towing CHRYSLER PACIFICA 2020 Owner's Manual

294STARTING AND OPERATING
(Continued)
Make sure loading does not exceed GAWR of
front or rear axles.
GAWR is found on sticker in Driver’s Side
Door Jamb.
Trailer And Tongue Weight
Never exceed the maximum tongue weight
stamped on your bumper or trailer hitch.
Weight Distribution

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 for
the maximum combined weight of occupants
and cargo for your vehicle.
Towing Requirements
To promote proper break-in of your new vehicle
drivetrain components, the following guidelines
are recommended.
Perform the maintenance listed in the
“Scheduled Servicing”. Refer to “Scheduled
Servicing” in “Servicing And Maintenance” for
the proper maintenance intervals. When towing
a trailer, never exceed the GAWR or GCWR
ratings.
CAUTION!
Do not tow a trailer at all during the first
500 miles (805 km) the new vehicle is
driven. The engine, axle or other parts could
be damaged.
Then, during the first 500 miles (805 km) that a trailer is towed, do not drive over
50 mph (80 km/h) and do not make starts
at full throttle. This helps the engine and
other parts of the vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
WARNING!
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 a colli -
sion.
When hauling cargo or towing a trailer, do
not overload your vehicle or trailer. Over -
loading can cause a loss of control, poor
performance or damage to brakes, axle,
engine, transmission, steering, suspension,
chassis structure or tires.
Safety chains must always be used
between your vehicle and trailer. Always
connect the chains to the hook retainers of
the vehicle hitch. Cross the chains under
the trailer tongue and allow enough slack
for turning corners.

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STARTING AND OPERATING295
Towing Requirements — Tires
Do not attempt to tow a trailer while using a
compact spare tire.
Do not drive more than 50 mph (80 km/h)
when towing while using a full size spare tire.
Proper tire inflation pressures are essential
to the safe and satisfactory operation of your
vehicle. Refer to “Tires” in “Servicing And
Maintenance” for proper tire inflation proce -
dures.
Check the trailer tires for proper tire inflation
pressures before trailer usage.
Check for signs of tire wear or visible tire
damage before towing a trailer. Refer to
“Tires” in “Servicing And Maintenance” for
the proper inspection procedure.
When replacing tires, refer to “Tires” in
“Servicing And Maintenance” for the 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
Do not interconnect the hydraulic brake
system or vacuum system of your vehicle
with that of the trailer. This could cause inad -
equate 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 (453 kg) and required for
trailers in excess of 2,000 lbs (907 kg).
Vehicles with trailers should not be parked
on a grade. When parking, apply the
parking brake on the tow vehicle. Put the
tow vehicle transmission in PARK. For
four-wheel drive vehicles, make sure the
transfer case is not in NEUTRAL. Always,
block or "chock" the 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 :
GVWR
GTW
GAWR
Tongue weight rating for the trailer
hitch utilized.
WARNING! (Continued)
WARNING!
Do not connect trailer brakes to your
vehicle's hydraulic brake lines. It can over -
load your brake system 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 stop -
ping distance. 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.
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296STARTING AND OPERATING
Towing Requirements — Trailer Lights And
Wiring
Whenever you pull a trailer, regardless of the
trailer size, stoplights and turn signals on the
trailer are required for motoring safety.
The Trailer Tow Package may include a four and
seven-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. NOTE:
Disconnect trailer wiring connector from the
vehicle before launching a boat (or any other
device plugged into vehicle’s electrical
connect) into water.
Be sure to reconnect once clear from water
area.

Four-Pin Connector Seven-Pin Connector

CAUTION!
If the trailer weighs more than 1,000 lbs (453
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.
1 — Ground
2 — Park
3 — Left Stop/Turn
4 — Right Stop/Turn
1 — Battery
2 — Backup Lamps
3 — Right Stop/Turn
4 — Electric Brakes
5 — Ground
6 — Left Stop/Turn
7 — Running Lamps

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STARTING AND OPERATING297
Towing Tips
Before setting out on a trip, practice turning,
stopping, and backing up the trailer in an area
located away from heavy traffic.
Automatic Transmission
Select the DRIVE range when towing. The
transmission controls include a drive strategy to
avoid frequent shifting when towing. For
increased engine braking on steep downhill
grades, select the LOW range.
Speed Control — If Equipped
Do not use on hilly terrain or with heavy
loads.
When using the Speed Control, if you experi -
ence speed drops greater than 10 mph
(16 km/h), disengage until you can get back
to cruising speed.
Use Speed Control in flat terrain and with
light loads to maximize fuel efficiency.
Cooling System
To reduce potential for engine and transmission
overheating, take the following actions:
City Driving
In city traffic — while stopped, place the
transmission in NEUTRAL (N), but do not
increase engine idle speed.
Highway Driving
Reduce speed.
Temporarily turn off air conditioning.
5

