2005 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN child restraint

Vehicle Theft Alarm — If Equipped ...........27

Sliding Side Door ........................29
▫ Sliding Door Open Flash .................30
▫ Power Sliding Door — If Equipped .........31
▫ Child Protection Door Lock ...............33

Liftgate ...............................35
▫ Power Liftgate — If Equipped .............36

Windows .............................38
▫ Manual Rear Vent Windows ...............38
▫ Power Vent Windows — If Equipped ........38
▫ Power Windows — If Equipped ............39

Occupant Restraints ......................41 ▫ Lap/Shoulder Belts .....................42
▫ Lap/Shoulder Belt Untwisting Procedure .....48
▫ Center Lap Belts .......................50
▫ Seat Belt Pretensioners ...................50
▫ Enhanced Driver Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert) ...........................51
▫ Seat Belts And Pregnant Women ............52
▫ Seat Belt Extender ......................52
▫ Driver And Front Passenger Supplemental
Restraint Systems (SRS) — Airbags ..........53
▫ DaimlerChrysler Corporation Integrated
Child Seat — If Equipped ................68
▫ Child Restraint ........................6910 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems. These include the front
and rear seat belts for the driver and all passengers, front
airbags for both the driver and front passenger, driver
inflatable knee blocker and if equipped, window bags for
the driver and passengers seated next to a window. If you
will be carrying children too small for adult-size seat
belts, your seat belts or the LATCH feature (Lower
Anchors and Tether for CHildren) also, can be used to
hold infant and child restraint systems.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Occupant Classifi-
cation System (OCS) there will be a Passenger Airbag
Disabled (PAD) Indicator Light located on the center of
the instrument panel. NOTE: The front airbags have a multi stage inflator
design. This allows the airbag to have different rates of
inflation that are based on collision severity.
Please pay close attention to the information in this
section. It tells you how to use your restraint system
properly to keep you and your passengers as safe as
possible. Passenger Airbag Disabled Light THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 41
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Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying airbag.
1. Children 12 years old and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
Infants in rear facing child restraints should NEVER ride
in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger front airbag.
An airbag deployment can cause severe injury or death to
infants in that position.
Children that are not big enough to properly wear the
vehicle seat belt (refer to section on Child Restraint)
should be secured in the rear seat, in a child restraint or
belt-positioning booster seat. Older children who do not
use child restraints or belt-positioning booster seats
should ride properly buckled up in the rear seat, and in
the outboard seat if possible. Never allow children to
slide the shoulder belt behind them or under their arm. If a child from 1 to 12 years old must ride in the front
passenger seat because the vehicle is crowded, move the
seat as far back as possible, and use the proper child
restraint. See the section on Child Restraint.
You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
2. All occupants should wear their lap and shoulder
belts properly.
3. The driver and front passenger seats should be
moved back as far as practical to allow the front airbags
room to inflate.
4. If your vehicle has window bags, do not lean against
the door, airbags will inflate forcefully into the space
between you and the door.56 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

