wheel DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 2006 User Guide

TILT STEERING COLUMN — IF EQUIPPED
To tilt the column, pull the small lever, located behind the
turn signal control, toward you and move the wheel up
or down, as desired. Release the lever to lock the wheel
firmly in place.
WARNING!Tilting the steering column while the vehicle is
moving is dangerous. Without a stable steering col-
umn, you could lose control of the vehicle and have
an accident. Adjust the column only while the ve-
hicle is stopped. Be sure it is locked before driving.
TRACTION CONTROL SWITCH — IF EQUIPPED
The TRAC indicator, located below the instrument clus-
ter odometer, will light up when the Traction Control is in
use.
Tilt Steering Column Control150 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

The system can be turned on or off through the electronic
vehicle information center (EVIC) when the vehicle is in
PARK. If the rear park assist system is turned off, a single
chime will sound and the EVIC will display the following
message “ PARK ASSIST DISABLED ” , when the vehicle is
in reverse.
NOTE:
• Ensure that the rear bumper is free of dirt and debris
to keep the system operating properly.
• Jackhammers, large trucks, and other vibrations could
affect the performance of the system.
If Service Park Assist System appears in the EVIC after
making sure the rear bumper is clean please see your
authorized dealer. ADJUSTABLE PEDALS — IF EQUIPPED
This feature allows both the brake and accelerator pedals
to move toward or away from the driver to provide
improved position with the steering wheel. The adjustable
pedal system is designed to allow a greater range of driver
comfort for steering wheel tilt and seat position. The
switch is located on the right side of the steering column.
Adjustable Pedal SwitchUNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 153
3

Rear Compartment Storage Bins
Your vehicle may be equipped with open storage bins
located in each rear trim panel.
Cargo/Tub Nets
Two cargo/tub nets are available on vehicles equipped
with Fold-in-Floor Seating. The cargo nets fit in the
second row storage bin and the third row tub. The nets
are supported by hooks located in these areas. Refer to
instructions provided in the net kit.
Coat Hooks
Coat hooks are located along the headliner for the second
and third row seating positions. The coat hook load limit
is 10 lbs (4.5 kg). Exceeding the recommended load limit
can cause the coat hooks to break or disengage from the
vehicle. Cargo Area Storage
The seats in your vehicle are in-line which enables you to
stow long objects, such as lumber or skis, on the floor
without moving the seats.
NOTE: With all rear seat backs folded, a 4x8 foot sheet
of building material may be stored in the long-wheelbase
body style on top of the folded seats with the liftgate
closed. The front seats must be moved slightly forward of
the rearmost position. If the rear seats are removed no
front seat adjustment is needed and more than one 4x8
sheet of building material may be stored. UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 189
3

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, see Section 7 of this manual. Follow
the warnings under the Cooling System Pressure
Cap paragraph.
17. Washer Fluid Light
This light turns on when the washer fluid level
falls below approximately 1/4 filled. The light will
remain on until fluid is added.
18. Transmission Range Indicator
This display indicator shows the automatic transaxle gear
selection. NOTE: You must apply the brakes before shifting from
Park.
19. Oil Pressure Warning Light
This light shows low engine oil pressure. The light
should turn on momentarily when the engine is
started. If the light turns on while driving, stop the
vehicle and shut off the engine as soon as possible. A
chime will sound for 4 minutes when this light turns on.
Do not operate the vehicle until the cause is corrected.
This light does not show how much oil is in the engine.
The engine oil level must be checked under the hood.
20. High Beam Light
This light shows that the headlights are on high
beam. Pull the turn signal lever towards the
steering wheel to switch the headlights from high or low
beam. UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 209
4

you understand and save you concern about these “ ap-
parent ” malfunctions, you must understand a point or
two about the transmission and reception of radio sig-
nals.
Two Types of Signals
There are two basic types of radio signals... AM or
Amplitude Modulation, in which the transmitted sound
causes the amplitude, or height, of the radio waves to
vary... and FM or Frequency Modulation, in which the
frequency of the wave is varied to carry the sound.
Electrical Disturbances
Radio waves may pick up electrical disturbances during
transmission. They mainly affect the wave amplitude,
and thus remain a part of the AM reception. They
interfere very little with the frequency variations that
carry the FM signal. AM Reception
AM sound is based on wave amplitude, so AM reception
can be disrupted by such things as lightning, power lines
and neon signs.
FM Reception
Because FM transmission is based on frequency varia-
tions, interference that consists of amplitude variations
can be filtered out, leaving the reception relatively clear,
which is the major feature of FM radio.
NOTE: On vehicles so equipped the radio, steering
wheel radio controls and 6 disc CD/DVD changer will
remain active for up to 45 seconds after the ignition
switch has been turned off. Opening a vehicle front door
will cancel this feature. UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 213
4

