engine DODGE STRATUS COUPE 2004 2.G Owner's Guide

WARNING!
In order to reduce risk of serious or fatal injury in an
accident, always wear your own seat belt, and do not
allow anyone to ride in your vehicle unless he or she
is properly seated and wearing a seat belt. Children
should be properly seated and restrained in an
appropriate child restraint system.
Automatic transaxle indicator (if so equipped)
When the ignition key is turned to the ªONº position, the
indicator light illuminates to show the position of the
selector lever. (i.e. ªPARKº, ªDRIVEº, ªREVERSEº, etc.)
Traction Control System warning light
(if so equipped)
This light will illuminate in the event of a
malfunction in the traction control system.
It will also come on when the ignition key is
turned to the ªONº position and should go out after the
engine starts. (See9Traction control system9on page 194)
Washer fluid level indicator
This light will illuminate and the chime will
sound when the windshield washer level is
low. (approximately 0.1 gal/0.4 L) When
the light comes on, add fluid.
INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS 119
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COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, DIMMER AND
TURN SIGNAL LEVER
Headlights
Rotate the switch to operate the lights.
OFF - All lights off
- Parking, tail, front and rear side marker, license
plate and instrument panel lights on
- Headlights and other lights on
NOTE: Do not leave the headlights and other lamps on
for a long time while the engine is not running. A
discharged battery could result.
Light auto-cutout feature (headlights, fog lights,
etc.)
1. This feature will help prevent a discharged battery. If
the headlamps are left on ª
ºorªº when leaving
the vehicle (ignition key removed, in ªACCº or ªLOCKº
position), the lights will stay on for approximately 10
minutes and then turn off.
2. If the light switch is turned to ON ª
ºorªº
again, the light auto-cutout will not function and the
headlamps will stay on.
When you want to keep the lights on (time delay):
The lights can be made to stay on for about 60 seconds
after the driver leaves the vehicle. This feature provides
the safety of headlight illumination when leaving your
vehicle in an unlighted area.E11A0320
120 INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS

NOTE
1. If the headlights are switched to high beam, the fog
lights will go out; they will illuminate again when the
headlights are switched back to low beam.
2. If the light switch is rotated to OFF while the fog lights
are illuminated, they will automatically turn off. They
can be turned back on again by moving the light switch
back to ON and pressing the fog light switch again.
HAZARD WARNING FLASHER SWITCH
Press the flasher switch and the front and rear turn
signals will flash intermittently, as the hazard warning
lights. This is an emergency warning system and is not
intended for use when the vehicle is in motion.
If it is necessary to leave the vehicle, the flasher system
will continue to operate with the ignition key removed.
NOTE: If the lights are kept flashing for several hours,
the battery will be discharged (rundown), resulting in
hard engine starting or a no start condition.
E16A0520
124 INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS

It will turn off automatically in about 17 minutes.
To turn off the defogger before 17 minutes has lapsed,
push the switch again.
CAUTION!
²The rear window defroster is not designed to melt
snow. Remove snow before use of the rear win-
dow defroster.
²Use the rear window defroster only after the
engine has started and is running.
Be sure to turn the defroster switch off immedi-
ately after the window is clear in order to prevent
excessive battery discharge.
²Do not place stickers, tape or other items that are
attached with adhesive over the grid wires on the
rear window.
²When cleaning the inside rear window from in-
side, use a soft cloth and wipe lightly over the
heating wires.
WINDSHIELD WIPERS
The windshield wipers can be operated when the wiper
lever is moved as illustrated above and the ignition key is
in the ªONº or ªACCº position.
MIST = Misting function
The wipers will operate once
OFF = Off
INT = Speed sensitive
Interval between wipers varies in accordance
with vehicle speed
E13A1500
126 INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS

READING LIGHTS
1. Driver 's side
2. Passenger 's side
Push the right or left reading light switch (lens) to turn on
the light.
This light produces a spot beam for convenient use as a
map light at night.
Push the reading light switch again to turn the light off.
NOTE:
²If the reading lights are left on for prolonged periods of
time with the engine turned off, the battery will be
discharged (run down).G08C0070
E19A1280
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2
INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS 131
4

