ECU DODGE POWER WAGON 2007 2.G Owner's Manual

The switch has three positions, AXLE UNLOCK, REAR
LOCK, and FRONT/REAR. Under normal driving con-
ditions the switch should be left in the AXLE UNLOCK
position. In the AXLE UNLOCK position, the front andrear axles are unlocked. In the REAR LOCK position, the
rear axle is locked. In the FRONT/REAR position, the
front and rear axles are locked.
NOTE:Even when the axles are in the AXLE UNLOCK
position, the limited slip differential in the rear axle still
provides torque biasing capability for moderate low
traction environments.
During the command to lock the axle, the indicator light
will flash until the axle is locked. After the lock command
has been successfully executed, the light will remain on
solid.
To lock the rear axle, place the vehicle in 4LO by
following the procedure in Four Wheel Drive Operation,
located in this section of the manual. Move the axle
locker switch position to REAR LOCK while traveling
less than 3 MPH (5 KM/H). The RR indicator light will
remain on when the rear axle is locked.
Rotary Locking Axle Switch
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CAUTION!
Never park your vehicle over dry grass or other
combustible materials. The heat from your vehicle
exhaust system could cause a fire.
WARNING!
Always wear your seat belt and firmly tie down
cargo. Unsecured cargo can become projectiles in an
off-road situation.
When To Use Low Range
When driving off-road, shift into 4L (Low range) for
additional traction or to improve handling and control on
slippery or difficult terrain. Due to the lower gearing, low
range will allow the engine to operate in a higher power
range. This will allow you to idle over obstacles anddown hills, with improved control and less effort. Also,
use 4L (Low range) in rain, ice, snow, mud, sand, to get
heavy loads rolling, improve traction, or whenever 4H
(High range) traction will not do the job.
Driving in Snow, Mud and Sand
There is a drastic reduction in traction when driving in
snow, mud or sand. The vehicle will be less responsive to
steering, acceleration and braking inputs. Therefore you
should accelerate slowly, leave greater stopping distances
and avoid abrupt vehicle maneuvers. You want to keep a
slow constant steady pace. The key is to maintain the
vehicle's momentum.
²Snow± In heavy snow or for additional control and
traction at slower speeds, shift the transmission to a
low gear and shift the transfer case to 4L (Low) if
necessary. Don't shift to a lower gear than necessary to
maintain headway. Over-revving the engine can spin
the wheels and traction will be lost. If you start to slow
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over-wrap when slackened, leading to wire rope damage.
To prevent losing the end, hold the hook strap while you
work.
6. Secure to the anchor point. Once you've established
your anchor point, secure the tree-trunk protector or
choker-chain around the object.
CAUTION!
Always be certain the anchor you select will with-
stand the load.
Tree Trunk Protector
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NOTE: How to choose an anchor point:A secure
anchor is critical to winching operations. An anchor must
be strong enough to hold while winching. Natural an-
chors include trees, stumps and rocks. Hook the cable as
low as possible. If no natural anchors are available when
recovering another vehicle, your vehicle becomes the
anchor point. In this case, be sure to put the transmission
in neutral, apply the hand brake and block its wheels to
prevent your vehicle from moving. Ideally, you'll want
an anchor point that will enable you to pull straight in the
direction the vehicle will move. This allows the wire rope
to wind tightly and evenly onto the spooling drum. An
anchor point as far away as possible will provide the
winch with its greatest pulling power.
7. Attach the Clevis/D-shackle and Tree Trunk Protector.
Attach the shackle to the two ends of the strap or chain
and through the hook loop, being careful not to over
tighten (tighten and back-off 1/2 turn).8. Lock the clutch. Lock the winch drum by rotating the
clutch lever on the winch to engage.
NOTE:Always ensure the clutch is fully engaged or
disengaged.
Clevis/D-Shackles
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9. Connect the remote control to the winch control box,
located behind the front bumper. Be careful not to let the
remote control cord dangle in front of the winch. If you
choose to control the winch from inside your vehicle,
always pass the remote through a window to avoid
pinching the cord in the door. Always disconnect the
remote control when not in use.10. Put wire rope under tension. Using the remote con-
trol switch, slowly wind the wire rope until no slack
remains. Once the wire rope is under tension, stand well
clear and never step over it.
11. Check your anchor. Make sure all connections are
secured and free of debris before continuing with the
winching procedure.
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NOTE:Avoid overheating the winch motor. For ex-
tended winching, stop at reasonable intervals to allow
the winch motor to cool down.
