belt DODGE NITRO 2011 1.G Service Manual

Front Manual Seat Adjustment
For models equipped with manual seats, the driver and
passenger seats can be adjusted forward or rearward by
using a bar by the front of the seat cushion, near the floor.While sitting in the seat, lift up on the bar located and
move the seat forward or rearward. Release the bar once
you have reached the desired position. Then, using body
pressure, move forward and rearward on the seat to be
sure that the seat adjusters have latched.
WARNING!
•Adjusting a seat while driving may be dangerous.
Moving a seat while driving could result in loss of
control which could cause a collision and serious
injury or death.
•Seats should be adjusted before fastening the seat
belts and while the vehicle is parked. Serious
injury or death could result from a poorly adjusted
seat belt.
Manual Seat Adjustment
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 139

Front Seat — Manual Recline
To recline the seatback, lift the recline lever, located on
the outboard side of the seat, lean back and release the
lever when you reach the desired position.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.
Fold-Flat Front Passenger Seat
The front passenger seatback can be folded flat to allow
for extended cargo space. Pull up on the lever to fold
down the seatback.
Seatback Release Lever
140 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

60/40 Split Folding Rear Seat with Fold-Flat
Feature
To provide additional storage area, each rear seat can be
folded flat to allow for extended cargo space and still
maintain some rear seating room.
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.
NOTE:
•Prior to folding the rear seat, it may be necessary to
reposition the front seat to its mid-track position.
•Be sure that the front seats are fully upright and
positioned forward. This will allow the rear seat to
fold down easily.
Rear Seat Release Strap
146 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
•It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people
riding in these areas are more likely to be seri-
ously injured or killed.
•Do not allow people to ride in any area of your
vehicle that is not equipped with seats and seat
belts.
•Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
To Lower Rear Seat
1. Locate the release strap on the lower outboard side of
each rear seatback.
2. Pull the release strap (toward the front of the vehicle).3. Fold the rear seat completely forward.
4. Push down on the seatback to lock it in the folded
position.
Rear Seat Release Strap
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 147

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
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 149

WARNING!
•Never leave unattended children in a vehicle with
the key in the ignition switch. Occupants, particu-
larly unattended children, can become entrapped
by the power sunroof while operating the power
sunroof switch. Such entrapment may result in
serious injury or death.
•In a collision, there is a greater risk of being
thrown from a vehicle with an open sunroof. You
could also be seriously injured or killed. Always
fasten your seat belt properly and make sure all
passengers are properly secured too.
•Do not allow small children to operate the sun-
roof. Never allow your fingers, other body parts, or
any object to project through the sunroof opening.
Injury may result.
Opening Sunroof — Express
Press the switch rearward and release it within one-half
second and the sunroof will open automatically from any
position. The sunroof will open fully and stop automati-
cally. This is called “Express Open”. During Express
Open operation, any movement of the sunroof switch
will stop the sunroof.
Opening Sunroof — Manual Mode
To open the sunroof, press and hold the switch rearward
to full open. Any release of the switch will stop the
movement and the sunroof will remain in a partially
opened condition until the switch is pushed and held
rearward again.
176 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
Cargo tie-down hooks are not safe anchors for a child
seat tether strap. In a sudden stop or accident a hook
could pull loose and allow the child seat to come
loose. A child could be badly injured. Use only the
anchors provided for child seat tethers.
WARNING!
The weight and position of cargo and passengers can
change the vehicle center of gravity and vehicle
handling. To avoid loss of control resulting in per-
sonal injury, follow these guidelines for loading your
vehicle:
•Do not carry loads which exceed the load limits
described on the label attached to the left door or
left door center pillar.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Always place cargo evenly on the cargo floor. Put
heavier objects as low and as far forward as
possible.
•Place as much cargo as possible in front of the rear
axle. Too much weight or improperly placed
weight over or behind the rear axle can cause the
vehicle to sway.
•Do not pile luggage or cargo higher than the top of
the seatback. This could impair visibility or be-
come a dangerous projectile in a sudden stop or
accident.
•To help protect against personal injury, passengers
should not be seated in the rear cargo area. The
rear cargo space is intended for load carrying
purposes only, not for passengers, who should sit
in seats and use seat belts.
186 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
A hot engine cooling system is dangerous. You or
others could be badly burned by steam or boiling
coolant. You may want to call an authorized dealer-
ship for service if your vehicle overheats. If you
decide to look under the hood yourself, see “Main-
taining Your Vehicle”. Follow the warnings under the
Cooling System Pressure Cap paragraph.
4. Low Fuel Light When the fuel level reaches approximately 2.0 gal
(7.8 L) this light will turn on, and remain on until
fuel is added.
5. Seat Belt Reminder Light When the ignition switch is first turned to ON/
RUN, this light will turn on for four to eight
seconds as a bulb check. During the bulb check, if
the driver’s seat belt is unbuckled, a chime will sound. After the bulb check or when driving, if the driver’s seat
belt remains unbuckled, the Seat Belt Reminder Light
will illuminate and the chime will sound. Refer to
“Occupant Restraints” in “Things To Know Before Start-
ing Your Vehicle” for further information.
6. Engine Temperature Warning Light
This light warns of an overheated engine condi-
tion. As temperatures rise and the gauge ap-
proaches H, this indicator will illuminate and a
single chime will sound after reaching a set threshold.
Further overheating will cause the temperature gauge to
pass H, the indicator will continuously flash and a
continuous chime will occur until the engine is allowed
to cool.
If the light turns on while driving, safely pull over and
stop the vehicle. If the A/C system is on, turn it off. Also,
shift the transmission into NEUTRAL and idle the ve-
hicle. If the temperature reading does not return to
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 199

STARTING PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust both
inside and outside mirrors, and fasten your seat belts.
WARNING!
Never leave children alone in a vehicle. Leaving
children in a vehicle unattended is dangerous for a
number of reasons. A child or others could be seri-
ously or fatally injured. Do not leave the keys in the
ignition. A child could operate power windows,
other controls, or move the vehicle.
Start the engine with the shift lever in the NEUTRAL or
PARK position. Apply the brake before shifting to any
driving range.
Normal Starting
NOTE: Normal starting of either a cold or a warm
engine is obtained without pumping or pressing the
accelerator pedal. Turn the ignition switch to the START position and
release when the engine starts. If the engine fails to start
within 10 seconds, turn the ignition switch to the LOCK
position, wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat the “Normal
Starting” procedure.
Tip Start Feature
Turn the ignition switch to START position and release it
as soon as the starter engages. The starter motor will
continue to run, but will automatically disengage itself
when the engine is running. If the engine fails to start, the
starter will disengage automatically in 10 seconds. If this
occurs, turn the ignition switch to the LOCK position,
wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat the “Normal Starting”
procedure.
Extreme Cold Weather (below –20°F or –29°C)
To ensure reliable starting at these temperatures, the use
of an externally powered electric engine block heater
(available from your authorized dealer) is recommended.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 291

CAUTION!
•It is essential when replacing the cables on the
battery that the positive cable is attached to the
positive post and the negative cable is attached to
the negative post. Battery posts are marked posi-
tive (+) and negative (-) and are identified on the
battery case. Cable clamps should be tight on the
terminal posts and free of corrosion.
•If a “fast charger” is used while the battery is in
the vehicle, disconnect both vehicle battery cables
before connecting the charger to the battery. Do
not use a “fast charger” to provide starting voltage.
Air Conditioner Maintenance
For best possible performance, your air conditioner
should be checked and serviced by an authorized dealer
at the start of each warm season. This service should
include cleaning of the condenser fins and a performance
test. Drive belt tension should also be checked at this
time.
CAUTION!
Do not use chemical flushes in your air conditioning
system as the chemicals can damage your air condi-
tioning components. Such damage is not covered by
the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
412 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE