2009 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN lock

The Rear ATC System is located in the headliner, near the
center of the vehicle.1. Press the REAR LOCK button on the front lower ATC
panel. This turns off the REAR LOCK icon in the rear
temperature knob.
2. Rotate the Rear Blower, Rear Temperature and the
Rear Mode Control knobs to suit your comfort needs.
3. ATC is selected by adjusting the rear blower knob
counterclockwise to AUTO.
Once the desired temperature is displayed, the ATC
System will automatically achieve and maintain that
comfort level. When the system is set up for your comfort
level, it is not necessary to change the settings. You will
experience the greatest efficiency by simply allowing the
system to function automatically.Rear ATC Control Features
1 - Blower Speed
3 - Rear ATC Lock
2 -
Rear Temperature 4 - Rear MODE
320 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

NOTE:
It is not necessary to move the temperature settings for
cold or hot vehicles. The system automatically adjusts
the temperature, mode and fan speed to provide
comfort as quickly as possible.
The temperature can be displayed in English or Metric
units by selecting the “Display Units of Measure in”
customer-programmable feature. Refer to the “Elec-
tronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) — Customer-
Programmable Features” in this Section.
Rear Blower Control
The rear blower control knob can be manually set to off,
or any fixed blower speed, by rotating the knob from low
to high. This allows the rear seat occupants to control the
volume of air circulated in the rear of the vehicle.CAUTION!
Interior air enters the Rear Automatic Temperature
Control System through an intake grille, located in
the passenger side trim panel behind the third row
seats. The heater outlets are located in the passenger
side trim panel, just behind the sliding door. Do not
block or place objects directly in front of the inlet
grille or heater outlets. The electrical system could
overload causing damage to the blower motor.
Rear Temperature Control
To change the temperature in the rear of the vehicle,
rotate the temperature knob counterclockwise to lower
the temperature, and clockwise to increase the tempera-
ture. The REAR temperature settings are displayed in the
front upper ATC panel.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 321
4

When rear controls are locked by the front system, the
LOCK symbol on the temperature knob is illuminated
and any rear overhead adjustments are ignored.
Rear Mode Control
Auto Mode
The rear system automatically maintains the correct
mode and comfort level desired by the rear seat occu-
pants.
Headliner ModeAir comes from the outlets in the headliner. Each of
these outlets can be individually adjusted to direct
the flow of air. Moving the air vanes of the outlets to one
side will shut off the airflow.
Bi-Level Mode Air comes from both the headliner outlets and the
floor outlets. NOTE:
In many temperature positions, the BI-LEVEL
mode is designed to provide cooler air out of the head-
liner outlets and warmer air from the floor outlets.
Floor Mode Air comes from the floor outlets.
Summer Operation
The engine cooling system in air conditioned vehicles
must be protected with a high-quality antifreeze coolant
to provide proper corrosion protection and to protect
against engine overheating. A solution of 50% ethylene
glycol antifreeze coolant and 50% water is recommended.
Refer to “Maintenance Procedures” in Section 7 of this
manual for proper coolant selection. 322 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

STARTING AND OPERATINGCONTENTS
m
Starting Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
▫ Automatic Transaxle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
▫ Normal Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
▫ Extreme Cold Weather
(Below 20°F Or –29°C) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
▫ If The Engine Fails To Start . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
▫ After Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
m Engine Block Heater — If Equipped . . . . . . . 331 m
Automatic Transaxle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
▫ Brake/Transaxle Interlock System . . . . . . . 332
▫ Four-Speed Or Six-Speed Automatic
Transaxle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
▫ Gear Ranges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
m Driving On Slippery Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
▫ Acceleration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
▫ Traction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339 5

mDriving Through Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
▫ Flowing/Rising Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
▫ Shallow Standing Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
m Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
▫ Power Steering Fluid Check . . . . . . . . . . . 342
m Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
m Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . 345
▫ Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light . . . . . . . . . 347
m Electronic Brake Control System . . . . . . . . . . 347
▫ Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . 347
▫ Brake Assist System (BAS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
▫ Electronic Stability Program (ESP) . . . . . . . 349
▫ ESP/BAS Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351 m
Tire Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
▫ Tire Markings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
▫ Tire Identification Number (TIN) . . . . . . . . 355
▫ Tire Loading And Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . 356
m Tires — General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
▫ Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
m Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
m Snow Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
m Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
m Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) . . . . . . 370
▫ Base System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
▫ Premium System — If Equipped . . . . . . . . 374
326 STARTING AND OPERATING

NOTE: This vehicle is equipped with a transaxle shift
interlocking system. The brake pedal must be pressed
to shift out of PARK.
Extreme Cold Weather (Below20°F or –29°C)
Follow the same instructions in the “Normal Starting”
procedure.
To ensure reliable starting at these temperatures, use of
an externally powered electric engine block heater (avail-
able from your authorized dealer) is recommended.
If The Engine Fails To Start WARNING!

Never pour fuel or other flammable liquids into
the throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to
start the vehicle. This could result in a flash fire
causing serious personal injury.
(Continued) WARNING! (Continued)

Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get
it started. Vehicles equipped with an automatic
transaxle cannot be started this way. Unburned
fuel could enter the catalytic converter and once
the engine has started, ignite and damage the
converter and vehicle.
If the vehicle has a discharged battery, booster
cables may be used to obtain a start from a booster
battery or the battery in another vehicle. This type
of start can be dangerous if done improperly. Refer
to “Jump Starting” in Section 6 of this manual.
If the engine fails to start after you have followed the
“Normal Starting” procedure, it may be flooded. Push
the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and hold it
there while cranking the engine. This should clear any
excess fuel in case the engine is flooded.
330 STARTING AND OPERATING

CAUTION!To prevent damage to the starter, DO NOT crank the
engine for more than 15–second intervals at one time.
Wait 10 to 15 seconds before trying again.
If the engine has been flooded, it may start to run, but not
have enough power to continue running when the key is
released. If this occurs, continue cranking with the accel-
erator pedal pushed all the way to the floor. Release the
accelerator pedal and the key once the engine is running
smoothly.
If the engine shows no sign of starting after two 15–
second intervals of cranking with the accelerator pedal
held to the floor, the “Normal Starting” procedure should
be repeated.
After Starting
The idle speed will automatically decrease as the engine
warms up.
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER — IF EQUIPPED
The engine block heater warms the engine, and permits
quicker starts in cold weather. Connect the electrical cord
to a standard 110-115 Volt AC electrical outlet with a
grounded, three-wire extension cord.
The engine block heater cord is routed under the hood on
the driver’s side of the vehicle. It has a removable cap
that is located on the driver side of the Integrated Power
Module. WARNING!
Remember to disconnect the electrical cord before
driving. Damage to the 110-115 volt electrical cord
could cause electrocution.
STARTING AND OPERATING 331 5

AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE
CAUTION!Damage to the transaxle may occur if the following
precautions are not observed:
Move the shift lever into PARK only after the
vehicle has come to a complete stop.
Do not move the shift lever from REVERSE,
PARK, or NEUTRAL into any forward gear when
the engine is above idle speed.
Before moving the shift lever into any gear, make
sure your foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
NOTE: You must press and hold the brake pedal down
while shifting out of PARK. WARNING!
It is dangerous to move the shift lever out of PARK or
NEUTRAL if the engine speed is higher than idle
speed. If your foot is not firmly on the brake pedal,
the vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in
reverse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when the
engine is idling normally and when your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal.
Brake/Transaxle Interlock System
This system holds the shift lever in the PARK position
when the ignition switch is in the OFF position. It also
prevents you, once the engine is started, from moving the
shift lever out of PARK and into any gear, unless the
brake pedal is pressed. This system is active only while
the ignition switch is in the ON position. Always press
the brake pedal first before moving the shift lever out of
PARK.
332 STARTING AND OPERATING