warning DODGE POWER WAGON 2007 2.G Manual PDF

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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air pressure before driving on pavement or other hard
surfaces. Be sure you have a way to air the tires back
up prior to reducing the pressure.
CAUTION!
Reduced tire pressures may cause tire unseating and
total loss of air pressure. To reduce the risk of tire
unseating, while at a reduced tire pressure, reduce
your speed and avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneu-
vers.
Crossing Obstacles (Rocks And Other High
Points)
While driving off road, you will encounter many types of
terrain. These varying types of terrain bring different
types of obstacles. Before proceeding review the path
ahead to determine the correct approach and your ability
to safely recover the vehicle if something goes wrong.Keeping a firm grip on the steering wheel, bring the
vehicle to a complete stop and then inch the vehicle
forward until it makes contact with the object. Apply the
throttle lightly while holding a light brake pressure and
ease the vehicle up and over the object.
WARNING!
Crossing obstacles can cause abrupt steering system
loading which could cause you to loose control of
your vehicle.
Using A Spotter
There are many times where it is hard to see the obstacle
or determine the correct path. Determining the correct
path can be extremely difficult when you are confronting
many obstacles. In these cases have someone guide you
over, through, or around the obstacle. Have the person
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WARNING!
There is an increased risk of roll over when crossing
an obstacle, at any angle, with steep sides.
Crossing Logs
To cross a log, approach it at a slight angle (approxi-
mately 10 to 15 degrees). This allows one front tire to be
on top of the log while the other just starts to climb the
log. While climbing the log, modulate your brake and
accelerator to avoid spinning the log out from under your
tires. Then ease the vehicle off the log using your brakes.
CAUTION!
Do not attempted to cross a log with a greater
diameter than the running ground clearance or the
vehicle will become high centered.
Getting High Centered
If you get hung up or high centered on an object, get out
of the vehicle and try to determine what the vehicle is
hung up on, where it is contacting the underbody and
what is the best direction to recover the vehicle. Depend-
ing on what you are in contact with, jack the vehicle up
and place a few rocks under the tires so the weight is off
of the high point when you let the vehicle down. You can
also try rocking the vehicle or winching the vehicle off
the object.
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a1¤4turn quickly back and forth. This will provide a
fresh9bite9into the surface and will usually provide
enough traction to complete the climb. If you do not
make it to the top, place the vehicle in reverse and
back straight down the grade using engine resistance
along with the vehicle brakes.
WARNING!
Never attempt to climb a hill at an angle or turn
around on a steep grade. Driving across an incline
increases the risk of a roll over, which may result in
severe injury.
²Driving Down Hill± Before driving down a steep hill
you need to determine if it is too steep for a safe
descent. What is the surface traction? Is the grade too
steep to maintain a slow controlled descent? Are there
obstacles? Is it a straight descent? Is there plenty ofdistance at the base of the hill to regain control if the
vehicle descends to fast? If you feel confident in your
ability to proceed then make sure you are in 4L (Low)
with the transmission in 1st gear (manually select 1st
gear on automatic transmissions) and proceed with
caution. Allow engine braking to control the descent
and apply your brakes if necessary, but do not allow
the tires to lock.
WARNING!
Do not descend a steep grade in neutral. Use vehicle
brakes in conjunction with engine braking. De-
scending a grade too fast could cause you to lose
control and be seriously injured.
²Driving Across An Incline± If at all possible avoid
driving across an incline. If it is necessary, know your
vehicle's abilities. Driving across an incline places
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more weight on the down hill wheels, which increases
the possibilities of a down hill slide or roll over. Make
sure the surface has good traction with firm and stable
soils. If possible transverse the incline at an angle
heading slightly up or down.
WARNING!
Driving across an incline increases the risk of a roll
over, which may result in severe injury.
²If You Stall Or Begin To Lose Headway± If you stall
or begin to lose headway while climbing a steep hill,
allow your vehicle to come to a stop and immediately
apply the brake. Restart the engine and shift to R
(Reverse). Back slowly down the hill allowing the
compression braking of the engine and transmission tohelp regulate your speed. If the brakes are required to
control vehicle speed, apply them lightly and avoid
locking or skidding the tires.
WARNING!
If the engine stalls or you lose headway or cannot
make it to the top of a steep hill or grade, never
attempt to turn around. To do so may result in
tipping and rolling the vehicle, which may result in
severe injury. Always back carefully straight down a
hill in R (Reverse) gear. Never back down a hill in N
(Neutral) or with the clutch pedal depressed using
only the vehicle brakes. Never drive diagonally
across a hill, always drive straight up or down.
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downstream out of control if the water is deep enough
to push on the large surface area of the vehicle's body.
Before you proceed determine the speed of the current,
the water's depth, approach angle, bottom condition
and if there are any obstacles, then cross at an angle
heading slightly upstream using the low and slow
technique.
WARNING!
Never drive through fast moving deep water. It can
push your vehicle downstream, sweeping it out of
control. This could put you and your passengers at
risk of injury or drowning.
Airing Down For Off-Road Driving
Running lower tire pressure off-road can improve your
ride comfort and vehicle traction. Reducing the tire air
pressure allows the tire to bulge slightly, improving its
surface area for better flotation and ability to mold or
form to the ground contour. Different terrain, tires, and
vehicles require different tire pressure. Hard surfaces like
rock and heavier vehicles require higher pressures than
softer surfaces such as sand and lighter vehicles. You will
need to experiment to determine what is right for your
situation. It is easier and faster to let air out than it is to
replace it so, start high and lower it as required. Remem-
ber you must return the tires to normal air pressure
before driving on road or at highway conditions. Be sure
you have a way to return the tires to their normal on road
air pressure.
