DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 2009 5.G Owners Manual

Recirculation ControlWhen outside air contains smoke, odors, or
high humidity, or if rapid cooling is desired,
you may wish to recirculate interior air by
pressing the RECIRCULATION mode control
button. RECIRCULATION mode should only be used
temporarily. The recirculation symbol will illuminate in
the display when this button is selected. Push the button
a second time to turn off the RECIRCULATION mode
LED and allow outside air into the vehicle.
NOTE: In cold weather, use of the RECIRCULATION
mode may lead to excessive window fogging. The RE-
CIRCULATION mode is not allowed in the FLOOR, MIX
and DEFROST modes to improve window clearing op-
eration. Recirculation will be disabled automatically if
these modes are selected.
Rear Automatic Temperature Control (ATC) — If
Equipped
The Rear ATC System has floor air outlets at the rear of
the right side sliding door, and overhead outlets at each
outboard rear seating position. The system provides
heated air through the floor outlets or cool, dehumidified
air through the headliner outlets.
The REAR SYSTEM control for the Rear ATC System is
on the front lower ATC panel located on the instrument
panel.
Pressing the REAR LOCK button for the Rear ATC
System from the front lower ATC panel, illuminates a
LOCK symbol in the rear display. The rear temperature
and air source are controlled from the front lower ATC
panel.
Rear second row occupants can only adjust the rear ATC
control when the REAR LOCK button is turned off. UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 319
4

The Rear ATC System is located in the headliner, near the
center of the vehicle.1. Press the REAR LOCK button on the front lower ATC
panel. This turns off the REAR LOCK icon in the rear
temperature knob.
2. Rotate the Rear Blower, Rear Temperature and the
Rear Mode Control knobs to suit your comfort needs.
3. ATC is selected by adjusting the rear blower knob
counterclockwise to AUTO.
Once the desired temperature is displayed, the ATC
System will automatically achieve and maintain that
comfort level. When the system is set up for your comfort
level, it is not necessary to change the settings. You will
experience the greatest efficiency by simply allowing the
system to function automatically.Rear ATC Control Features
1 - Blower Speed
3 - Rear ATC Lock
2 -
Rear Temperature 4 - Rear MODE
320 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

NOTE:
It is not necessary to move the temperature settings for
cold or hot vehicles. The system automatically adjusts
the temperature, mode and fan speed to provide
comfort as quickly as possible.
The temperature can be displayed in English or Metric
units by selecting the “Display Units of Measure in”
customer-programmable feature. Refer to the “Elec-
tronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) — Customer-
Programmable Features” in this Section.
Rear Blower Control
The rear blower control knob can be manually set to off,
or any fixed blower speed, by rotating the knob from low
to high. This allows the rear seat occupants to control the
volume of air circulated in the rear of the vehicle.CAUTION!
Interior air enters the Rear Automatic Temperature
Control System through an intake grille, located in
the passenger side trim panel behind the third row
seats. The heater outlets are located in the passenger
side trim panel, just behind the sliding door. Do not
block or place objects directly in front of the inlet
grille or heater outlets. The electrical system could
overload causing damage to the blower motor.
Rear Temperature Control
To change the temperature in the rear of the vehicle,
rotate the temperature knob counterclockwise to lower
the temperature, and clockwise to increase the tempera-
ture. The REAR temperature settings are displayed in the
front upper ATC panel.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 321
4

When rear controls are locked by the front system, the
LOCK symbol on the temperature knob is illuminated
and any rear overhead adjustments are ignored.
Rear Mode Control
Auto Mode
The rear system automatically maintains the correct
mode and comfort level desired by the rear seat occu-
pants.
Headliner ModeAir comes from the outlets in the headliner. Each of
these outlets can be individually adjusted to direct
the flow of air. Moving the air vanes of the outlets to one
side will shut off the airflow.
Bi-Level Mode Air comes from both the headliner outlets and the
floor outlets. NOTE:
In many temperature positions, the BI-LEVEL
mode is designed to provide cooler air out of the head-
liner outlets and warmer air from the floor outlets.
Floor Mode Air comes from the floor outlets.
Summer Operation
The engine cooling system in air conditioned vehicles
must be protected with a high-quality antifreeze coolant
to provide proper corrosion protection and to protect
against engine overheating. A solution of 50% ethylene
glycol antifreeze coolant and 50% water is recommended.
Refer to “Maintenance Procedures” in Section 7 of this
manual for proper coolant selection. 322 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

Winter OperationTo ensure the best possible heater and defroster perfor-
mance, make sure the engine cooling system is function-
ing properly and the proper amount, type, and concen-
tration of coolant is used. Refer to “Maintenance
Procedures” in section 7 of this manual for proper coolant
selection. Use of the air RECIRCULATION mode during
Winter months is not recommended, because it may
cause window fogging.
Vacation/Storage
Before you store your vehicle, or keep it out of service
(i.e., vacation) for two weeks or more, run the air
conditioning system at idle for about five minutes, in
fresh air with the blower setting on high. This will ensure
adequate system lubrication to minimize the possibility
of compressor damage when the system is started again.
Window Fogging
Vehicle windows tend to fog on the inside in mild, rainy
and/or humid weather. To clear the windows, select
DEFROST or MIX mode and increase the front blower
speed. Do not use the RECIRCULATION mode without
A/C for long periods, as fogging may occur.
Outside Air Intake
Make sure the air intake, located directly in front of the
windshield, is free of obstructions such as leaves. Leaves
collected in the air intake may reduce airflow, and if they
enter the plenum they could plug the water drains. In
Winter months make sure the air intake is clear of ice,
slush and snow.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 323
4

Operating Tips
A/C Air Filter— If Equipped
On vehicles equipped with Automatic Temperature Con-
trol (ATC), the climate control system filters out dust and
pollen from the air. Refer to “Air Conditioning” in
Section 7 of this manual for filter replacement
instructions.324 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

STARTING AND OPERATINGCONTENTS
m
Starting Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
▫ Automatic Transaxle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
▫ Normal Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
▫ Extreme Cold Weather
(Below 20°F Or –29°C) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
▫ If The Engine Fails To Start . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
▫ After Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
m Engine Block Heater — If Equipped . . . . . . . 331 m
Automatic Transaxle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
▫ Brake/Transaxle Interlock System . . . . . . . 332
▫ Four-Speed Or Six-Speed Automatic
Transaxle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
▫ Gear Ranges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
m Driving On Slippery Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
▫ Acceleration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
▫ Traction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339 5

mDriving Through Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
▫ Flowing/Rising Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
▫ Shallow Standing Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
m Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
▫ Power Steering Fluid Check . . . . . . . . . . . 342
m Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
m Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . 345
▫ Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light . . . . . . . . . 347
m Electronic Brake Control System . . . . . . . . . . 347
▫ Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . 347
▫ Brake Assist System (BAS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
▫ Electronic Stability Program (ESP) . . . . . . . 349
▫ ESP/BAS Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351 m
Tire Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
▫ Tire Markings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
▫ Tire Identification Number (TIN) . . . . . . . . 355
▫ Tire Loading And Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . 356
m Tires — General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
▫ Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
m Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
m Snow Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
m Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
m Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) . . . . . . 370
▫ Base System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
▫ Premium System — If Equipped . . . . . . . . 374
326 STARTING AND OPERATING

mFuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
▫ 3.3L/3.8L Gasoline Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
▫ 4.0L Gasoline Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
▫ Reformulated Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
▫ Gasoline/Oxygenate Blends . . . . . . . . . . . 380
▫ E-85 Usage In Non-Flex Fuel Vehicles . . . . . 380
▫ MMT In Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
▫ Materials Added To Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
▫ Fuel System Cautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
▫ Carbon Monoxide Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . 382
m Flexible Fuel (3.3L Engines Only) — If
Equipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
▫ E-85 General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383 ▫
Ethanol Fuel (E-85) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
▫ Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
▫ Selection Of Engine Oil For Flexible Fuel
Vehicles E-85 And Gasoline Vehicles . . . . . . . 385
▫ Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
▫ Cruising Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
▫ Replacement Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
▫ Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
m Adding Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
▫ Fuel Filler Cap (Gas Cap) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
▫ Loose Fuel Filler Cap Message . . . . . . . . . . 388
m Vehicle Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
▫ Vehicle Certification Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
STARTING AND OPERATING 327 5

mTrailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
▫ Common Towing Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . 393
▫ Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406 m
Recreational Towing
(Behind Motorhome, Etc.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
328 STARTING AND OPERATING