warning DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 2019 Owners Manual

Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR)
The GAWR is the maximum capacity of the front and rear
axles. Distribute the load over the front and rear axles
evenly. Make sure that you do not exceed either front or
rear GAWR. Refer to “Vehicle Loading/Vehicle Certifica-
tion Label” in “Starting And Operating” for further infor-
mation.
WARNING!
It is important that you do not exceed the maximum
front or rear GAWR. A dangerous driving condition
can result if either rating is exceeded. You could lose
control of the vehicle and have a collision.
Tongue Weight (TW)
The tongue weight is the downward force exerted on the
hitch ball by the trailer. You must consider this as part of
the load on your vehicle.
Trailer Frontal Area
The frontal area is the maximum height multiplied by the
maximum width of the front of a trailer.
Trailer Sway Control
The trailer sway control can be a mechanical telescoping
link that can be installed between the hitch receiver and the
trailer tongue that typically provides adjustable friction
associated with the telescoping motion to dampen any
unwanted trailer swaying motions while traveling.
If equipped, the electronic Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
recognizes a swaying trailer and automatically applies
individual wheel brakes and/or reduces engine power to
attempt to eliminate the trailer sway.
Weight-Carrying Hitch
A weight-carrying hitch supports the trailer tongue weight,
just as if it were luggage located at a hitch ball or some
other connecting point of the vehicle. These kinds of
hitches are the most popular on the market today and they
are commonly used to tow small and medium sized
trailers.
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Weight-Distributing Hitch
A weight-distributing system works by applying leverage
through spring (load) bars. They are typically used for
heavier loads to distribute trailer tongue weight to the tow
vehicle’s front axle and the trailer axle(s). When used in
accordance with the manufacturer’s directions, it provides
for a more level ride, offering more consistent steering and
brake control thereby enhancing towing safety. The addi-
tion of a friction/hydraulic sway control also dampens
sway caused by traffic and crosswinds and contributes
positively to tow vehicle and trailer stability. Trailer sway
control and a weight distributing (load equalizing) hitch
are recommended for heavier Tongue Weights (TW) and
may be required depending on vehicle and trailer
configuration/loading to comply with Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) requirements.
WARNING!
•An improperly adjusted Weight Distributing Hitch
system may reduce handling, stability, braking per-
formance, and could result in a collision.
• Weight Distributing Systems may not be compatible
with Surge Brake Couplers. Consult with your hitch
and trailer manufacturer or a reputable Recreational
Vehicle dealer for additional information.
272 STARTING AND OPERATING

