2009 DODGE CARAVAN airbag

Sliding Side Door....................... 42
▫Power Sliding Side Door — If Equipped..... 43
▫Sliding Side Door Child Protection Lock..... 47
Liftgate.............................. 49
▫Power Liftgate — If Equipped............ 50
Storage Bin Safety Warning................ 53
▫Safety Warning....................... 53
Occupant Restraints..................... 55
▫Lap/Shoulder Belts.................... 56
▫Automatic Locking Retractors (ALR) Mode
— If Equipped........................ 62
▫Seat Belt Pretensioners.................. 62▫Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert).......................... 63
▫Seat Belts And Pregnant Women........... 64
▫Seat Belt Extender..................... 64
▫Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) -
Airbag............................. 65
▫Airbag System Components.............. 66
▫Front Seat Airbag Features............... 66
▫Airbag Deployment Sensors And Controls.... 70
▫Event Data Recorder (EDR).............. 76
▫Integrated Child Booster Seat — If Equipped . . 78
▫Integrated Child Seat — If Equipped........ 80
▫Child Restraints....................... 81
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OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems:
•Three-point lap and shoulder belts for all seating
positions
•Pretensioning and load-limiting retractors for the front
seat belts
•Advanced multistage driver and new active-vent front
passenger airbags
•Supplemental side airbags that span the front, second,
and third row seating for the driver and passengers
seated next to a window.
•An energy-absorbing steering column and steering
wheel
•Knee bolsters/blockers for front seat occupants
•Front seat belt retractors incorporate pretensioners to
enhance occupant protection by managing occupant
energy during an impact event.
•All seat belt systems (except the driver’s, Swivel n’ Go,
and third row center position) include Automatic
Locking Retractors (ALRs), which lock the seat belt
webbing into position by extending the belt all the
way out and then adjusting the belt to the desired
length to restrain a child seat or secure a large item in
a seat.
If you will be carrying children too small for adult-size
seat belts, your seat belts or the Lower Anchors and
Tether for CHildren (LATCH) feature also can be used to
hold infant and child restraint systems.
NOTE:The front airbags have a multistage inflator
design. This allows the airbag to have different rates of
inflation that are based on collision severity.
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by assuring that the belt is tight about the occupant early
in a collision. Pretensioners work for all size occupants,
including those in child restraints.
NOTE:These devices are not a substitute for proper seat
belt placement by the occupant. The seat belt still must be
worn snugly and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the Occupant Re-
straint Controller (ORC). Like the front airbags, the
pretensioners are single use items. After a collision that is
severe enough to deploy the airbags and pretensioners,
both must be replaced.
Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert)
If the occupied driver’s seat belt has not been buckled
within 60 seconds of starting the vehicle and if the vehicle
speed is greater than 5 mph (8 km/h), BeltAlertwill
alert the driver to buckle the seat belt. The driver should
also instruct all other occupants to buckle their seat belts.Once the warning is triggered, BeltAlertwill continue to
chime and flash the Seat Belt Warning Light for 96 sec-
onds or until the driver’s seat belt is buckled.
BeltAlertwill be reactivated if the driver’s seat belt is
unbuckled for more than 10 seconds and the vehicle
speed is greater than 5 mph (8 km/h).
BeltAlertProgramming
BeltAlertcan be enabled or disabled by your authorized
dealer or by following these steps:
NOTE:The following steps must occur within the first
60 seconds of the ignition switch being turned to the ON
or START position. Chrysler LLC does not recommend
deactivating BeltAlert.
1. With all doors closed and the ignition switch in any
position except ON or START, buckle the driver’s seat
belt.
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WARNING!
Using a seat belt extender when not needed can
increase the risk of injury in a collision. Only use
when the lap belt is not long enough when it is worn
low and snug, and in the recommended seating
positions. Remove and store the extender when not
needed.
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) - Airbag
This vehicle has airbags for both the driver and front
passenger as a supplement to the seat belt restraint
systems. The driver’s front airbag is mounted in the
center of the steering wheel. The passenger’s front airbag
is mounted in the instrument panel, above the glove
compartment. The words SRS AIRBAG are embossed on
the airbag covers.
NOTE:The front airbags are certified to the Federal
regulations that allow less forceful deployment.The front airbags have a multistage inflator design. This
may allow the airbag to have different rates of inflation
that are based on collision severity and occupant size.
This vehicle may also be equipped with Supplemental
Seat Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC) to protect
the driver, front, and rear passengers sitting next to a
window. If the vehicle is equipped with SABIC airbags,
they are located above the side windows and their covers
are also labeled: SRS AIRBAG.
NOTE:Airbag covers may not be obvious in the interior
trim; but they will open to allow airbag deployment.
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Airbag System Components
The airbag system consists of the following:
•Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
•Airbag Warning Light
•Driver Airbag
•Front Passenger Airbag
•Front and Side Impact Sensors
•Steering Wheel and Column
•Instrument Panel
•Seat Belt Warning Light
•Knee Impact Bolster
•Front Seat Belt Retractor Pretensioners
•Front Seat Track Position Sensors
•Supplemental Seat Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains
(SABIC) (if equipped)
Front Seat Airbag Features
The front airbag system has dual-stage driver and front
passenger airbags. This system provides output appro-
priate to the level of crash severity as determined by the
Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) and the impact
sensors at the front of the car.
The first stage inflator is triggered immediately during an
impact that requires airbag deployment. The timing of
the second stage determines whether the output force is
low, medium, or high. If a low output is sufficient to meet
the need, the second stage is expended later in the crash
event.
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Driver Airbag Special Features
Driver airbag deployment and force level is controlled by
the driver’s seat position as well as impact severity. Use
of special inflators result in a very compact driver’s side
airbag.
In addition to the small size, the inflating gases exit
through strategically placed vents, which direct the gas
away from the occupant.
Front Passenger Airbag Special Features
A new active venting front passenger airbag is designed
to reduce the risk of occupants who may be out of
position by the use of active vents positioned on each
side of the airbag.
WARNING!
•Do not put anything on or around the airbag
covers or attempt to open them manually. You may
damage the airbags and you could be injured
because the airbag inflation capability may be
compromised. The protective covers for the airbag
cushions are designed to open only when the
airbags are inflating.
•Do not use accessory seat covers or place objects
between you and the side airbags; the performance
could be adversely affected and/or objects could
be pushed into you, causing serious injury.
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Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtain
(SABIC) — If Equipped
SABIC Airbags offer side-impact and vehicle rollover
protection to front and rear seat outboard occupants in
addition to that provided by the body structure. Each
airbag features inflated chambers placed adjacent to the
head of each outboard occupant that reduce the potential
for side-impact head injuries. The curtains deploy down-
ward, covering both windows on the impact side.
NOTE:
•Should a vehicle rollover occur, the SABIC curtains on
both sides of the vehicle are deployed.
•Airbag covers may not be obvious in the interior trim;
but they will open to allow airbag deployment.
The system includes sensors adjacent to both front and
rear seat occupants that are calibrated to deploy during
an impact severe enough to require airbag occupant
protection.
WARNING!
If your vehicle is equipped with left and right Side
Airbag Inflatable Curtain (SABIC), do not stack
luggage or other cargo up high enough to block the
location of the SABIC. The area where the side
curtain airbag is located should remain free from any
obstructions.
Airbags inflate in moderate to high speed impacts. Along
with seat belts and pretensioners, front airbags work with
the knee bolsters to provide improved protection for the
driver and front passenger. Side airbags also work with
seat belts to improve occupant protection.
The seat belts are designed to protect you in many types
of collisions. The front airbags deploy in moderate to
severe frontal collisions. If your vehicle is equipped, the
side airbag on the crash side of the vehicle is triggered in
moderate to severe side collisions. In certain types of
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collisions, both the front and side airbags may be trig-
gered. However, even in collisions where the airbags
work, you need the seat belts to keep you in the right
position for the airbags to protect you properly.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying airbag.
Children 12 years old and younger should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat. Infants in rear-facing child
restraints shouldNEVERride in the front seat of a
vehicle with a passenger front airbag. An airbag deploy-
ment can cause severe injury or death to infants in that
position.
Children that are not big enough to wear the vehicle seat
belt properly (see Section on Child Restraints should be
secured in the rear seat in child restraints or belt-
positioning booster seats. Older children who do not use
child restraints or belt-positioning booster seats shouldride properly buckled up in the rear seat. 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. Refer to the section on Child Restraints.
You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
All occupants should wear their lap and shoulder belts
properly.
The driver and front passenger seats should be moved
back as far as practical to allow the front airbags room to
inflate.
If your vehicle has side airbags, do not lean against the
door, airbags will inflate forcefully into the space be-
tween you and the door.
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