instrument panel DODGE DURANGO 2005 2.G User Guide

sensors, a fault will occur which turns on both the PAD
Indicator Light and the Airbag Warning Light. Once the
lodged object is removed, the fault will be automatically
cleared after a short period of time.
•TheDriver and Passenger Airbag/Inflator Unitsare
located in the center of the steering wheel and the right
side of the instrument panel. When the ORC detects a
collision requiring the airbags, it signals the inflator
units. A large quantity of nontoxic gas is generated to
inflate the front airbags. Different airbag inflation rates
may be possible based on collision severity and occu-
pant size. The steering wheel hub trim cover and the
upper right side of the instrument panel separate and
fold out of the way as the bags inflate to their full size.
The bags fully inflate in about 50 - 70 milliseconds.
This is about half of the time it takes to blink your eyes.
The bags then quickly deflate while helping to restrain
the driver and front passenger. The driver’s front
airbag gas is vented through vent holes in the sides ofthe airbag. The passenger’s front airbag gas is vented
through vent holes in the sides of the airbag. In this
way the airbags do not interfere with your control of
the vehicle.•TheOccupant Classification Module (OCM)is lo-
cated beneath the front passenger seat. The OCM
classifies the occupant into categories based on the
measurements made by the seat weight sensors. The
OCM communicates with the Occupant Restraint Con-
troller (ORC). The ORC uses the occupant category to
determine whether the front passenger airbag should
be turned off. It also determines the rate of airbag
inflation during a collision.
•Your vehicle has fourWeight Sensorslocated between
the seat and the floor pan. The weight sensors measure
applied weight and transfers that information to the
OCM.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47
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Maintaining Your Airbag System
WARNING!
•Modifications to any part of the airbag system could cause it to fail when you
need it. You could be injured if the airbag system is not there to protect you.
Do not modify the components or wiring, including adding any kind of
badges or stickers to the steering wheel hub trim cover or the upper right side
of the instrument panel. Do not modify the front bumper, vehicle body
structure, or add aftermarket side steps or running boards.
•Do not attempt to modify any part of your advanced airbag system. The
airbag may inflate accidentally or may not function properly if modifications
are made. Take your vehicle to an authorized dealer for any advanced airbag
system service. If your seat including your trim cover and cushion needs to
be serviced in any way (including removal or loosening/tightening of seat
attachment bolts), take the vehicle to your authorized dealer. Only manufac-
turer approved seat accessories may be used. If it is necessary to modify an
advanced airbag system for persons with disabilities, contact your autho-
rized dealer.
•Do not place or hang any items such as add-on video players on the right
front passenger seat back. The additional weight may cause the Occupant
Classification System to be unable to correctly classify the right front
occupant. This could allow the passenger frontal airbag to inflate when it is
not desired.
•You need proper knee impact protection in a collision. Do not mount or
locate any aftermarket equipment on or behind the knee bolsters.
•It is dangerous to try to repair any part of the airbag system yourself. Be sure
to tell anyone who works on your vehicle that it has an airbag system.
Enhanced Accident Response System
If the airbags deploy after an impact and the electrical
system remains functional, vehicles equipped with
power door locks will unlock automatically. In addition,
approximately 5 seconds after the vehicle has stopped
moving, the interior lights will light until the ignition
switch is turned off.
Airbag Light
You will want to have the airbags ready to
inflate for your protection in an impact. While
the airbag system is designed to be mainte-
nance free, if any of the following occurs, have
an authorized dealer service the system promptly:
•The airbag light does not come on or flickers during
the 6 to 8 seconds when the ignition switch is first
turned on.
•The light remains on or flickers after the 6 to 8 second
interval.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 51
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Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle
Seat Belts
Inspect the belt system periodically, checking for cuts,
frays and loose parts. Damaged parts must be replaced
immediately. Do not disassemble or modify the system.
Seat belt assemblies must be replaced after an accident if
they have been damaged (bent retractor, torn webbing,
etc.). If there is any question regarding belt or retractor
condition, replace the belt.
Defrosters
Check operation by selecting the defrost mode and place
the blower control on high speed. You can feel the air
directed against the windshield.
Safety Checks You Should Make Outside The
Vehicle:
Tires
Examine tires for tread wear or uneven wear patterns.
Check for stones, nails, glass or other objects lodged in
the tread.
Inspect for tread cuts or sidewall cracks. Check wheel
nuts for tightness and tires for proper pressure.
Lights
Have someone observe the operation of exterior lights as
you turn them on. Check turn signal and high beam
indicator lights on the instrument panel.
Door Latches
Check for positive closing, latching and locking.
66 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING 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.
Illuminated Vanity Mirrors — If Equipped
An illuminated vanity mirror is on each sun visor. To use
the mirror, rotate the sun visor down and swing the
mirror cover upward. The lights will turn on automati-
cally. Closing the mirror cover turns off the light.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
ignition will deactivate the heated mirrors.