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298STARTING AND OPERATING
(Continued)
RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND MOTORHOME, ETC.)
Towing This Vehicle Behind Another Vehicle
NOTE:
To avoid inadvertent Electric Park Brake
engagement, you must ensure that the Auto
Park Brake feature is disabled before towing
this vehicle (if rear wheels are on the ground).
The Auto Park Brake feature is enabled or
disabled via the customer programmable
features in the Uconnect Settings.
When towing your vehicle, always follow
applicable state and provincial laws. Contact
state and provincial Highway Safety offices
for additional details.
If your vehicle is disabled and in need of
commercial towing service, please refer to
“Towing A Disabled Vehicle” in “In Case Of
Emergency” for further information.
Recreational Towing — All Models
DO NOT flat tow this vehicle. Damage to the
drivetrain will result.
Towing Condition Wheel OFF The Ground All Models
Flat Tow NONENOT ALLOWED
Dolly Tow Front
OK
Rear NOT ALLOWED
On Trailer ALLOK
CAUTION!
DO NOT flat tow this vehicle. Damage to the
drivetrain will result. If this vehicle requires
towing, make sure the drive wheels are OFF
the ground.
Ensure that the Electric Park Brake is
released, and remains released, while
being towed.
Towing this vehicle in violation of the above
requirements can cause severe transmis-
sion damage. Damage from improper
towing is not covered under the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty.
CAUTION! (Continued)

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STARTING AND OPERATING299
Recreational towing is allowed ONLY if the front
wheels are OFF the ground. This may be
accomplished using a tow dolly (front wheels off
the ground) or vehicle trailer (all four wheels off
the ground). If using a tow dolly, follow this
procedure:

1. Properly secure the dolly to the tow vehicle, following the dolly manufacturer's
instructions.

2. Drive the front wheels onto the tow dolly.
3. Apply the park brake.
4. Place the transmission in PARK.
5. Turn the ignition OFF.
6. Properly secure the front wheels to the dolly, following the dolly manufacturer's
instructions.
7. Turn the ignition to the ON/RUN mode, but do not start the vehicle.
8. Press and hold the brake pedal.
9. Release the park brake.
10. Turn the ignition OFF.
11. Release the brake pedal.DRIVING TIPS
Driving On Slippery Surfaces
Information in this section will aid in safe
controlled launches in adverse conditions.
Acceleration
Rapid acceleration on snow covered, wet, or
other slippery 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.
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:
Slow down during rainstorms or when the
roads are slushy.
Slow down if the road has standing water or
puddles.
Replace the tires when tread wear indicators
first become visible.
Keep tires properly inflated.
Maintain sufficient distance between your
vehicle and the vehicle in front of you to avoid
a collision in a sudden stop.
Driving Through Water
Driving through water more than a few inches/
centimeters deep will require extra caution to
ensure safety and prevent damage to your
vehicle.
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.).
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342IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
This section describes procedures for towing a disabled vehicle using a commercial towing service.

Proper towing or lifting equipment is required to
prevent damage to your vehicle. Use only tow bars
and other equipment designed for this purpose,
following equipment manufacturer’s instructions.
Use of safety chains is mandatory. Attach a tow
bar or other towing device to main structural
members of the vehicle, not to bumpers or
associated brackets. State and local laws
regarding vehicles under tow must be observed.

NOTE:

You must ensure that the Auto Park Brake
feature is disabled before towing this vehicle (if
rear wheels are on the ground), to avoid inad -
vertent Electric Park Brake (EPB) engagement.
The Auto Park Brake feature is enabled or
disabled via the customer programmable
features in the Uconnect Settings.
Vehicles with a discharged battery or total elec -
trical failure when the Electric Parking Brake
(EPB) is engaged, will need a wheel dolly or jack
to raise the rear wheels off the ground when
moving the vehicle onto a flatbed.

The manufacturer recommends towing your vehicle
with all four wheels OFF the ground using a flatbed.

If flatbed equipment is not available, this
vehicle must be towed with the front wheels
OFF the ground (using a towing dolly, or wheel
lift equipment with the front wheels raised).
NOTE:
Ensure that the Electric Park Brake is released,
and remains released, while being towed. Vehicle Recovery Tow Points
Your vehicle is equipped with Vehicle Recovery
Points that can be used to recover a disabled
vehicle, located on the underbody of the
vehicle.
Towing Condition
Wheel OFF The Ground ALL MODELS
Flat Tow NONENOT ALLOWED
Wheel Lift Or Dolly Tow Front
OK
Rear NOT ALLOWED
Flatbed ALLBEST METHODCAUTION!
Towing this vehicle in violation of the above
requirements can cause severe transmission
damage. Damage from improper towing is not
covered under the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.

