
engine).
To Vary The Speed Setting
When the speed control is on, speed can be increased by
pressing and holding the ACCEL button. When the
button is released, a new set speed will be established.
Tapping the ACCEL button once will result in a speed
increase (refer to the table below for the speed for your
specific engine). Each time the button is tapped, speed
increases so that tapping the button three times will
increase speed by three increments.
100 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE