DODGE CALIBER SRT 2008 1.G Owners Manual

Tire Spinning
When stuck in mud, sand, snow, or ice conditions, do not
spin your vehicle's wheels faster than 30 mph (48 km/h)
or for longer than 30 seconds continuously without
stopping when you are stuck.
Refer to ªFreeing A Stuck Vehicleº in Section 6 of this
manual for additional information.
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 some-
one. Do not spin your vehicle's wheels faster than 30
mph (48 km/h) or for more than 30 seconds continu-
ously when you are stuck, and don't let anyone near
a spinning wheel, no matter what the speed.
Tread Wear Indicators
Tread wear indicators are in the original equipment tires
to help you in determining when your tires should be
replaced.
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These indicators are molded into the bottom of the tread
grooves. They will appear as bands when the tread depth
becomes 1/16 inch (2 mm). When the tread is worn to the
tread wear indicators, the tire should be replaced.
Many states have laws requiring tire replacement at this
point.
Life of Tire
The service life of a tire is dependent upon varying
factors including but not limited to:
²Driving style
²Tire pressure
²Distance driven
WARNING!
Tires and spare tire should be replaced after six years,
regardless of the remaining tread. Failure to follow
this warning can result in sudden tire failure. You
could lose control and have an accident resulting in
serious injury or death.
Keep dismounted tires in a cool, dry place with as little
exposure to light as possible. Protect tires from contact
with oil, grease, and gasoline.
Replacement Tires
The tires on your new vehicle provide a balance of many
characteristics. They should be inspected regularly for
wear and correct cold tire inflation pressure. The manu-
facturer strongly recommends that you use tires equiva-
lent to the originals in size, quality and performance
when replacement is needed (refer to the paragraph on
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ªTread Wear Indicatorsº). Refer to the ªTire and Loading
Informationº placard for the size designation of your tire.
The service description and load identification will be
found on the original equipment tire. Failure to use
equivalent replacement tires may adversely affect the
safety, handling, and ride of your vehicle. We recommend
that you contact your original equipment or an autho-
rized tire dealer with any questions you may have on tire
specifications or capability.WARNING!
²Do not use a tire, wheel size or rating other than that
specified for your vehicle. Some combinations of
unapproved tires and wheels may change suspension
dimensions and performance characteristics, result-
ing in changes to steering, handling, and braking of
your vehicle. This can cause unpredictable handling
and stress to steering and suspension components.
You could lose control and have an accident resulting
in serious injury or death. Use only the tire and wheel
sizes with load ratings approved for your vehicle.
²Never use a tire with a smaller load index or capacity,
other than what was originally equipped on your
vehicle. Using a tire with a smaller load index could
result in tire overloading and failure. You could lose
control and have an accident.
²Failure to equip your vehicle with tires having ad-
equate speed capability can result in sudden tire
failure and loss of vehicle control.
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CAUTION!
Replacing original tires with tires of a different size
may result in false speedometer and odometer
readings.
Alignment And Balance
Poor suspension alignment may result in:
²Fast tire wear.
²Uneven tire wear, such as feathering and one-sided
wear.
²Vehicle pull to right or left.Tires may also cause the vehicle to pull to the left or right.
Alignment will not correct this condition. See your dealer
for proper diagnosis.
Improper alignment will not cause vehicle vibration.
Vibration may be a result of tire and wheel out-of-
balance. Proper balancing will reduce vibration and
avoid tire cupping and spotty wear.
TIRE CHAINS
Due to limited clearance, tire chains are not recom-
mended.
CAUTION!
Damage to the vehicle may result if tire chains are
used.
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SNOW TIRES
Some areas of the country require the use of snow tires
during winter. Standard tires are of the All-Season type
and satisfy this requirement as indicated by the M+S
designation on the tire sidewall.
If you need snow tires, select tires equivalent in size and
type to the original equipment tires. Use snow tires only
in sets of four, failure to do so may adversely affect the
safety and handling of your vehicle.
Snow tires generally have lower speed ratings than what
was originally equipped with your vehicle and should
not be operated at sustained speeds over 75 mph (120
km/h).
TIRE ROTATION RECOMMENDATIONS
Tires on the front and rear axles of vehicles operate at
different loads and perform different steering, driving,
and braking functions. For these reasons, they wear at
unequal rates, and tend to develop irregular wear pat-
terns.
These effects can be reduced by timely rotation of tires.
The benefits of rotation are especially worthwhile with
aggressive tread designs such as those on all season type
tires. Rotation will increase tread life, help to maintain
mud, snow, and wet traction levels, and contribute to a
smooth, quiet ride.
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Follow the recommended tire rotation frequency for your
type of driving found in the ªMaintenance Schedulesº
Section of this manual. More frequent rotation is permis-
sible if desired. The reasons for any rapid or unusual
wear should be corrected before rotating. The suggested
rotation method is the ªforward-crossº shown in the
diagram.TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS)
Ð IF EQUIPPED
²
The Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) will warn
the driver of a low tire pressure based on the vehicle
recommended cold placard pressure.
²The tire pressure will vary with temperature by about
1 psi (6.9 kPa) for every 12ÉF (6.5ÉC). This means that
when the outside temperature decreases, the tire pres-
sure will decrease. Tire pressure should always be set
based on cold inflation tire pressure. This is defined as
the tire pressure after the vehicle has not been driven
for at least 3 hours, or driven less than 1 mile (1 km)
after a 3 hour period. The cold tire inflation pressure
must not exceed the maximum inflation pressure
molded into the tire sidewall. Refer to the ªTires ±
General Informationº in this section for information
on how to properly inflate the vehicle's tires. The tire
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pressure will also increase as the vehicle is driven - this
is normal and there should be no adjustment for this
increased pressure.
