trailer DODGE CALIBER 2008 1.G User Guide

Trailer Towing Weights (Maximum Trailer Weight Ratings)
The following chart provides the maximum trailer weight ratings towable for your given drivetrain.
Engine/Transmission Frontal Area Max. GTW
(Gross Trailer Wt.)Max. Tongue Wt.
(See Note 1)
2.0L Auto 22 sq ft (2.04 sq m) 1000 lbs (450 kg) 150 lbs (50 kg)
2.4L Auto 22 sq ft (2.04 sq m) 1000 lbs (450 kg) 150 lbs (50 kg)
1.8L Manual 22 sq ft (2.04 sq m) 1000 lbs (450 kg) 150 lbs (50 kg)
2.4L Auto/Man with
Trailer Tow Prep Package
(AHC)32 sq ft (3.0 sq m) 2000 lbs (907 kg) 300 lbs (136 kg)
Refer to local laws for maximum trailer towing speeds.
Note 1 – The trailer tongue weight must be considered as
part of the combined weight of occupants and cargo and
should never exceed the weight referenced on the Tire
and Loading Information placard. Refer to “Tire–Safety
Information” under “Starting and Operating” in Section
5.
Trailer And Tongue Weight
Always load a trailer with 60% to 65% of the weight in
the front of the trailer. This places 10% to 15% of the GTW
on the tow hitch of your vehicle. Loads balanced over the
wheels or heavier in the rear can cause the trailer to sway
STARTING AND OPERATING 291
5

severelyfrom side-to-side which will cause loss of con-
trol of vehicle and trailer. Failure to load trailers heavier
in front is the cause of many trailer accidents.
Never exceed the maximum tongue weight stamped on
your bumper or trailer hitch.Consider the following items when computing the
weight on the rear axle of the vehicle:
•The tongue weight of the trailer.
•The weight of any other type of cargo or equipment
put in or on your vehicle.
•The weight of the driver and all passengers.
NOTE:Remember that everything put into or on the
trailer adds to the load on your vehicle. Also, additional
factory-installed options, or dealer-installed options,
must be considered as part of the total load on your
vehicle. Refer to the “Tire and Loading Information
placard” under “Tire Safety Information” in Section 5 of
this manual for the maximum combined weight of occu-
pants and cargo for your vehicle.
292 STARTING AND OPERATING

Towing Requirements
To promote proper break-in of your new vehicle driv-
etrain components, the following guidelines are recom-
mended:
CAUTION!
•Avoid towing a trailer for the first 500 mi (805 km)
of vehicle operation. Doing so may damage your
vehicle.
•During the first 500 mi (805 km) of trailer towing,
limit your speed to 50 mph (80 km/h).
Perform the maintenance listed in Section 8 of this
manual. When towing a trailer, never exceed the GAWR
or GCWR ratings.
WARNING!
Improper towing can lead to an injury accident.
Follow these guidelines to make your trailer towing
as safe as possible:
Make certain that the load is secured in the trailer
and will not shift during travel. When trailering
cargo that is not fully secured, dynamic load shifts
can occur that may be difficult for the driver to
control. You could lose control of your vehicle and
have an accident.
•When hauling cargo or towing a trailer, do not over-
load your vehicle or trailer. Overloading can cause a
loss of control, poor performance or damage to the
brakes, axle, engine, transmission, steering, suspen-
sion, chassis structure or tires.
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5

•Safety chains must always be used between your
vehicle and trailer. Always connect the chains to the
frame or hook retainers of the vehicle hitch. Cross the
chains under the trailer tongue and allow enough
slack for turning corners.
•Vehicles with trailers should not be parked on a grade.
When parking, apply the parking brake on the tow
vehicle. Put the tow vehicle automatic transmission in
PARK. With a manual transmission, shift the transmis-
sion into REVERSE. Always block orchockthe trailer
wheels.
•GCWR must not be exceeded.
•Total weight must be distributed between the tow
vehicle and the trailer such that the following four
ratings are not exceeded:
1. GVWR
2. GTW3. GAWR
4. Tongue weight rating for the trailer hitch utilized
(this requirement may limit the ability to always
achieve the 10% to 15% range of tongue weight as a
percentage of total trailer weight).
Towing Requirements — Tires

Do not attempt to tow a trailer while using a compact
spare tire.
Proper tire inflation pressures are essential to the safe
and satisfactory operation of your vehicle. Refer to the
“Tires–General Information” section of this manual
under Tire Pressures for proper tire inflation proce-
dures.
Also, check the trailer tires for proper tire inflation
pressures before trailer usage.
294 STARTING AND OPERATING

Check for signs of tire wear or visible tire damage
before towing a trailer. Refer to “Tread Wear Indica-
tors” under “Tires–General Information” in Section 5
under for the proper inspection procedure.
When replacing tires refer to the Tires–General Infor-
mation section of this manual on Replacement Tires for
proper tire replacement procedures. Replacing tires
with a higher load carrying capacity will not increase
the vehicle’s GVWR and GAWR limits.
Towing Requirements — Trailer Brakes

Donotinterconnect the hydraulic brake system or
vacuum system of your vehicle with that of the trailer.
This could cause inadequate braking and possible
personal injury.
An electronically actuated trailer brake controller is
required when towing a trailer with electronically
actuated brakes. When towing a trailer equipped with
a hydraulic surge actuated brake system, an electronic
brake controller is not required.
Trailer brakes are recommended for trailers over 1,000
lbs (450 kg) and required for trailers in excess of 2,000
lbs (907 kg).
CAUTION!
If the trailer weighs more than 1,000 lbs (450 kg)
loaded, it should have its own brakes and they
should be of adequate capacity. Failure to do this
could lead to accelerated brake lining wear, higher
brake pedal effort, and longer stopping distances.
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5

WARNING!
Do not connect trailer brakes to your vehicle’s hy-
draulic brake lines. It can overload your brake sys-
tem and cause it to fail. You might not have brakes
when you need them and could have an accident.
Towing any trailer will increase your stopping dis-
tance. When towing, you should allow for additional
space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front
of you. Failure to do so could result in an accident.
Towing Requirements — Trailer Lights and Wiring
Whenever you pull a trailer, regardless of the trailer size,
stop lights and turn signals on the trailer are required for
motoring safety.
The Trailer Tow Package may include a 4-pin and 7-pin
wiring harness. Use a factory approved trailer harness
and connector.
NOTE:Do not cut or splice wiring into the vehicle’s
wiring harness.
The electrical connections are all complete to the vehicle,
but you must mate the harness to a trailer connector.
Refer to the following illustrations.
296 STARTING AND OPERATING

Towing Tips
Before setting out on a trip, practice turning, stopping
and backing the trailer in an area away from heavy
traffic.
If using a manual transmission vehicle for trailer towing,
all starts must be in 1st gear to avoid excessive clutch
slippage.
Towing Tips — Electronic Speed Control (If
Equipped)

Don’t use in hilly terrain or with heavy loads.
When using the speed control, if you experience speed
drops greater than 10 mph (16 km/h), disengage it
until you can get back to cruising speed.
Use speed control in flat terrain and with light loads to
maximize fuel efficiency.
Towing Tips — Cooling System
To reduce potential for engine and transmission over-
heating, take the following actions:
City Driving
When stopped for short periods of time, put the trans-
mission in NEUTRAL and increase the engine idle speed.
Highway Driving
Reduce speed.
Air Conditioning
Turn off temporarily.
Refer to “Cooling System” under “Maintenance Proce-
dures” in Section 7 of this manual for more information.
298 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!
A hot engine cooling system is dangerous. You or
others could be badly burned by steam or boiling
coolant. You may want to call a service center if your
vehicle overheats. If you decide to look under the
hood yourself, refer to “Maintenance”, Section 7 of
this manual. Follow the warnings under the Cooling
System Pressure Cap paragraph.
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE OVERHEATING
During sustained high speed driving or trailer towing up
long grades on hot days, the automatic transaxle oil may
become too hot.
If this happens, the transmission overheat in-
dicator light will come on, and the vehicle will
slow slightly until the automatic transaxle
cools down enough to allow a return to therequested speed. If the high speed is maintained, the
overheating will reoccur, as before, in a cyclic fashion.
JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING
WARNING!
•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. Never start or run
the engine while the vehicle 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.
•The jack is designed to use 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.
304 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

Cavity Cartridge
FuseMini-
FuseDescription
3 10 Amp
RedCHMSL Brake Switch
Feed
4 10 Amp
RedIgnition Switch Feed
5 20 Amp
YellowTrailer Tow
6 10 Amp
RedIOD Sw/Pwr Mir/
Ocm Steering Cntrl
Sdar/Hands-Free
Phone
7 30 Amp
GreenIOD Sense1
8 30 Amp
GreenIOD Sense2
9 40 Amp
GreenPower SeatsCavity Cartridge
FuseMini-
FuseDescription
10 20 Amp
YellowCCN Power Locks
11 15 Amp
Lt BluePower Outlet
12 20 Amp
YellowIgn Run/Acc Inverter
13 20 Amp
YellowPwr run/Acc Outlet
RR
14 10 Amp
RedIOD CCN/ Interior
Lighting
15 40 Amp
GreenRAD Fan Relay Bat-
tery Feed
16 15 Amp
Lt BlueIGN Run/Acc Cigar
Ltr/Sunroof
17 10 Amp
RedIOD Feed Mod-Wcm
352 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

Perform Maintenance Every(Where time and mileage
are listed, follow the interval that occurs first.)
Maintenance Items Miles Kilometers or Months
Replace the engine air cleaner filter. 30,000 50 000 30
Replace the spark plugs.30,000 50 000 30
Change the manual transmission fluid if using your
vehicle for any of the following: trailer towing, snow
plowing, heavy loading, taxi, police, delivery service
(commercial service), off-road, desert operation or
more then 50% of your driving is at sustained high
speeds during hot weather, above 90°F (32°C).48,000 80 000 48
Change Rear Drive Assembly (RDA) fluid. 60,000 100 000 60
Change Power Transfer Unit (PTU) fluid. 60,000 100 000 60
Change the automatic transmission fluid and filter if
using your vehicle for any of the following: police,
taxi, fleet or frequent trailer towing.60,000 100 000 60
Inspect and replace PCV valve if necessary.90,000 150 000 90
Flush and replace the engine coolant. 102,000 170 000 60
368 MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES
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