Dodge Stratus Coupe (2005 year). Manual

To accelerate for passing

Press the accelerator pedal as you would normally. When
you release the pedal, the cruise/speed control will
return to your set speed.

To deactivate

The cruise/speed control can be turned off as follows:

1. Push the main switch (A) at the end of the lever (Main
switch OFF).

2. Pull the cruise/speed control lever (B) toward you.

The cruise/speed control can be turned off automatically
in any of the following ways:

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STARTING AND DRIVING

3. By slightly tapping the brake pedal or pressing down
on it to slow your speed.

4. By pressing the clutch pedal down (for vehicles with
manual transaxle).

5. By moving the selector lever to “N” (for vehicles with
automatic transaxle).

6. When your speed slows to 10 mph (15km/h) or more
below the set speed because of a hill, etc.

7. When your speed slows to 25mph (40km/h) or less.

WARNING

• For vehicles with automatic transaxles, although

the cruise/speed control can be turned off by
moving the selector lever to the “N” position,
never move the selector lever to the “N” position
while driving. You would have no engine braking
and could cause a serious accident.

To resume the set speed

If the speed memory has not been erased, resume the
previously set speed by pulling the cruise/speed control
lever up while driving at a speed of 25 mph (40km/h) or
higher.

Under either of the following conditions, however, using
the switch does not allow you to resume the previously
set speed. In these situations, repeat the speed setting

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197

procedure:
(1) The ignition key is turned OFF.
(2) The main switch is turned OFF.

TRACTION CONTROL (IF SO EQUIPPED)

On slippery surfaces, traction control system prevents the
drive wheels (front wheels) from excessive spinning,
during starting or while accelerating in turns on slippery
roads.

NOTE

• The traction control system functions at speeds

below about 25mph (40km/h).

• Some vibration will be felt in the vehicle body and a

whining sound of a motor will be heard from the
engine compartment when the traction control sys-
tem functions. This is a normal result of the traction
control system operation, and does not indicate a
malfunction.

Driving hints

1. Traction control system does not actively apply brakes.
Always decelerate the vehicle sufficiently before entering
corners or bends.

2. On snowy or icy roads, drive slowly using tire chains
or snow tires.

3. Never mix or use tires of different size since the
traction control system could function incorrectly and
make safe driving difficult.

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STARTING AND DRIVING

Warning light

When the ignition key is turned to “ON”, the warning
light illuminate and go out after a few seconds.

CAUTION

• If the warning light illuminates, a malfunction

may have occurred in the system.

When this happens, have your vehicle checked at an
authorized dealer.

CATALYTIC CONVERTER

The catalytic converter requires the use of unleaded fuel
only. Leaded gasoline will destroy the effectiveness of the
converter.

Under normal operating conditions the catalytic con-
verter does not require maintenance. However, it is
important to keep the engine properly tuned to assure
proper converter operation and prevent damage.

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199

CAUTION!

Damage to the catalytic converter can result if your
vehicle is not kept in proper operating condition. In
the event of an engine malfunction, particularly one
involving engine misfire or other apparent loss of
performance, have your vehicle serviced promptly.
Prolonged operation of your vehicle while it is
overheated may result in damage to the converter
and vehicle.

WARNING!

• Do not park or operate this vehicle in areas where

combustible materials such as dry grass or leaves
can come in contact with a hot exhaust, since a fire
could occur.

• Undercoating should not be applied to the cata-

lytic converter.

To minimize the possibility of catalytic converter dam-
age:

1. Use UNLEADED GASOLINE ONLY of the type rec-
ommended in “Fuel selection”.

2. Do not drive with an extremely low fuel level; running
out of fuel could damage the catalytic converter.

3. Do not shut off the engine or interrupt the ignition
when the transaxle is in gear and the vehicle is in motion.

4. Do not try to start the engine by pushing or towing the
vehicle. If the battery is weak or discharged, use jumper
cables to properly start the engine.

5. Do not idle the engine with any spark plug wires
disconnected or removed, such as when performing
diagnostic tests.

6. Do not idle the engine for prolonged periods if it is
idling roughly or otherwise obviously malfunctioning.

7. To prevent the catalytic converter from being dam-
aged due to unburned gas, do not race the engine when
turning off the ignition switch.

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STARTING AND DRIVING

8. Stop driving the vehicle if you think the performance
is noticeably less, or that there is unnecessary engine
miss, or any other engine trouble, such as with the
ignition, etc. If it is impractical to stop driving immedi-
ately, reduce the speed and drive for only a short time.
Have an inspection made by an authorized dealer as
soon as possible.

9. In an unusual event of a severe engine malfunction, a
scorching odor may indicate severe and abnormal cata-
lytic converter overheating. If this occurs, the vehicle
should be stopped in a safe place, the engine shut off and
the vehicle allowed to cool. Once the engine is cool, the
vehicle should immediately be taken to a dealer for
service.

VEHICLE PREPARATION BEFORE DRIVING

Before starting on a trip, perform the following checks to
obtain the greatest possible enjoyment and safety from
your vehicle:

Seat belts and seats

1. Before starting the vehicle, make certain that you and
all your passengers are seated and properly wearing the
seat belts (with children in the rear seat, in appropriate
restraints), and that all doors are locked.

