DODGE DAKOTA 2011 3.G Owners Manual

Heated Seats — If Equipped
On some models, the front driver and passenger seats
may be equipped with heaters in both the seat cushions
and seatbacks.
There are two heated seat switches that allow the driver
and passenger to operate the seats independently. Thecontrols for each seat are located on a switch bank near
the bottom center of the instrument panel.
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.
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
approximately 30 minutes of continuous operation. At
that time, the number of illuminated LEDs changes from
Lumbar Adjustment
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 129

two to one, indicating the change. The LOW-level setting
will turn OFF automatically after approximately 30 min-
utes.
NOTE:Once a heat setting is selected, heat will be felt
within two to five minutes.
WARNING!
•Persons who are unable to feel pain to the skin
because of advanced age, chronic illness, diabetes,
spinal cord injury, medication, alcohol use, ex-
haustion 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.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•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. Sitting in a
seat that has been overheated could cause serious
burns due to the increased surface temperature of
the seat.
Head Restraints
Head restraints are designed to reduce the risk of injury
by restricting head movement in the event of a rear
impact. Head restraints should be adjusted so that the top
of the head restraint is located above the top of your ear.
130 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
The head restraints for all occupants must be prop-
erly adjusted prior to operating the vehicle or occu-
pying a seat. Head restraints should never be ad-
justed while the vehicle is in motion. Driving a
vehicle with the head restraints improperly adjusted
or removed could cause serious injury or death in the
event of a collision.
Front Head Restraints
To raise the head restraint, pull upward on the head
restraint. To lower the head restraint, press the adjust-
ment button, located on the base of the head restraint,
and push downward on the head restraint.
Rear Head Restraints
The rear seat is equipped with nonadjustable head re-
straints. Refer to “Occupant Restraints” in “Things T o
Know Before Starting Your Vehicle” for information on
child seat tether routing.
Adjustment Button
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 131

Extended Cab/Crew Cab Rear Seat
More cargo space is available by lifting up on the rear
seat cushion.
The Crew Cab Rear Seat is a 60/40 split cushion and full
back. Either cushion can be raised, independently.
TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE HOOD
To open the hood, two latches must be released.
1. First pull the hood release lever located under the left
side of the instrument panel.2. Then push the safety latch lever up while lifting the
grille with your hand. It is located at the bottom center of
the grille.
Hood Release Lever Location
132 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Lift the hood, and the gas filled props will hold it open.
CAUTION!
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!
Be sure the hood is fully latched before driving your
vehicle. If the hood is not fully latched, it could open
when the vehicle is in motion and block your vision.
Failure to follow this warning could result in serious
injury or death.
Secondary Latch Location
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 133

LIGHTS
The headlight switch is located on the left side of the
instrument panel next to the steering wheel.
Headlights, Parking Lights And Panel Lights
When the headlight switch is rotated to the first
position, the parking lights, taillights, side marker
lights, license plate light and instrument panel lights are
all turned on. The headlights will turn on when the
switch is rotated to the second position.
Your vehicle is equipped with plastic headlight lenses
that are lighter and less susceptible to stone breakage
than glass headlights.
Plastic is not as scratch resistant as glass and therefore
different lens cleaning procedures must be followed.
To minimize the possibility of scratching the lenses and
reducing light output, avoid wiping with a dry cloth. To
remove road dirt, wash with a mild soap solution fol-
lowed by rinsing.
Do not use abrasive cleaning components, solvents, steel
wool or other abrasive materials to clean the lenses.
Headlight Switch Location
134 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Headlight Delay
To aid in your exit, your vehicle is equipped with a
headlight delay that will leave the headlight on for
60 seconds. This delay is initiated when the ignition is
turned OFF while the headlight switch is on, and then the
headlight switch is cycled off. The headlights will remain
on for 60 seconds. Headlight delay can be cancelled by
either turning the headlight switch on then off, or by
turning the ignition ON.
Lights-on Reminder
If the headlights, parking lights, courtesy lights or cargo
lights are left on, after the ignition is turned OFF, a chime
will sound when the driver’s door is opened.
Daytime Running Lights — If Equipped
The headlights on your vehicle will illuminate when the
engine is started, the transmission is out of the PARK
position and the parking brake is released. This provides
a constantlights on condition until the ignition is turned OFF. The lights illuminate at less than normal
intensity. If the parking brake is applied or the transmis-
sion is in the PARK position, the Daytime Running Lights
(DRL) will turn off.
Fog Lights — If Equipped
The Fog Lights are turned on by placing the
headlight rotary control in the parking light or
headlight position and pushing on the headlight
rotary control. The fog lights will operate only when the
parking lights are on, or when the vehicle headlights are
on low beam. An indicator light located in the instrument
cluster will illuminate when the fog lights are on. The fog
lights will turn off when the switch is pushed a second
time, also when the headlight switch is rotated to the off
position, or the high beam is selected.
Interior Lights
Courtesy and dome lights are turned on when the front
doors are opened, when the dimmer control (rotating
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 135

wheel on the right side of the switch) is rotated to the
second upward detent position, or if equipped, when the
UNLOCK button is pressed on the Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) transmitter. When a door is open and the interior
lights are on, rotating the dimmer control all the way
down to the OFF detent will cause all the interior lights to
go out. This is also known as thePartymode because it
allows the doors to stay open for extended periods of
time without discharging the vehicle’s battery.
The brightness of the instrument panel lighting can be
regulated by rotating the dimmer control up (brighter) or
down (dimmer). When the headlights are on you can
supplement the brightness of the odometer, trip odom-
eter, radio and overhead console by rotating the control
up until you hear a click. This feature is termed the
“Parade” mode and is useful when headlights are re-
quired during the day. If the dimmer control is not in this
position, the audio display may be difficult to read if the
headlights are on during the daytime. NOTE:
Club Cab/Quad Cab models may have an
optional switched dome lamp that is operated by press-
ing the lens.
Multifunction Lever
The multifunction lever is located on the left side of the
steering column.
Dimmer Control
136 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Turn Signals
Move the multifunction lever up or down and the arrows
on each side of the instrument cluster flash to show
proper operation of the front and rear turn signal lights.NOTE:•If either light remains on and does not flash, or there is
a very fast flash rate, check for a defective outside light
bulb. If an indicator fails to light when the lever is
moved, it would suggest that the indicator bulb is
defective.
•If a turn signal has been left on for a minimum of
1 mile (1.6 km), a continuous chime will sound.
Lane Change Assist
Tap the lever up or down once, without moving beyond
the detent, and the turn signal (right or left) will flash
three times then automatically turn off.
Flash-To-Pass
You can signal another vehicle with your headlights by
partially pulling the multifunction lever toward the steer-
ing wheel. This will turn on the high beam headlights
until the lever is released.
Signaling Turns
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High/Low Beam Switch
Pull the multifunction lever fully toward the steering
wheel to switch the headlights from high or low beam.
Battery Saver
To protect the life of your vehicle’s battery, Load Shed-
ding is provided for both the interior and exterior lights.
If the ignition is OFF and any door is left ajar for
15 minutes or the dimmer control is rotated upwards for
15 minutes, the interior lights will automatically turn off.
If the headlights remain on while the ignition is cycled
OFF, the exterior lights will automatically turn off after
eight minutes. If the headlights are turned on and left on
for eight minutes while the ignition is OFF, the exterior
lights will automatically turn off.
NOTE:Battery Saver mode is cancelled if the ignition is
ON.
High/Low Beam
138 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE