2009 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN coolant temperature

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DESCRIPTIONS1. Fuel Gauge
The pointer shows the level of fuel in the fuel tank when
the ignition switch is in the ON position.
2. Fuel Door Reminder
The arrow in this symbol is a reminder that the
Fuel Filler Door is located on the left side of the
vehicle.
3. Temperature Gauge
The temperature gauge shows engine coolant tempera-
ture. Any reading within the normal range indicates that
the engine cooling system is operating satisfactorily. The gauge pointer will likely indicate a higher tempera-
ture when driving in hot weather, up mountain grades,
or when towing a trailer. It should not be allowed to
exceed the upper limits of the normal operating range. CAUTION!
Driving with a hot engine 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”, and you hear continuous chimes,
turn the engine off immediately, and call an autho-
rized dealer for service.240 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

11. Odometer / Trip Odometer — If Equipped
The odometer shows the total distance the vehicle has
been driven.
U.S. federal regulations require that upon transfer of
vehicle ownership, the seller certify to the purchaser the
correct mileage that the vehicle has been driven. There-
fore, if the odometer reading is changed during repair or
replacement, be sure to keep a record of the reading
before and after the service so that the correct mileage can
be determined.
The trip odometer shows individual trip mileage. To
switch from odometer to trip odometer, press the Trip
Odometer button.
To reset a trip odometer, display the desired trip odom-
eter to be reset then push and hold the button until the
display resets (approximately two seconds).12. Message Display Area
When the appropriate conditions exist, the following
odometer messages will display:
CHAngE OIL
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oil Change Required
HOTOIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transaxle Oil Temperature
Exceeds Safe Threshold
CRUISE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cruise Control On
door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Door Ajar
gATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lift Gate Ajar
gASCAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fuel Cap Fault
hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hood Ajar
noFUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fuse Fault
LoCOOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Low Coolant
LoWASH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Low Washer Fluid
LoW tirE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Low Tire Pressure
244 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

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

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.
WARNING!
A hot engine cooling system is dangerous. You or
others could be badly burned by steam or boiling
coolant. You may want to call a service center if your
vehicle overheats. If you decide to look under the
hood yourself, see Section 7, Maintenance, of this
manual. Follow the warnings under the Cooling
System Pressure Cap paragraph.
JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING WARNING!

Getting under a jacked-up vehicle is dangerous.
The vehicle could slip off the jack and fall on you.
You could be crushed. Never get any part of your
body under a vehicle that is on a jack. If you need
to get under a raised vehicle, take it to a service
center where it can be raised on a lift.
The jack is designed to use as a tool for changing
tires only. The jack should not be used to lift the
vehicle for service purposes. The vehicle should
be jacked on a firm level surface only. Avoid ice or
slippery areas. (Continued)
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 411 6

Cooling System
WARNING!
When working near the radiator cooling fan, dis-
connect the fan motor lead or turn the ignition
switch to the OFF position. The fan is temperature
controlled and can start at anytime the ignition
switch is in the ON position.
You or others can be badly burned by hot engine
coolant (antifreeze) or steam from your radiator. If
you see or hear steam coming from under the
hood, do not open the hood until the radiator has
had time to cool. Never try to open a cooling
system pressure cap when the radiator is hot.
Coolant Checks
Check the engine coolant (antifreeze) protection every
12 months (before the onset of freezing weather, where
applicable). If the engine coolant (antifreeze) is dirty or rusty in appearance, the system should be drained,
flushed and refilled with fresh coolant. Check the front of
the A/C condenser for any accumulation of bugs, leaves,
etc. If dirty, clean by gently spraying water from a garden
hose vertically down the face of the condenser.
Check the coolant recovery bottle tubing for brittle rub-
ber, cracking, tears, cuts and tightness of the connection
at the bottle and radiator. Inspect the entire system for
leaks.
With the engine at normal operating temperature (but
not running), check the cooling system pressure cap for
proper vacuum sealing by draining a small amount of
engine coolant (antifreeze) from the radiator drain cock.
If the cap is sealing properly, the engine coolant (anti-
freeze) will begin to drain from the coolant recovery
bottle. DO NOT REMOVE THE COOLANT PRESSURE
CAP WHEN THE COOLING SYSTEM IS HOT.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 451 7

CAUTION! (Continued)
This vehicle has not been designed for use with
Propylene Glycol-based engine coolant (anti-
freeze). Use of Propylene Glycol-based engine
coolant (antifreeze) is not recommended.
Adding Coolant
Your vehicle has been built with an improved engine
coolant (antifreeze) that allows extended maintenance
intervals. This engine coolant (antifreeze) can be used up
to five years or 102,000 miles (170 000 km) before
replacement. To prevent reducing this extended mainte-
nance period, it is important that you use the same
engine coolant (antifreeze) throughout the life of your
vehicle. Please review these recommendations for using
Hybrid Organic Additive Technology (HOAT) engine
coolant (antifreeze). When adding engine coolant (antifreeze), a minimum
solution of 50% recommended MOPARt
Antifreeze/
Coolant Five Year/100,000 Mile Formula HOAT (Hybrid
Organic Additive Technology), or equivalent, in water
should be used. Use higher concentrations (not to exceed
70%) if temperatures below 34°F (37°C ) are antici-
pated.
Use only high purity water such as distilled or deionized
water when mixing the water/engine coolant (antifreeze)
solution. The use of lower quality water will reduce the
amount of corrosion protection in the engine cooling
system.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 453 7

Please note that it is the owner’s responsibility to main-
tain the proper level of protection against freezing ac-
cording to the temperatures occurring in the area where
the vehicle is operated.
NOTE:Mixing engine coolant (antifreeze) types will
decrease the life of the engine coolant (antifreeze) and
will require more frequent coolant changes.
Cooling System Pressure Cap
The cap must be fully tightened to prevent the loss of
engine coolant (antifreeze), and to ensure that engine
coolant (antifreeze) will return to the radiator from the
coolant recovery bottle.
The cap should be inspected and cleaned if there is any
accumulation of foreign material on the sealing surfaces. WARNING!

The warning words “DO NOT OPEN HOT” on
the cooling system pressure cap are a safety pre-
caution. Never add engine coolant (antifreeze)
when the engine is overheated. Do not loosen or
remove the cap to cool an overheated engine. Heat
causes pressure to build up in the cooling system.
To prevent scalding or injury, do not remove the
pressure cap while the system is hot or under
pressure.
Do not use a pressure cap other than the one
specified for your vehicle. Personal injury or en-
gine damage may result.
Disposal of Used Coolant
Used ethylene glycol-based engine coolant (antifreeze) is
a regulated substance requiring proper disposal. Check
with your local authorities to determine the disposal
454 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

rules for your community. To prevent ingestion by ani-
mals or children, do not store ethylene glycol-based
engine coolant (antifreeze) in open containers or allow it
to remain in puddles on the ground. If ingested by a
child, contact a physician immediately. Clean up any
ground spills immediately.
Coolant Level
The coolant bottle provides a quick visual method for
determining that the coolant level is adequate. With the
engine cold, the level of the engine coolant (antifreeze) in
the coolant recovery bottle should be between the ranges
indicated on the bottle.
The radiator normally remains completely full, so there is
no need to remove the radiator cap unless checking for
engine coolant (antifreeze) freeze point or replacing the
engine coolant (antifreeze). Advise your service atten-
dant of this. As long as the engine operating temperature
is satisfactory, the coolant bottle only needs to be checked
once a month.When additional engine coolant (antifreeze) is needed to
maintain the proper level, it should be added to the
coolant bottle. Do not overfill.
Points to Remember
NOTE:
When the vehicle is stopped after a few miles (a
few kilometers) of operation, you may observe vapor
coming from the front of the engine compartment. This is
normally a result of moisture from rain, snow, or high
humidity accumulating on the radiator and being vapor-
ized when the thermostat opens, allowing hot engine
coolant (antifreeze) to enter the radiator.
If an examination of your engine compartment shows no
evidence of radiator or hose leaks, the vehicle may be
safely driven. The vapor will soon dissipate.
Do not overfill the coolant recovery bottle.
Check the engine coolant (antifreeze) freeze point in
the radiator and in the coolant recovery bottle. If
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 455 7