Towing Requirements
To promote proper break-in of your new vehicle drivetrain
components, the following guidelines are recommended.
CAUTION!
•Do not tow a trailer at all during the first 500 miles
(805 km) the new vehicle is driven. The engine, axle
or other parts could be damaged.
• Then, during the first 500 miles (805 km) that a trailer
is towed, do not drive over 50 mph (80 km/h) and do
not make starts at full throttle. This helps the engine
and other parts of the vehicle wear in at the heavier
loads.
Perform the maintenance listed in the “Scheduled Servic-
ing”. Refer to “Scheduled Servicing” in “Servicing And
Maintenance” for the proper maintenance intervals. When
towing a trailer, never exceed the GAWR or GCWR ratings.
WARNING!
Improper towing can lead to a collision. 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 a collision.
• When hauling cargo or towing a trailer, do not
overload your vehicle or trailer. Overloading can
cause a loss of control, poor performance or damage
to brakes, axle, engine, transmission, steering, sus-
pension, chassis structure or tires.
• Safety chains must always be used between your
vehicle and trailer. Always connect the chains to the
hook retainers of the vehicle hitch. Cross the chains
under the trailer tongue and allow enough slack for
turning corners.
(Continued)
276 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!(Continued)
•Vehicles with trailers should not be parked on a
grade. When parking, apply the parking brake on the
tow vehicle. Put the tow vehicle transmission in
PARK. For four-wheel drive vehicles, make sure the
transfer case is not in NEUTRAL. Always, block or
chock the trailer wheels.
• GCWR must not be exceeded.
• Total weight must be distributed between the tow
vehicle and the trailer such that the following four
ratings are not exceeded:
1. GVWR
2. GTW
3. GAWR
4. Tongue weight rating for the trailer hitch utilized.
Towing Requirements — Tires
• Do not attempt to tow a trailer while using a compact
spare tire.
• Do not drive more than 50 mph (80 km/h) when towing
while using a full size spare tire.
• Proper tire inflation pressures are essential to the safe
and satisfactory operation of your vehicle. Refer to
“Tires” in “Servicing And Maintenance” for proper tire
inflation procedures.
• Check the trailer tires for proper tire inflation pressures
before trailer usage.
• Check for signs of tire wear or visible tire damage before
towing a trailer. Refer to “Tires” in “Servicing And
Maintenance” for the proper inspection procedure.
• When replacing tires, refer to “Tires” in “Servicing And
Maintenance” for the proper tire replacement proce-
dures. Replacing tires with a higher load carrying capac-
ity will not increase the vehicle’s GVWR and GAWR
limits.
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Towing Requirements — Trailer Brakes
•Do not interconnect the hydraulic brake system or
vacuum system of your vehicle with that of the trailer.
This could cause inadequate braking and possible per-
sonal injury.
• An electronically actuated trailer brake controller is
required when towing a trailer with electronically actu-
ated brakes. When towing a trailer equipped with a
hydraulic surge actuated brake system, an electronic
brake controller is not required.
• Trailer brakes are recommended for trailers over
1,000 lbs (453 kg) and required for trailers in excess of
2,000 lbs (907 kg).
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.
CAUTION!
If the trailer weighs more than 1,000 lbs (453 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.
Towing Requirements — Trailer Lights And Wiring
Whenever you pull a trailer, regardless of the trailer size,
stoplights and turn signals on the trailer are required for
motoring safety.
The Trailer Tow Package may include a four- and seven-pin
wiring harness. Use a factory approved trailer harness and
connector.
NOTE: Do not cut or splice wiring into the vehicle’s 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.
278 STARTING AND OPERATING

CAUTION!
•DO NOT flat tow this vehicle. Damage to the drive-
train will result. If this vehicle requires towing,
make sure the drive wheels are OFF the ground.
• 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.
• Do not use a bumper mounted clamp-on tow bar on
your vehicle. The bumper face bar will be damaged.
DRIVING TIPS
Driving On Slippery Surfaces
Information in this section will aid in safe controlled
launches in adverse conditions.
Acceleration
Rapid acceleration on snow covered, wet, or other slippery
surfaces may cause the driving wheels to pull erratically to
the right or left. This phenomenon occurs when there is a
difference in the surface traction under the front (driving)
wheels.
WARNING!
Rapid acceleration on slippery surfaces is dangerous.
Unequal traction can cause sudden pulling of the front
wheels. You could lose control of the vehicle and
possibly have a collision. Accelerate slowly and care-
fully whenever there is likely to be poor traction (ice,
snow, wet, mud, loose sand, etc.).
Traction
When driving on wet or slushy roads, it is possible for a
wedge of water to build up between the tire and road
surface. This is hydroplaning and may cause partial or
complete loss of vehicle control and stopping ability. To
reduce this possibility, the following precautions should be
observed:
• Slow down during rainstorms or when the roads are
slushy.
• Slow down if the road has standing water or puddles.
• Replace the tires when tread wear indicators first be-
come visible.
• Keep tires properly inflated.
282 STARTING AND OPERATING