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the two drivers. Good communication and line of sight
are required for a safe recovery. First connect the tow
strap to the correct attachment points on both vehicles.
There should be a least 20 to 30 feet between the
vehicles to allow for a safe recovery. If necessary join
two tow straps together using a 1
1¤2inch hard wood
dowel. This will keep the straps from becoming knot-
ted and is safer than using a clevis pin if the strap
breaks. Next have the tow vehicle backup, leaving 2 to
3 feet worth of slack in the strap. Then the tow vehicle,
using light throttle, should accelerate tightening the
strap providing the pulling force needed to free the
vehicle. The vehicle being recovered should assist in
the recovery, at the time of the snap, by slowly
spinning the tires in the same direction as the pulling
vehicle. After the vehicle becomes free, the driver of
the previously stuck vehicle should signal they are free
and should hit their brakes stopping both vehicles.
The driver of the pulling vehicle should let off thethrottle without using the brakes, once signaled by the
other driver. This sequence is important to avoid
having the recovered vehicle hit the pulling vehicle.WARNING!
Never use tow straps with end hooks or link two
straps with a clevis pin. These heavy metal objects
could become projectiles if a strap breaks, which
could cause severe injury. Never leave more than 2 or
3 feet of slack in the strap. More slack than this
greatly increases the risk of injury and vehicle dam-
age. Always keep everyone at least 30 feet away from
a strapping or winching situation.
²Winching (see the section on ªWinch Operationº for
additional information on the Power Wagon's winch)
± Winching is most commonly used in the following
situations: there is no support vehicle available, a high
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WARNING!
Winch cables are under high tension when in use
and can become a projectile if they fail. Never stand
over or straddle the winch cable. Never jerk or
overload the winch cable. Never stand in front of the
vehicle while winching. Failure to follow these in-
structions can result in serious or fatal injury.
After Driving Off-Road
Off-road operation puts more stress on your vehicle than
does most on-road driving. After driving off-road, it is
always a good idea to check for damage.
²Completely inspect the underbody of your vehicle.
Check tires, body structure, steering, suspension, and
exhaust system for damage.
²Check threaded fasteners for looseness, particularly on
the chassis, drivetrain components, steering, and sus-
pension. Retighten them, if required, and torque to the
values specified in the Service Manual.
²Check for accumulations of plants or brush. These
things could be a fire hazard, or they might hide
damage to fuel lines, brake hoses, axle pinion seals,
and propeller shafts.
²After extended operation in mud, sand, water, or
similar dirty conditions, have brake drums and rotors,
brake linings, and axle yokes inspected and cleaned as
soon as possible.
²If you experience unusual vibration after driving in
mud, slush or similar conditions, check the wheels for
packed material. Packed foreign material can cause a
wheel imbalance and cleaning the wheels will correct
the situation.
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WARNING!
Abrasive material in any part of the brakes may
cause excessive wear or unpredictable braking. You
might not have full braking power when you need it
to prevent an accident. If you have been operating
your vehicle in dirty conditions, get your brakes
checked and cleaned as necessary. Failure to do so
may result is serious injury.
WINCH USAGE ± IF EQUIPPED
Things To Know Before Using Your Winch
General Winch Information
Your vehicle is equipped with an electric vehicle recovery
winch. This winch uses the electrical power from the
vehicle charging system to power a motor that winds
wire rope into the winch drum via planetary gear reduc-
tion. By nature, a winch is capable of generating veryhigh forces and should be used with care. Do not operate
the winch without reading and understanding the com-
plete winch owner's manual.
Tensioning the Wire Rope
The winch rope must be properly tensioned before use.
Follow the instructions below to tension the rope:
1. Un-spool the wire rope leaving 5 wraps of rope on the
winch drum.
2. Attach the hook to a suitable anchor point.
CAUTION!
Be certain the anchor will withstand the load re-
quired to tension the wire rope.
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Clevis/D-Shackles:The
D-Shackle is a safe means of
connecting the looped ends of
cables, straps and snatch
blocks. The shackle's pin is
threaded to allow easy re-
moval.
Tree Trunk Protector:Typi-
cally made of tough, high-
quality nylon, it provides the
operator an attachment point
for the winch rope to a wide
variety of anchor points and
objects, as well as protect liv-
ing trees.OPERATING YOUR WINCH
WARNING!
²Always use supplied hook strap to hold hook when spooling wire rope in or out.²Never use as a hoist.²Never use to move persons.²Never exceed winch or wire rope rated capacity.²Always wear heavy leather gloves when handling the wire rope.²Never touch wire rope or hook while in tension or under load.²Never engage or disengage clutch if winch is under load, wire rope is in tension, or
wire rope drum is moving.
²Always stand clear of wire rope and load and keep others away during winching.²Always keep hands and clothing clear of the wire rope, hook and fairlead opening
during operation and when spooling.
²Never wrap wire rope back onto itself. Always use a choker chain, wire choker rope or
tree trunk protector on the anchor.
²Never attach a recovery strap to the winch hook to increase the length of a pull.²Never attempt to tow a vehicle with the recovery strap attached directly to the winch
hook.
²Never use(bungee(straps that develop tremendous and potentially dangerous
amounts of force when stretched.
²Always disconnect the remote control when not in use.²Never winch when there are less than 5 wraps of wire rope around the winch drum.²Always pass remote control through a window to avoid pinching lead in door, then
using remote inside a vehicle.
²Never leave the remote control plugged into the winch while free spooling, rigging or
sitting idle.
Failure to observe any of these warnings regarding proper winch usage may result in severe
injury.
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