tow DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 2013 5.G Manual PDF

Spare Tire Removal
The spare tire is stowed inside a protective cover located
under the center of the vehicle between the front doors by
means of a cable winch mechanism. The “spare tire drive”
nut is located on the floor, under a plastic cap at the front of
the floor console or under front super console forward bin
liner.
To Access Spare Tire Winch Drive Nut
To access the spare tire winch drive nut and lower the
spare tire, you will need to refer to one of the following
center console configurations.
Super Console
For vehicles equipped with the Super Console, the spare
tire winch assembly drive nut is located beneath the
console.
Spare Tire Location
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 563

WARNING!(Continued)
•If working on or near a roadway, be extremely
careful of motor traffic.
•To assure that spare tires, flat or inflated, are
securely stowed, spares must be stowed with the
valve stem facing out.
CAUTION!
Do not attempt to raise the vehicle by jacking on
locations other than those indicated in the Jacking
Instructions for this vehicle.
NOTE:Refer to the “Compact Spare Tire” section of
“Tires – General Information” for information about the
spare tire, its use, and operation.
1. Loosen (but do not remove) the wheel lug nuts by
turning them to the left one turn while the wheel is
still on the ground.
2. There are two jack engagement locations on each side
of the vehicle body. These locations are on the sill
flange of the vehicle body.
Jack Warning Label
570 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

WARNING!
To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the jack,
do not tighten the wheel nuts fully until the vehicle
has been lowered. Failure to follow this warning may
result in personal injury.
NOTE:Do not install the wheel cover on the compact
spare.
7. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack screw to the left.
8.
Finish tightening the lug nuts. Push down on the
wrench while at the end of the handle for increased
leverage. Tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern until each
nut has been tightened twice. The correct wheel nut
tightness is 102 ft lbs (138 N·m).If in doubt about the
correct tightness, have them checked with a torque
wrench by your authorized dealer or at a service station.
9. Lower the jack to its fully-closed position.
WARNING!
A loose tire or jack thrown forward in a collision or
hard stop could endanger the occupants of the ve-
hicle. Always stow the jack parts and the spare tire in
the places provided. Have the deflated (flat) tire
repaired or replaced immediately.
10.
Place the deflated (flat) tire and compact spare tire
cover assembly in the rear cargo area.Do not stow the
deflated tire in the spare tire location.Have the
full-sized tire repaired or replaced, as soon as possible.
11. Stow the cable and wheel spacer before driving the
vehicle. Reassemble the winch handle extensions to
form a “T” and fit the winch T-handle over the drive
nut. Rotate the nut to the right until the winch
mechanism clicks at least three times.
574 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

NOTE:Refer to the “Spare Tire Tools” section for in-
structions on assembling the T-handle.
12. Stow the jack, jack handle and winch handle tools
back in the stowage compartment.
13. Check the compact spare tire pressure as soon as
possible. Correct the tire pressure, as required.
Securing The Spare Tire
1. Assemble the winch handle extensions to form a
T-handle and fit the winch T-handle over the drive
nut. Rotate the nut to the left until the winch mecha-
nism stops turning freely. This will allow enough slack
in the cable to allow you to pull the wheel spacer out
from under the vehicle.
WARNING!
A loose compact spare tire/cover assembly, thrown
forward in a collision or hard stop could endanger
the occupants of the vehicle. Always stow the com-
pact spare tire with the cover assembly in the place
provided.
CAUTION!
The winch mechanism is designed for use with the
winch T-handle only. Use of an air wrench or other
power tools is not recommended and can damage the
winch.
2. Assemble the winch handle extensions to form the
spare tire hook, and pull the wheel spacer from under
the vehicle.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 575

CAUTION!
The winch mechanism is designed specifically to
stow a compact spare tire only. Do not attempt to use
the winch to stow the full size flat tire, or any other
full-size tire. Vehicle damage may result.
Road Tire Installation
Vehicles Equipped With Wheel Covers
1. Mount the road tire on the axle.
2. To ease the installation process for steel wheels with
wheel covers, install two lug nuts on the mounting
studs which are on each side of the valve stem. Install
the lug nuts with the cone shaped end of the nut
toward the wheel. Lightly tighten the lug nuts.
Tire And Wheel Cover Or Center Cap
1 — Valve Stem 4 — Wheel Cover
2 — Valve Notch 5 — Mounting Stud
3 — Wheel Lug Nut
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 577

