Grand Caravan V6-3.8L (2009)
Traction Control Indicator Lamp: Description and Operation
ESP Off Indicator - Description
DESCRIPTION
An ESP OFF indicator is standard equipment on all instrument clusters. The ESP OFF indication appears within the fixed segment odometer Vacuum
Fluorescent Display (VFD) unit. The odometer VFD ESP OFF indicator is a textual ESP OFF message that appears in place of the odometer/trip
odometer information.
The odometer VFD unit is soldered onto the cluster electronic circuit board, and is visible through a window with a smoked clear lens located at the base
of the cluster overlay right gauge dial face (Dodge) or the tachometer dial face (Chrysler). The dark lens over the VFD prevents it from being clearly
visible when it is not illuminated. The ESP OFF indicator textual message appears in the same blue-green color and at the same lighting level as the other
information displayed in the odometer VFD unit when it is illuminated by the instrument cluster electronic circuit board.
During daylight hours (exterior lamps are OFF) the odometer VFD unit is illuminated at full brightness for clear visibility. At night (exterior lamps are
ON), the VFD lighting level is adjusted with the other cluster illumination lamps using the panel lamps dimmer thumbwheel of the headlamp switch on
the instrument panel. However, a PARADE mode position of the thumbwheel allows the VFD unit to be illuminated at full brightness if the exterior
lamps are turned ON during daylight hours.
The ESP OFF indicator is serviced as a unit with the odometer VFD unit in the instrument cluster.
ESP Off Indicator - Operation
OPERATION
The ESP OFF indicator gives an indication to the vehicle operator that the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) system has been manually disabled. This
indicator is controlled by a transistor on the instrument cluster circuit board based upon cluster programming and electronic messages received by the
cluster from the Controller Antilock Brake (CAB) and the Transmission Control Module (TCM) over the Controller Area Network (CAN) data bus.
The ESP OFF indicator function of the odometer Vacuum Fluorescent Display (VFD) unit is completely controlled by the instrument cluster logic
circuit, and that logic will only allow this indicator to operate when the instrument cluster receives a battery current input on the fused ignition switch
output (run-start) circuit. Therefore, the VFD ESP OFF indication will always be OFF when the ignition switch is in any position except ON or START.
The instrument cluster will turn ON the ESP OFF indicator for the following reasons:
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ESP OFF Indicator Lamp-On Message - Each time the cluster receives an electronic ESP OFF indicator lamp-ON message from the CAB
indicating that the ESP system has been manually disabled by depressing the ESP OFF switch button in the instrument panel switch pod, the ESP
OFF indicator will be illuminated. The indicator remains illuminated until the cluster receives a lamp-OFF message from the CAB, or until the
ignition switch is turned to the OFF position, whichever occurs first.
The ElectroMechanical Instrument Cluster (EMIC) (also known as the Cab Compartment Node/CCN) continually monitors the status of the ESP OFF
switch over a Local Interface Network (LIN) data bus circuit to determine the requested operating mode for the ESP system. The EMIC then sends an
electronic ESP OFF switch status message to the CAB over the CAN data bus. The CAB then sends the proper lamp-ON or lamp-OFF message back
to the EMIC, confirming the current operating mode of the ESP system.
For proper diagnosis of the ESP system, the CAB, the TCM, the EMIC, the LIN data bus, the CAN data bus or the electronic communication related to
ESP OFF indicator operation a diagnostic scan tool is required. Refer to the appropriate diagnostic information.
ESP With BAS Indicator - Description
DESCRIPTION
An Electronic Stability Program (ESP)/Brake Assist System (BAS) indicator is standard equipment on all instrument clusters. On Dodge vehicles, this
indicator is located near the bottom of the speedometer dial face of the cluster overlay, just left of center. On Chrysler vehicles, this indicator is located
near the top of the cluster overlay, between the speedometer and the tachometer.
The ESP/BAS indicator consists of a stencil-like cutout of the text ESP BAS in the opaque layer of the instrument cluster overlay. The dark outer layer
of the overlay prevents the indicator from being clearly visible when it is not illuminated. An amber Light Emitting Diode (LED) behind the cutout in the
opaque layer of the overlay causes the indicator to appear in amber through the translucent outer layer of the overlay when it is illuminated from behind
by the LED, which is soldered onto the instrument cluster electronic circuit board.
