check engine DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 2009 5.G Owner's Manual

Master Cylinder — Brake Fluid Level CheckThe fluid level in the master cylinder should be checked
when performing underhood services, or immediately if
the “Brake System Warning Light” indicates system
failure.
Clean the top of the master cylinder area before removing
the cap. Add fluid to bring the level up to the top of the
“FULL” mark on the side of the master cylinder reservoir.
Overfilling of fluid is not recommended because it may
cause leaking in the system.
Add enough fluid to bring the level up to the require-
ments described on the brake fluid reservoir. With disc
brakes, fluid level can be expected to fall as the brake
pads wear. However, low fluid level may be caused by a
leak and a checkup may be needed.
Use only manufacturer’s recommended brake fluid. Re-
fer to “Fluids, Lubricants, and Genuine Parts” in this
section for the correct fluid type. WARNING!

Overfilling the brake fluid reservoir can result in
spilling brake fluid on hot engine parts and the
brake fluid catching fire.
Use of a brake fluid that has a lower initial boiling
point than the recommended MOPARt DOT 3
product or a brake fluid that is unidentified as to
FMVSS specification may result in sudden brake
failure during hard prolonged braking. You could
have an accident.
Use only brake fluid that has been in a tightly closed
container to avoid contamination from foreign matter or
moisture.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 457 7

CAUTION!Using a transmission fluid other than the manufac-
turer’s recommended fluid may cause deterioration
in transaxle shift quality and/or torque converter
shudder. Using a transmission fluid other than the
manufacturer’s recommended fluid will result in
more frequent fluid and filter changes. Refer to
“Fluids, Lubricants and Genuine Parts” in this sec-
tion for the correct fluid type.
Fluid Level Check — 3.8L and 4.0L Engines with
Six-Speed Automatic Transaxle — If Equipped
The six-speed automatic transaxle is a sealed unit and has
no dipstick. See your authorized dealer to have the
transaxle fluid checked or serviced.
Fluid Level Check — 3.3L Engine with Four-Speed
Automatic Transaxle — If Equipped
The dipstick is located just behind the radiator on the
lower right side.
To properly check the automatic transaxle fluid level, the
following procedure must be used:
1. The vehicle must be on level ground.
2. The engine should be running at curb idle speed for a
minimum of 60 seconds.
3. Fully apply the parking brake.
4. Place the shift lever momentarily into each gear posi-
tion, ending with the shift lever in PARK. Wipe the area
around the dipstick clean to eliminate the possibility of
dirt entering the transaxle.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 459
7

5. Remove the dipstick and determine if the fluid is hot
or warm. Hot fluid is approximately 180°F (82°C), which
is the normal operating temperature after the vehicle has
been driven at least 15 miles (24 km). The fluid cannot be
comfortably held between the fingertips. Cold is when
the fluid is below 80°F (27°C).
6. Wipe the dipstick clean and reinsert until seated.
Remove the dipstick and note reading.a. If the fluid is hot, the reading should be in the
crosshatched area marked “HOT” (between the upper
two holes in the dipstick).
b. If the fluid is cold, the fluid level should be between
the lower two holes in the area marked “COLD”.
If the fluid level indicates that it is low, add sufficient
fluid to bring it to the proper level. CAUTION!
Do not overfill. Dirt and water in the transaxle can
cause serious damage. To prevent dirt and water from
entering the transaxle after checking or replenishing
fluid, make certain that the dipstick cap is reseated
properly.
Fluid and Filter Changes
Refer to the “Maintenance Schedule” in Section 8 for the
proper maintenance intervals.
If the transaxle is disassembled for any reason, the fluid
and filter should be changed.
Special Additives
Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) is an engineered
product and its performance may be impaired by supple-
mental additives. Therefore, do not add any fluid addi-
tives to the transaxle. The only exception to this policy is
460 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

NOTE:
The oil change indicator message will not monitor the
time since the last oil change. Change your vehicle’s
oil if it has been six months since your last oil change,
even if the oil change indicator message is NOT
illuminated.
Change your engine oil more often if you drive your
vehicle off-road for an extended period of time.
Under no circumstances should oil change intervals
exceed 6,000 miles (10 000 km) or six months, which-
ever comes first.
Your authorized dealer will reset the oil change indicator
message after completing the scheduled oil change. If this
scheduled oil change is performed by someone other than your dealer, the message can be reset by referring to
the steps described under “Oil Change Required” in “Use
Factory Settings” of the EVIC section in this manual or
under “Odometer/Trip Odometer” in the “Instrument
Cluster Descriptions section of this manual.
At Each Stop For Fuel
Check the engine oil level about five minutes after a
fully warmed engine is shut OFF. Checking the oil
level while the vehicle is on level ground will improve
the accuracy of the oil level reading. Add oil only
when the level is at or below the ADD, SAFE or MIN
mark.
Check the windshield washer solvent and add if
required.
MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES 485 8
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Once A Month
Check tire pressure and look for unusual wear or
damage.
Inspect the battery and clean and tighten the terminals
as required.
Check the fluid levels of the coolant reservoir, the
brake master cylinder, the power steering and the
transaxle and add as needed.
Check all lights and other electrical items for correct
operation.At Each Oil Change
Change the engine oil filter.
Inspect the brake hoses and lines. CAUTION!
Failure to perform the required maintenance items
may result in damage to the vehicle.
Required Maintenance Intervals
Refer to the Maintenance Schedules on the following
pages for the required maintenance intervals.
486 MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES
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Calibration, Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255,261
Camera, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Capacities, Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480
Caps, FillerFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Oil (Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Radiator (Coolant Pressure) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
Car Washes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462
Carbon Monoxide Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92,382
Cargo Compartment Luggage Carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Cargo (Vehicle Loading) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Caution, Exhaust Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50,382
Cellular Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113,305
Center High Mounted Stop Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 479
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
Changing A Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
Chart, Tire Sizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353 Check Engine Light
(Malfunction Indicator Light) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246,436
Checking Your Vehicle For Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Checks, Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Child Restraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79,81
Child Restraint Tether Anchors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Child Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Child Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Clean Air Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Cleaning
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Climate Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268,271,280
Coat Hook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Coin Holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Cold Weather Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Compact Disc (CD) Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252,255,261
514 INDEX

Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Disabled Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427
Disposal Antifreeze (Engine Coolant) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
Domelight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Door Locks, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Door Opener, Garage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Driving On Slippery Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Through Flowing, Rising, or Shallow Standing
Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
DVD Player (Video Entertainment System™) . . . . 301
E-85 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Electric Remote Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Electrical Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Electronic Brake Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347 Brake Assist System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Electronic Stability Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Electronic Speed Control (Cruise Control) . . . . . . 188
Electronic Stability Program (ESP) . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196,256
Emergency, In Case of Hazard Warning Flasher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
Jacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411,415
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
Emission Control System Maintenance . . . . . . 436,484
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433,434 Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
Block Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Break-In Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Checking Oil Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433,434
Coolant (Antifreeze) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481
516 INDEX

Flexible Fuel VehiclesCruising Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383,384
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Replacement Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Flooded Engine Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Floor Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Fluid Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480
Fluid Leaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Fluid Level Checks
Automatic Transaxle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459
Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Fluids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481
Fluids, Lubricants and Genuine Parts . . . . . . . . . . 481
Fog Light Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 477 Fog Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181,248,477
Fold in Floor (Stow
8n Go) Seating . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Freeing A Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Adding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Clean Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Filler Cap (Gas Cap) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240,387
Filler Door (Gas Cap) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Octane Rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378,480
Tank Capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480
Fuel, Flexible . . . . . . . . . . . . . See Flexible Fuel Vehicles
Fuel System Caution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Fueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467
518 INDEX

Latches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Lead Free Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Leaks, Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Life of Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Light Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94,176
Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63,69,73,93,249
Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Anti-Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Automatic Headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Back-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478
Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Brake Assist Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Brake Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475,476
Center Mounted Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479
Daytime Running . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 Dimmer Switch, Headlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Engine Temperature Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Fog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181,248,477
Hazard Warning Flasher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
Headlight Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476
Headlights On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
High Beam Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
High Beam/Low Beam Select . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Illuminated Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177,178
License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479
Lights On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Low Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Malfunction Indicator (Check Engine) . . . . . . . . 246
Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178,477
Passing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
INDEX 521
10

Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Rear Servicing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478
Rear Tail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478
Seat Belt Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Security Alarm (Theft Alarm) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475,476
Service Engine Soon (Malfunction Indicator) . . . 246
Side Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478
Theft Alarm (Security Alarm) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Tire Pressure Monitoring (TPMS) . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Turn Signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94,477,478
Voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Warning (Instrument Cluster Description) . . . . . 240
Load Leveling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Loading Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220,389,391
Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Locks Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren
(LATCH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Lubrication, Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449
Luggage Rack (Roof Rack) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Lumbar Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Maintenance Free Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
Maintenance Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484
Maintenance, Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Malfunction Indicator Light (Check Engine) . . 246,436
Manual, Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507
Map/Reading Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Memory Feature (Memory Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Memory Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103,170
Mini-Trip Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252,260
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Electric Remote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
522 INDEX