2005 DODGE CARAVAN heating

IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS
In any of the following situations, you can reduce the
potential for overheating by taking the appropriate ac-
tion.
•On the highways—Slow down.
•In city traffic—While stopped, put transaxle in
neutral, but do not increase engine idle speed.
NOTE:There are steps that you can take to slow down
an impending overheat condition. If your air conditioner
is on, turn it off. The air conditioning system adds heat to
the engine cooling system and turning off the A/C
removes this heat. You can also turn the Temperature
control to maximum heat, the Mode control to floor, and
the fan control to High. This allows the heater core to act
as a supplement to the radiator and aids in removing heat
from the engine cooling system.
CAUTION!
Driving with a hot cooling system could damage
your vehicle. If temperature gauge reads“H”, pull
over and stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle with the
air conditioner turned off until the pointer drops
back into the normal range. If the pointer remains on
the“H”, turn the engine off immediately, and call for
service.
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 345
6

2. Slow down if road has standing water or puddles.
3. Replace tires when tread wear indicators first become
visible.
4. Keep tires properly inflated.
5. Maintain sufficient distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front to avoid a collision in a sudden stop.
FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand or snow, it
can often be moved by a rocking motion. Turn your
steering wheel right and left to clear the area around the
front wheels. Then shift back and forth between Reverse
and Drive. Usually the least accelerator pedal pressure to
maintain the rocking motion without spinning the
wheels is most effective.
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces gener-
ated by excessive wheel speeds may cause tire dam-
age or failure. A tire could explode and injure
someone. Do not spin your vehicle’s wheels faster
than 35 mph (55 km/h) when you are stuck. And
don’t let anyone near a spinning wheel, no matter
what the speed.
CAUTION!
Racing the engine or spinning the wheels too fast
may lead to transmission overheating and failure. It
can also damage the tires. Do not spin the wheels
above 35 mph (55 km/h).
368 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

NOTE:Intentional tampering with emissions control
systems can result in civil penalties being assessed
against you.
WARNING!
A hot exhaust system can start a fire if you park over
materials that can burn. Such materials might be
grass or leaves coming into contact with your ex-
haust system. Do not park or operate your vehicle in
areas where your exhaust system can contact any-
thing that can burn.
In unusual situations involving grossly malfunctioning
engine operation, a scorching odor may indicate severe
and abnormal catalyst overheating. If this occurs, the
vehicle should be stopped, the engine shut off and thevehicle allowed to cool. Thereafter, service, including a
tune-up to manufacturer’s specifications, should be ob-
tained immediately.
To minimize the possibility of catalyst damage:
•Do not shut off the engine or interrupt the ignition
when the transmission is in gear and the vehicle is in
motion.
•Do not try to start engine by pushing or towing the
vehicle.
•Do not idle the engine with any spark plug wires
disconnected or removed, such as when diagnostic
testing, or for prolonged periods during very rough
idling or malfunctioning operating conditions.
386 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

Door Locks, Automatic.................... 19
Door Opener, Garage..................... 159
Drive Belts............................ 383
Drive Shaft Universal Joints................ 391
Driving
On Slippery Surfaces.................... 367
DVD Player............................ 243
Electric Remote Mirrors.................... 94
Electrical Power Outlets................... 168
Electronic Speed Control................... 147
Electronic Vehicle Information Center......... 155
Emergency, In Case of
Hazard Warning Flasher................. 344
Jacking........................346,347,359
Jump Starting......................... 365
Overheating.......................... 345
Emission Control System Maintenance......377,426
Engine............................374,375Air Cleaner.......................... 385
Air Cleaner Filter...................... 384
Block Heater......................... 296
Break-In Recommendations................ 82
Checking Oil Level..................... 379
Compartment......................374,375
Coolant (Antifreeze).................... 422
Cooling............................. 394
Exhaust Gas Caution..................38,333
Fails to Start.......................293,295
Fuel Requirements..................330,421
Oil ...........................379,421,422
Oil Change Interval.................... 381
Oil Disposal.......................... 383
Oil Filler Cap......................... 382
Oil Filter Disposal...................... 383
Oil Selection.......................381,421
Oil Synthetic......................... 383
Overheating.......................... 345
462 INDEX

Monitor, Tire Pressure System............... 325
Mopar Parts.........................378,453
Multi-Function Control Lever............... 138
Navigation System....................... 240
New Vehicle Break-In Period................ 82
Occupant Restraints....................... 41
Octane Rating, Gasoline................... 330
Odometer............................. 203
Oil, Engine.........................379,422
Capacity............................ 421
Change Interval....................... 381
Checking............................ 379
Disposal............................ 383
Filter............................383,422
Filter Disposal........................ 383
Identification Logo..................... 382
Materials Added to..................... 383Recommendation...................381,421
Synthetic............................ 383
Viscosity..........................382,421
Onboard Diagnostic System..............376,377
Opener, Garage Door..................... 159
Operator Manuals (Owner’s Manuals)........... 4
Outside Rearview Mirrors.................. 92
Overdrive............................. 300
Overhead Console....................... 150
Overhead Travel Information Center.......... 150
Overheating, Engine...................201,345
Owner’s Manual.......................4,454
Panic Alarm............................ 23
Parking Brake.......................... 301
Parking On Hill......................... 301
Passing Light........................... 139
Pedals, Adjustable....................... 146
Pets, Transporting........................ 77
468 INDEX