2012 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Owners Manual

the turn signal activation. Once the turn signal is no
longer active, the DRL lamp will illuminate.
Front Fog Lights — If Equipped
To activate the front fog lights, turn on the parking
lights or the low beam headlights and push in the
headlight switch control knob. Pressing the head-
light switch control knob in a second time will turn the
front fog lights off.
Battery Protection
This feature provides battery protection to avoid wearing
down the battery if the headlights, parking lights, or front
fog lights are left on for extended periods of time when
the ignition switch is in the LOCK position. After eight
minutes of the ignition switch being in the LOCK position
and the headlight switch in any position other than OFF
or AUTO, the lights will turn off automatically until the
next cycle of the ignition switch or headlight switch.
The battery protection feature will be disabled if the
ignition switch is turned to any other position other than
LOCK during the eight minute delay.
Multifunction Lever
The multifunction lever is located on the left side of the
steering column.
Multifunction Lever
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 207

The multifunction lever controls the:
•Turn Signals
•Headlight Beams Low/High
•Flash-To-Pass (Optical Horn)
•Front and Rear Wipers — Washer Functions
Turn Signals
Move the multifunction lever up or down and the arrows
on each side of the instrument cluster flash to show
proper operation of the front and rear turn signal lights.
NOTE:If either light remains on and does not flash, or
there is a very fast flash rate, check for a defective outside
light bulb. If an indicator fails to light when the lever is
moved, it would suggest that the indicator bulb is
defective.
Lane Change Assist
Tap the lever up or down once, without moving beyond
the detent, and the turn signal (right or left) will flash
three times then automatically turn off.
Turn Signal Warning
If the vehicle electronics sense that the vehicle has
traveled at over 18 mph (29 km/h) for approximately
1 mile (1.6 km) with the turn signals on, a chime will
sound to alert the driver.
High/Low Beam Switch
When the headlights are turned on, pushing the multi-
function lever toward the instrument panel will switch
from low beams to high beams. Pulling back to the
neutral position returns the headlights to the low beam
operation.
208 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Flash-To-Pass
You can signal another vehicle with your headlights by
lightly pulling the multifunction lever toward you. This
will turn on the high beam headlights until the lever is
released.
SmartBeam™ — If Equipped
The SmartBeam™ system provides increased forward
lighting at night by automating high beam control
through the use of a digital camera mounted on the
inside rearview mirror. This camera detects vehicle spe-
cific light and automatically switches from high beams to
low beams until the approaching vehicle is out of view.
To Activate
1. Select “Automatic High Beams — ON” through the
EVIC. Refer to “Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC)/Customer-Programmable Features” in “Under-
standing Your Instrument Panel” for further information.2. Rotate the headlight switch counterclockwise to the
AUTO (A) position.
3. Push the multifunction lever away from you to switch
the headlights to the high beam position. Refer to “Mul-
tifunction Lever” in this section for further information.
NOTE:
This system will not activate until the vehicle is
at, or above, 25 mph (40 km/h).
To Deactivate
Perform either of the following steps to deactivate the
SmartBeam™ system.
1. Select “Automatic High Beams — OFF” through the
EVIC. Refer to “Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC)/Customer-Programmable Features” in “Under-
standing Your Instrument Panel” for further information.
2. Pull the multifunction lever toward you to switch the
headlights from the high beam to the low beam position.
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 209

3. Rotate the headlight switch clockwise from the AUTO
(A) to the on position.
NOTE:Broken, muddy or obstructed headlights and
taillights of vehicles in the field of view will cause
headlights to remain on longer (closer to the vehicle).
Also, dirt, film and other obstructions on the windshield
or camera lens will cause the system to function
improperly.
WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND WASHERS
The wipers and washers are operated by a switch within
the multifunction lever. Rotate the end of the multifunc-
tion lever to select the desired wiper speed.
NOTE: Always remove any buildup of snow that pre-
vents the windshield wiper blades from returning to the
off position. If the windshield wiper switch is turned off
and the blades cannot return to the off position, damage
to the wiper motor may occur.
Washer And Wiper Controls
210 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Mist, Front Wiper And Washer
Use the Mist feature when weather conditions make
occasional usage of the wipers necessary.
Press the end of the multifunction lever inward (toward
the steering column) to the first detent and release for a
single wiping cycle. To use the Washer, push on the end
of the lever to the second detent and hold while spray is
desired. If the lever is pushed while on the intermittent
setting, the wipers will turn on and operate for several
wipe cycles after the lever is released, and then resume
the intermittent interval previously selected. If the lever
is pushed while the wipers are in the off position, the
wipers will operate several wipe cycles, then turn off.
Intermittent, Low And High Speed Wipers
Rotate the end of the lever to one of the first five detent
positions for intermittent wiper operation, the sixth de-
tent for low wiper operation and the seventh detent for
high wiper operation.Use one of the five intermittent wiper settings when
weather conditions make a single wiping cycle, with a
variable delay between cycles, desirable. At driving
speeds above 10 mph (16 km/h), the delay can be
regulated from a maximum of approximately 18 second
between cycles (first detent), to a cycle every one second
(fifth detent).
NOTE:
If the vehicle is moving less than 10 mph
(16 km/h), delay times will be doubled.
Rear Wiper And Washer
Rotating the rotary ring to the first detent activates the
rear intermittent wipers. To activate the washers, rotate
the rotary ring fully forward and the washers will spray
until the ring is released, and then resume the intermit-
tent interval.
NOTE: Rear window wipers function in the intermittent
wiper speed only.
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 211

WARNING!
Sudden loss of visibility through the windshield
could lead to a collision. You might not see other
vehicles or other obstacles. To avoid sudden icing of
the windshield during freezing weather, warm the
windshield with defroster before and during wind-
shield washer use.
Rain Sensing Wipers — If Equipped
This feature senses moisture on the windshield and
automatically activates the wipers for the driver. This
feature is especially useful for road splash or overspray
from the windshield washers of the vehicle ahead. Rotate
the end of the multifunction lever to one of the five
intermittent wiper sensitivity settings to activate this
feature.The sensitivity of the system is adjustable from the
multifunction lever. Wiper sensitivity position 3 has been
calibrated for best overall wiping sensitivity. If the opera-
tor desires more wiping sensitivity, they may select
sensitivity positions 4 or 5. If the operator desires less
wiping sensitivity, they may select sensitivity positions 2
or 1. Place the multifunction lever in the OFF position
when not using the system.
NOTE:•The Rain Sensing feature will not operate when the
wiper speed is in the low or high position.
•The Rain Sensing feature may not function properly
when ice or dried saltwater is present on the wind-
shield.
•Use of Rain-X
or products containing wax or silicone
may reduce rain sensor performance.
212 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

•The Rain Sensing feature can be turned on and off
through the EVIC (if equipped). Refer to “Electronic
Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)/Personal Settings
(Customer-Programmable Features)” in “Understand-
ing Your Instrument Panel” for further information.
The Rain Sensing system has protective features for the
wiper blades and arms. It will not operate under the
following conditions:
•Low Temperature Wipe Inhibit — The Rain Sensing
feature will not operate when the ignition is first
switched ON, and the vehicle is stationary, and the
outside temperature is below 32°F (0°C), unless the
wiper control on the multifunction lever is moved, or
the vehicle speed becomes greater than 0 mph
(0 km/h), or the outside temperature rises above
freezing.
•Neutral Wipe Inhibit — The Rain Sensing feature will
not operate when the ignition is ON, and the trans-
mission shift lever is in the NEUTRAL position, and
the vehicle speed is less than 5 mph (8 km/h), unless
the wiper control on the multifunction lever is moved
or the shift lever is moved out of the NEUTRAL
position.
•Remote Start Mode Inhibit — On vehicles equipped
with Remote Starting system, Rain Sensing wipers are
not operational when the vehicle is in the remote start
mode. Once the operator is in the vehicle and has
placed the ignition switch in the RUN position, rain
sensing wiper operation can resume, if it has been
selected, and no other inhibit conditions (mentioned
previously) exist.
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 213

TILT/TELESCOPING STEERING COLUMN
This feature allows you to tilt the steering column
upward or downward. It also allows you to lengthen or
shorten the steering column. The tilt/telescoping lever is
located below the steering wheel at the end of the
steering column.To unlock the steering column, push the lever downward
(toward the floor). To tilt the steering column, move the
steering wheel upward or downward as desired. To
lengthen or shorten the steering column, pull the steering
wheel outward or push it inward as desired. To lock the
steering column in position, push the lever upward until
fully engaged.
WARNING!
Do not adjust the steering column while driving.
Adjusting the steering column while driving or driv-
ing with the steering column unlocked, could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle. Be sure the
steering column is locked before driving your ve-
hicle. Failure to follow this warning may result in
serious injury or death.
Tilt/Telescoping Lever
214 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE