2014 DODGE JOURNEY tires

Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make Outside
The Vehicle
Tires
Examine tires for excessive tread wear and uneven wear
patterns. Check for stones, nails, glass, or other objects
lodged in the tread or sidewall. Inspect the tread for cuts
and cracks. Inspect sidewalls for cuts, cracks and bulges.
Check the wheel nuts for tightness. Check the tires
(including spare) for proper cold inflation pressure.
Lights
Have someone observe the operation of brake lights and
exterior lights while you work the controls. Check turn
signal and high beam indicator lights on the instrument
panel.
Door Latches
Check for positive closing, latching, and locking.
Fluid Leaks
Check area under vehicle after overnight parking for fuel,
engine coolant, oil, or other fluid leaks. Also, if gasoline
fumes are detected or if fuel, power steering fluid (if
equipped), or brake fluid leaks are suspected, the cause
should be located and corrected immediately.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 111

be placed in the door jamb stating what the mileage was
before the repair or service. It is a good idea for you to
make a record of the odometer reading before the repair/
service, so that you can be sure that it is properly reset, or
that the door jamb sticker is accurate if the odometer
must be reset at zero.
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) Display
The Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) fea-
tures a driver-interactive display that is located in the
instrument cluster. For further information, refer to
“Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)”.
9. Park/Headlight ON Indicator — If EquippedThis indicator will illuminate when the park
lights or headlights are turned on. 10. Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light — If
Equipped
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle
has tires of a different size than the size indicated on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label, you should
determine the proper tire inflation pressure for those
tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure telltale when
one or more of your tires is significantly under-inflated.
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Accordingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illumi-
nates, you should stop and check your tires as soon as
possible, and inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving
on a significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may affect
the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper
tire maintenance, and it is the driver ’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if under-inflation has
not reached the level to trigger illumination of the TPMS
low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to indicate when the system is not
operating properly. The TPMS malfunction indicator iscombined with the low tire pressure telltale. When the
system detects a malfunction, the telltale will flash for
approximately one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon subse-
quent vehicle start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the sys-
tem may not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure
as intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety
of reasons, including the installation of replacement or
alternate tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent the
TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or more
tires or wheels on your vehicle, to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS
to continue to function properly.
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CAUTION!
The TPMS has been optimized for the original
equipment tires and wheels. TPMS pressures and
warning have been established for the tire size
equipped on your vehicle. Undesirable system opera-
tion or sensor damage may result when using re-
placement equipment that is not of the same size,
type, and/or style. Aftermarket wheels can cause
sensor damage. Do not use tire sealant from a can or
balance beads if your vehicle is equipped with a
TPMS, as damage to the sensors may result.
11. Seat Belt Reminder Light When the ignition switch is first turned to ON/
RUN, this light will turn on for four to eight
seconds as a bulb check. During the bulb check, if
the driver or front passenger’s seat belt is unbuckled, a
chime will sound. After the bulb check or when driving, if the driver’s seat belt remains unbuckled, the Seat Belt
Reminder Light will illuminate and the chime will sound.
Refer to “Occupant Restraints” in “Things To Know
Before Starting Your Vehicle” for further information.
12. Brake Warning Light
This light monitors various brake functions,
including brake fluid level and parking brake
application. If the brake light turns on it may
indicate that the parking brake is applied, that
the brake fluid level is low, or that there is a problem with
the anti-lock brake system reservoir.
If the light remains on when the parking brake has been
disengaged, and the fluid level is at the full mark on the
master cylinder reservoir, it indicates a possible brake
hydraulic system malfunction or that a problem with the
Brake Booster has been detected by the Anti-Lock Brake
System (ABS) / Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system.
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 307