2. Adjust the driver’s seat as far back as possible, while still
maintaining good visibility, and good control of the steering
wheel, brakes, accelerator, and controls. Examine the instru-
ment panel indicators for any possible malfunction.

3. Have the front passenger adjust their seat as far
rearward as possible.

Defrosters

Check operation by selecting the defroster mode and set
the blower switch for high speed operation. You should
be able to feel the air directed against the windshield.
(See “Heater /Air conditioning” page 238.)

Tires

Examine all tires for excessive 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.

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201

Check wheel nuts for tightness and tires (including spare
tire) for proper pressure. Maintain specified tire inflation
pressures. Replace tires before they are excessively worn.

Lights

Have someone observe the operation of all exterior lights
while you activate the controls. Check the turn signals
and highbeam indicators on the instrument panel.

Fluid leaks

Check the area under the vehicle after overnight parking
for fuel, water, oil, or other fluid leaks. Make sure all fluid
levels are at the proper levels. Also, if fuel leaks are
detected, the cause should be located and corrected
immediately.

Driver

Do not drive if you are tired or sleepy. Do not drive if you
have been drinking or taking drugs. Unless you are alert
and able to concentrate on your driving, you could have
an accident, resulting in serious or fatal injury to yourself
and others.

SAFE DRIVING TECHNIQUES

Even this vehicle’s safety equipment, and your safest
driving, cannot guarantee that you can avoid accident or
injury. However, we recommend that you give extra
attention to the following, to help maximize the safety of
you and your passengers:

1. Drive defensively. Be aware of traffic, road and
weather conditions. Leave adequate stopping distance
for your vehicle.

2. Before changing lanes, check your mirrors and flash
the proper turn-signal light.

3. While driving, watch the behavior of other drivers,
bicyclists and pedestrians.

4. During an emergency stop, switch on the hazard
warning flasher.

5. When leaving the vehicle, set the parking brake and
place the gearshift lever into low gear.
In vehicles with an automatic transaxle, place the selector
lever in the “P” (PARK) position. Remove the key.

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6. Always obey applicable laws and regulations. Be a
courteous and alert driver.
Always leave room for unexpected events, such as sud-
den braking.

7. Never drive when you are sleepy or fatigued. Never
drive under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medica-
tion.

8. Never leave the engine running while you take a short
sleep/rest. Leaving the engine running while sleeping
risks injury or death from accidentally moving the gear-
shift lever or the accumulation of toxic exhaust fumes in
the passenger compartment.

DRIVING, ALCOHOL AND DRUGS

Drunk driving is one of the most frequent causes of
accidents.
Your driving ability can be seriously impaired even with
blood alcohol levels far below the legal minimum. If you
have been drinking, don’t drive. Ride with a designated
non-drinking driver, call a cab, a friend, or use public
transportation. Drinking coffee, or taking a cold shower,
will not make you sober.

Similarly, prescription and nonprescription drugs affect
your alertness, perception and reaction time. Consult
with your doctor or pharmacist.

WARNING!

NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE.
Your perceptions are less, your reflexes slower and
your judgment impaired.

WARNING!

Driving after drinking alcohol can lead to an acci-
dent. Your perceptions are less sharp, your reflexes
are slower, and your judgment is impaired when you
have been drinking.
NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE.

TIPS FOR DRIVING IN VARIOUS CONDITIONS

1. Your front bumper fascia may become damaged if you
do not stop your vehicle prior to the bumper extending

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203

over curbs or parking stop blocks. Always use caution
when traveling up or down sharp inclines as your
bumper may contact the road surface.

2. Maintain specified tire inflation pressures. Replace
tires before they are excessively worn.

3. If you plan to drive in another country, comply with
the vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability
of the correct fuel.

OPERATION DURING COLD WEATHER

1. Check the battery, including terminals and cables.
During extremely cold weather, the battery capacity will
decrease. Also, the battery power level may drop because
more power is needed for cold starting and operation.
Before driving the vehicle, check to see if the engine runs
at the proper speed and if the headlights are at their usual
intensity. Charge or replace the battery if necessary.
During cold weather, it is possible that a discharged
battery could freeze.

WARNING!

The battery gives off explosive hydrogen gas. Any
spark or flame can cause the battery to explode,
which could seriously injury or kill you.
Always wear protective clothes and a face shield
when doing battery maintenance, or let a skilled
technician do it.

2. Manual transaxles may be more difficult to shift
during cold weather operation. This is normal and shift
effort will become easier as the transaxle reaches a
normal operating temperature.
Maintain low-speed operation at first to allow the trans-
axle oil to be distributed to all lubrication points.

3. Check the engine antifreeze.
If there is a shortage of coolant due to leakage or engine
overheating, add high-quality ethylene glycol antifreeze
and water. The recommended ratio is about 50% water
and 50% anti-freeze. This ratio provides adequate corro-
sion, boiling, and freeze protection.

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WARNING!

Never open the radiator cap when the radiator is hot.
You could be seriously burned.

