Maint DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 2020 Owner's Guide

190STARTING AND OPERATING
Automatic Transmission
The DRIVE range can be selected when towing.
However, if frequent shifting occurs while in
DRIVE, use the Electronic Range Select (ERS)
shift control to manually select a lower gear
range.
NOTE:
Using a lower gear range while operating the
vehicle under heavy loading conditions, will
improve performance and extend transmission
life by reducing excessive shifting and heat
buildup. This action will also provide better
engine braking.
If you REGULARLY tow a trailer for more than
45 minutes of continuous operation, then
change the transmission fluid and filter as
specified for "police, taxi, fleet, or frequent
trailer towing." Refer to the “Maintenance Plan”
for the proper maintenance intervals. Electronic Range Select (ERS)When using the ERS shift control, select the
highest gear that allows for adequate perfor
-
mance and avoids frequent downshifts. For
example, choose “4” if the desired speed can
be maintained. Choose “3” or “2” if needed
to maintain the desired speed.
To prevent excess heat generation, avoid
continuous driving at high RPM. Reduce
vehicle speed as necessary to avoid
extended driving at high RPM. Return to a
higher gear range or vehicle speed when
grade and road conditions allow.
Speed Control — If Equipped
Do not use on hilly terrain or with heavy
loads.
When using the Speed Control, if you experi -
ence speed drops greater than 10 mph
(16 km/h), disengage until you can get back
to cruising speed.
Use Speed Control in flat terrain and with
light loads to maximize fuel efficiency.
Cooling System
To reduce potential for engine and transmission
overheating, take the following actions:
City Driving
In city traffic — while stopped, place the trans -
mission in NEUTRAL, but do not increase
engine idle speed.
Highway Driving
Reduce speed.
Temporarily turn off air conditioning.

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192STARTING AND OPERATING
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.
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 become visible.
Keep tires properly inflated.
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 prevent damage to
your vehicle.
Flowing/Rising Water
Towing this vehicle in violation of the above
requirements can cause severe transmis -
sion damage. Damage 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.
CAUTION! (Continued)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 carefully
whenever there is likely to be poor traction
(ice, snow, wet, mud, loose sand, etc.).
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.
Furthermore, flowing and/or rising water can
carry your vehicle away swiftly. Failure to
follow this warning may result in injuries that
are serious or fatal to you, your passengers,
and others around you.

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IN CASE OF EMERGENCY207

Jack Warning Label

NOTE:
Refer to the “Compact Spare Tire” section of
“Tires” in “Servicing And Maintenance” for
information about the compact 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 Locations

Apply the parking brake firmly and shift an
automatic transmission to PARK; a manual
transmission to REVERSE.
Block the wheel diagonally opposite the
wheel to be raised.
Never start or run the engine with the
vehicle on a jack.
Do not let anyone sit in the vehicle when it
is on a jack.
Do not get under the vehicle when it is on a
jack. If you need to get under a raised
vehicle, take it to a service center where it
can be raised on a lift.
Only use the jack in the positions indicated
and for lifting this vehicle during a tire
change.
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 the
ground.
WARNING! (Continued)
CAUTION!
Do not attempt to raise the vehicle by jacking
on locations other than those indicated in the
Jacking Instructions for this vehicle.
CAUTION!
Do not attempt to raise the vehicle by jacking
on locations other than those indicated.
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222IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
GEAR SELECTOR OVERRIDE
If a malfunction occurs and the gear selector
cannot be moved out of the PARK position, you
can use the following procedure to temporarily
move the gear selector:

1. Turn the engine off.

2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
3. Using a small screwdriver or similar tool,
remove the gear selector override access
cover (located near the top right of the gear
selector in the instrument panel).
Gear Selector Override Access Cover

4. Press and maintain firm pressure on the brake pedal.
5. Insert the screwdriver or similar tool into the access hole, and push and hold the override
release lever forward.
Access Hole

6. Move the gear selector to the NEUTRAL position.
7. The vehicle may then be started in NEUTRAL.
8. Reinstall the gear selector override access cover.

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IN CASE OF EMERGENCY223
FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand, or
snow, it can often be moved using a rocking
motion. Turn the steering wheel right and left to
clear the area around the front wheels. Then,
shift back and forth between DRIVE and
REVERSE while gently pressing the accelerator.
Use the least amount of accelerator pedal
pressure that will maintain the rocking motion,
without spinning the wheels or racing the
engine. Push the "ESC OFF" switch, to place
the Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
system in "ESC Partial OFF" mode,
before rocking the vehicle. Refer to
“Electronic Brake Control System” in “Safety”
for further information. Once the vehicle has
been freed, push the "ESC OFF" switch again to
restore "ESC ON" mode.
CAUTION!
Racing the engine or spinning the wheels may
lead to transmission overheating and failure.
Allow the engine to idle with the transmission
in NEUTRAL for at least one minute after
every five rocking-motion cycles. This will
minimize overheating and reduce the risk of
transmission failure during prolonged efforts
to free a stuck vehicle.
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces
generated by excessive wheel speeds may
cause damage, or even failure, of the axle
and tires. A tire could explode and injure
someone. Do not spin your vehicle's wheels
faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) or for longer than 30 seconds continuously without
stopping when you are stuck and do not let
anyone near a spinning wheel, no matter
what the speed.
CAUTION!
When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by shifting
between DRIVE and REVERSE, do not spin
the wheels faster than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drivetrain damage may result.
Revving the engine or spinning the wheels
too fast may lead to transmission over -
heating and failure. It can also damage the
tires. Do not spin the wheels above 30 mph
(48 km/h) while in gear (no transmission
shifting occurring).
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226
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
SCHEDULED SERVICING
This vehicle is equipped with an automatic oil
change indicator system. The oil change
indicator system will remind you that it is time to
take your vehicle in for scheduled maintenance.
Based on engine operation conditions, the oil
change indicator message will illuminate. This
means that service is required for your vehicle.
Operating conditions such as frequent
short-trips, trailer tow, extremely hot or cold
ambient temperatures, and E85 fuel usage will
influence when the “Oil Change Required”
message is displayed. Severe Operating
Conditions can cause the change oil message
to illuminate as early as 3,500 miles
(5,600 km) since last reset. Have your vehicle
serviced as soon as possible, within the next
500 miles (805 km).An authorized dealer will reset the oil change
indicator message after completing the
scheduled oil change. If a scheduled oil change
is performed by someone other than an
authorized dealer, the message can be reset by
referring to the steps described under
“Instrument Cluster Display” in “Getting To
Know Your Instrument Panel” for further
information.
NOTE:
Under no circumstances should oil change
intervals exceed 10,000 miles (16,000 km),
12 months or 350 hours of engine run time,
whichever comes first. The 350 hours of engine
run or idle time is generally only a concern for
fleet customers.
Severe Duty All Models
Change engine oil at 4,000 miles (6,500 km) if
the vehicle is operated in a dusty and off road
environment or is operated predominately at
idle or only very low engine RPM. This type of
vehicle use is considered Severe Duty.Once A Month Or Before A Long Trip:Check engine oil level.
Check windshield washer fluid level.
Check tire pressure and look for unusual
wear or damage. Rotate tires at the first sign
of irregular wear, even if it occurs before the
oil indicator system turns on.
Check the fluid levels of the coolant reservoir,
brake master cylinder, and power steering
and fill as needed.
Check function of all interior and exterior
lights.

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SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE227
Maintenance Plan
Required Maintenance Intervals.
Refer to the maintenance schedules on the following page for the required maintenance intervals.
At Every Oil Change Interval As Indicated By Oil Change Indicator System:
Change oil and filter.
Rotate the tires. Rotate at the first sign of irregular wear, even if it occurs before the oil indicator system turns on.
Inspect battery and clean and tighten terminals as required.
Inspect the CV/Universal joints.
Inspect brake pads, shoes, rotors, drums, hoses and park brake.
Inspect engine cooling system protection and hoses.
Inspect exhaust system.
Inspect engine air cleaner if using in dusty or off-road conditions, replace engine air cleaner filter if necessary.
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228SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
Mileage or time passed (whichever
comes first)
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
100,000
110,000
120,000
130,000
140,000
150,000
Or Years: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Or Kilometers:
32,000
48,000
64,000
80,000
96,000
112,000
128,000
144,000
160,000
176,000
192,000
208,000
224,000
240,000
Additional Inspections
Inspect the CV/Universal joints. X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Inspect front suspension, tie rod ends,
boot seals, and replace if necessary. X
X X XX XX
Inspect the brake linings, replace as
necessary. X
X X XX XX
Additional Maintenance
Replace engine air filter. XX XXX
Replace cabin/air conditioning filter. X XX XX XX
Replace spark plugs.
1X
Flush and replace the engine coolant
at 10 years or 150,000 miles
(240,000 km) whichever comes first. X
X

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SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE229
Change automatic transmission fluid
and filter if using your vehicle for any of
the following: police, taxi, fleet, or
frequent trailer towing. X
X
Change automatic transmission fluid
and filter. X
Inspect and replace PCV valve if
necessary. X
1. The spark plug change interval is mileage based only, yearly intervals do not apply.
Mileage or time passed (whichever
comes first)
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
100,000
110,000
120,000
130,000
140,000
150,000
Or Years: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Or Kilometers:
32,000
48,000
64,000
80,000
96,000
112,000
128,000
144,000
160,000
176,000
192,000
208,000
224,000
240,000
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230SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
(Continued)
WARNING!
You can be badly injured working on or
around a motor vehicle. Do only service
work for which you have the knowledge and
the right equipment. If you have any doubt
about your ability to perform a service job,
take your vehicle to a competent mechanic.Failure to properly inspect and maintain
your vehicle could result in a component
malfunction and effect vehicle handling
and performance. This could cause an
accident.
WARNING! (Continued)

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