2009 DODGE CARAVAN maintenance

TABLE OF CONTENTSSECTIONPAGE
1INTRODUCTION.............................................................3
2THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE...............................9
3UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE...............................97
4UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL................................... 229
5STARTING AND OPERATING................................................. 321
6WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES...............................................409
7MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE............................................... 431
8MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES.................................................. 483
9IF YOU NEED CONSUMER ASSISTANCE..........................................501
10INDEX....................................................................511
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INTRODUCTION
This Owner’s Manual has been prepared with the assis-
tance of service and engineering specialists to acquaint
you with the operation and maintenance of your vehicle.
It is supplemented by a Warranty Information Booklet
and various customer-oriented documents. You are
urged to read these publications carefully. Following the
instructions and recommendations in this manual will
help assure safe and enjoyable operation of your vehicle.
NOTE: After you read the manual, it should be stored
in the vehicle for convenient reference and remain with
the vehicle when sold, so that the new owner will be
aware of all safety warnings.
When it comes to service, remember that your authorized
dealer knows your vehicle best, has the factory-trained
technicians and genuine Moparparts, and is interested
in your satisfaction.
HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL
Consult the Table of Contents to determine which section
contains the information you desire.
The detailed Index at the back of this Owner’s Manual
contains a complete listing of all subjects.
Consult the following table for a description of the
symbols that may be used on your vehicle or throughout
this Owner’s Manual:
4 INTRODUCTION
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WARNING!
The vehicle tether anchor is designed to be used with
a child restraint only. It should not be used for any
other purpose. Before use, inspect the tether anchor
strap for nicks, abrasions, discoloration, and loose
threads. If these or any other condition that might
affect the performance of the strap is observed, DO
NOT USE that strap. Personal injury may result.
Contact your authorized dealership for a replacement
part.
ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS
A long break-in period is not required for the engine in
your vehicle.
Drive moderately during the first 300 miles (500 km).
After the initial 60 miles (100 km), speeds up to 50 or
55 mph (80 or 90 km/h) are desirable.While cruising, brief full-throttle acceleration within the
limits of local traffic laws, contributes to a good break-in.
Wide-open throttle acceleration in low gear can be detri-
mental and should be avoided.
The engine oil installed in the engine at the factory is a
high-quality energy conserving type lubricant. Oil
changes should be consistent with anticipated climate
conditions under which vehicle operations will occur.
The recommended viscosity and quality grades are
shown under “Engine Oil”, under “Maintenance Proce-
dures” in section 7 of this manual. NON-DETERGENT
OR STRAIGHT MINERAL OILS MUST NEVER BE
USED.
A new engine may consume some oil during its first few
thousand miles (kilometers) of operation. This should be
considered as a normal part of the break-in and not
interpreted as an indication of difficulty.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 93
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Ignition OFF Operation
The power sunroof switch will remain active for 10 min-
utes after the ignition switch is turned OFF. Opening
either front door will cancel this feature.
Auto-Express with Anti–Pinch Protection
During express closing, anytime an obstacle that restricts
glass movement is detected, the motor will stop and
reverse travel to avoid pinching the object.
Auto Express will stop and reverse travel up to three
times in succession. After the third time, Auto Express
will enter a manual operation mode. This allows the
operator to manually control the power switch, in order
to close or open the sunroof in case of a malfunction.
Wind Buffeting
Wind buffeting can be described as the perception of
pressure on the ears or a helicopter-type sound in the
ears. Your vehicle may exhibit wind buffeting with the
windows down, or the sunroof (if equipped) in certainopen or partially open positions. This is a normal occur-
rence and can be minimized. If the buffeting occurs with
the rear windows open, open the front and rear windows
together to minimize the buffeting. If the buffeting occurs
with the sunroof open, adjust the sunroof opening to
minimize the buffeting or open any window.
Sunroof Maintenance
Use only a nonabrasive cleaner and a soft cloth to clean
the glass panel.
ELECTRICAL POWER OUTLETS — IF EQUIPPED
Two 12-Volt power outlets are located on the lower
instrument panel next to the open storage bin. The upper
outlet is controlled by the ignition switch and the lower
outlet is connected directly to the battery. The upper
outlet will also operate a conventional cigar lighter unit
(if equipped with an optional Smoker’s Package).