NOTE: What to look for under load:The wire rope
must always spool onto the drum as indicated by the
drum rotation decal on the winch. As you power-in,
make sure the wire rope winds evenly and tightly on the
drum. This prevents the outer wire wraps from drawing
into the inner wraps, binding and damaging the wire
rope. Avoid shock loads by using the control switch
intermittently to take up wire rope slack. Shock loads can
momentarily far exceed the winch and wire rope ratings.
During side pulls the wire rope tends to stack up at oneend of the drum. This stack can become large enough to
cause serious damage to the winch. So, line up pulls as
straight ahead as possible and stop winching if the wire
rope comes close to the tie rods or mounting plate. To fix
an uneven stack, spool out that section of the rope and
reposition it to the opposite end of the drum, which will
free up space for continued winching.
16. Secure vehicle. Once recovery of the vehicle is com-
plete, be sure to secure the vehicle's brakes and put the
transmission in9park9(automatic) or9low9gear for
9manual9transmissions. Release tension in the wire rope.
17. Disconnect wire rope. Disconnect from the anchor.
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How to change the pulling direction:All winching operations should have a straight line from
the winch to the object being pulled. This minimizes the
wire rope collecting on one side of the drum affecting
pulling efficiency and damaging wire rope. A snatch
block, secured to a point directly in front of the vehicle
will enable you to change your pulling direction while
still allowing the wire rope to be at 90É to wind properly
onto the spooling drum.
Change Pulling Directions
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vehicle's frame/tow hook and run the wire rope through
a snatch block. Disengage the clutch and, using the
snatch block, pull out enough wire to reach your anchor
point. Do not attach hook to mounting kit. Secure to the
anchor point with a tree trunk protector or choker chain.
Attach the clevis/shackle. Attach the shackle to the two
ends of the strap/chain, being careful not to over tighten
(tighten and back-off 1/2 turn).
PARKING BRAKE
The foot operated parking brake is positioned below the
lower left corner of the instrument panel. To release the
parking brake, pull the parking brake release handle.
NOTE:The instrument cluster red brake warning light
will come on and flash to indicate that the parking brake
is applied. You must be sure that the parking brake is
fully applied before leaving the vehicle.Be sure the parking brake is firmly set when parked and
the gear shift lever is in the PARK position. When
parking on a hill you should apply the parking brake
before placing the gear shift lever in PARK, otherwise the
load on the transmission locking mechanism may make it
difficult to move the selector out of PARK.
Parking Brake Release
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Curb Weight
The curb weight of a vehicle is defined as the total weight
of the vehicle with all fluids, including vehicle fuel, at full
capacity conditions, and with no occupants or cargo
loaded into the vehicle. The front and rear curb weight
values are determined by weighing your vehicle on a
commercial scale before any occupants or cargo are
added.
Loading
The actual total weight and the weight of the front and
rear of your vehicle at the ground can best be determined
by weighing it when it is loaded and ready for operation.
The entire vehicle should first be weighed on a commer-
cial scale to insure that the GVWR has not been exceeded.
The weight on the front and rear of the vehicle should
then be determined separately to be sure that the load is
properly distributed over front and rear axle. Weighing
the vehicle may show that the GAWR of either the frontor rear axles has been exceeded but the total load is
within the specified GVWR. If so, weight must be shifted
from front to rear or rear to front as appropriate until the
specified weight limitations are met. Store the heavier
items down low and be sure that the weight is distributed
equally. Stow all loose items securely before driving.
Improper weight distributions can have an adverse effect
on the way your vehicle steers and handles and the way
the brakes operate.
CAUTION!
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR or the maximum front and rear GAWR. If
you do, parts on your vehicle can break, or it can
change the way your vehicle handles. This could
cause you to lose control. Also overloading can
shorten the life of your vehicle.
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CAUTION!
²Avoid towing a trailer for the first 500 miles (805
km) of vehicle operation. Doing so may damage
your axles, driveline and vehicle.
²During the first 500 miles (805 km) of trailer
towing, limit your speed to 50 mph (80 km/h).
Perform the maintenance listed in Section 8 of this
manual. When towing a trailer, never exceed the GAWR,
or GCWR, ratings.
WARNING!
Improper towing can lead to an injury accident.
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 an accident.
²When hauling cargo or towing a trailer, do not over-
load your vehicle or trailer. Overloading can cause a
loss of control, poor performance or damage to brakes,
axle, engine, transmission, steering, suspension, chas-
sis structure or tires.
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