2011 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN User Guide

WARNING!(Continued)
• Raising the vehicle higher than necessary can make the vehicle less stable. Itcould slip off the jack and hurt someone near it. Raise the vehicle only
enough to remove the tire.
• To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the jack, do not tighten the lug nuts fully until the vehicle has been lowered.
• A loose tire or jack thrown forward in a collision or hard stop could endanger the occupants of the vehicle. Always stow the jack parts and the spare tire in
the places provided. Have the deflated (flat) tire repaired or replaced
immediately.
• A loose compact spare tire/cover assembly, thrown forward in a collision or hard stop could endanger the occupants of the vehicle. Always stow the
compact spare tire with the cover assembly in the place provided.
• Verify that both retainer tabs of the wheel spacer have been properly extended through the center of the wheel and spare tire/cover assembly.
Failure to properly engage both retainer tabs could result in loss of the spare
tire and cover assembly, which will cause vehicle damage and may cause loss
of vehicle control.
• To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the jack, do not tighten the lug nuts fully until the vehicle is lowered to the ground.
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JUMP-STARTING
• If your vehicle has a discharged batteryit can be jump-started using a set of
jumper cables and a battery in another
vehicle or by using a portable battery
booster pack.
• Jump-starting can be dangerous if done improperly so please follow the
procedures in this section carefully.
NOTE: When using a portable battery
booster pack follow the manufacturer’s
operating instructions and precautions.
Preparations for Jump-Start
• The battery in your vehicle is located on the left side of the engine compartment.
• Set the parking brake, shift the automatic transmission into PARK and turn the
ignition to LOCK.
• Turn off the heater, radio, and all unnecessary electrical accessories.
• If using another vehicle to jump-start the battery, park the vehicle within the jumper cables reach, set the parking brake and make sure the ignition is OFF.
Jump-Starting Procedure
• Connect the positive (+)end of the jumper cable to the positive (+)post of the
discharged vehicle.
• Connect the opposite end of the positive (+)jumper cable to the positive (+)post
of the booster battery.
• Connect the negative end (-)of the jumper cable to the negative (-)post of the
booster battery.
• Connect the opposite end of the negative (-)jumper cable to a good engine ground
(exposed metal part of the discharged vehicle's engine) away from the battery and
fuel injection system.
• Start the engine in the vehicle that has the booster battery, let the engine idle a few minutes, and then start the engine in the vehicle with the discharged battery.
Once the engine is started, remove the jumper cables in the reverse sequence:
• Disconnect the negative (-)jumper cable from the negative (-)post of the vehicle
with the discharged battery.
• Disconnect the negative end (-)of the jumper cable from the negative (-)post of
the booster battery.
• Disconnect the opposite end of the positive (+)jumper cable from the positive (+)
post of the booster battery.
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• Disconnect the positive(+)end of the jumper cable from the positive (+)post of
the discharged vehicle.
• If frequent jump-starting is required to start your vehicle you should have the battery and charging system inspected at your authorized dealer.
CAUTION!
• Do not use a portable battery booster pack or any other booster source with asystem voltage greater than 12 Volts or damage to the battery, starter motor,
alternator or electrical system may occur.
• Failure to follow these procedures could result in damage to the charging system of the booster vehicle or the discharged vehicle.
• Accessories that can be plugged into the vehicle power outlets draw power from the vehicle’s battery, even when not in use (i.e., cellular phones, etc.).
Eventually, if plugged in long enough, the vehicle’s battery will discharge
sufficiently to degrade battery life and/or prevent the engine from starting.
WARNING!
• When temperatures are below the freezing point, electrolyte in a dischargedbattery may freeze. Do not attempt jump-starting because the battery could
rupture or explode and cause personal injury. Battery temperature must be
brought above freezing point before attempting a jump-start.
• Take care to avoid the radiator cooling fan whenever the hood is raised. It can start anytime the ignition switch is on. You can be injured by moving fan
blades.
• Remove any metal jewelry, such as watch bands or bracelets, that might make an inadvertent electrical contact. You could be severely injured.
• Batteries contain sulfuric acid that can burn your skin or eyes and generate hydrogen gas which is flammable and explosive. Keep open flames or sparks
away from the battery.
• Do not allow vehicles to touch each other as this could establish a ground connection and personal injury could result.
• Failure to follow this procedure could result in personal injury or property damage due to battery explosion.
• Do not connect the cable to the negative post (-)of the discharged battery.
The resulting electrical spark could cause the battery to explode and could
result in personal injury.
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SHIFT LEVER OVERRIDE
• If a malfunction occurs and the shiftlever cannot be moved out of the PARK
position, you can use the following
procedure to temporarily move the shift
lever:
• To access the shift lever override,
remove the cover located to the top
right of the shift lever in the
instrument panel.
• Firmly set the parking brake.
• Turn the ignition switch to the ACC or ON position without starting the
engine.
• Press and maintain firm pressure on the brake pedal.
• The override can be activated by pressing the white-colored tab,
which can be accessed through the
hole in the instrument panel.
• Move the shift lever into the NEUTRAL position.
• The vehicle may then be started in NEUTRAL.
• Reinstall the override cover.
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TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLEModelFlat Towing (all four
wheels on the ground)Flatbed Towing (all four
wheels suspended OFF
the ground)Front Wheels Raised,
Rear Wheels on the
GroundRear Wheels Raised,
Front Wheels on the
Ground
FWD Without a Key NOT Permitted Recommended
MethodNOT Permitted NOT Permitted
FWD With a Key Shift lever must be in
NEUTRAL. The
distance to be traveled
must not exceed 100
mi (160 km), and the
towing speed must not
exceed 44 mph
(72 km/h).Recommended
Method
NOT Permitted NOT Permitted
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FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
• If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand or snow, it can often be moved by arocking motion. Turn your steering wheel right and left to clear the area around the
front wheels. Then, move the shift lever back and forth between REVERSE and
DRIVE. Using minimal accelerator pedal pressure to maintain the rocking motion,
without spinning the wheels, is most effective.
NOTE: If your vehicle is equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) or Traction
Control
, turn the system off before attempting to “rock” the vehicle.
CAUTION!
• When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by moving between REVERSE and DRIVE, do not spin the wheels faster than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drivetrain damage may
result.
• Revving the engine or spinning the wheels too fast may lead to transmission overheating and failure. It can also damage the tires. Do not spin the wheels
above 30 mph (48 km/h) while in gear (no transmission shifting occurring).
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces generated by excessive wheel
speeds may cause tire damage or failure. A tire could explode and injure
someone. Do not spin your vehicle's wheels faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) when
you are stuck. Do not let anyone near a spinning wheel, no matter what the
speed.
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EVENT DATA RECORDER (EDR)
• This vehicle is equipped with an event data recorder (EDR). The main purpose ofan EDR is to record, in certain crash or near crash-like situations, such as an air
bag deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will assist in understanding
how a vehicle’s systems performed. The EDR is designed to record data related to
vehicle dynamics and safety systems for a short period of time, typically
30 seconds or less. The EDR in this vehicle is designed to record such data as:
• How various systems in your vehicle were operating;
• Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts were buckled/fastened;
• How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the accelerator and/or brake pedal;
and,
• How fast the vehicle was traveling.
• These data can help provide a better understanding of the circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur.
NOTE: EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only if a non-trivial crash situation
occurs; no data are recorded by the EDR under normal driving conditions and no
personal data (e.g. name, gender, age, and crash location) are recorded. However, other
parties, such as law enforcement, could combine the EDR data with the type of
personally identifying data routinely acquired during a crash investigation.
• To read data recorded by an EDR, special equipment is required, and access to thevehicle or the EDR is needed. In addition to the vehicle manufacturer, other
parties such as law enforcement, that have the special equipment, can read the
information if they have access to the vehicle or the EDR.
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OPENING THE HOOD
• Pull the hood release lever located onthe instrument panel, below the
steering column.
• Raise the hood and locate the safety catch lever, in the middle of the hood
opening.
• Move the safety latch while lifting the hood at the same time.
• Insert the support rod into the slot on the hood.
• To close the hood, remove the support rod and place it in the retaining clip,
then lower the hood slowly.
WARNING!
Be sure the hood is fully latched before driving your vehicle. If the hood is not
fully latched, it could open when the vehicle is in motion and block your vision.
Failure to follow this warning could result in serious injury or death.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
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