equipped). The transmitter operates off your vehicle's
battery and charging system; no batteries are needed.
For additional information on HomeLinky, call toll-free
for customer assistance at 1±800±355±3515, or on the
internet at www.homelink.com.
WARNING!
²A moving garage door can cause injury to people
and pets in the path of the door. People or pets
could be seriously or fatally injured. Only use this
transceiver with a garage door opener that has a
ªstop and reverseº feature as required by federal
safety standards. This includes most garage door
opener models manufactured before April 1, 1982.
Do not use a garage door opener without these
safety stop and reverse features it could cause
injury or death. Call toll-free for customer assis-
tance at 1±800±355±3515, or on the internet at
www.homelink.jci.com for safety information or
assistance.
Training The Universal Transceiver
For best results, install a new battery in the hand held
transmitter before programming. If your garage door
opener (located in the garage) is equipped with an
antenna, make sure that the antenna is hanging straight
down.
1. Turn off the engine.
WARNING!
²Vehicle exhaust contains carbon monoxide, a dan-
gerous gas. Do not run the vehicle's exhaust while
training the transceiver. Exhaust gas can cause
serious injury or death.
²Your motorized door or gate will open and close
while you are training the universal transceiver.
Do not train the transceiver if people or pets are in
the path of the door or gate. A moving door or gate
can cause serious injury or death to people and
pets or damage to objects.
2. Erase the factory test codes by pressing the two
outside buttons (A and B) on the universal transceiver.
INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLS 133
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STARTING AND DRIVING
CONTENTS
mBreak-in recommendations................144
mFuel selection.........................144
NGasoline additives.....................145
NOctane requirement....................145
NReformulated gasoline..................145
NGasoline/Oxygenate blends..............146
NMMT in gasoline......................146
NSulfur in gasoline......................146
NMaterials added to fuel..................147
NAdding fuel..........................147
mFuel economy.........................149
mIgnition switch........................149
mKey reminder chime....................150
mTheft protection........................151
mSteering lock..........................151
mStarting..............................151
NTips for starting.......................151
NNormal conditions.....................152
NFlooded engine.......................153
NAt extremely cold ambient temperature......153
mAutomatic transaxle (if so equipped)........153
NSelector lever operation.................154
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BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS
Advanced automobile manufacturing techniques permit
you to operate your new vehicle without experiencing a
long break-in period of low-speed driving.
However, you can add to the future performance and
economy of your vehicle by observing the following
precautions during the first 300 miles (500 km).
It is recommended that you drive your vehicle at mod-
erate speeds during the break-in period.
1. Avoid racing the engine.
2. Avoid harsh driving such as fast starts, sudden accel-
eration, prolonged high-speed driving and abrupt appli-
cation of the brakes. These operations not only have a
detrimental effect on the engine but also cause increased
fuel and oil consumption, which could result in malfunc-
tion of engine components. Be particularly careful to
avoid wide-open throttle acceleration in low gear.
3. Do not overload the vehicle. Observe the seating
capacity. (See ªWeightsº page 365)
4. Do not use this vehicle for trailer towing during the
break-in period.
FUEL SELECTION
Your vehicle is designed to use unleaded gasoline only. It
is equipped with a fuel filler tube especially designed to
accept only the smaller diameter unleaded gasoline dis-
pensing nozzle.
WARNING!
Gasoline is highly flammable and explosive. You can
be burned or seriously injured when handling it.
When refueling this vehicle, always turn the engine
off and keep flames, sparks, and smoking materials
away. Always handle fuel in well-ventilated outdoor
areas.
144 STARTING AND DRIVING

CAUTION!
Using leaded gasoline in your vehicle will damage
the engine, catalytic converter, and the oxygen sen-
sors. Further, using leaded gasoline is illegal, and
will void warranty coverage of the engine, catalytic
converter, and oxygen sensors.
Gasoline additives
Many fuel suppliers add detergents to their gasoline to
minimize fuel injector fouling and to control intake valve
deposits. These detergent gasolines are highly recom-
mended for use in your vehicle. They help keep your
engine in tune and your emission control system working
properly.
Octane requirement
2.4 liter engine model
Your vehicle is designed to operate on unleaded gasoline
having a minimum octane rating of 87 [(MON+RON)/2],
or 91 RON.
3.0 liter engine model
Your vehicle is designed to operate on regular grade
unleaded gasoline having a minimum octane rating of 87
[(MON+RON)/2], or 91 RON. If optimum performance
is wanted, it is recommended to use premium grade
unleaded gasoline having an octane rating of 91
[(MON+RON)/2], or 95 RON.
MON: Motor Octane Number
RON: Research Octane Number
Reformulated Gasoline
Many areas of the country require the use of cleaner
burning fuel referred to as ªReformulated Gasolineº.
Reformulated gasolines contain oxygenates, and are spe-
cially blended to reduce vehicle emissions and improve
air quality.
The manufacturer supports the use of reformulated gaso-
lines. Properly blended reformulated gasolines will pro-
vide excellent performance and durability of engine and
fuel system components.
STARTING AND DRIVING 145
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states adopting California emission standards, your ve-
hicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting Federal
specifications, but emission control system performance
may be adversely affected.
Gasoline sold outside of California is permitted to have
higher sulfur levels which may affect the performance of
the vehicle's catalytic converter. This may cause the
Check Engine Light to illuminate. The manufacturer
recommends that you try a different brand of unleaded
gasoline having lower sulfur to determine if the problem
is fuel related prior to returning your vehicle to an
authorized dealer for service.
CAUTION!
If the Malfunction Indicator Light (Service Engine
Soon) is flashing, immediate service is required. See
the On Board Diagnostics paragraph in the Mainte-
nance section of this manual.
Materials Added to Fuel
All gasoline sold in the United States is required to
contain effective detergent additives. Use of additional
detergents or other additives is not needed under normal
conditions and would result in additional cost. Therefore
you should not have to add anything to the fuel.
Adding Fuel
NOTE:
The fuel tank filler tube has a restricting door
about 2 inches (50 mm) down from the opening. If fuel is
poured from a portable container, the container should
have a flexible nozzle long enough to force open the
restricting door.
CAUTION!
To avoid fuel spillage and overfilling, do not ªtop
offº the fuel tank after filling.
NOTE:When the fuel nozzle ªclicksº or shuts off, the
fuel tank is full.
STARTING AND DRIVING 147
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