2005 Dodge Dakota Owner Manual - Page 206

206 STARTING AND OPERATING Downshifting Moving from a high gear down to a lower gear is recommended to preserve brakes when driving down steep hills. In addition, downshifting at the right time provides better acceleration when you desire to resume speed. For acceleration at speeds less than 20 mph (30 km/h), 2nd gear is recommended. FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE OPERATION NV 233 Transfer Case Operating Information/Precautions The NV233 is an electric shift transfer case and is operated by the 4WD Control Switch (Transfer Case Switch), which is located on the instrument panel. The NV233 transfer case provides 4 mode positions: 2 (rear) wheel drive high range, 4 wheel drive high range, 4 wheel drive low range, and neutral. The NV233 transfer case is designed to be driven in the 2 wheel drive position (2WD) for normal street and highway conditions (dry hard surfaced roads). When additional traction is required, the transfer case 4HI and 4LO positions can be used to lock the front and rear driveshafts together and force the front and rear wheels to rotate at the same speed. This is accomplished by rotating the 4WD Control Switch to the desired CAUTION! When descending a hill, be very careful to downshift one gear at a time to prevent overspeeding the engine which can cause valve damage.