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 77
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4 - Way Passenger’s Power Seat — If Equipped
The front passenger’s power seat switches are located on
the right side of the passenger seat lower side trim. The
bottom switch controls forward/rearward adjustment.
The top switch controls the seatback recline adjustment.
NOTE:The 4 - way seat does not have an up/down
adjustment.
Front Heated Seats — If Equipped
This feature heats the driver and front passenger seats.
The controls for the front heated seats are located on the
center of the instrument panel, below the climate con-
trols. The heated seat system allows the driver and front
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 105
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the seat is positioned rearward enough and no benefit
from moving the seat any farther rearward.
NOTE:The Easy Exit Easy Entry feature is not enabled
when delivered from the factory. The Easy Exit Easy
Entry feature may be enabled (or later disabled) by a
qualified DaimlerChrysler service representative.
Tilt Mirrors in Reverse
This additional feature provides automatic outside mir-
ror positioning which will aid the driver’s view of the
ground rearward of the front doors. The outside mirrors
will move slightly downward from the present position
when the vehicle is shifted into Reverse position. The
outside mirrors will then return to the original position
when the vehicle is shifted out of Reverse position. Each
stored memory setting will have an associated Tilt Mir-
rors in Reverse position.
NOTE:The Tilt Mirrors in Reverse feature is not en-
abled when delivered from the factory. The Tilt Mirrors inReverse feature may be enabled (or later disabled) by a
qualified DaimlerChrysler service representative.
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.
118 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Interior Lights
Courtesy and dome lights are turned on when the front
doors are opened, when the dimmer control (rotating
wheel on the right side of the switch) is rotated to the
second upward detent position, or when the UNLOCK
button is pressed on the key fob. When a door is open
and the interior lights are on, rotating the dimmer controlall the way down to the OFF detent will cause all the
interior lights to go out. This 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
Parademode and is useful when headlights are re-
quired during the day.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 eight
minutes or the dimmer control is rotated upwards for 15
minutes, the interior lights will automatically turn off.
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 121
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Headlights, Parking Lights, Panel Lights
When the headlight switch is rotated to the first position
to the right, 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.
Illuminated Entry
Headlights turn on for 90 seconds, when the Remote
Keyless Entry UNLOCK button is pressed.
NOTE:This feature can be activated by your authorized
dealer.
Daytime Running Lights (Canada Only)
The headlights on your Durango will illuminate when
the engine is started. This provides a constant “Lights
ON” condition until the ignition is turned OFF. The lights
illuminate at reduced intensity. If the parking brake is
applied the Daytime Running Lights will turn off. If the
headlights are activated, the Daytime Running Lights
feature will transition to the normal headlight operating
mode.
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 123
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the rear windows open, open the front and rear windows
together to minimize the buffeting. If the buffeting occurs
with the sunroof open, adjust the sunroof opening to
minimize the buffeting or open any window.
Sunroof Maintenance
Use only a nonabrasive cleaner and a soft cloth to clean
the glass panel.
ELECTRICAL POWER OUTLETS
This vehicle has three auxiliary power outlets that can
provide up to 20 Amps of current for accessories de-
signed for use with the standard power outlet adapters.
The outlet located in the lower portion of the instrument
panel has a snap on a plastic cap so that it can be covered
when not in use. As a safety precaution, the outlet in the
instrument panel only operates with the ignition switch
ON. When the optional Cigar Lighter heating element isused, it heats when pushed in and pops out automati-
cally when ready for use.To preserve the heating
element, do not hold the lighter in the heating position.
There are two additional 12 V/(20 total Amps for both
outlets) power outlets, one located in the storage bin of
the center console and another located in the right rear
cargo area. These outlets can be reconfigured by the
customer to operate only when the ignition is ON
(switched battery fed) or with the ignition ON or OFF
(battery fed) to allow for cellular telephone charging and
or operation while the ignition is off.
NOTE:All accessories connected to these outlets should
be removed or turned OFF when the vehicle is not in use
to protect the battery against discharge (unless the cus-
tomer has reconfigured the fuse block to switched battery
feed).
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 151
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•Removable CD bin
The coin slots are located under the instrument panel
center stack.
Cup Holders
The Durango has 8 cupholders. Four are located in the
center console, two are located in the second row armrest,
and two are located in the right hand quarter panel forthird row occupants. The four cupholders located in the
center console may be removed for cleaning and are
dishwasher safe.
Power Outlet and Portable Phone Storage
The console is equipped with a power outlet, portable
phone storage bin, and phone cord routing. The phone
storage bin can be used when easy access to the phone is
needed. Also, the power outlet inside the console com-
partment can be used to power up the phone while it is
being stored in the bin. To use, plug in the portable power
recharge cord and place the cord along the opening
under the forward portion of the storage bin. Close the
console armrest lid and plug the power cord into the
phone while resting the phone in the bin. The power
outlet may be used for any portable item with a standard
12 volt power outlet adaptor, requiring up to 20 Amps of
current. The power outlet is on all the time.
154 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE