2009 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN inflation pressure

Tire LifeThe service life of a tire is dependent upon varying
factors, including, but not limited to:
Driving style
Tire pressure
Distance driven
WARNING!
The tires and the spare tire should be replaced after
six years, regardless of the remaining tread. Failure to
follow this warning can result in sudden tire failure.
You could lose control and have an accident resulting
in serious injury or death.
Keep dismounted tires in a cool, dry place with as little
exposure to light as possible. Protect tires from contact
with oil, grease and gasoline.
Replacement Tires
The tires on your new vehicle provide a balance of many
characteristics. They should be inspected regularly for
wear and correct cold tire inflation pressure. The manu-
facturer strongly recommends that you use tires equiva-
lent to the originals in size, quality and performance
when replacement is needed. Please see “Tread Wear
Indicators” and “Tire and Loading Information” placard
for the size designation of your tire. The service descrip-
tion and load identification will be found on the original-
equipment tire. Failure to use equivalent replacement
tires may adversely affect the safety, handling, and ride of
your vehicle. We recommend that you contact your
original-equipment manufacturer, or an authorized tire
dealer, with any questions you may have on tire specifi-
cations or capability.
366 STARTING AND OPERATING

The suggested rotation method is shown in the following
diagram.
TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR SYSTEM (TPMS)
The TPMS will warn the driver of a low tire pressure
based on the cold inflation tire pressure requirementsfound on the tire placard located on the driver’s-side
B-pillar.
The tire pressure will vary with temperature by about
1 psi (6.9 kPa) for every 12°F (6.5°C). This means that
when the outside temperature decreases, the tire pressure
will decrease. Tire pressure should always be set based
on cold inflation tire pressure. This is defined as the tire
pressure after a vehicle has not been driven for more than
three hours - and in outside ambient temperature.
Refer
to the “Tires – General Information” in this section for
information on how to properly inflate the vehicle’s
tires. The tire pressure will also increase as the vehicle is
driven - this is normal and there should be no adjustment
for this increased pressure.
The TPMS will warn the driver of a low tire pressure if
the tire pressure falls below the low pressure warning
threshold for any reason, including low temperature
effects, or natural air pressure loss through the tire. Tire Rotation
370 ST

ARTING AND OPERATING

CAUTION! (Continued)
After inspecting or adjusting the tire pressure
always reinstall the valve stem cap. This will
prevent moisture and dirt from entering the valve
stem, which could damage the TPMS sensor.
NOTE:
The TPMS is not intended to replace normal tire care
and maintenance, or to provide warning of a tire
failure or condition.
The TPMS should not be used as a tire pressure gauge
while adjusting your tire pressure.
Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire causes
the tire to 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.
The TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire mainte-
nance, and it is the driver’s responsibility to maintain
correct tire pressure, using an accurate tire pressure
gage, even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the “TPMS Warning Lamp.”
Seasonal temperature changes will affect tire pressure,
and the TPMS will monitor the actual tire pressure in
the tire.
Base System
The TPMS uses wireless technology with wheel rim
mounted electronic sensors to monitor tire pressure lev-
els. Sensors, mounted to each wheel as part of the valve
stem, transmit tire pressure readings to the Receiver
Module.
NOTE: It is particularly important for you to check the
tire pressure in all of your tires regularly and to maintain
the proper pressure.
372 STARTING AND OPERATING

The Basic TPMS consists of the following components:
Receiver Module
Four Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensors
TPMS Telltale Warning Light
Tire Pressure Monitoring Low Tire Pressure
Warnings
The “TPMS Telltale Warning Light” will illu-
minate in the instrument cluster, and an au-
dible chime will be activated when one or more
of the four active road tire pressures are low.
Should this occur, you should stop as soon as possible,
check the inflation pressure of each tire on your vehicle,
and inflate each tire to the vehicle’s recommended cold
tire pressure value (located on the placard on the
driver’s-side B-Pillar). The system will automatically
update and the “TPMS Warning Lamp” will extinguish
once the updated tire pressures have been received. NOTE:
The vehicle may need to be driven for up to
20 minutes above 15 mph (25 km/h) to receive this
information.
The “TPMS Warning Lamp” will flash on and off for
75 seconds, and remain on solid when a system fault is
detected. The system fault will also sound a chime. If the
ignition key is cycled, this sequence will repeat, provid-
ing the system fault still exists. The “TPMS Warning
Lamp” will turn off when the fault condition no longer
exists. A system fault can occur with any of the following
scenarios:
1. Jamming due to electronic devices or driving next to
facilities emitting the same radio frequencies as the TPMS
sensors.
2. Installing some form of aftermarket window tinting
that affects radio wave signals. STARTING AND OPERATING 373
5

Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR)The GAWR is the maximum capacity of the front and rear
axles. Distribute the load over the front and rear axles
evenly. Make sure that you do not exceed either front or
rear GAWR.
WARNING!
Because the front wheels drive and steer the vehicle,
it is important that you do not exceed the maximum
front or rear GAWR. A dangerous driving condition
can result if either rating is exceeded. You could lose
control of the vehicle and have an accident.
Tire Size
The tire size on the Vehicle Certification Label represents
the actual tire size on your vehicle. Replacement tires
must be equal to the load capacity of this tire size.
Rim Size
This is the rim size that is appropriate for the tire size
listed.
Inflation Pressure
This is the cold tire inflation pressure for your vehicle, for
all loading conditions up to full GAWR.
Curb Weight
The curb weight of a vehicle is defined as the total weight
of the vehicle with all fluids, including vehicle fuel, at full
capacity conditions, and with no occupants or cargo
loaded into the vehicle. The front and rear curb weight
values are determined by weighing your vehicle on a
commercial scale before any occupants or cargo are
added.
390 STARTING AND OPERATING

Towing Requirements — Tires
Do not attempt to tow a trailer while using a compact
spare tire.
Proper tire inflation pressures are essential to the safe
and satisfactory operation of your vehicle. Refer to
“Tires–General Information” in this section for proper
tire inflation procedures.
Check the trailer tires for proper tire inflation pres-
sures before trailer usage.
Check for signs of tire wear or visible tire damage
before towing a trailer. Refer to “Tires–General Infor-
mation” in this section for the proper inspection
procedure.
When replacing tires, refer to “Tires–General Informa-
tion” in this section for proper tire replacement proce-
dures. Replacing tires with a higher load carrying
capacity will not increase the vehicle’s GVWR and
GAWR limits.
Towing Requirements — Trailer Brakes

Do
not interconnect the hydraulic brake system or
vacuum system of your vehicle with that of the trailer.
This could cause inadequate braking and possible
personal injury.
An electronically actuated trailer brake controller is
required when towing a trailer with electronically
actuated brakes. When towing a trailer equipped with
a hydraulic surge actuated brake system, an electronic
brake controller is not required.
Trailer brakes are recommended for trailers over
1,000 lbs (454 kg) and required for trailers in excess of
2,000 lbs (907 kg).
STARTING AND OPERATING 403 5

Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
Compact Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Flat Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
High Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Inflation Pressures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Jacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411,415
Life of Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Load Capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356,357
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Pressure Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509
Radial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352,360
Sizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Snow Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413Spinning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Tread Wear Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Tongue Weight/Trailer Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
24-Hour Towing Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Disabled Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427
Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
Recreational . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408,429
Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
Towing Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Traction Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Traction Control Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393 Cooling System Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
Hitches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
Minimum Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
Trailer and Tongue Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
Trailer Towing Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
528 INDEX