2010 DODGE CALIBER Owners Manual

WARNING!
•Pumping of the anti-lock brakes will diminish
their effectiveness and may lead to an accident.
Pumping makes the stopping distance longer. Just
press firmly on your brake pedal when you need
to slow down or stop.
•The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws of phys-
ics from acting on the vehicle, nor can it increase
braking or steering efficiency beyond that af-
forded by the condition of the vehicle brakes and
tires or the traction afforded.
•The ABS cannot prevent accidents, including
those resulting from excessive speed in turns,
following another vehicle too closely, or hydro-
planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful driver
can prevent accidents.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•The capabilities of an ABS-equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner which could jeopardize the user’s safety
or the safety of others.
The “ABS Warning Light” monitors the ABS
System. The light will come on when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON position
and may stay on for as long as four seconds.
If the “ABS Warning Light” remains on or comes on
while driving, it indicates that the anti-lock portion of the
brake system is not functioning and that service is
required. However, the conventional brake system will
continue to operate normally if the “Brake Warning
Light” is not on.
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If the “ABS Warning Light” is on, the brake system
should be serviced as soon as possible to restore the
benefits of anti-lock brakes. If the “ABS Warning Light”
does not come on when the ignition switch is turned to
the ON position, have the bulb repaired as soon as
possible.
If both the “Brake Warning Light” and the “ABS Warning
Light” remain on, the ABS and Electronic Brake Force
Distribution (EBD) systems are not functioning. Immedi-
ate repair to the ABS is required.
When the vehicle is driven over 7 mph (11 km/h), you
may also hear a slight clicking sound as well as some
related motor noises. These noises are the system per-
forming its self-check cycle to ensure that the ABS
working properly. This self-check occurs each time the
vehicle is started and accelerated past 7 mph (11 km/h).ABS is activated during braking under certain road or
stopping conditions. ABS-inducing conditions can in-
clude ice, snow, gravel, bumps, railroad tracks, loose
debris, or panic stops.
You may also experience the following when the brake
system goes into anti-lock mode:
•the ABS motor running (it may continue to run for a
short time after the stop)
•the clicking sound of solenoid valves
•brake pedal pulsations
•a slight drop or fall away of the brake pedal at the end
of the stop
These are all normal characteristics of ABS.
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WARNING!
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) contains sophis-
ticated electronic equipment that may be susceptible
to interference caused by improperly installed or
high output radio transmitting equipment. This in-
terference can cause possible loss of Anti-Lock brak-
ing capability. Installation of such equipment should
be performed by qualified professionals.
All vehicle wheels and tires must be the same size and
type and tires must be properly inflated to produce
accurate signals for the computer.
ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM
Your vehicle may be equipped with an optional ad-
vanced electronic brake control system that includes
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), Brake Assist System
(BAS), Traction Control System (TCS), Hill Start Assist (HSA), and Electronic Stability Control (ESC). All sys-
tems work together to enhance vehicle stability and
control in various driving conditions and are commonly
referred to as ESC.
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
This system aids the driver in maintaining vehicle control
under adverse braking conditions. The system controls
hydraulic brake pressure to prevent wheel lockup and
help avoid skidding on slippery surfaces during braking.
Refer to “Anti-Lock Brake System” in “Starting and
Operating” for further information.
Brake Assist System (BAS)
The BAS is designed to optimize the vehicle’s braking
capability during emergency braking maneuvers. The
system detects an emergency braking situation by sens-
ing the rate and amount of brake application and then
applies optimum pressure to the brakes. This can help
reduce braking distances. The BAS complements the
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Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS). Applying the brakes very
quickly results in the best BAS assistance. To receive the
benefit of the system, you must applycontinuousbrak-
ing pressure during the stopping sequence (do not
“pump” the brakes). Do not reduce brake pedal pressure
unless braking is no longer desired. Once the brake pedal
is released, the BAS is deactivated.
WARNING!
•The Brake Assist System (BAS) cannot prevent the
natural laws of physics from acting on the vehicle,
nor can it increase the traction afforded by prevail-
ing road conditions.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•The BAS cannot prevent accidents, including
those resulting from excessive speed in turns,
driving on very slippery surfaces, or hydroplan-
ing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful driver can
prevent accidents.
•The capabilities of a BAS-equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner which could jeopardize the user ’s safety
or the safety of others.
Traction Control System (TCS)
This system monitors the amount of wheel spin of each of
the driven wheels. If wheel spin is detected, brake
pressure is applied to the slipping wheel(s) and engine
power is reduced to provide enhanced acceleration and
stability. A feature of the TCS system functions similar to
a limited slip differential and controls the wheel spin
across a driven axle. If one wheel on a driven axle is
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spinning faster than the other, the system will apply the
brake of the spinning wheel. This will allow more engine
torque to be applied to the wheel that is not spinning.
