lock DODGE NITRO 2007 1.G Owner's Guide

Fold Flat Front Passenger Seat
The front passenger seat can be folded flat to allow for
extended cargo space. Pull up on the lever to fold down
the seat back.
Head Restraints
Head restraints can reduce the risk of whiplash injury in
the event of impact from the rear. Adjustable head
restraints should be adjusted so that the upper edge is as
high as practical. The head restraints have a locking
button that must be pushed inward to lower the head
restraint. The head restraints may be raised without
pushing in the button.
Heated Seats — If Equipped
Heated seats provide comfort and warmth on cold days
and can help soothe sore muscles and backs. The heaters
provide the same heat level for both cushion and back.
The front driver and passenger seats are heated. The
controls for each heater are located near the bottom
center of the instrument panel. After turning on the
ignition, you can choose from High, Low, or Off heat
settings. Amber LEDs in the top portion of each switch
Fold Flat Passenger Seat
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 113
3

4. If desired, push down on the seatback to lock it in the
folded position.
To Raise Rear Seat
If locked in the folded position, pull the release strap
(toward the front of the vehicle).
Raise the seatback and lock it into place. If interference
from the cargo area prevents the seatback from fully
locking, you will have difficulty returning the seat to its
proper position.
WARNING!
Be certain that the seatback is securely locked into
position. If the seatback in not securely locked into
position the seat will not provide the proper stability
for child seats and/or passengers. An improperly
latched seat could cause serious injury.
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
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 117
3

Then push the safety latch lever to the left. It is located
between the grille and hood opening right of the center.
To prevent possible damage, do not slam the hood to
close it. Use a firm downward push at the center frontedge of the hood to ensure that both latches engage.
Never drive your vehicle unless the hood is fully closed,
with both latches engaged.
NOTE:Ensure hood prop rod is fully seated into clip
before closing hood to prevent damage to grille.
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.
Underhood Safety Latch
118 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

TILT STEERING COLUMN
To tilt the column, push down on the lever under the
multi-function control lever and move the wheel up or
down, as desired. Pull the lever back upwards to lock the
column firmly in place.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.
Tilt Steering Column
124 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

On steep hills a greater speed loss or gain may occur so
it may be preferable to drive without speed control.
ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM
Your vehicle is equipped with an advanced electronic
brake control system that includes ABS (Anti-Lock Brake
System), TCS (Traction Control System), BAS (Brake
Assist System), ERM (Electronic Roll Mitigation) and ESP
(Electronic Stability Program). All five systems work
together to enhance vehicle stability and control in vari-
ous driving conditions are commonly referred to as ESP.
ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System)
This system aids the driver in maintaining vehicle control
under adverse braking conditions. The system controls
hydraulic brake pressure to prevent wheel lock-up and
help avoid skidding on slippery surfaces during braking.
Refer to “Anti-Lock Brake System” in Section 5 of this
manual for more information about ABS.
WARNING!
ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System) cannot prevent the
natural laws of physics from acting on the vehicle,
nor can it increase the traction afforded by prevail-
ing road conditions. ABS cannot prevent accidents,
including those resulting from excessive speed in
turns, driving on very slippery surfaces, or hydro-
planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful driver
can prevent accidents. The capabilities of an ABS-
equipped vehicle must never be exploited in a reck-
less or dangerous manner which could jeopardize
the user’s safety or the safety of others.
128 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

