Chrysler Aspen (2009 year). Instruction — part 17

Regular cleaning of the inside of the windows with a
non-filming cleaning solution (vinegar and water works
very well) will help prevent contaminants (cigarette
smoke, perfumes, etc.) from sticking to the windows.
Contaminants increase the rate of window fogging.

Summer Operation
Air conditioned vehicles must be protected with a high
quality antifreeze coolant during summer to provide
proper corrosion protection and to raise the boiling point
of the coolant for protection against overheating. A 50 %
concentration is recommended.

Winter Operation
When operating the system during the winter months,
make sure the air intake, located directly in front of the
windshield, is free of ice, slush, snow, or other obstruc-
tions. This will also prevent snow ingestion into the
ducts.

268

UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

Operating Tips Chart

UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

269

4

STARTING AND OPERATING

CONTENTS

m Starting Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275

▫ Normal Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
▫ Extremely Cold Weather (Below 220°F

Or

229°C). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276

▫ If Engine Fails To Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
▫ After Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

m Engine Block Heater – If Equipped . . . . . . . . . 278
m Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278

▫ Brake/Transmission Interlock System . . . . . . 279
▫ Gear Ranges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279

m Four-Wheel Drive Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284

▫ NV 140 Transfer Case Operating

Information/Precautions – If Equipped . . . . . 284

▫ NV 244 Generation II Transfer Case Operating

Information/Precautions – If Equipped . . . . . . 285

▫ Shifting Procedure - NV 244 Generation II

Transfer Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288

m Driving On Slippery Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
m Driving Through Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290

▫ Flowing/Rising Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291

5

▫ Shallow Standing Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291

m Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293

▫ Power Steering Fluid Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294

m Multi-Displacement System (MDS)

— 5.7L Engine Only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294

m Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
m Anti-Lock Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
m Electronic Brake Control System . . . . . . . . . . . 299

▫ Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . 299
▫ Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . 300
▫ Brake Assist System (BAS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
▫ Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM) . . . . . . . . . . 302
▫ Electronic Stability Program (ESP) . . . . . . . . . 303

▫ Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
▫ ESP/BAS Warning Light And ESP/TCS

Indicator Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306

m Tire Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307

▫ Tire Markings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
▫ Tire Identification Number (TIN) . . . . . . . . . . 311
▫ Tire Loading And Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . 312

m Tires — General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316

▫ Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
▫ Tire Inflation Pressures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
▫ Tire Pressures For High Speed Operation . . . . 319
▫ Radial Ply Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
▫ Compact Spare Tire — If Equipped . . . . . . . . 319

272

STARTING AND OPERATING

▫ Limited-Use Spare — If Equipped . . . . . . . . . 320
▫ Tire Spinning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
▫ Tread Wear Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
▫ Life Of Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
▫ Replacement Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
▫ Alignment And Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324

m Supplemental Tire Pressure Information

— If Equipped. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325

m Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
m Snow Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
m Tire Rotation Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
m Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) . . . . . . . 328

▫ Base System – If Equipped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330

▫ Premium System – If Equipped . . . . . . . . . . . 332
▫ General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335

m Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335

▫ Reformulated Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
▫ Gasoline/Oxygenate Blends . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
▫ E-85 Usage In Non-Flex Fuel Vehicles . . . . . . 337
▫ MMT In Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
▫ Materials Added To Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
▫ Fuel System Cautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
▫ Carbon Monoxide Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340

m Flexible Fuel (4.7L Engine Only)

— If Equipped. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340

▫ E-85 General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340

STARTING AND OPERATING

273

5

▫ Ethanol Fuel (E-85) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
▫ Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
▫ Selection Of Engine Oil For Flexible Fuel

Vehicles (E-85) And Gasoline Vehicles . . . . . . 343

▫ Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
▫ Cruising Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
▫ Replacement Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343

m Adding Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344

▫ Fuel Filler Cap (Gas Cap) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
▫ Loose Fuel Filler Cap (Gas Cap) Message . . . . 345

m Vehicle Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346

▫ Certification Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
▫ Curb Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348

▫ Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348

m Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349

▫ Common Towing Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
▫ Trailer Hitch Classification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
▫ Trailer Towing Weights (Maximum Trailer

Weight Ratings) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354

▫ Trailer And Tongue Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
▫ Towing Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
▫ Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360

m Snowplow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
m Recreational Towing (Behind Motorhome, Etc.) . . 362

▫ 2WD Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
▫ 4WD Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362

274

STARTING AND OPERATING

STARTING PROCEDURES

Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust the
inside and outside mirrors, fasten your seat belt, and if
present, instruct all other occupants to buckle their seat
belts.

WARNING!

• Never leave children alone in a vehicle. Leaving

unattended children in a vehicle is dangerous for a
number of reasons. A child or others could be
seriously or fatally injured. Do not leave the key in
the ignition. A child could operate power win-
dows, other controls, or move the vehicle.