This feature remains active even if TCS and ESC are in
the “Partial Off” mode. Refer to “Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)” in this section for further information.
Hill Start Assist (HSA) – Manual Transmission
Only
The HSA system is designed to assist the driver when
starting a vehicle from a stop on a hill. HSA will maintain
the level of brake pressure the driver applied for a short
period of time after the driver takes their foot off of the
brake pedal. If the driver does not apply the throttle
during this short period of time, the system will release
brake pressure and the vehicle will roll down the hill. The
system will release brake pressure in proportion to
amount of throttle applied as the vehicle starts to move in
the intended direction of travel.
HSA Activation Criteria
The following criteria must be met in order for HSA to
activate:
•Vehicle must be stopped.
•Vehicle must be on a 7% grade or greater hill.
•Gear selection matches vehicle uphill direction (i.e.,
vehicle facing uphill is in forward gear; vehicle back-
ing uphill is in REVERSE gear).
WARNING!
There may be situations on minor hills (i.e., less than
8%), with a loaded vehicle, or while pulling a trailer,
when the system will not activate and slight rolling
may occur. This could cause a collision with another
vehicle or object. Always remember the driver is
responsible for braking the vehicle.
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Disabling/Enabling HSA
If you wish to turn on or off the HSA system, it can be
done using the Customer Programmable Features in the
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC). Refer to
“Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)” in “Un-
derstanding Your Instrument Panel” for further informa-
tion.
For vehicles not equipped with the EVIC, perform the
following steps:
NOTE:You must complete Steps 1 through 8 within
90 seconds.
1. Center the steering wheel (front wheels pointing
straight forward).
2. Shift the transmission into NEUTRAL.
3. Apply the parking brake.
4. Start the engine. 5. Release the clutch pedal.
6. Rotate the steering wheel one-half turn to the left.
7. Press the “ESC Off” switch (located in the lower
switch bank below the climate controls) four times within
20 seconds. The “ESC Off Indicator Light” should turn on
and turn off two times.
8. Rotate the steering wheel back to center and then an
additional half-turn to the right.
9. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position and then
back to the ON position. If the sequence was completed
properly, the “ESC Off Indicator Light” will blink several
times to confirm HSA is disabled.
10. Repeat these steps if you want to return this feature
to it’s previous setting.
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Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
This system enhances directional control and stability of
the vehicle under various driving conditions. ESC cor-
rects for over-steering or under-steering of the vehicle by
applying the brake of the appropriate wheel to assist in
counteracting the over-steering or under-steering condi-
tion. Engine power may also be reduced to help the
vehicle maintain the desired path. ESC uses sensors in
the vehicle to determine the vehicle path intended by the
driver and compares it to the actual path of the vehicle.
When the actual path does not match the intended path,
ESC applies the brake of the appropriate wheel to assist
in counteracting the over-steer or under-steer condition.
•Over-steer - when the vehicle is turning more than
appropriate for the steering wheel position.
•Under-steer - when the vehicle is turning less than
appropriate for the steering wheel position.
ESC Off Indicator Light
The “ESC Off Indicator Light” (located in the
instrument cluster) starts to flash as soon as the
tires lose traction and the ESC system becomes
active. The “ESC Off Indicator Light” also
flashes when TCS is active. If the “ESC Off Indicator
Light” begins to flash during acceleration, ease up on the
accelerator and apply as little throttle as possible. Be sure
to adapt your speed and driving to the prevailing road
conditions.
WARNING!
•The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) cannot pre-
vent the natural laws of physics from acting on the
vehicle, nor can it increase the traction afforded by
prevailing road conditions.
(Continued)
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WARNING! (Continued)
•ESC cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, driving on
very slippery surfaces, or hydroplaning. Only a
safe, attentive, and skillful driver can prevent
accidents.
•The capabilities of an ESC-equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner, which could jeopardize the user’s safety
or the safety of others.
ESC Malfunction Indicator Light
The “ESC Malfunction Indicator Light” in the
instrument cluster will come on when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON position. It
should go out with the engine running. If the
“ESC Malfunction Indicator Light” comes on continu-
ously with the engine running, a malfunction has been
detected in the ESC system. If this light remains on after several ignition cycles, and the vehicle has been driven
several miles (kilometers) at speeds greater than 30 mph
(48 km/h), see your authorized dealer as soon as possible
to have the problem diagnosed and corrected.
NOTE:
•The “ESC Off Indicator Light” and the “ESC Malfunc-
tion Indicator Light” come on momentarily each time
the ignition switch is turned ON.
•Each time the ignition is turned ON, the ESC system
will be ON even if it was turned off previously.
•The ESC system will make buzzing or clicking sounds
when it is active. This is normal; the sounds will stop
when ESC becomes inactive following the maneuver
that caused the ESC activation.
ESC Operating Modes
The ESC system has two available operating modes.
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