Dodge 2008 Dakota - Manual (Page 163)

PARKING BRAKE
The parking brake should be applied whenever the
driver is not in the vehicle.
The foot operated parking brake is positioned below the
lower left corner of the instrument panel.
To apply the parking brake: Place your foot on the
parking brake pedal and push firmly downward as far as
the pedal will go. When the parking brake is applied and
the ignition is ON, the BRAKE light in the instrument
cluster will light.
NOTE: The BRAKE light in the instrument cluster
indicates only that the parking brake is applied—it does
not indicate the degree of application.
To release the parking brake: Pull the parking brake
release handle towards you. The BRAKE light in the
instrument cluster will go out when the parking brake is
disengaged.
To park on a hill: You must make sure that the parking
brake is fully applied and the gear shift lever is in PARK
(for an automatic transmission) or in REVERSE or FIRST
(for a manual transmission). You should apply the park-
ing brake before shifting to PARK; otherwise, the load on
the transmission locking mechanism may make it diffi-
cult to move the shift lever out of the Park position.
When parking on a hill, turn the front wheels:
• Toward the curb on a downhill grade.
• Away from the curb on an uphill grade.
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