• Do not leave animals or children inside parked

vehicles in hot weather; interior heat buildup may
cause serious injury or death.

(Continued)

WARNING! (Continued)

• Be sure to turn off the engine and remove the key

from the ignition switch if you want to rest or
sleep in your car. Accidents can be caused by
inadvertently moving the shift lever. Accidents
can also be caused by pressing the accelerator
pedal. This may cause excessive heat in the ex-
haust system, resulting in overheating and vehicle
fire, which may cause serious or fatal injuries.

Normal Starting

The shift lever must be in the NEUTRAL or PARK
position before you can start the engine. Apply the brakes
before shifting into any driving gear.

NOTE:

Normal starting of either a cold or a warm

engine is obtained without pumping or depressing the
accelerator pedal.

STARTING AND OPERATING

275

5

Tip Start Feature
Do not

press the accelerator. Turn the ignition switch to

the START position and release it as soon as the starter
engages. The starter motor will continue to run, and it
will disengage automatically when the engine is running.
If the engine fails to start, the starter will disengage
automatically in 10 seconds. If this occurs, turn the
ignition switch to the LOCK position, wait 10 to 15
seconds, then repeat the normal starting procedure.

Extremely Cold Weather (below

2

20°F or

2

29°C)

To ensure reliable starting at these temperatures, use of
an externally powered electric engine block heater (avail-
able from your authorized dealer) is recommended.

If Engine Fails To Start

WARNING!

• Never pour fuel or other flammable liquids into

the throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to
start the vehicle. This could result in a flash fire
causing serious personal injury.

(Continued)

276

STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING! (Continued)

• Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get

it started. Vehicles equipped with an automatic
transmission cannot be started this way. Unburned
fuel could enter the catalytic converter and once
the engine has started, ignite and damage the
converter and vehicle. If the vehicle has a dis-
charged battery, booster cables may be used to
obtain a start from a booster battery or the battery
in another vehicle. This type of start can be dan-
gerous if done improperly. Refer to Section 6 of
this instruction for proper jump starting procedures
and follow them carefully.

If the engine fails to start after you have followed the
“Normal Starting” or “Extreme Cold Weather” proce-
dures, it may be flooded. To clear any excess fuel, push
the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and hold it.
Then, turn the ignition switch to the START position and

release it as soon as the starter engages. The starter motor
will disengage automatically in 10 seconds. Once this
occurs, release the accelerator pedal, turn the ignition
switch to the LOCK position, wait 10 to 15 seconds, then
repeat the normal starting procedure.

CAUTION!

To prevent damage to the starter, wait 10 to 15
seconds before trying again.

After Starting

The idle speed is automatically controlled on fuel injected
engines and will decrease as the engine warms up.

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277

5

ENGINE BLOCK HEATER – IF EQUIPPED

The engine block heater warms the engine coolant and
permits quicker starts in cold weather. Connect the cord
to a standard 110-115 volt AC electrical outlet with a
grounded, three wire extension cord.

Use the heater when temperatures below 0°F (-18°C) are
expected to last for several days.

The block heater must be plugged in at least one hour to
have an adequate warming effect on the coolant.

The engine block heater cord is located:

• 4.7L Engine — at the front of the engine compartment

near the radiator cap.

• 5.7L Engine — on the left side of the engine compart-

ment and rearward of the power distribution center.

WARNING!

Remember to disconnect the cord before driving.
Damage to the 110-115 volt electrical cord could cause
electrocution.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

CAUTION!

Damage to the transmission may occur if the follow-
ing precautions are not observed:
• Shift into PARK only after the vehicle has come to

a complete stop.

• Shift into or out of REVERSE only after the

vehicle has come to a complete stop and the engine
is at idle speed.

(Continued)

278

STARTING AND OPERATING

CAUTION! (Continued)

• Do not shift from REVERSE, PARK, or NEUTRAL

into any forward gear when the engine is above
idle speed.

• Before shifting into any gear, make sure your foot

is firmly on the brake pedal.

WARNING!

It is dangerous to move the shift lever out of PARK or
NEUTRAL if the engine speed is higher than idle
speed. If your foot is not firmly on the brake pedal,
the vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in
reverse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when the
engine is idling normally and when your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal.

Brake/Transmission Interlock System

This system prevents you from moving the shift lever out
of PARK and into any gear unless the brake pedal is
pressed. This system is active only while the ignition
switch is in the ON position. Always depress the brake
pedal first,

before moving the gear selector out of PARK.

Gear Ranges

NOTE:

After selecting any gear range, wait a moment to

allow the selected gear to engage before accelerating.
This is especially important when the engine is cold. If
there is a need to restart the engine, be sure to cycle the
key to the LOCK position before restarting. Transmission
gear engagement may be delayed after restarting the
engine if the key is not cycled to the LOCK position first.