•Maintain sufficient distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front of you to avoid a collision in a
sudden stop.
Driving Through Water
Driving through water more than a few inches/centimeters
deep will require extra caution to ensure safety and pre-
vent damage to your vehicle.
Flowing/Rising Water
WARNING!
Do not drive on or across a road or path where water is
flowing and/or rising (as in storm run-off). Flowing
water can wear away the road or path’s surface and
cause your vehicle to sink into deeper water. Further-
more, flowing and/or rising water can carry your ve-
hicle away swiftly. Failure to follow this warning may
result in injuries that are serious or fatal to you, your
passengers, and others around you.
Shallow Standing Water
Although your vehicle is capable of driving through shal-
low standing water, consider the following Cautions and
Warnings before doing so.
WARNING!
• Driving through standing water limits your vehicle’s
traction capabilities. Do not exceed 5 mph (8 km/h)
when driving through standing water.
• Driving through standing water limits your vehicle’s
braking capabilities, which increases stopping dis-
tances. Therefore, after driving through standing
water, drive slowly and lightly press on the brake
pedal several times to dry the brakes.
• Failure to follow these warnings may result in inju-
ries that are serious or fatal to you, your passengers,
and others around you.
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IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
CONTENTS
HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS ............286
 BULB REPLACEMENT ................... .287
▫ Replacement Bulbs ..................... .287
▫ Replacing Exterior Bulbs ..................288
 FUSES ............................... .290
▫ General Information .................... .291
▫ Totally Integrated Power Module (Fuses) ......292
 JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING ...........297
▫ Jack Location ........................ .298
▫ Spare Tire Tools ....................... .298
▫ To Access Spare Tire Winch Drive Nut ........299
▫ Spare Tire Removal .................... .301
▫ Spare Tire Removal Instructions .............301
▫ Preparations For Jacking .................303▫
Jacking Instructions .................... .303
▫ Securing The Compact Spare Tire ...........310
▫ Road Tire Installation ....................311
 TIRE SERVICE KIT — IF EQUIPPED ..........313
 JUMP STARTING ....................... .324
▫ Preparations For Jump Start ...............325
▫ Jump Starting Procedure ..................326
 IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS .............327
 GEAR SELECTOR OVERRIDE ..............328
 FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE ..............329
 TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE ............330
 ENHANCED ACCIDENT RESPONSE SYSTEM
(EARS) .............................. .331
 EVENT

DATA RECORDER (EDR) ............332
7

HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS
The Hazard Warning flasher switch is located in the lower
center area of the instrument panel.Push the switch to turn on the Hazard Warning
flasher. When the switch is activated, all direc-
tional turn signals will flash on and off to warn
oncoming traffic of an emergency. Push the
switch a second time to turn off the Hazard Warning
flashers. This is an emergency warning system and it should not be
used when the vehicle is in motion. Use it when your
vehicle is disabled and it is creating a safety hazard for
other motorists.
When you must leave the vehicle to seek assistance, the
Hazard Warning flashers will continue to operate even
though the ignition is placed in the OFF position.
NOTE:
With extended use, the Hazard Warning flashers
may wear down your battery.
286 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

NOTE:•If a screwdriver is used, make sure a soft material is
placed between the vehicle body and tool so not to
scratch the paint.
• The PRY location is best closest to the studs while
dislodging them separately.
3. Twist the socket and remove from the lamp assembly.
4. Pull the bulb to remove it from the socket.
5. Replace the bulb, reinstall the socket, and reattach the lamp assembly.
Center High-Mounted Stop Lamp (CHMSL)
The CHMSL uses LED lamps that are not serviceable
separately. The CHMSL must be replaced as an assembly.
See your authorized dealer.
License Lamp
The license plate lamp is located under the tailgate light
bar and above the license plate.
1. Using a small screwdriver, press inward the locking tabon the outboard side of the lamp assembly and pull
down on the lamp assembly for removal. 2. Twist and remove the socket from the lamp assembly
and pull the bulb out to remove.
3. Push the bulb into the socket, twist the socket into the lamp assembly and reinstall the lamp assembly into
place ensuring the locking tab is secure.
FUSES
WARNING!
•When replacing a blown fuse, always use an appro-
priate replacement fuse with the same amp rating as
the original fuse. Never replace a fuse with another
fuse of higher amp rating. Never replace a blown
fuse with metal wires or any other material. Do not
place a fuse inside a circuit breaker cavity or vice
versa. Failure to use proper fuses may result in
serious personal injury, fire and/or property damage.
• Before replacing a fuse, make sure that the ignition is
off and that all the other services are switched off
and/or disengaged.
• If the replaced fuse blows again, contact an autho-
rized dealer.
(Continued)
290 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY