2013 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY User Guide

Securing The Spare Tire
1. Assemble the winch handle extensions to form a T-handle and fit the winch T-handle over thedrive nut. Rotate the nut to the left until the winch mechanism stops turning freely. This will
allow enough slack in the cable to allow you to pull the wheel spacer out from under the vehicle.
2. Assemble the winch handle extensions to form the spare tire hook, and pull the wheel spacer from under the vehicle.
3. Turn the compact spare tire so that the valve stem is down, and place the tire into the spare tire/cover assembly. Slide the wheel spacer through the center of the wheel and spare
tire/cover assembly, so that the two retainer tabs snap out and engage the spare tire cover on
the opposite side.
4. Using the winch T-handle, rotate the drive nut to the right until the compact spare tire/cover assembly is drawn into place against the underside of the vehicle.
5. Continue to rotate the nut to the right until you hear the winch mechanism click three times. It cannot be overtightened. Check under the vehicle to ensure the compact spare tire/cover
assembly is positioned correctly against the underside of the vehicle.
Road Tire Installation
Vehicles Equipped With Wheel Covers
1. Mount the road tire on the axle.
2. To ease the installation process for steel wheels with wheel covers, install two lug nuts on themounting studs which are on each side of the valve stem. Install the lug nuts with the cone
shaped end of the nut toward the wheel. Lightly tighten the lug nuts.
3. Align the valve notch in the wheel cover with the valve stem on the wheel. Install the cover
by hand, snapping the cover over the two
lug nuts. Do not use a hammer or excessive
force to install the cover.
4. Install the remaining lug nuts with the cone shaped end of the nut toward the wheel.
Lightly tighten the lug nuts.
5. Lower the vehicle to the ground by turning the jack handle counterclockwise.
6. Finish tightening the lug nuts. Push down on the wrench while at the end of the handle for
increased leverage. Tighten the lug nuts in a
star pattern until each nut has been tight-
ened twice. The correct tightness of each
lug nut is 102 ft/lbs (138 N·m). If in doubt about the correct tightness, have them checked with
a torque wrench by your authorized dealer or service station.
7. After 25 miles (40 km) check the lug nut torque with a torque wrench to ensure that all lug nuts are properly seated against the wheel.
1 — Valve Stem 4 — Wheel Cover
2 — Valve Notch 5 — Mounting Stud
3 — Wheel Lug Nut
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Vehicles Without Wheel Covers
1. Mount the road tire on the axle.
2. Install the remaining lug nuts with the cone shaped end of the nut toward the wheel. Lightlytighten the lug nuts.
3. Lower the vehicle to the ground by turning the jack handle counterclockwise.
4. Finish tightening the lug nuts. Push down on the wrench while at the end of the handle for increased leverage. Tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern until each nut has been tightened
twice. The correct tightness of each lug nut is 102 ft/lbs (138 N·m). If in doubt about the
correct tightness, have them checked with a torque wrench by your authorized dealer or
service station.
5. After 25 miles (40 km) check the lug nut torque with a torque wrench to ensure that all lug nuts are properly seated against the wheel.
CAUTION!
• The winch mechanism is designed for use with the winch T-handle only. Use of air wrench or other power tools is not recommended and can damage the winch.
• Do not attempt to raise the vehicle by jacking on locations other than those indicated in
the Jacking Instructions for this vehicle.
• Be sure to mount the spare tire with the valve stem facing outward. The vehicle could be
damaged if the spare tire is mounted incorrectly.
• The compact spare tire/cover assembly must be used when the compact spare tire is
stored. Failure to use this cover could drastically reduce the life of the compact spare tire.
• The winch mechanism is designed specifically to stow a compact spare tire only. Do not attempt to use the winch to stow the full size flat tire, or any other full-size tire. Vehicle
damage may result.
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WARNING!
• Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of the vehicle close to moving traffic. Pull farenough off the road to avoid the danger of being hit when operating the jack or changing
the wheel.
• Being under a jacked-up vehicle is dangerous. The vehicle could slip off the jack and fall on
you. You could be crushed. Never put any part of your body under a vehicle that is on a
jack. If you need to get under a raised vehicle, take it to a service center where it can be
raised on a lift.
• Never start or run the engine while the vehicle is on a jack.
• The jack is designed to be used as a tool for changing tires only. The jack should not be
used to lift the vehicle for service purposes. The vehicle should be jacked on a firm level
surface only. Avoid ice or slippery areas.
• Carefully follow these tire changing warnings to help prevent personal injury or damage to
your vehicle:
• Always park on a firm, level surface as far from the edge of the roadway as possible before
raising the vehicle.
• Turn on the Hazard Warning flasher.
• Block the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel to be raised.
• Set the parking brake firmly and set an automatic transmission in PARK; a manual
transmission in REVERSE.
• Do not let anyone sit in the vehicle when it is on a jack.
• Do not get under the vehicle when it is on a jack.
• Only use the jack in the positions indicated and for lifting this vehicle during a tire change.
• If working on or near a roadway, be extremely careful of motor traffic.
• To assure that spare tires, flat or inflated, are securely stowed, spares must be stowed with
the valve stem facing the ground.
• Raising the vehicle higher than necessary can make the vehicle less stable. It could 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 wheel nuts fully until
the vehicle has been lowered. Failure to follow this warning may result in personal injury.
• 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.
• 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.
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JUMP-STARTING
• If your vehicle has a discharged battery itcan 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 instruc-
tions 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.
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• Disconnect the opposite end of the positive(+)jumper cable from the positive (+)post of
the booster battery.
• 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 a system
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 discharged battery mayfreeze. 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 shift levercannot be moved out of the PARK position,
you can use the following procedure to tem-
porarily 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 ac-
cessed through the hole in the instrument
panel.
• Move the shift lever into the NEUTRAL position.
• The vehicle may then be started in NEU- TRAL.
• Reinstall the override cover.
TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
Towing Condition Wheels OFF the Ground ALL MODELS
Flat Tow NONEIf transmission is operable:
• Transmission in NEUTRAL
• 25 mph (40 km/h) maxspeed
• 15 miles (24 km) maxdistance
Wheel lift Rear
Front OK
Flatbed ALLBEST METHOD
FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
• If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand or snow, it can often be moved using a rocking
motion. Turn your steering wheel right and left to clear the area around the front wheels. Then
shift back and forth between DRIVE and REVERSE while gently pressing the accelerator. Use
the least amount of accelerator pedal pressure that will maintain the rocking motion, without
spinning the wheels or racing the engine.
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NOTE:
Press the "ESC Off" switch, to place the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system in "Partial
Off" mode before rocking the vehicle. Once the vehicle has been freed, press the "ESC Off"
switch again to restore "ESC On" mode.
CAUTION!
• When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by moving between REVERSE and DRIVE, do not spinthe 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.
EVENT DATA RECORDER (EDR)
• This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data Recorder (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR isto 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.
• 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 the vehicle 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 on the
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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