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NOTE:In cold weather, use of Recirculation mode may
lead to excessive window fogging. The Recirculation
mode is not allowed in the Defrost modes to improve
window clearing operation. Recirculation will be dis-
abled automatically if Defrost is selected.
Operating Tips
Window Fogging
Windows will fog on the inside when the humidity inside
the vehicle is high. This often occurs in mild or cool
temperatures when it’s rainy or humid. In most cases,
turning the air conditioning (pressing the A/C button) on
will clear the fog. Adjust the temperature control, air
direction, and blower speed to maintain comfort.
As the temperature gets colder, it may be necessary to
direct air onto the windshield. Adjust the temperature
control and blower speed to maintain comfort. Higherblower speeds will reduce fogging. Interior fogging on
the windshield can be quickly removed by selecting the
Defrost mode.
Regular cleaning of the inside of the windows with a
non-filming cleaning solution (vinegar and water works
very well) will help prevent contaminates (cigarette
smoke, perfumes, etc.) from sticking to the windows.
Contaminates increase the rate of window fogging.Summer Operation
NOTE:In some cases during high temperature trailer
tow operation the Air Conditioning system performance
may be reduced. This is to help protect the engine from
overheating during the high load condition.
4
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 429
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POWER STEERING.....................487
▫3.6L Engine..........................487
▫5.7L Engine..........................489
▫Power Steering Fluid Check..............490
FUEL SAVER TECHNOLOGY 5.7L ENGINE
ONLY – IF EQUIPPED...................491
PARKING BRAKE......................491
ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM. . . .494
▫Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)............494
▫Traction Control System (TCS)............494
▫Brake Assist System (BAS)...............495
▫Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM)..........496
▫Electronic Stability Control (ESC)..........497▫Trailer Sway Control (TSC)..............500
▫Hill Start Assist (HSA).................500
▫Ready Alert Braking – If Equipped.........503
▫Rain Brake Support – If Equipped..........503
▫Hill Descent Control (HDC) — Four-Wheel
Drive Models With MP3023 Two-Speed Transfer
Case Only..........................504
▫ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light
And ESC OFF Indicator Light............506
TIRE SAFETY INFORMATION.............507
▫Tire Markings........................507
▫Tire Identification Number (TIN)...........511
▫Tire Terminology And Definitions..........512
▫Tire Loading And Tire Pressure...........513
5
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▫Reformulated Gasoline.................542
▫Gasoline/Oxygenate Blends..............542
▫E-85 Usage In Non-Flex Fuel Vehicles.......542
▫MMT In Gasoline.....................543
▫Materials Added To Fuel................544
▫Fuel System Cautions...................544
▫Carbon Monoxide Warnings.............545
FLEXIBLE FUEL (3.6L ENGINE ONLY) — IF
EQUIPPED...........................546
▫E-85 General Information...............546
▫Ethanol Fuel (E-85)....................547
▫Fuel Requirements....................547
▫Selection Of Engine Oil For Flexible Fuel
Vehicles (E-85) And Gasoline Vehicles.......548▫Starting............................549
▫Cruising Range.......................549
▫Replacement Parts....................549
▫Maintenance........................549
ADDING FUEL........................550
▫Fuel Filler Cap (Gas Cap)...............550
▫Loose Fuel Filler Cap Message............553
VEHICLE LOADING....................553
▫Certification Label....................553
TRAILER TOWING.....................556
▫Common Towing Definitions.............556
▫Trailer Hitch Classification...............561
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 437
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▫Trailer Towing Weights
(Maximum Trailer Weight Ratings).........562
▫Trailer And Tongue Weight..............562
▫Towing Requirements..................563
▫Towing Tips.........................569
SNOW PLOW.........................570
RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND
MOTORHOME, ETC.)...................571
▫Towing This Vehicle Behind Another Vehicle . .571▫Recreational Towing – Two-Wheel Drive
Models.............................572
▫Recreational Towing – Quadra-Trac I®
(Single-Speed Transfer Case) Four-Wheel Drive
Models.............................573
▫
Recreational Towing – Quadra–Trac II®
/Quadra–Drive® II Four-Wheel
Drive Models.........................573
438 STARTING AND OPERATING
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DRIVE
This range should be used for most city and highway
driving. It provides the smoothest upshifts and down-
shifts, and the best fuel economy. The transmission
automatically upshifts through underdrive first, second,
and third gears, direct fourth gear and overdrive fifth
gear. The DRIVE position provides optimum driving
characteristics under all normal operating conditions.
When frequent transmission shifting occurs (such as
when operating the vehicle under heavy loading condi-
tions, in hilly terrain, traveling into strong head winds, or
while towing heavy trailers), use the AutoStick® shift
control (refer to “AutoStick®” in this section) to select a
lower gear. Under these conditions, using a lower gear
will improve performance and extend transmission life
by reducing excessive shifting and heat buildup.
