2009 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN oil change

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 in “Engine Oil”, under “Maintenance Procedures”
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 a normal part of the break-in and not inter-
preted as an indication of difficulty.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 91 2

If you are required to drive with the trunk/liftgate open,
make sure that all windows are closed and the climate
control BLOWER switch is set at high speed. DO NOT
use the recirculation mode.
The best protection against carbon monoxide entry into
the vehicle body is a properly maintained engine exhaust
system.
Whenever a change is noticed in the sound of the exhaust
system, when exhaust fumes can be detected inside the
vehicle, or when the underside or rear of the vehicle is
damaged, have a competent mechanic inspect the com-
plete exhaust system and adjacent body areas for broken,
damaged, deteriorated, or mispositioned parts. Open
seams or loose connections could permit exhaust fumes
to seep into the passenger compartment. In addition,
inspect the exhaust system each time the vehicle is raised
for lubrication or oil change. Replace as required.Safety Checks You Should Make Inside the
Vehicle
Seat Belts
Inspect the belt system periodically, checking for cuts,
frays, and loose parts. Damaged parts must be replaced
immediately. Do not disassemble or modify the system.
Front seat belt assemblies must be replaced after a
collision. Rear seat belt assemblies must be replaced after
a collision if they have been damaged (i.e., bent retractor,
torn webbing, etc.). If there is any question regarding belt
or retractor condition, replace the belt.
Airbag Warning Light
The light should come on and remain on for six to eight
seconds as a bulb check when the ignition switch is first
turned ON. If the light is not lit during starting, see your
authorized dealer. If the light stays on, flickers, or comes
on while driving, have the system checked by an autho-
rized dealer.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 932

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

NOTE:
If your vehicle is equipped with a 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.
LoW tirE
When the appropriate condition exists, the odometer
display will toggle between LoW and tirE for three
cycles. HOTOIL
When this message is displayed there is a transaxle
over-temperature condition. When this condition occurs,
the “HOTOIL” message will be displayed in the odom-
eter along with a chime.
If this message appears, stop the vehicle and run the
engine at idle or faster, with the transmission in NEU-
TRAL, until the light goes off.
NOTE:
When this message is displayed, bring the
vehicle to a stop and idle the engine until the message
clears.
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 indicate
the next scheduled oil change interval. The engine oil
change indicator system is duty cycle-based, which
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 245 4

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
following 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.
NOTE:If the indicator message illuminates when you
start the vehicle, the oil change indicator system did not
reset. If necessary repeat this procedure. 13. Odometer Display Reset Button
To reset a message display (gATE, gASCAP, noFUSE,
CHAngE OIL, LoCOOL, LoWASH), push and hold the
button until the display resets (approximately two sec-
onds).
14. Electronic Stability Program (ESP) Indicator Light
/ Traction Control System (TCS) Indicator Light
If this indicator light flashes during accelera-
tion, apply as little throttle as possible. While
driving, ease up on the accelerator. Adapt your
speed and driving to the prevailing road con-
ditions, and do not switch off the Electronic Stability
Program (ESP), or Traction Control System (TCS).
15. Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) is part of
an onboard diagnostic system called OBD that
monitors engine and automatic transmission con-
trol systems. The light will illuminate when the key is in 246 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)
DisplaysWhen the appropriate conditions exist, the EVIC displays
the following messages:
Door(s) Ajar (with a single chime, if vehicle is in
motion)
Liftgate Ajar (chime will sound when vehicle starts
moving)
Hood Ajar (if equipped with hood switch)
Check TPM System (refer to “Tire Pressure Monitoring
System” in Section 5 of this manual)
Turn Signal On
RKE Battery Low
LOW WASHER FLUID
Oil Change Required
Left Front Turn Signal Light Out
Left Rear Turn Signal Light Out
Right Front Turn Signal Light Out
Right Rear Turn Signal Light Out
Park Assist Disabled
Service Park Assist System
Personal Settings Not Available — Vehicle Not In Park
Blind Spot System Off — This message is displayed
when the ignition is turned to ON to indicate the Blind
Spot System has been turned off.
Blind Spot System Not Available — This message is
displayed to indicate the Blind Spot Monitor (BSM)
system is temporarily unavailable due to sensor block-
age, electronic interference, or other
9temporary9con-
ditions. When this message is displayed both outside
258 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

rear view icons will be illuminated. If electronic inter-
ference is present, the BSM system will illuminate the
icon only on the side of interference as long as
interference is present.
Service Blind Spot System — This message is dis-
played to indicate the Blind Spot Monitor (BSM)
system is permanently unavailable. The driver will
receive an EVIC message and the BSM display warn-
ing in both mirrors will be permanently illuminated. If
this message is present see an authorized dealer.
Oil Change Required
Your vehicle is equipped with an engine oil change
indicator system. TheOil Change Required message 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 and
release 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.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 259 4

Gasoline/Oxygenate BlendsSome fuel suppliers blend unleaded gasoline with oxy-
genates such as 10% ethanol, MTBE, and ETBE. Oxygen-
ates are required in some areas of the country during the
winter months to reduce carbon monoxide emissions.
Fuels blended with these oxygenates may be used in
your vehicle.
CAUTION!
DO NOT use gasolines containing Methanol or E85
Ethanol. Use of these blends may result in starting
and driveability problems and may damage critical
fuel system components.
Problems that result from using methanol/gasoline or
E85 Ethanol blends are not the responsibility of the
manufacturer. While MTBE is an oxygenate made from
Methanol, it does not have the negative effects of
Methanol.
E-85 Usage In Non-Flex Fuel Vehicles
Non-FFV vehicles are compatible with gasoline contain-
ing 10% ethanol (E10). Gasoline with higher ethanol
content may void the vehicle’s warranty.
If a Non-FFV vehicle is inadvertently fueled with E-85
fuel, the engine will have some or all of these symptoms:
operate in a lean mode
OBD II “Malfunction Indicator Light” on
poor engine performance
poor cold start and cold drivability
increased risk for fuel system component corrosion
To fix a Non-FFV vehicle inadvertently fueled once with
E-85 perform the following:
drain the fuel tank (see your authorized dealer)
change the engine oil and oil filter
380 STARTING AND OPERATING