2009 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN radiator cap

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

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

engine coolant (antifreeze) needs to be added, contents
of the coolant recovery bottle must also be protected
against freezing.
If frequent engine coolant (antifreeze) additions are
required, or if the level in the coolant recovery bottle
does not drop when the engine cools, the cooling
system should be pressure tested for leaks.
Maintain engine coolant (antifreeze) concentration at
50% HOAT engine coolant (antifreeze) (minimum)
and distilled water for proper corrosion protection of
your engine, which contains aluminum components.
Make sure that the radiator and coolant recovery
bottle overflow hoses are not kinked or obstructed.
Keep the front of the radiator clean. If your vehicle is
equipped with air conditioning, also keep the front of
the condenser clean.
Do not change the thermostat for Summer or Winter
operation. If replacement is ever necessary, install
ONLY the correct type thermostat. Other designs may
result in unsatisfactory coolant performance, poor gas
mileage, and increased emissions.
Brakes
In order to assure brake system performance, all brake
system components should be inspected periodically.
Refer to the “Maintenance Schedule” in Section 8 for the
proper maintenance intervals.WARNING!
Riding the brakes can lead to brake failure and
possibly an accident. Driving with your foot resting
or riding on the brake pedal can result in abnormally
high brake temperatures, excessive lining wear, and
possible brake damage. You would not have your full
braking capacity in an emergency.
456 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

Calibration, Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255,261
Camera, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Capacities, Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480
Caps, FillerFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Oil (Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Radiator (Coolant Pressure) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
Car Washes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462
Carbon Monoxide Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92,382
Cargo Compartment Luggage Carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Cargo (Vehicle Loading) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Caution, Exhaust Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50,382
Cellular Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113,305
Center High Mounted Stop Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 479
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
Changing A Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
Chart, Tire Sizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353 Check Engine Light
(Malfunction Indicator Light) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246,436
Checking Your Vehicle For Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Checks, Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Child Restraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79,81
Child Restraint Tether Anchors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Child Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Child Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Clean Air Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Cleaning
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Climate Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268,271,280
Coat Hook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Coin Holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Cold Weather Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Compact Disc (CD) Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252,255,261
514 INDEX

Compass Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255,261
Compass Variance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254,262
Computer, Trip/Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
ConnectorUCI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Universal Consumer Interface (UCI) . . . . . . . . . 290
Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Console, Floor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Console, Overhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Console, Removable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Contract, Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505
Coolant Pressure Cap (Radiator Cap) . . . . . . . . . . 454
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451 Adding Coolant (Antifreeze) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453
Coolant Capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480
Coolant Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451,455
Disposal of Used Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
Drain, Flush, and Refill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455 Points to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455
Pressure Cap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
Radiator Cap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
Selection of Coolant (Antifreeze) . . . . . . 452,480,481
Cruise Control (Speed Control) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214,466
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503
Data Recorder, Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Daytime Running Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Dealer Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438
Defroster, Rear Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Defroster, Windshield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94,308,318
Diagnostic System, Onboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
Dimmer Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Dipsticks Automatic Transaxle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459
Oil (Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
INDEX 515
10

Owner’s Manual (Operator Manual) . . . . . . . . . 4,507
Panic Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Park Sense System, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Parking On Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Pedals, Adjustable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Personal Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Pets, Transporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Phone, Cellular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Phone, Hands-Free (uconnectt) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113Placard, Tire and Loading Information . . . . . . . . . 356
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Lift Gate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Outlet (Auxiliary Electrical Outlet) . . . . . . . . . . 210
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Sliding Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Windows, Express Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 482
Pregnant Women and Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Preparation for Jacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
Pretensioners Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Programmable Electronic Features . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Radial Ply Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Radiator Cap (Coolant Pressure Cap) . . . . . . . 451,454
Radio Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Radio Remote Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Radio, Satellite (uconnectt studios) . . . . . . . . 296,301
Rear Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311,319
Rear Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Rear Cross Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
524 INDEX