Transmission Limp Home Mode
Transmission function is monitored electronically for
abnormal conditions. If a condition is detected that could
result in transmission damage, Transmission Limp Home
Mode is activated. In this mode, the transmission remains
in direct gear regardless of which forward gear is se-
lected. PARK, REVERSE, and NEUTRAL will continue to
operate. The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) may be
illuminated. Limp Home Mode allows the vehicle to be
driven to an authorized dealer for service without dam-
aging the transmission.
In the event of a momentary problem, the transmission
can be reset to regain all forward gears by performing the
following steps:
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Shift the transmission into PARK.
3. Turn the ignition switch to the LOCK/OFF position.
454 STARTING AND OPERATING
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DRIVE
This range should be used for most city and highway
driving. It provides the smoothest upshifts and down-
shifts, and the best fuel economy. The transmission
automatically upshifts through underdrive first and sec-
ond gears, direct third gear and overdrive fourth and
fifth gears. The DRIVE position provides optimum driv-
ing characteristics under all normal operating conditions.
To access all six available gears, you must use the
Electronic Range Select (ERS) shift control (refer to “Elec-
tronic Range Select (ERS) Operation” in this section).
When frequent transmission shifting occurs (such as
when operating the vehicle under heavy loading condi-
tions, in hilly terrain, traveling into strong head winds, or
while towing heavy trailers), use the Electronic Range
Select (ERS) shift control (refer to “Electronic Range
Select (ERS) Operation” in this section) to select a lower
gear range. Under these conditions, using a lower gearrange will improve performance and extend transmission
life by reducing excessive shifting and heat buildup.
If the transmission temperature exceeds normal operat-
ing limits, the powertrain controller will modify the
transmission shift schedule and expand the range of
torque converter clutch engagement. This is done to
prevent transmission damage due to overheating.
If the transmission becomes extremely hot or is in danger
of overheating, the “Transmission Temperature Warning
Light” may illuminate and the transmission may operate
differently until the transmission cools down.
NOTE:Use caution when operating a heavily loaded
vehicle at low speeds (such as towing a trailer up a steep
grade, or in stop-and-go traffic) during hot weather. In
these conditions, torque converter slip can impose a
significant additional heat load on the cooling system.
Downshifting the transmission to the lowest possible
gear (when climbing a grade), or shifting to NEUTRAL
462 STARTING AND OPERATING
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6. Shift into the desired gear range. If the problem is no
longer detected, the transmission will return to normal
operation.
NOTE:Even if the transmission can be reset, we recom-
mend that you visit your authorized dealer at your
earliest possible convenience. Your authorized dealer has
diagnostic equipment to determine if the problem could
recur. If the transmission cannot be reset, authorized
dealer service is required.
Electronic Range Select (ERS) Operation
The Electronic Range Select (ERS) shift control allows the
driver to limit the highest available gear when the shift
lever is in the DRIVE position. For example, if you shift
the transmission into 3 (third gear), the transmission will
never shift above third gear, but will shift down into
second and first gears normally.Use of ERS (or TOW/HAUL mode) also enables an
additional underdrive gear which is not normally used
during through-gear accelerations. This additional gear
can improve vehicle performance and cooling capability
when towing a trailer on certain grades. In ERS mode,
gears 1 though 3 are underdrive gears, and ERS 4 is direct
drive. ERS 5 and 6 (Overdrive gears ) are the same as the
normal fourth and fifth gears.
You can switch between DRIVE and ERS mode at any
vehicle speed. When the shift lever is in the DRIVE
position, the transmission will operate automatically,
shifting between all available gears. Tapping the shift
lever to the left (-) will activate ERS mode, display the
current gear in the instrument cluster, and maintain that
gear as the top available gear. Once in ERS mode, tapping
the shift lever to the left (-) or right (+) will change the top
available gear.
464 STARTING AND OPERATING
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•vehicle speed is sufficiently high,
•the driver is not heavily pressing the accelerator, and
•the TOW/HAUL switch has not been activated.
When To Use TOW/HAUL Mode
When driving in hilly areas, towing a trailer, carrying a
heavy load, etc., and frequent transmission shifting oc-
curs, press the TOW/HAUL switch to activate TOW/
HAUL mode. This will improve performance and reduce
the potential for transmission overheating or failure due
to excessive shifting. When operating in TOW/HAUL
mode, transmission upshifts are delayed, and the trans-
mission will automatically downshift (for engine brak-
ing) during steady braking maneuvers.The “TOW/HAUL Indicator Light” will illuminate in the
instrument cluster to indicate that TOW/HAUL mode
has been activated. Pressing the switch a second time
restores normal operation. Normal operation is always
the default at engine start-up. If TOW/HAUL mode is
desired, the switch must be pressed each time the engine
is started.
TOW/HAUL Switch
466 STARTING AND OPERATING