TCS (Traction Control System)
This system monitors the amount of wheel spin of each of
the driven wheels. If wheel spin is detected, brake
pressure is applied to the slipping wheel(s) and engine
power is reduced to provide enhanced acceleration and
stability. A feature of the TCS system functions similar to
a limited slip differential and controls the wheel spin
across a driven axle. If one wheel on a driven axle is
spinning faster than the other, the system will apply the
brake of the spinning wheel. This will allow more engine
torque to be applied to the wheel that is not spinning.
This feature remains active even if TCS and ESP are in the
“Partial Off” mode. Refer to “ESP (Electronic Stability
Program)” in this section.
BAS (Brake Assist System)
The BAS is designed to optimize the vehicle’s braking
capability during emergency braking maneuvers. The
system detects an emergency braking situation by sens-
ing the rate and amount of brake application and then
applies optimum pressure to the brakes. This can help
reduce braking distances. The BAS complements the
anti-lock brake system (ABS). Applying the brakes very
quickly results in the best BAS assistance. To receive the
benefit of the system, you must apply continuous brak-
ing pressure during the stopping sequence. Do not
reduce brake pedal pressure unless braking is no longer
desired. Once the brake pedal is released, the BAS is
deactivated.
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 129
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2. Lift cover.
3. Flip cover over, and lock panel back into position.Utility Table — If Equipped
The cargo load floor can be converted into a utility table.
The maximum load capacity of the utility table is 100 lbs
(45 kg).
In order to use the utility table, use the following
procedure:
Load Floor
152 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

1. Push side mounted release handles (toward center of
vehicle) to release cover.
2. Lift the cover and remove from vehicle.
3. Flip the cover over, and remove table legs from their
retainers.4. Insert the legs into their corner positions.
5. Set the table on level ground.
CAUTION!
To avoid personal injury, do not stand or sit on the
table.
Rear Cargo Slide Out System (LOAD N GO)—If
Equipped
The sliding cargo load floor (LOAD N GO) slides back
and forth on steel tracks for convenience. The maximum
load capacity is 400 lbs (181 kg). The floor panel can stop
every 2 inches (50 mm) when the handle is released, to
lock the panel in position.
Floor Panel
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 153
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If the swing gate flip-up window is open or the swing
gate is open, connection to the rear window wiper is
interrupted preventing activation of the rear wiper blade.
When the swing gate flip-up window or the swing gate is
closed, the rear wiper switch or the ignition switch needs
to be turned OFF, and then to ON to restart the rear
wiper.
NOTE: The rear swing gate will lock while the rear
wiper is operating. The gate will stay locked until the
wiper is turned off and the gate is unlocked (by key,
lock switch, or key fob).
Adding Washer Fluid
The fluid reservoir for the windshield washers and the
rear window washer is shared. It is located in the front of
the engine compartment, and should be checked for fluidlevel at regular intervals. Fill the reservoir with wind-
shield washer solvent (not radiator antifreeze) and oper-
ate the system for a few seconds to flush out the residual
water.
Rear Window Defroster — If Equipped
The push-button is located on
the bottom of the blower con-
trol knob. Press this button to
turn on the rear window de-
froster, and the optional elec-
tric remote control heated
mirrors. An amber light
shows that the defroster is on.
The defroster will automatically turn off after about ten
minutes. For five more minutes of operation, press the
switch again. To prevent excessive battery drain, use the
defroster only when the engine is operating.
156 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

▫Electrical Disturbances..................191
▫AM Reception.......................191
▫FM Reception........................191

Sales Code REQ — AM/FM Stereo Radio
And 6–Disc CD/DVD Changer
(MP3/WMA Aux Jack)...................192
▫Operating Instructions - Radio Mode.......192
▫Operation Instructions - (Disc Mode For CD
And MP3/WMA Audio Play, DVD-Video)....200
▫Notes On Playing MP3/WMA Files........202
▫List Button
(DiscModeForMP3/WMAPlay)..........205
▫Info Button
(DiscModeForMP3/WMAPlay)..........205
Sales Code RES — AM/FM Stereo Radio With
CD Player (MP3 Aux Jack)................207
▫Operating Instructions - Radio Mode.......207
▫Operation Instructions - CD Mode For CD
And MP3 Audio Play..................212
▫NotesOnPlayingMP3Files .............215
▫List Button (CD Mode For MP3 Play).......217
▫Info Button (CD Mode For MP3 Play).......217

Sales Code RER — AM/FM/CD/DVD Radio
With Navigation System — If Equipped.......219
▫Operating Instructions — Satellite Radio.....219
▫Clock Setting Procedure.................219

Satellite Radio — If Equipped..............221
▫System Activation.....................221
160 INSTRUMENT PANEL AND CONTROLS