206 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
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▫Play Mode......................... 288
▫List Or Browse Mode.................. 289
Satellite Radio — If Equipped
(REN/REQ/RER/RES/REU Radios Only)..... 291
▫System Activation.................... 292
▫Electronic Serial Number/Sirius
Identification Number (ESN/SID)......... 292
▫Selecting Satellite Mode................ 293
▫Satellite Antenna..................... 293
▫Reception Quality.................... 293
▫Operating Instructions — Satellite Mode.... 293
▫Operating Instructions — Hands-Free Phone
(If Equipped)........................ 296▫Operating Instructions — Video
Entertainment System (VES)™
(If Equipped)........................ 296
Sirius Backseat TV™ — If Equipped........ 297
Video Entertainment System (VES)™ — If
Equipped............................ 297
Remote Sound System Controls —
If Equipped........................... 299
▫Radio Operation..................... 299
▫CD Player.......................... 300
CD/DVD Maintenance.................. 300
Radio Operation And Cellular Phones....... 301
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 231
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NOTE:
•If your vehicle is equipped with an hood switch, in the
case of hood ajar, a warning message will be displayed
in either the PRNDL/Odometer display as “hood” or
“Hood Ajar” in the EVIC display.
•Some of the above warnings will be displayed in the
Compass Mini-Trip Computer / Electronic Vehicle
Information Center Display Area located in the instru-
ment cluster.
Refer to ”Compass Mini-Trip Computer (CMTC)
Display— If Equipped” / ”Electronic Vehicle Informa-
tion Center (EVIC) Display — If Equipped” later in
this section for more information.
CHAngE OIL
Your vehicle is equipped with an engine oil change
indicator system. The “Change Oil” message will flash in
the instrument cluster odometer for approximately
12 seconds after a single chime has sounded to indicatethe next scheduled oil change interval. The engine oil
change indicator system is duty cycle-based, which
means the engine oil change interval may fluctuate
dependent upon your personal driving style.
Unless reset, this message will continue to display each
time you turn the ignition switch to the ON/RUN
position. To turn off the message temporarily, press and
release the Trip Odometer button on the instrument
cluster. To reset the oil change indicator system (after
performing the scheduled maintenance) refer to the fol-
lowing procedure.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the ON position (Do not
start the engine).
2. Fully depress the accelerator pedal slowly three times
within 10 seconds.
3. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF/LOCK position.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 241
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overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may affect
the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper
tire maintenance, and it is the driver ’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if under-inflation has
not reached the level to trigger illumination of the TPMS
low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to indicate when the system is not
operating properly. The TPMS malfunction indicator is
combined with the low tire pressure telltale. When the
system detects a malfunction, the telltale will flash forapproximately one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon subse-
quent vehicle start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the sys-
tem may not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure
as intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety
of reasons, including the installation of replacement or
alternate tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent the
TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or more
tires or wheels on your vehicle, to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS
to continue to function properly.
246 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
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•Right Rear Turn Signal Light Out
•Park Assist Disabled
•Service Park Assist System
•Personal Settings Not Available — Vehicle Not in Park
Oil Change Required
Your vehicle is equipped with an engine oil change
indicator system. TheOil Change Requiredmessage will
flash in the EVIC display for approximately 10 seconds,
after a single chime has sounded, to indicate the next
scheduled oil change interval. The engine oil change
indicator system is duty-cycle based, which means the
engine oil change interval may fluctuate dependent upon
your personal driving style.
Unless reset, this message will continue to display each
time you turn the ignition switch to the ON/RUN
position. To turn off the message temporarily, press andrelease the Menu button. To reset the oil change indicator
system (after performing the scheduled maintenance)
perform the following steps.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the ON position (do not
start the engine).
2. Fully depress the accelerator pedal, slowly, three times
within 10 seconds.
3. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF/LOCK position.
NOTE:If the indicator message illuminates when you
start the engine, the oil change indicator system did not
reset. If necessary, repeat these steps.
Trip Functions
Press and release the MENU button until one of the
following Trip Functions displays in the EVIC.
Press the STEP button to scroll through all the Trip
Computer functions.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 255
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