TRAILER TOWING

Warranty Requirements

The Manufacturer’s Passenger Vehicle Warranty will
apply to vehicles used to tow trailers for non-commercial
use. However the following conditions must be met:

• The maximum trailer load for vehicles with manual

transaxles is 1,000 lbs (454 kg).

• The maximum trailer load for vehicles with automatic

transaxles is 1,000 lbs (454 kg).

• The maximum frontal area of the trailer cannot exceed

20 square feet (1.86 square meters).

• If using a manual transaxle vehicle for trailer towing,

all starts must be in FIRST gear to avoid excessive
clutch slippage.

The trailer tongue load must be considered as part of the
tow vehicle load capacity when loading the vehicle.

NOTE:

Check the automatic transmission fluid level

before towing. Fluid discoloration, or a burnt odor,
shows the need for transmission fluid replacement.

WARNING!

Connecting trailer brakes to your vehicle’s hydraulic
brake lines can overload your brake system and
cause it to fail. You might not have brakes when you
need them and could have an accident.

Whenever you pull a trailer, regardless of the trailer size,
stop lights and turn signals on the trailer are recom-
mended for motoring safety.

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FOR PLEASANT DRIVING

CONTENTS

m Sun visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

▫ To adjust the sun visor position . . . . . . . . . . . 211
▫ Vanity mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212

m Accessory socket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
m Cup holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
m Accessory boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215

▫ Glove compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
▫ Center console with lid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
▫ Trunk net (if so equipped) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

m Electronic digital clock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218

▫ Clock setting procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218

m General information about your radio . . . . . . . 218

▫ Signal transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

▫ Weak reception (fading) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
▫ Reflections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
▫ Cross modulation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
▫ FM stereo reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
▫ Causes of disturbances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220

m Whip antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
m AM Stereo & FM Stereo Radio With Graphic

Equalizer, Cassette Tape Player And CD Player
(if so equipped) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

▫ Operating Instructions - Radio Mode . . . . . . . 221
▫ Power Switch, Volume Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
▫ Seek Button (Radio Mode) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
▫ Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
▫ Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222

▫ Fade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
▫ Graphic Equalizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
▫ AM/FM Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
▫ Scan Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
▫ To Set The Radio Pushbutton Memory . . . . . . 223
▫ General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
▫ To Change From Clock To Radio Mode . . . . . . 223
▫ Tape Player Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
▫ Seek Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
▫ Fast Forward (FF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
▫ Rewind (RW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
▫ Tape Eject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
▫ Scan Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
▫ Changing Tape Direction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
▫ Metal Tape Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
▫ Pinch Roller Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

▫ Noise Reduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
▫ Operation Instructions—CD Player . . . . . . . . . 225
▫ Inserting The Compact Disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
▫ Seek Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
▫ EJT CD (Eject) Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
▫ FF/Tune/RW Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
▫ Program Button 4 (Random Play) . . . . . . . . . . 226
▫ Tape /CD Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
▫ Time Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
▫ Scan Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

m Cassette Tape And Player Maintenance . . . . . . 226
m AM/FM Stereo Radio With 4 Disc CD Changer

(if so equipped) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

▫ Operating Instructions - Radio Mode . . . . . . . 227
▫ Power Switch, Volume Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
▫ Seek Button (Radio Mode) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228

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▫ Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
▫ Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
▫ Fade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
▫ Tone Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
▫ MODE Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
▫ PTY (Program Type) Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
▫ Scan Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
▫ To Set The Pushbutton Memory . . . . . . . . . . . 229
▫ To Change From Clock To Radio Mode . . . . . . 229
▫ General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
▫ Operating Instructions — CD Changer . . . . . . 229
▫ Inserting the Compact Disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
▫ Seek Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
▫ FF /Tune/ RW Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
▫ Random Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
▫ Radio/CD Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230

▫ Time Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
▫ Scan Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
▫ Loading The CD Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
▫ Playing Discs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
▫ Removing Discs From The CD Changer . . . . . 231

m Steering wheel remote control switches (if so

equipped) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

▫ How to adjust the volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
▫ To listen to the audio system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
▫ To listen to the radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
▫ Automatic tuning the radio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
▫ To select the preset memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
▫ To listen to a tape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
▫ To listen to a CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
▫ Handling of compact discs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

m Radio operation and cellular phones . . . . . . . . 236

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209

m Vents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237

▫ Air flow rate and direction adjustments . . . . . . 237

m Air conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238

▫ Control panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
▫ Changing the blower speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
▫ Changing the temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
▫ Changing mode selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
▫ Changing air selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
▫ Air conditioning switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

▫ How to use the controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
▫ Defrosting or defogging of the windshield

and door windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246

▫ Important operation tips for air conditioning . . 249
▫ Air conditioning system refrigerant and

lubricant recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249

▫ During a long period of disuse . . . . . . . . . . . . 250

m Installation of accessories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250

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SUN VISORS

1. To reduce front glare.

2. To reduce side glare.

To adjust the sun visor position

1. Remove the holder (A) from the hook (B), then move
the sunvisor to the window.

2. Slide the sun visor and adjust the position.

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Dodge Stratus Coupe (2005 year). Manual - part 13