SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
SCHEDULED SERVICING......196
Scheduled Servicing —
Gasoline Engine..............196
Scheduled Servicing —
Diesel Engine ................200
ENGINE COMPARTMENT .....204
2.4L Engine.................204
3.2L Engine .................205
2.0L Diesel Engine .............206
2.2L Diesel Engine .............207
Checking Oil Level .............208
Cooling System ...............208
Adding Washer Fluid ............209 Brake System
................209
Manual Transmission — If Equipped . .210
Automatic Transmission ..........210
Maintenance-Free Battery ........211
DEALER SERVICE...........211
Windshield Wiper Blades .........211
RAISING THE VEHICLE ........216
TIRES ....................216
Tires — General Information .......216
Tire Types ...................220
Spare Tires — If Equipped ........221
Wheel And Wheel Trim Care .......222Tire Chains (Traction Devices)
.......223
Tire Rotation Recommendations .....224
STORING THE VEHICLE.......225
BODYWORK...............226
Preserving The Bodywork .........226
INTERIORS................227
Seats And Fabric Parts ...........227
Plastic And Coated Parts ..........227
Leather Parts .................228
Glass Surfaces ...............228
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
195
Checking Oil Level
To assure proper engine lubrication, the en-
gine oil must be maintained at the correct
level. Check the oil level at regular intervals,
such as every fuel stop. The best time to
check the engine oil level is about five min-
utes after a fully warmed up engine is shut
off.
Checking the oil while the vehicle is on level
ground will improve the accuracy of the oil
level readings.
There are three possible dipstick types,
• Crosshatched zone.
• Crosshatched zone marked SAFE.
• Crosshatched zone marked with MIN at thelow end of the range and MAX at the high
end of the range.
NOTE:
Always maintain the oil level within the cross-
hatch markings on the dipstick.
Adding 1 quart (1.0 liters) of oil when the
reading is at the low end of the dipstick range
will raise the oil level to the high end of the
range marking.
CAUTION!
Overfilling or underfilling the crankcase
will cause aeration or loss of oil pressure.
This could damage your engine.
Cooling System
WARNING!
• You or others can be badly burned by hot engine coolant (antifreeze) or steam
from your radiator. If you see or hear
steam coming from under the hood, do
not open the hood until the radiator has
had time to cool. Never open a cooling
system pressure cap when the radiator
or coolant bottle is hot.
• Keep hands, tools, clothing, and jewelry
away from the radiator cooling fan when
the hood is raised. The fan starts auto-
matically and may start at any time,
whether the engine is running or not.
• When working near the radiator cooling
fan, disconnect the fan motor lead or
turn the ignition to the OFF mode. The
WARNING!
fan is temperature controlled and can
start at any time the ignition is in the ON
mode.
Engine Coolant Checks
Check the engine coolant (antifreeze) protec-
tion every 12 months (before the onset of
freezing weather, where applicable). If the
engine coolant (antifreeze) is dirty, the sys-
tem should be drained, flushed, and refilled
with fresh PARAFLU
UPFormula OAT (Or-
ganic Additive Technology) or equivalent
meeting the requirements of FCA Material
Standard MS.90032. by an authorized
dealer. Check the front of the A/C condenser
for any accumulation of bugs, leaves, etc. If
dirty, clean by gently spraying water from a
garden hose vertically down the face of the
condenser.
Check the engine cooling system hoses for
brittle rubber, cracking, tears, cuts, and
tightness of the connection at the coolant
recovery bottle and radiator. Inspect the en-
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
208
