WARNING!(Continued)
•Failure to equip your vehicle with tires having ad-
equate speed capability can result in sudden tire
failure and loss of vehicle control.
CAUTION!
Replacing original tires with tires of a different size
may result in false speedometer and odometer read-
ings.
Tire Types
All Season Tires — If Equipped
All Season tires provide traction for all seasons (Spring,
Summer, Fall, and Winter). Traction levels may vary be-
tween different all season tires. All season tires can be
identified by the M+S, M&S, M/S or MS designation on the
tire sidewall. Use all season tires only in sets of four; failure
to do so may adversely affect the safety and handling of
your vehicle.
Summer Or Three Season Tires — If Equipped
Summer tires provide traction in both wet and dry condi-
tions, and are not intended to be driven in snow or on ice.
If your vehicle is equipped with Summer tires, be aware
these tires are not designed for Winter or cold driving
conditions. Install Winter tires on your vehicle when am-
bient temperatures are less than 40°F (5°C) or if roads are
covered with ice or snow. For more information, contact an
authorized dealer.
Summer tires do not contain the all season designation or
mountain/snowflake symbol on the tire sidewall. Use
Summer tires only in sets of four; failure to do so may
adversely affect the safety and handling of your vehicle.
WARNING!
Do not use Summer tires in snow/ice conditions. You
could lose vehicle control, resulting in severe injury or
death. Driving too fast for conditions also creates the
possibility of loss of vehicle control.
242 SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
NOTE:If you intend parking or storing your vehicle for an
extended period after cleaning the wheels with wheel
cleaner, drive your vehicle and apply the brakes to remove
the water droplets from the brake components. This activ-
ity will remove the red rust on the brake rotors and prevent
vehicle vibration when braking.
Dark Vapor Chrome, Black Satin Chrome, or Low Gloss
Clear Coat Wheels
CAUTION!
If your vehicle is equipped with these specialty
wheels, DO NOT USE wheel cleaners, abrasives, or
polishing compounds. They will permanently damage
this finish and such damage is not covered by the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty. HAND WASH ONLY US-
ING MILD SOAP AND WATER WITH A SOFT
CLOTH. Used on a regular basis; this is all that is
required to maintain this finish.
Tire Chains (Traction Devices)
Use of traction devices require sufficient tire-to-body clear-
ance. Follow these recommendations to guard against
damage:
• Traction device must be of proper size for the tire, as
recommended by the traction device manufacturer.
• Install on Front Tires.
• Due to limited clearance, a 185/55R15 tire with a Peer-
less Super Z6 low profile traction device or equivalent is
recommended.
WARNING!
Using tires of different size and type (M+S, Snow)
between front and rear axles can cause unpredictable
handling. You could lose control and have a collision.
8
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE 247
The front and rear wheels are different sizes and cannot be
used in place of each other. Rotate the wheels “side-to-
side” as shown in the diagram.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION UNIFORM
TIRE QUALITY GRADES
The following tire grading categories were established
by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The specific grade rating assigned by the tire’s manu-
facturer in each category is shown on the sidewall of the
tires on your vehicle.All passenger vehicle tires must conform to Federal
safety requirements in addition to these grades.
Treadwear
The Treadwear grade is a comparative rating, based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and one-half
times as well on the government course as a tire graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends upon the
actual conditions of their use, however, and may depart
significantly from the norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices, and differences in road charac-
teristics and climate.
Traction Grades
The Traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. These grades represent the tire’s ability to stop
on wet pavement, as measured under controlled condi-
tions on specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
Tire Rotation
8
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE 249
WARNING!
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction tests, and does not
include acceleration, cornering, hydroplaning, or
peak traction characteristics.
Temperature Grades
The Temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat, when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material of
the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive
temperature can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C
corresponds to a level of performance, which all pas-
senger vehicle tires must meet under the Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of performance on the laboratory
test wheel, than the minimum required by law.
WARNING!
The temperature grade for this tire is established for
a tire that is properly inflated and not overloaded.
Excessive speed, under-inflation, or excessive load-
ing, either separately or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire failure.
STORING THE VEHICLE
The preferred way of storing your vehicle for a long period
of time is to leave it attached to a Level 1 or Level 2 charger.
The vehicle has a wake-up feature that will wake the
system every 3 weeks and do a maintenance charge on the
12 Volt battery and also top off the high voltage battery if
necessary.
Anytime you store your vehicle, or keep it out of service
(e.g., vacation) for two weeks or more, run the air condi-
tioning system at idle for about five minutes in the fresh air
and high blower setting. This will ensure adequate system
lubrication to minimize the possibility of compressor dam-
age when the air conditioning system is started again.
250 SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
Brake Warning...........................91
Bulb Replacement ........................180
Cruise ...............................97, 98
Daytime Running .........................56
Dimmer Switch, Headlight ...................56
Exterior ...............................151
Headlights ..............................56
High Beam ..............................57
High Beam/Low Beam Select .................56
Instrument Cluster ........................56
Lights On Reminder .......................56
Park ............................... .57, 97
Passing ............................. .56, 57
Seat Belt Reminder ........................92
Security Alarm ...........................42
Service ............................... .180
Traction Control ........................ .104
Turn Signal ..............................58
Turn Signals .......................56, 97, 151
Warning Instrument Cluster Descriptions ........97
Loading Vehicle ............................171
Tires................................. .232
Locks Power Door .............................45
Lubrication, Body ..........................225 Lug Nuts/Bolts
............................257
Maintenance Free Battery .....................218
Maintenance, General .......................219
Maintenance Procedures ..................... .219
Maintenance Schedule .......................215
Manual, Service ............................288
Master Cylinder (Brakes) .....................227
Memory Seat ..............................49
Mirrors ..................................54
Automatic Dimming .......................54
Electric Powered ..........................55
Heated ............................. .54, 56
Outside ................................54
Rearview ...............................54
Modifications/Alterations, Vehicle ................5
Mopar Parts ............................. .287
MP3 Control ............................. .275
Multi-Function Contr
ol Lever ...................56
Occupant Restraints .........................110
Onboard Diagnostic System ....................98
Operating Precautions ........................98
Operator Manual (Owner’s Manual) ...............4
Outside Rearview Mirrors .....................54
294 INDEX
Sun Roof.................................73
Supplemental Restraint System - Air Bag ..........122
Telescoping Steering Column ...................53
Temperature Control, Automatic (ATC) ............69
Tilt Steering Column .........................53
Time Delay Headlight ...............................56
Tire And Loading Information Placard ............232
Tire Markings ............................ .229
Tires......................... .151, 236, 243, 249
Aging (Life Of Tires) ..................... .240
Air Pressure ............................236
Chains ............................... .247
Changing ............................. .228
Compact Spare ..........................244
General Information ...................236, 243
High Speed ............................ .238
Inflation Pressure ........................237
Jacking ............................... .228
Life Of Tires ............................240
Load Capacity .......................232, 233
Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) ............94
Quality Grading ........................ .249
Radial ............................... .238
Replacement ............................241 Rotation
...............................248
Safety ............................ .229, 236
Snow Tires ............................ .243
Spare Tires ..........................243, 245
Spinning ...............................239
Tread Wear Indicators .....................239
Wheel Nut Torque ........................257
Tire Safety Information .......................229
Tire Service Kit ...........190, 191, 193, 194, 196, 197,
198, 199, 200, 201, 204, 205
To Open Hood .............................76
Towing ................................. .172
Disabled Vehicle .........................211
Recreational ............................173
T owing
Behind A Motorhome ..................173
Traction ............................. .173, 174
Traction Control .......................... .101
Trailer Towing ............................ .172
Transmission Automatic ............................ .157
Fluid .................................259
Transporting Pets ..........................148
Tread Wear Indicators .......................239
Turn Signals ..........................56, 58, 97
12
INDEX 297