▫Traction ............................430
 DRIVING THROUGH WATER .............431
▫ Flowing/Rising Water ..................431
▫ Shallow Standing Water .................431
 POWER STEERING .....................433
▫ Power Steering Fluid Check ..............434
 PARKING BRAKE ..................... .434
 BRAKE SYSTEM .......................437
▫ Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) ............438
 ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM . . . .439
▫ Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) ............439
▫ Brake Assist System (BAS) ...............441
▫ Traction Control System (TCS) ............442▫
Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM) ..........442
▫ Electronic Stability Control (ESC) ..........443
▫ ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light And
ESC OFF Indicator Light ................446
▫ Trailer Sway Control (TSC) ..............447
▫ Hill Start Assist (HSA) .................448
 TIRE SAFETY INFORMATION .............450
▫ Tire Markings ........................450
▫ Tire Identification Number (TIN) ...........453
▫ Tire Terminology And Definitions ..........455
▫ Tire Loading And Tire Pressure ...........456
 TIRES — GENERAL INFORMATION ........460
▫ Tire Pressure ........................460
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▫Tire Inflation Pressures .................462
▫ Radial Ply Tires ..................... .463
▫ All Season Tires — If Equipped ............464
▫ Summer Or Three Season Tires —
If Equipped ..........................464
▫ Snow Tires ..........................465
▫ Spare Tire Matching Original Equipped Tire
And Wheel — If Equipped ...............465
▫ Compact Spare Tire — If Equipped ........466
▫ Full Size Spare — If Equipped ............467
▫ Limited-Use Spare — If Equipped .........467
▫ Tire Spinning ........................468
▫ Tread Wear Indicators ..................468
▫ Life Of Tire ........................ .469▫
Replacement Tires .....................469
 TIRE CHAINS (TRACTION DEVICES) .......471
 TIRE ROTATION RECOMMENDATIONS .....473
 TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR SYSTEM (TPMS) . .474
▫ Base System ........................ .477
▫ Premium System — If Equipped ...........479
▫ General Information ...................483
 FUEL REQUIREMENTS ..................483
▫ Reformulated Gasoline .................484
▫ Gasoline/Oxygenate Blends ..............484
▫ E-85 Usage In Non-Flex Fuel Vehicles .......485
▫ MMT In Gasoline .....................486
▫ Materials Added To Fuel ................486
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WARNING!
Do not downshift for additional engine braking on a
slippery surface. The drive wheels could lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid, causing a collision or
personal injury.
ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) — IF EQUIPPED
This feature provides on-demand All-Wheel Drive
(AWD). The system is automatic with no driver inputs or
additional driving skills required. Under normal driving
conditions, the front wheels provide most of the traction.
If the front wheels begin to lose traction, power is shifted
automatically to the rear wheels. The greater the front
wheel traction loss, the greater the power transfer to the
rear wheels.Additionally, on dry pavement under heavy throttle
input (where one may have no wheel spin), torque will be
sent to the rear in a pre-emptive effort to improve vehicle
launch and performance characteristics.
CAUTION!
All wheels must have the same size and type tires.
Unequal tire sizes must not be used. Unequal tire
size may cause failure of the power transfer unit.
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DRIVING ON SLIPPERY SURFACES
Acceleration
Rapid acceleration on snow covered, wet, or other slip-
pery surfaces may cause the driving wheels to pull
erratically to the right or left. This phenomenon occurs
when there is a difference in the surface traction under
the front (driving) wheels.
WARNING!
Rapid acceleration on slippery surfaces is dangerous.
Unequal traction can cause sudden pulling of the
front wheels. You could lose control of the vehicle
and possibly have a collision. Accelerate slowly and
carefully whenever there is likely to be poor traction
(ice, snow, wet, mud, loose sand, etc.).
Traction
When driving on wet or slushy roads, it is possible for a
wedge of water to build up between the tire and road
surface. This is hydroplaning and may cause partial or
complete loss of vehicle control and stopping ability. To
reduce this possibility, the following precautions should
be observed:
1. Slow down during rainstorms or when the roads areslushy.
2. Slow down if the road has standing water or puddles.
3. Replace the tires when tread wear indicators first become visible.
4. Keep tires properly inflated.
5. Maintain sufficient distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you to avoid a collision in a
sudden stop.
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