OFF when the OCS has determined that the occupant size
category is a child. Also, when the seat is empty or an
object that weighs less than a predetermined threshold is
placed on the seat, the light will remain OFF. (The PAD
indicator light is an amber light located on the center of
the instrument panel above the radio.)
For almost all sizes of properly seated adults, the airbag
will be enabled in the event of a collision. For small
teenagers and some small adults, depending on size, the
airbag may or may not be enabled in the event of a
collision. Both drivers and passengers should always use
the PAD indicator light as an indication if the front passenger is properly positioned or not. If the PAD
indicator light comes on when an adult is in the passen-
ger seat, have the passenger re-position themselves in the
seat until the light goes out.
Remember, if the PAD indicator light is illuminated the
passenger front airbag will not inflate. For almost all
properly installed child restraints, the “ PAD Indicator
Light ” will be illuminated indicating that the front pas-
senger airbag is turned off and will not inflate. If the
“ PAD Indicator Light ” is not illuminated, DO NOT
assume the airbag is turned off and move the child
restraint to the rear seat. A deploying passenger airbag
can cause death or serious injury to a child in a rear
facing infant seat.
NOTE: Even though this vehicle is equipped with an
Occupant Classification System, children 12 years and
under should always ride buckled up in a rear seat in an
appropriate child restraint.Passenger Airbag Disabled Light62 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Child Restraint
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up at all
times — babies and children, too. Every state in the
United States and all Canadian provinces require that
small children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the
law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
Children 12 years and under should ride properly buck-
led up in a rear seat. According to crash statistics,
children are safer when properly restrained in the rear
seats, rather than in the front. WARNING!In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny
baby, can become a missile inside the vehicle. The
force required to hold even an infant on your lap
could become so great that you could not hold the
child, no matter how strong you are. The child and
others could be badly injured. Any child riding in
your vehicle should be in a proper restraint for the
child ’ s size.
There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
enough for an adult safety belt. Always check the child
seat owner ’ s manual to ensure you have the right seat for
your child. Use the restraint that is correct for your child. THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 69
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Infants and Child Restraints
• Safety experts recommend that children ride
rearward-facing in the vehicle until they are at least
one year old and weigh at least 20 lbs (9 kg). Two types
of child restraints can be used rearward-facing: infant
carriers and  convertible  child seats. Both types of
child restraints are held in the vehicle by the lap/
shoulder belt or the LATCH child restraint anchorage
system. Refer to “ Lower Anchors and Tether for CHil-
dren (LATCH) ” later in this section.
• The infant carrier is only used rearward-facing in the
vehicle. It is recommended for children who weigh up
to about 20 lbs (9 kg).  Convertible  child seats can be
used either rearward-facing or forward-facing in the
vehicle. Convertible child seats often have a higher
weight limit in the rearward-facing direction than infant carriers do, so they can be used rearward-facing
by children who weigh more than 20 lbs (9 kg) but are
less than one year old.
• Rearward-facing child seats must NEVER be used in
the front seat of a vehicle with a front passenger
airbag. An airbag deployment could cause severe
injury or death to infants in this position.
Older Children and Child Restraints
• Children who weigh more than 20 lbs (9 kg) and who
are older than one year can ride forward-facing in the
vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and convertible
child seats used in the forward-facing direction are for
children who weigh 20 to 40 lbs (9 to 18 kg) and who
are older than one year. These child seats are also held
in the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt or the LATCH
child restraint anchorage system. Refer to “ Lower
Anchors and Tether for CHildren (LATCH) ” later in
this section.70 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!• Improper installation can lead to failure of an
infant or child restraint. It could come loose in a
collision. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer ’ s directions ex-
actly when installing an infant or child restraint.
• A rearward facing child restraint should only be
used in a rear seat. A rearward facing child re-
straint in the front seat may be struck by a
deploying passenger airbag which may cause se-
vere or fatal injury to the infant. Here are some tips on getting the most out of your child
restraint:
• Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it
has a label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety
Standards. We also recommend that you make sure
that you can install the child restraint in the vehicle
where you will use it, before you buy it.
• The restraint must be appropriate for your child ’ s
weight and height. Check the label on the restraint for
weight and height limits.
• Carefully follow the instructions that come with the
restraint. If you install the restraint improperly, it may
not work when you need it.72 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

The passenger seat belts are equipped with cinching
latch plates, which are designed to keep the lap
portion tight around the child restraint so that it is not
necessary to use a locking clip. Pulling up on the
shoulder portion of the lap/shoulder belt will tighten
the belt. The cinching latch plate will keep the belt
tight, however, any seat belt system will loosen with
time, so check the belt occasionally and pull it tight if
necessary.
• In the rear seat, you may have trouble tightening the
lap/shoulder belt on the child restraint because the
buckle or latch plate is too close to the belt path
opening on the restraint. Disconnect the latch plate
from the buckle and twist the short buckle end of the
belt several times to shorten it. Insert the latch plate
into the buckle with the release button facing out. • If the belt still can ’ t be tightened, or if pulling and
pushing on the restraint loosens the belt, disconnect
the latch plate from the buckle, turn the buckle
around, and insert the latch plate into the buckle
again. If you still can ’ t make the child restraint secure,
try a different seating position.
• Buckle the child into the seat according to the child
restraint manufacturer ’ s directions.
• When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in the
vehicle with the seat belt or remove it from the vehicle.
Don ’ t leave it loose in the vehicle. In a sudden stop or
collision, it could strike the occupants or seatbacks and
cause serious personal injury. THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 73
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