Dodge DURANGO 2021 Owner's Manual page 174

172 STARTING AND OPERATING
Maintenance
After driving through deep water, inspect your
vehicle fluids and lubricants (engine oil,
transmission oil, axle, transfer case) to ensure the
fluids have not been contaminated. Contaminated
fluid (milky, foamy in appearance) should be
flushed/changed as soon as possible to prevent
component damage.
Driving In Snow, Mud And Sand
In heavy snow, when pulling a load, or for
additional control at slower speeds, shift the
transmission to a low gear and shift the transfer
case to AWD Low if necessary Ú page 121.
Only shift into a lower gear to maintain forward
motion. Over-revving the engine can spin the
wheels and traction will be lost.
Avoid abrupt downshifts on icy or slippery roads,
because engine braking may cause skidding
and loss of control.
Hill Climbing
NOTE:
Before attempting to climb a hill, determine the
conditions at the crest and/or on the other side.
Before climbing a steep hill, shift the
transmission to a lower gear and shift the
transfer case to AWD Low. Use FIRST gear and
AWD Low for very steep hills.
If you stall or begin to lose forward motion while
climbing a steep hill, allow your vehicle to come
to a stop and immediately apply the brakes.
Restart the engine, and shift into REVERSE.
Back slowly down the hill, allowing the
compression braking of the engine to help
regulate the speed. If the brakes are required to
control vehicle speed, apply them lightly and
avoid locking or skidding the tires.
WARNING!
If the engine stalls, you lose forward motion,
or cannot make it to the top of a steep hill or
grade, never attempt to turn around. To do so
may result in tipping and rolling the vehicle.
Always back carefully straight down a hill in
REVERSE gear. Never back down a hill in
NEUTRAL using only the brake.
Remember, never drive diagonally across a hill;
always drive straight up or down.
If the wheels start to slip as you approach the
crest of a hill, ease off the accelerator and
maintain forward motion by turning the front
wheels slowly. This may provide a fresh "bite"
into the surface and will usually provide traction
to complete the climb.
Traction Downhill
Shift the transmission into a low gear, and the
transfer case into AWD Low. Let the vehicle go
slowly down the hill with all four wheels turning
against engine compression drag. This will
permit you to control the vehicle speed and
direction.
When descending mountains or hills, repeated
braking can cause brake fade with loss of
braking control. Avoid repeated heavy braking
by downshifting the transmission whenever
possible.