Reception Quality
Satellite reception may be interrupted due to one of the
following reasons.
• The vehicle is parked in an underground parking
structure or under a physical obstacle.
• Dense tree coverage may interrupt reception in the
form of short audio mutes.
• Driving under wide bridges or along tall buildings can
cause intermittent reception.
• Placing objects over or too close to the antenna can
cause signal blockage. REMOTE SOUND SYSTEM CONTROLS — IF
EQUIPPED
The remote sound system controls are located on the rear
surface of the steering wheel at the 3 and 9 O ’ clock
positions.
Remote Sound System Controls270 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

Front Mode Control
The mode control allows you to
choose from several patterns of air
distribution.
NOTE: To improve your selection choices, the system
allows you to operate at intermediate positions between
the major modes. These intermediate positions are iden-
tified by the small dots. Panel Mode
Air comes from the outlets in the instrument panel. Each of
these outlets can be individually adjusted to direct the flow
of air. Moving the air vane knob on the center outlets
down, will close off the air flow from the center outlets. The
thumbwheel next to the outboard outlets can be rotated to
regulate or shut off the air flow from these outlets. Panel Outlets276 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

NOTE: Each of these features operate independently
from each other. If any one feature is controlled manually,
the remaining features will continue to operate automati-
cally.
The left blower control knob can be set to any fixed
blower speed by rotating the knob from low to high. The
fan will now operate at a fixed speed until additional
speeds are selected or either the  Auto HI  or  Auto LO 
buttons are pressed. This allows the front occupants to
control the volume of air circulated in the vehicle and
cancel the “ AUTO ” mode.
The operator can also select the direction of the air by
rotating the right mode control knob to one of the
following positions. Panel Mode
Air comes from the outlets in the instrument panel. Each of
these outlets can be individually adjusted to direct the flow
of air. Moving the air vane knob on the center outlets
down, will close off the air flow from the center outlets. The
thumbwheel next to the outboard outlets can be rotated to
regulate or shut off the air flow from these outlets. Panel OutletsUNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 287
4

▫ Fuel Filler Cap (Gas Cap) ...............346

Vehicle Loading ........................348
▫ Vehicle Certification Label ...............348
▫ Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) .......348
▫ Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) .........348
▫ Overloading .........................349
▫ Loading ............................349

Trailer Towing .........................350
▫ Common Towing Definitions .............351 ▫ Trailer Hitch Classification ...............353
▫ Trailer Towing Weights
(Maximum Trailer Weight Ratings) .........353
▫ Trailer And Tongue Weight ..............356
▫ Towing Requirements ..................358
▫ Towing Tips .........................362

Recreational Towing (Behind Motorhome, Etc.) . . 363
▫ Towing This Vehicle Behind Another Vehicle
(Flat Towing With All Four Wheels On The
Ground) ............................363 STARTING AND OPERATING 303
5

added precaution, turn the front wheels toward the curb
on a downhill grade and away from the curb on a uphill
grade.
The parking brake should always be applied when the
driver is not in the vehicle.
WARNING!Leaving children in a vehicle unattended is danger-
ous for a number of reasons. A child or others could
be injured. Children should be warned not to touch
the parking brake, brake pedal or the gear selector
lever. Don ’ t leave the keys in the ignition. A child
could operate power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle. WARNING!Be sure the parking brake is fully disengaged before
driving: failure to do so can lead to brake failure, and
an accident.
BRAKE SYSTEM
In the event power assist is lost for any reason (for
example, repeated brake applications with the engine
off), the brakes will still function. The effort required to
brake the vehicle will be much greater than that required
with the power system operating.
Your vehicle is equipped with dual hydraulic
brake systems. If either of the two hydraulic
systems lose normal capability, the remaining
system will still function. There will be some
loss of overall braking effectiveness. This may be evident314 STARTING AND OPERATING