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IN CASE OF EMERGENCY343
(Continued)
NOTE:
Ensure that the towing service tow hooks are
properly seated and secured in the attach -
ment points.
This recovery tow feature should be used by
a trained professional only.
Use approved receptacle location to free the
disabled vehicle from its environment.

Front Recovery Points
If you must use the accessories (wipers,
defrosters, etc.) while being towed, the ignition
must be in the ON/RUN mode, not the ACC
mode.
NOTE:
The Safehold feature will engage the Electric
Park Brake whenever the driver's door is
opened (if the ignition is ON, transmission is not
in PARK, and brake pedal is released). If you are
towing this vehicle with the ignition in the ON/
RUN mode, you must manually disable the Elec
-
tric Park Brake each time the driver's door is
opened, by pressing the brake pedal and then
releasing the EPB.
If the key fob is unavailable, or the vehicle's
battery is discharged, refer to “Manual Park
Release” in this section for instructions on
shifting the transmission out of PARK in order to
move the vehicle.
CAUTION!
Recovery feature:
Is to be used by a professional ONLY.
Is used only to provide recovery of the
vehicle.
Is NOT to be used to recover secondary
vehicle.
Is NOT to be used for transporting the
vehicle over the road, i.e. “Flat Towing”.
Is to be used by a professional ONLY.
Is used only to provide recovery of the
vehicle.
Is NOT to be used to recover secondary
vehicle.
Is NOT to be used for transporting the
vehicle over the road, i.e. “Flat Towing”.
Recovery load should:
Be applied at constant speed.
Be applied parallel to the center line of the
length of the vehicle.
Not be an abrupt acceleration.
Be applied at constant speed.
Be applied parallel to the center line of the
length of the vehicle.
Not be an abrupt acceleration.
CAUTION! (Continued)
6

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344IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
ENHANCED ACCIDENT RESPONSE SYSTEM
(EARS)
This vehicle is equipped with an Enhanced
Accident Response System.
Please refer to “Occupant Restraint Systems” in
“Safety” for further information on the
Enhanced Accident Response System (EARS)
function.
EVENT DATA RECORDER (EDR)
This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data
Recorder (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR is
to record data that will assist in understanding
how a vehicle’s systems performed under
certain crash or near crash-like situations, such
as an air bag deployment or hitting a road
obstacle.
Please refer to “Occupant Restraint Systems” in
“Safety” for further information on the Event
Data Recorder (EDR).
CAUTION!
Do not use sling-type equipment when
towing. Vehicle damage may occur.
When securing the vehicle to a flatbed
truck, do not attach to front or rear suspen -
sion components. Damage to your vehicle
may result from improper towing.
Ensure that the Electric Park Brake is
released, and remains released, while
being towed.

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360SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
(Continued)

Under normal operating conditions, the catalytic
converter will not require maintenance. However,
it is important to keep the engine properly tuned
to ensure proper catalyst operation and prevent
possible catalyst damage.

NOTE:
Intentional tampering with emissions control
systems can result in civil penalties being
assessed against you. In unusual situations involving grossly
malfunctioning engine operation, a scorching
odor may suggest severe and abnormal catalyst
overheating. If this occurs, stop the vehicle, turn
off the engine and allow it to cool. Service,
including a tune-up to manufacturer's
specifications, should be obtained immediately.
To minimize the possibility of catalytic converter
damage:
Do not interrupt the ignition when the trans
-
mission is in gear and the vehicle is in
motion.
Do not try to start the vehicle by pushing or
towing the vehicle.
Do not idle the engine with any ignition
components disconnected or removed, such
as when diagnostic testing, or for prolonged
periods during very rough idle or malfunc -
tioning operating conditions.
A hot exhaust system can start a fire if you
park over materials that can burn. Such
materials might be grass or leaves coming
into contact with your exhaust system. Do
not park or operate your vehicle in areas
where your exhaust system can contact
anything that can burn.
CAUTION!
The catalytic converter requires the use of
unleaded fuel only. Leaded gasoline will
destroy the effectiveness of the catalyst as
an emissions control device and may seri -
ously reduce engine performance and
cause serious damage to the engine.
WARNING! (Continued)
Damage to the catalytic converter can
result if your vehicle is not kept in proper
operating condition. In the event of engine
malfunction, particularly involving engine
misfire or other apparent loss of perfor -
mance, have your vehicle serviced
promptly. Continued operation of your
vehicle with a severe malfunction could
cause the converter to overheat, resulting
in possible damage to the converter and
vehicle.
CAUTION! (Continued)

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