tow DODGE DURANGO 2008 2.G Service Manual

²The weight of any other type of cargo or equipment
put in or on your vehicle.
²The 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 plac-
ard in the Tire Safety Information Section of this manual.
Towing Requirements
To promote proper break-in of your new vehicle driv-
etrain components the following guidelines are recom-
mended:
CAUTION!
²Avoid towing a trailer for the first 500 miles (805
km) of vehicle operation. Doing so may damage
your vehicle.
²During the first 500 miles (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.
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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.
²When 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 brakes,
axle, engine, transmission, steering, suspension, chas-
sis structure or tires.
²Safety 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.
²Vehicles 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
P for Park. With a manual transmission, shift the
transmission into reverse. And with four-wheel-drive
vehicles, make sure the transfer case is not in neutral.
Always, block or9chock9the trailer wheels.
²GCWR must not be exceeded.
²Total weight must be distributed between the tow
vehicle and the trailer such that the following four
ratings are not exceeded:
1. GVWR
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2. GTW
3. 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 Ð Tires
þ
Do not attempt to tow a trailer while using a compact
spare tire.
þProper tire inflation pressures are essential to the safe
and satisfactory operation of your vehicle. Refer to the
Tires±General Information section of this manual on
Tire Pressures for proper tire inflation procedures.
þAlso, check the trailer tires for proper tire inflation
pressures before trailer usage.
þCheck for signs of tire wear or visible tire damage
before towing a trailer. Refer to the Tires±General
Information section of this manual on Tread Wear
Indicators for the proper inspection procedure.
þWhen 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 Ð Trailer Brakes
þ
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.
þAn electronically actuated trailer brake controller is
required when towing a trailer with electronically
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actuated brakes. When towing a trailer equipped with
a hydraulic surge actuated brake system, an electronic
brake controller is not required.
þTrailer brakes are recommended for trailers over 1,000
lbs (454 kg) and required for trailers in excess of 2,000
lbs (907 kg).
CAUTION!
If the trailer weighs more than 1,000 lbs (454 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.
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 Ð Trailer Lights & 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 includea4and7pin
wiring harness. Use a factory approved trailer harness
and connector.
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NOTE:Do not cut or splice wiring into the vehicles
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.
Towing Tips
Before setting out on a trip, practice turning, stopping
and backing the trailer in an area away from heavy
traffic.
4 - Pin Connector
7- Pin Connector
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If using a manual transmission vehicle for trailer towing,
all starts must be in FIRST gear to avoid excessive clutch
slippage.
Towing Tips Ð Automatic Transmission
The ªDº range can be selected when towing. However, if
frequent shifting occurs while in this range, the ªTOW
HAULº feature should be selected.
NOTE:Using the ªTOW HAULº feature while operat-
ing the vehicle under heavy operating conditions will
improve performance and extend transmission life by
reducing excessive shifting and heat build up. This action
will also provide better engine braking.
The automatic transmission fluid and filter should be
changed if you REGULARLY tow a trailer for more than
45 minutes of continuous operation. See the Maintenance
Schedule in section 8 of this manual for transmission
fluid change intervals.NOTE:Check the automatic transmission fluid level
before towing.
Towing Tips Ð Tow/Haul (If Equipped)
To reduce potential for automatic transmission overheat-
ing, turn the ªTOW HAULº feature ON when driving in
hilly areas or shift the transmission to Drive position 2 on
more severe grades.
Towing Tips Ð Electronic Speed Control (If
Equipped)
þ
Don't use in hilly terrain or with heavy loads.
þWhen using the speed control, if you experience speed
drops greater than 10 mph (16 km/h), disengage until
you can get back to cruising speed.
þUse speed control in flat terrain and with light loads to
maximize fuel efficiency.
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Towing Tips Ð Cooling System
To reduce potential for engine and transmission over-
heating, take the following actions:
þCity Driving
When stopped for short periods of time, put transmission
in neutral and increase engine idle speed.
þHighway Driving
Reduce speed.
þAir Conditioning
Turn off temporarily.
þrefer to Cooling System Operating information in the
Maintenance section of this manual for more informa-
tion.
SNOWPLOW
NOTE:Do not use this vehicle for snowplow applica-
tions.
WARNING!
Snowplows, winches, and other aftermarket equip-
ment should not be added to the front end or your
vehicle. The airbag crash sensors may be affected by
the change in the front end structure. The airbags
could deploy unexpectedly or could fail to deploy
during a collision resulting in serious injury or
death.
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CAUTION!
Using this vehicle for snowplow applications can
cause damage to the vehicle.
WARNING!
Attaching a snowplow to this vehicle could adversely
affect performance of the airbag system in an acci-
dent. Do not expect that the airbag will perform as
described earlier in this manual
RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND
MOTORHOME, ETC.)
Recreational Towing 2WD Models
Recreational towing of 2WD models is not allowable.
Towing the vehicle with the transmission in Neutral can
cause severe transmission damage. Removal of the drive-
shaft for towing is not recommended since this allows
transmission fluid to leak out.
Recreational Towing 4WD Models
CAUTION!
Vehicles equipped with an NV 140 Transfer Case
(which has no neutral position) may NOT be used for
recreational towing.
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WARNING!
You or others could be injured if you leave the
vehicle unattended with the transfer case in the
Neutral (N) position without first fully engaging the
parking brake. The transfer case Neutral (N) position
disengages both the front and rear driveshafts from
the powertrain and will allow the vehicle to move
despite the transmission position. The parking brake
should always be applied when the driver is not in
the vehicle.
CAUTION!
Internal damage to the transfer case will occur if a
front or rear wheel lift is used when recreational
towing.NOTE:The NV 244 Generation II transfer case must be
shifted into Neutral (N) for recreational towing. The
Neutral (N) selection button is located on the lower left
hand corner of the 4WD Control Switch. Shifts into and
out of transfer case Neutral (N) can take place with the
selector switch in any mode position.
Shifting into Neutral (N)
Use the following procedure to prepare your vehicle for
recreational towing.
CAUTION!
It is necessary to follow these steps to be certain that
the transfer case is fully in Neutral (N) before recre-
ational towing to prevent damage to internal parts.
1. Bring vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Shut engine OFF.
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3. Turn the ignition key to the ON position without
starting the engine.
4. Depress brake pedal.
5. Shift automatic transmission to Neutral (N).
6. Using the point of a ballpoint pen or similar object,
depress the recessed transfer case Neutral (N) button for
4 seconds.
7. After shift is completed and the Neutral (N) light
comes on release Neutral (N) button.
8. Start engine.
9. Shift automatic transmission into Reverse (R).
10. Release brake pedal for five seconds and ensure that
there is no vehicle movement.
11. Repeat steps 9 and 10 with the transmission in Drive
(D).12. Turn ignition key to the unlocked OFF position.
13. Shift automatic transmission into Park (P).
14. Attach vehicle to tow vehicle with tow bar.
NOTE:Items 1 through 5 are requirements that must be
met prior to depressing the Neutral (N) selection button,
and must continue to be met until the 4 seconds elapses
and the shift has been completed.
If any of these requirements (with the exception of3-Key
ON) are not met prior to depressing the Neutral (N)
button or are no longer met during the 4 second timer,
then the Neutral (N) indicator light will flash continu-
ously until all requirements are met or until the Neutral
(N) button is released.
NOTE:The ignition key must be ON for a shift to take
place and for the position indicator lights to be operable.
If the key is not ON, the shift will not take place and no
position indicator lights will be on or flashing.
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