DODGE NITRO 2011 1.G Owners Manual

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 is 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.
Recliner Adjustment
The rear seatback also reclines for additional passenger
comfort. Pull the release strap while sitting in the rear
seat to recline the seatback.
Rear Seatback Release Strap
148 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

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,
which could result in serious injury or death.
TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE HOOD
To open the hood, there are two latches that must be
released.
1. Pull the hood release lever located under the left side
of the instrument panel.
Hood Release Lever
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 149

2. Push the safety latch lever to the right. It is located
between the grille and hood opening left of the center.
CAUTION!
To prevent possible damage:(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
•Do not slam the hood to close it.
•Lower the hood to approximately 6 in (15.2 cm)
above the closed position and drop the hood to
latch it.
•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!
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.Safety Latch
150 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

LIGHTS
Multifunction Lever
The multifunction lever controls the operation of the
parking lights, headlights, headlight beam selection,
passing light, fog lights, instrument panel light dimming
and turn signals. The multifunction lever is located on
the left side of the steering column.
Headlights and Parking Lights
Turn the end of the multifunction lever to the first detent
for parking lights and instrument panel lights. Turn to
the second detent for headlight operation.
Multifunction Lever
Headlight Switch
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 151

To change the brightness of the instrument panel lights,
rotate the center portion of the multifunction lever up or
down.
NOTE:If the driver’s door is left open, and the head-
lights or parking lights are left on, a chime will sound.
Daytime Running Lights — If Equipped
The high beam headlights will turn on as Daytime
Running Lights (DRL) and operate at lower intensity
whenever the ignition is ON, the engine is running, the
headlight switch is off, the parking brake is released and
the shift lever is in any position except PARK.
NOTE: The Daytime Running Lights will turn off
automatically when a turn signal is in operation and turn
on again when the turn signal is not operating.
Lights-On Reminder
If the headlights or parking lights are on after the ignition
is turned OFF, a chime will sound when the driver’s door
is opened.
High/Low Beam Switch
Push the multifunction lever away from you to switch
the headlights to high beams. Pull the lever toward you
to switch the headlights back to low beams.
Flash-to-Pass
You can signal another vehicle with your headlights by
lightly pulling the multifunction lever toward the steer-
ing wheel. This will turn on the high beam headlights
until the lever is released.
Front Fog Lights — If Equipped
The front fog light switch is in the multifunction
lever. To activate the front fog lights, turn on the
parking or low beam headlights and pull out the
end of the lever.
152 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

NOTE:The fog lights will only operate with the parking
lights or the headlights on low beam. Selecting high
beam headlights will turn off the fog lights.
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.
Fog Light Operation
Turn Signal Operation
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 153

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.
•A tone will chime if the turn signals are left on for
more than 1 mile (2 km).
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.
Instrument Panel Dimmer
Rotate the center portion of the lever to the extreme
bottom position to fully dim the instrument panel lights
and prevent the interior lights from illuminating when a
door is opened.
Rotate the center portion of the lever up to increase the
brightness of the instrument panel lights when the park-
ing lights or headlights are on.
Rotate the center portion of the lever upward to the next
detent position to brighten the odometer and radio when
the parking lights or headlights are on.
Rotate the center portion of the lever upward to the last
detent to turn on the interior lighting.
154 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Interior Lights
The overhead light comes on when a door is opened. It
may also be turned on by rotating the control for the
dimmer switch on the multifunction lever fully upward.
The overhead light will automatically turn off in approxi-
mately 10 minutes if a door is left open or the dimmer
control is left in the dome light position and the key is not
in the ignition. Turn the ignition switch ON to restore the
overhead light operation.
Daytime Brightness Feature
Certain instrument panel components (odometer, radio
display) can be illuminated at full brightness during the
daytime. This can be helpful when driving with your
headlights on during the daytime, such as in a parade or
a funeral procession. To activate this feature, rotate the
left stalk one detent lower than the dome light.
Dimmer Control
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 155

WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND WASHERS
The windshield wiper/washer control lever is located on
the right side of the steering column. The front wipers are
operated by rotating a switch, located at the end of the
lever. For information on using the rear window wiper/
washer, refer to “Rear Window Features” in “Under-
standing the Features of Your Vehicle”.
Windshield Wiper Operation
Rotate the end of the lever upward to the second detent
past the intermittent settings for low-speed wiper opera-
tion.
Rotate the end of the lever upward to the third detent
past the intermittent settings for high-speed wiper opera-
tion.
Wiper/Washer LeverFront Wiper Control
156 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

NOTE:The wipers will automatically return to the
“park” position if you turn OFF the ignition switch while
they are operating. The wipers will resume operation
when you turn the ignition switch back to the ON
position.
CAUTION!
•Turn the windshield wipers off when driving
through an automatic car wash. Damage to the
windshield wipers may result if the wiper control
is left in any position other than off.
•In cold weather, always turn off the wiper switch
and allow the wipers to return to the “Park”
position before turning off the engine. If the wiper
switch is left on and the wipers freeze to the
windshield, damage to the wiper motor may occur
when the vehicle is restarted.
(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
•Always remove any buildup of snow that prevents
the windshield wiper blades from returning to the
off position. If the windshield wiper control is
turned off and the blades cannot return to the off
position, damage to the wiper motor may occur.
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