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279

5

PARK
This gear supplements the parking brake by locking the
transmission. The engine can be started in this range.
Never use PARK while the vehicle is in motion. Apply
the parking brake when leaving the vehicle in this range.
Always apply the parking brake first, then place the shift
lever into the PARK position.

WARNING!

Never use the PARK position as a substitute for the
parking brake. Always apply the parking brake fully
when parked to guard against vehicle movement and
possible injury or damage.

WARNING!

It is dangerous to move the shift lever out of PARK or
NEUTRAL if the engine speed is higher than idle
speed. If your foot is not firmly on the brake pedal,
the vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in
reverse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when the
engine is idling normally and when your right foot is
firmly on the brake pedal.

REVERSE
Use this range only after the vehicle has come to a
complete stop.

NEUTRAL
Shift to NEUTRAL when the vehicle is standing for
prolonged periods with the engine running. The engine
may be started in this range. Set the parking brake if you
must leave the vehicle.

280

STARTING AND OPERATING

NOTE:

Towing the vehicle, coasting, or driving for any

other reason with the shift lever in NEUTRAL can result
in severe transmission damage. Refer to “Recreational
Towing” in Section 5 and “Towing a Disabled Vehicle” in
Section 6 of this instruction.

DRIVE
For most city and highway driving.

2 (Second)
For driving slowly in heavy city traffic or on mountain
roads where more precise speed control is desirable. Use
it also when climbing long grades, and for engine brak-
ing when descending moderately steep grades. To pre-
vent excessive engine speed, do not exceed 45 mph (72
km/h) in this range.

1 (First)
For driving up very steep hills and for engine braking at
low speeds (25 mph {40 km/h} or less) when going
downhill. To prevent excessive engine speed do not
exceed 25 mph (40 km/h) in this range.

Overdrive Operation
The automatic transmission contains an electronically
controlled fourth and fifth (if equipped) speed (OVER-
DRIVE). The transmission will automatically shift from
DRIVE to OVERDRIVE if the following conditions are
present:

• the transmission selector is in DRIVE;
• the engine coolant has reached normal operating tem-

perature;

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281

5

• vehicle speed is above approximately 30 mph (48

km/h);

• the TOW/HAUL switch has not been activated;
• transmission

has

reached

normal

operating

temperature.

NOTE:

If the vehicle is started in extremely cold tem-

peratures, the transmission may not shift into OVER-
DRIVE and will automatically select the most desirable
gear for operation at this temperature. Normal operation
will resume when the transmission fluid temperature has
risen to a suitable level. Refer also to the Note under
torque converter clutch, later in this section.

If the transmission temperature gets extremely hot, the
transmission will automatically select the most desirable
gear for operation at this temperature. If the transmission
temperature becomes hot enough, the “Transmission
Temperature Indicator Light” may illuminate and the

transmission may downshift out of OVERDRIVE until
the transmission cools down. After cooldown, the trans-
mission will resume normal operation.

The transmission will downshift from OVERDRIVE to
DRIVE if the accelerator pedal is fully depressed at
vehicle speeds above approximately 35 mph (56 km/h).

When To Use TOW/HAUL Mode
When driving in hilly areas, towing a trailer, carrying a
heavy load, etc., and frequent transmission shifting oc-
curs, press the TOW/HAUL button. This will improve
performance and reduce the potential for transmission
overheating or failure due to excessive shifting. When
operating in TOW/HAUL mode, 5th gear (if equipped) is
disabled and 2-3 and 3-4 shift patterns are modified.
Shifts into OVERDRIVE (4th gear) are allowed during
steady cruise (for improved fuel economy) and automatic
closed-throttle downshifts to 3rd gear (for improved
braking) will occur during steady braking.

282

STARTING AND OPERATING

The “TOW/HAUL Indicator Light” will illuminate in the
instrument cluster to indicate when the switch has been
activated. Pressing the switch a second time restores
normal operation. If the TOW/HAUL mode is desired,
the button must be pressed each time the engine is
started.

Torque Converter Clutch
A feature designed to improve fuel economy is included
in all automatic transmissions. A clutch within the torque
converter engages automatically at a calibrated speed at
light throttle. It engages at higher speeds under heavier
acceleration. This may result in a slightly different feeling
or response during normal operation in high gear. When
the vehicle speed drops below a calibrated speed, or
during acceleration, the clutch automatically and
smoothly disengages. The feature is operational in
OVERDRIVE and in DRIVE.

NOTE:

The torque converter clutch will not engage

until the transmission fluid and engine coolant are warm
(usually after 1-3 miles [1.6 - 4.8 km] of driving). Because
the engine speed is higher when the torque converter
clutch is not engaged, it may seem as if the transmission
is not shifting into Overdrive when cold. This is normal.
Pressing the TOW/HAUL button, when the transmission

TOW/HAUL Button

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283

5