3. Align the valve notch in the wheel cover with the
valve stem on the wheel. Install the cover by hand,
snapping the cover over the two lug nuts. Do not use
a hammer or excessive force to install the cover.
4. Install the remaining lug nuts with the cone shaped
end of the nut toward the wheel. Lightly tighten the
lug nuts.
WARNING!
To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the jack,
do not tighten the wheel nuts fully until the vehicle
has been lowered. Failure to follow this warning may
result in personal injury.
5. Lower the vehicle to the ground by turning the jack
handle counterclockwise.6. Finish tightening the lug nuts. Push down on the
wrench while at the end of the handle for increased
leverage. Tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern until
each nut has been tightened twice. The correct tight-
ness of each lug nut is 100 ft/lbs (135 N·m). If in doubt
about the correct tightness, have them checked with a
torque wrench by your authorized dealer or service
station.
7. After 25 miles (40 km) check the lug nut torque with a
torque wrench to ensure that all lug nuts are properly
seated against the wheel.
Vehicles Without Wheel Covers
1. Mount the road tire on the axle.
2. Install the remaining lug nuts with the cone shaped
end of the nut toward the wheel. Lightly tighten the
lug nuts.
578 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
Towing Condition Wheels OFF the Ground ALL MODELS
Flat Tow NONEIf transmission is operable:
•Transmission inNEUTRAL
•25 mph (40 km/h)maxspeed
•15 miles (24 km)maxdistanceWheel lift Rear
Front OK
FlatbedALL BEST METHOD
Proper towing or lifting equipment is required to prevent
damage to your vehicle. Use only tow bars and other
equipment designed for this purpose, following equip-
ment manufacturer ’s instructions. Use of safety chains is
mandatory. Attach a tow bar or other towing device to
main structural members of the vehicle, not to bumpers
or associated brackets. State and local laws regarding
vehicles under tow must be observed.If you must use the accessories (wipers, defrosters, etc.)
while being towed, the ignition must be in the ON/RUN
position, not the ACC position.
If the vehicle’s battery is discharged, seeShift Lever
OverrideinWhat To Do In Emergenciesfor instruc-
tions on shifting the transmission out of PARK for
towing.
586 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

CAUTION!
•Do not use sling type equipment when towing.
Damage to the fascia will occur.
•When securing the vehicle to a flatbed truck, do not
attach to front or rear suspension components.
Damage to your vehicle may result from improper
towing.
•Do not push or tow this vehicle with another
vehicle as damage to the bumper fascia and trans-
mission may result.
Without the Key Fob
Special care must be taken when the vehicle is towed
with the ignition in the LOCK/OFF position. The only
approved method of towing without the ignition key is
with a flatbed truck. Proper towing equipment is neces-
sary to prevent damage to the vehicle.With Ignition Key
The manufacturer recommends towing your vehicle with
all four wheels OFF the ground using a flatbed. If flatbed
equipment is not available, and the transmission is
operable, the vehicle may be flat towed (with all four
wheels on the ground) under the following conditions:
•The transmission must be in NEUTRAL.
•The towing distance must not exceed 15 miles (24 km).
•
The towing speed must not exceed 25 mph (40 km/h).
If the transmission is not operable, or the vehicle must
be towed faster than 25 mph (40 km/h) or farther than
15 miles (24 km), it must be towed with the front
wheels OFF the ground (using a flatbed truck, or wheel
lift equipment with the front wheels raised).6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 587

CAUTION!
Towing faster than 25 mph (40 km/h) or farther than
15 mi (24 km) with front wheels on the ground can
cause severe transmission damage. Such damage is
not covered by the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
CAUTION!
Towing this vehicle in violation of the above require-
ments can cause severe transmission damage. Dam-
age from improper towing is not covered under the
New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
588 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

ONBOARD DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM — OBD II
Your vehicle is equipped with a sophisticated onboard
diagnostic system called OBD II. This system monitors
the performance of the emissions, engine, and automatic
transmission control systems. When these systems are
operating properly, your vehicle will provide excellent
performance and fuel economy, as well as engine emis-
sions well within current government regulations.
If any of these systems require service, the OBD II system
will turn on the “Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL).” It
will also store diagnostic codes and other information to
assist your service technician in making repairs. Al-
though your vehicle will usually be drivable and not
need towing, see your authorized dealer for service as
soon as possible.
CAUTION!
•Prolonged driving with the MIL on could cause
further damage to the emission control system. It
could also affect fuel economy and driveability.
The vehicle must be serviced before any emissions
tests can be performed.
•If the MIL is flashing while the engine is running,
severe catalytic converter damage and power loss
will soon occur. Immediate service is required.
592 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE