warning CHRYSLER PT CRUISER 2007 1.G Owners Manual

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 Section 7, Maintenance, of
this manual. Follow the warnings under the Cooling
System Pressure Cap paragraph.
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.
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Spare Tire Removal
Lift up the cover and fit the jack-handle over the drive
nut. Rotate the nut to the left until you can remove the
swivel hook from the stowage basket. Swing the basket
down to remove the compact spare tire.
CAUTION!
The hook is designed for use with the jack handle
only. Use of an air wrench or other power tools is not
recommended and can damage the winch.
Preparations For Jacking
Park the vehicle on a firm level surface, avoid ice or
slippery areas,set the parking brakeand place the gear
selector in PARK (automatic transaxle) or REVERSE
(manual transaxle). Turn OFF the ignition.
WARNING!
Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of the
vehicle close to moving traffic. Pull far enough off
the road to avoid the danger of being hit when
operating the jack or changing the wheel.
•Turn on the Hazard Warning Flasher.
•Block both the front and rear
of the wheel diagonally oppo-
site the jacking position. For
example, if changing the right
front tire, block the left rear
wheel.
•Passengers should not remain in the vehicle while the
vehicle is being jacked.
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Do not raise the vehicle until you are sure the jack is
securely engaged.
4. Raise the vehicle by turning the jack screw to the right,
using the swivel wrench. Raise the vehicle only until the
tire just clears the surface and enough clearance is
obtained to install the spare tire. Minimum tire lift
provides maximum stability.
WARNING!
Raising the vehicle higher than necessary can make
the vehicle less stable. It could slip off the jack and
hurt someone near it. Raise the vehicle only enough
to remove the tire.
5. Remove the wheel nuts and pull the wheel and wheel
covers where applicable off the hub. Install the spare
wheel and wheel nuts with the cone shaped end of thenuts toward the wheel. Lightly tighten the nuts. To avoid
the risk of forcing the vehicle off the jack, do not tighten
the nuts fully until the vehicle has been lowered.
WARNING!
To avoid possible personal injury, handle the wheel
covers with care to avoid contact with any sharp
edges.
NOTE:The wheel cover is held on the wheel by the
wheel nuts. When reinstalling original wheel, properly
align the wheel cover to the valve stem, place the wheel
cover onto the wheel, then install the wheel nuts.
6. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack screw to the left.
7. Finish tightening the nuts. Push down on the wrench
while tightening the wheel nuts. Alternate nuts until each
nut has been tightened twice. Correct wheel nut torque is
346 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

100 ft. lbs (135 N·m). If you doubt that you have
tightened the nuts correctly, have them checked with a
torque wrench by your dealer or at a service station.
8. Remove the wheel blocks and lower the jack until it is
free. Stow the lug wrench, and jack in their designated
location. Secure all parts using the means provided.
WARNING!
A loose tire or jack thrown forward in a collision or
hard stop could endanger the occupants of the ve-
hicle. Always stow the jack parts and the spare tire in
the places provided.
9. Place the deflated (flat) tire in the cargo area,have the
tire repaired or replaced as soon as possible.
WARNING!
A loose tire thrown forward in a collision or hard
stop could injure the occupants in the vehicle. Have
the deflated (flat) tire repaired or replaced immedi-
ately.
10. Check the tire pressure as soon as possible. Correct
pressure as required.
JUMP-STARTING PROCEDURES DUE TO A LOW
BATTERY
WARNING!
Take care to avoid the radiator cooling fan whenever
the hood is raised. It can start anytime the ignition
switch is on. You can be hurt by the fan.
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 347
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WARNING!
Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get it
started. Vehicles equipped with an automatic trans-
axle cannot be started this way. Unburned fuel could
enter the catalytic converter and once the engine has
started, ignite and damage the converter and vehicle.
If the vehicle has a discharged battery, booster cables
may be used to obtain a start from another vehicle.
This type of start can be dangerous if done improp-
erly, so follow this procedure carefully.
1. Wear eye protection and remove any metal jewelry
such as watch bands or bracelets that might make an
inadvertent electrical contact.2. When boosting from a battery in another vehicle, park
that vehicle within booster cable reach but without
letting the vehicles touch. Set parking brake, place auto-
matic transaxle in PARK (manual transaxle in NEU-
TRAL) and turn ignition to OFF for both vehicles.
3. Turn off the heater, radio and all unnecessary electrical
loads.
4. Connect one end of a jumper cable to the positive
terminal of the booster battery. Connect the other end of
the jumper cable to the positive terminal of the dis-
charged battery.
348 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

WARNING!
Battery fluid is a corrosive acid solution; do not
allow battery fluid to contact eyes, skin or clothing.
Don’t lean over battery when attaching clamps or
allow the clamps to touch each other. If acid splashes
in eyes or on skin, flush the contaminated area
immediately with large quantities of water.
A battery generates hydrogen gas which is flam-
mable and explosive. Keep flame or spark away
from the vent holes. Do not use a booster battery or
any other booster source with an output that exceeds
12 volts.
5. Connect the other cable, first to the negative terminal
of the booster battery and then to the negative terminal of
the discharged battery. Make sure you have a good
contact.6. If the vehicle is equipped with Sentry Key Immobi-
lizer, turn the ignition switch to the ON position for 3
seconds before moving the ignition switch to the START
position.
7. Start the engine in the vehicle that has the booster
battery, let the engine idle a few minutes, then start the
engine in the vehicle with the discharged battery.
8. When removing the jumper cables, reverse the se-
quence exactly. Be careful of the moving belts and fan.
DRIVING ON SLIPPERY SURFACES
Acceleration
Rapid acceleration on snow covered, wet, or other slip-
pery surfaces may cause the front wheels to pull errati-
cally to the right or left. This phenomenon occurs when
there is a difference in the surface traction under the front
(driving) wheels.
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 349
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WARNING!
Rapid acceleration on slippery surfaces is danger-
ous. Unequal traction can cause sudden pulling of
the front wheels. You could lose control of the
vehicle and possibly have an accident. 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 roads are
slushy.
2. Slow down if road has standing water or puddles.3. Replace tires when tread wear indicators first become
visible.
4. Keep tires properly inflated.
5. Maintain enough distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front of you to avoid a collision in a sudden
stop.
FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
NOTE:If your vehicle is equipped with Traction Con-
trol, turn the system OFF before attempting to “rock” the
vehicle.
If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand or snow, it
can often be moved by a rocking motion. Turn your
steering wheel right and left to clear the area around the
front wheels. Then shift back and forth between Reverse
and First gear. Usually the least accelerator pedal pres-
sure to maintain the rocking motion without spinning the
wheels is most effective.
350 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces gener-
ated by excessive wheel speeds may cause tire dam-
age or failure. A tire could explode and injure
someone. Do not spin your vehicle’s wheels faster
than 35 mph (55km/h) when you are stuck. And don’t
let anyone near a spinning wheel, no matter what the
speed.
CAUTION!
Racing the engine or spinning the wheels too fast
may lead to transaxle overheating and failure. It can
also damage the tires. Do not spin the wheels above
35 mph (55km/h).
TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
With Ignition Key
Four Speed Automatic Transaxle
Your vehicle may be towed under the following condi-
tions: The steering column must be unlocked and the
gear selector must be in NEUTRAL, the distance to be
towed must not exceed 100 miles (160 km), and the
towing speed must not exceed 44 mph (72 km/h). If the
transaxle is not operative, or if the vehicle is to be towed
more than 100 miles (160 km), the vehicle must be towed
with the front wheels off the ground to avoid damage to
the transaxle.
Manual Transaxle
Your vehicle may be towed if the gearshift lever is in
NEUTRAL. If the transaxle is not operative, the vehicle
must be towed with the front wheels off the ground.
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DEALER SERVICE
Your dealer has the qualified service personnel, special
tools, and equipment to perform all service operations in
an expert manner. Service Manuals are available which
include detailed service information for your vehicle.
Refer to these manuals before attempting any procedure
yourself.
NOTE:Intentional tampering with emissions control
systems can result in civil penalties being assessed
against you.
WARNING!
You can be badly injured working on or around a
motor vehicle. Only do service work for which you
have the knowledge and the proper equipment. If
you have any doubt about your ability to perform a
service job, take your vehicle to a competent me-
chanic.
MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES
The pages that follow contain therequiredmaintenance
services determined by the engineers who designed your
vehicle.
Besides the maintenance items for which there are fixed
maintenance intervals, there are other items that should
operate satisfactorily without periodic maintenance.
However, if a malfunction of these items does occur, it
could adversely affect the engine or vehicle performance.
These items should be inspected if a malfunction is
observed or suspected.
Engine Oil
Checking Oil Level
To assure proper engine lubrication, the engine oil must
be maintained at the correct level. Check the oil level at
regular intervals, such as every fuel stop.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 363
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WARNING!
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 ex-
haust system. Do not park or operate your vehicle in
areas where your exhaust system can contact any-
thing that can burn.
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 manufacturers specifica-
tions, should be obtained immediately.
To minimize the possibility of catalyst damage:
•Do not shut off the engine or interrupt the ignition
when the transaxle is in gear and the vehicle is in
motion.
•Do not try to start the engine by pushing or towing the
vehicle.
•Do not idle the engine with any spark plug wires
disconnected for prolonged period.
Engine Timing Belt
Replace the engine timing belt at the intervals described
in the appropriate maintenance schedule.
Crankcase Emission Control System
Proper operation of this system depends on freedom
from sticking or plugging due to deposits. As vehicle
mileage builds up, the PCV valve and passages may
accumulate deposits. If a valve is not working properly,
replace it with a new valve. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO
CLEAN THE OLD PCV VALVE!
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