²The TPM System will warn the driver of a low tire
pressure if the tire pressure falls below the low-
pressure warning limit for any reason, including low
temperature effects, or natural pressure loss through
the tire.
²The TPM System will continue to warn the driver of
low tire pressure as long as the condition exists, and
will not turn off until the tire pressure is at or above
the recommended cold placard pressure. Once the low
tire pressure warning (Tire Pressure Monitoring Tell-
tale Light) illuminates, you must increase the tire
pressure to the recommended cold placard pressure in
order for the Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light to
turn off. The system will automatically update and the
Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light will turn offonce the system receives the updated tire pressures.
The vehicle may need to be driven for up to 10 minutes
above 15 mph (25 km/h) in order for the TPMS to
receive this information.
þFor example, your vehicle may have a recom-
mended cold (parked for more than 3 hours) placard
pressure of 30 psi (207 kPa). If the ambient tempera-
ture is 68ÉF (20ÉC) and the measured tire pressure is
27 psi (186 kPa), a temperature drop to 20ÉF (-7ÉC)
will decrease the tire pressure to approximately 26
psi (179 kPa). This tire pressure is sufficiently low
enough to turn ON the Tire Pressure Monitoring
Telltale light. Driving the vehicle may cause the tire
pressure to rise to approximately 27 psi (186 kPa),
but the Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light will
still be ON. In this situation, the Tire Pressure
Monitoring Telltale Light will turn OFF only after
the tires are inflated to the vehicle's recommended
cold placard pressure value.
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CAUTION!
²The TPMS has been optimized for the original
equipment tires and wheels. TPMS pressures and
warning have been established for the tire size
equipped on your vehicle. Undesirable system
operation or sensor damage may result when us-
ing replacement equipment that is not of the same
size, type, and/or style. Aftermarket wheels can
cause sensor damage. Do not use aftermarket tire
sealants or balance beads if your vehicle is
equipped with a TPMS, as damage to the sensors
may result.
²After inspecting or adjusting the tire pressure,
always reinstall the valve stem cap. This will
prevent moisture and dirt from entering the valve
stem, which could damage the Tire Pressure Moni-
toring Sensor.NOTE:
²The TPMS is not intended to replace normal tire care
and maintenance, or to provide warning of a tire
failure or condition.
²The TPMS should not be used as a tire pressure gauge
while adjusting your tire pressure.
²Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel efficiency and tire
tread life, and may affect the vehicle's handling and
stopping ability.
²The TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire mainte-
nance, and it is the driver 's responsibility to maintain
correct tire pressure using an accurate tire gauge, even
if under-inflation has not reached the level to trigger
illumination of the Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale
light.
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²Seasonal temperature changes will affect tire pressure,
and the TPM system will monitor the actual tire
pressure in the tire.
Base System ± If Equipped
This is the Tire Pressure Monitoring System warn-
ing indicator located in the instrument cluster.
The Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) uses wireless
technology with wheel rim mounted electronic sensors to
monitor tire pressure levels. Sensors, mounted to each
wheel as part of the valve stem, transmit tire pressure
readings to the Receiver Module.
NOTE:It is particularly important for you to check the
tire pressure in all of the tires on your vehicle regularly
and to maintain the proper pressure.The TPMS consists of the following components:
²Receiver Module
²4 Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensors
²Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light
The Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Lamp will illumi-
nate in the instrument cluster, and an audible chime will
be activated when one or more of the four active road tire
pressures are low. Should this occur, you should stop as
soon as possible, check the inflation pressure of each tire
on your vehicle, and inflate each tire to the vehicle's
recommended cold placard pressure value. The system
will automatically update and the Tire Pressure Monitor-
ing Lamp will extinguish once the updated tire pressures
have been received. The vehicle may need to be driven
for up to 10 minutes above 15 mph (25 kph) to receive
this information.
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The Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Lamp will flash on
and off for 75 seconds, and remain on solid when a
system fault is detected. The system fault will also sound
a chime. If the ignition key is cycled, this sequence will
repeat, providing the system fault still exists. The Tire
Pressure Monitoring Telltale Lamp will turn off when the
fault condition no longer exists. A system fault can occur
by any of the following scenarios:
1. Jamming due to electronic devices or driving next to
facilities emitting the same Radio Frequencies as the TPM
sensors.
2. Installing some form of aftermarket window tinting
that affects radio wave signals.
3. Lots of snow or ice around the wheels or wheel
housings.
4. Using tire chains on the vehicle.
5. Using wheels/tires not equipped with TPM sensors.NOTE:Your vehicle is equipped with a compact spare
wheel and tire assembly.
1. The compact spare tire does not have a tire pressure
monitoring sensor. Therefore, the TPMS will not monitor
the tire pressure in the compact spare tire.
2. If you install the compact spare tire in place of a road
tire that has a pressure below the low-pressure warning
limit, upon the next ignition key cycle, a chime will
sound and the TPM Telltale Light will still turn ON due
to the low tire.
3. However, after driving the vehicle for up to 10 min-
utes above 15 mph (25 km/h), the TPM Telltale Light will
flash on and off for 75 seconds and then remain on solid.
4. For each subsequent ignition key cycle, a chime will
sound and the TPM Telltale Light will flash on and off for
75 seconds and then remain on solid.
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