2011 DODGE CARAVAN ECU

Storage Bin Safety Warning
Carefully follow these warnings to help prevent personal
injury or damage to your vehicle:
WARNING!
•Always close the storage bin covers when your
vehicle is unattended.
•Do not allow children to have access to the second
row seat storage bins. Once in the storage bin,
young children may not be able to escape. If
trapped in the storage bin, children can die from
suffocation or heat stroke.
•In a collision, serious injury could result if the seat
storage bin covers are not properly latched.
•Do not drive the vehicle with the storage bin
covers open. Keep the storage bin covers closed
and latched while the vehicle is in motion.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not operate the storage bin covers while the
vehicle is in motion.
•Do not use a storage bin latch as a tie down.
CAUTION!
The storage bin cover must be flat and locked to
avoid damage from contact with the front seat tracks,
which have minimal clearance to the cover.
Seat Storage Bin Cover Emergency Release Lever
As a security measure, your vehicle may be built with a
Storage Bin Cover Emergency Release is built into the
storage bin cover latching mechanism.
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Once the crossbars are set into position, tighten the
thumb screws completely.
Stowing the Crossbars
Reverse the procedure to stow the crossbars, again, taking
care to keep hand clear of pivoting joint. Crossbars are
identical and can be stowed in either rail nest. Once the
crossbars are stowed, tighten the thumb screws completely.
NOTE:Load should always be secured to crossbars
first, with rail tie down loops used as additional securing
points if needed. Tie loops are intended as supplemen-
tary tie down points only. Do not use ratcheting mecha-
nisms with the tie loops.
Tightening Crossbar
Rail Tie Loops
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CAUTION!
•Check deployed crossbars frequently and re-
tighten thumb screws as necessary.
•To avoid damage to the roof rack and vehicle, do
not exceed the maximum roof rack load capacity of
150 lbs (68 kg). Always distribute heavy loads as
evenly as possible and secure the load appropri-
ately.
•To prevent damage to the roof of your vehicle, DO
NOT carry any loads on the roof rack without the
crossbars deployed.
•The load should be secured and placed on top of
the crossbars, not directly on the roof. If it is
necessary to place the load on the roof, place a
blanket or other protective layer between the load
and the roof surface.(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
•Long loads which extend over the windshield,
such as wood panels or surfboards, or loads with
large frontal area should be secured to both the
front and rear of the vehicle.
•Travel at reduced speeds and turn corners care-
fully when carrying large or heavy loads on the
roof rack. Wind forces, due to natural causes or
nearby truck traffic, can add sudden upward lift to
a load. This is especially true on large flat loads
and may result in damage to the cargo or your
vehicle.3
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WARNING!
Cargo must be securely tied before driving your
vehicle. Improperly secured loads can fly off the
vehicle, particularly at high speeds, resulting in per-
sonal injury or property damage. Follow the Roof
Rack Cautions when carrying cargo on your roof
rack.
SUN SCREENS — IF EQUIPPED
Sun screens are available for second and third row
seating windows. The screens store in the sill trim panels,
and the tops of the windows are equipped with hooks
that the sun screens attach to when pulled out.
Sun Screen Retracted
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15. Air Bag Warning LightThis light will turn on for four to eight seconds
as a bulb check when the ignition switch is first
turned to ON/RUN. If the light is either not on
during starting, stays on, or turns on while
driving, have the system inspected at an authorized
dealer as soon as possible. Refer to “Occupant Restraints”
in “Things To Know Before Starting Your Vehicle” for
further information.
16. Shift Lever Indicator
The Shift Lever Indicator is self-contained within the
instrument cluster. It displays the gear position of the
automatic transmission.
NOTE:
•You must apply the brakes before shifting from PARK.
•The highest available transmission gear is displayed in
the lower right corner of the Electronic Vehicle Infor-
mation Center (EVIC) whenever the Electronic Range Select (ERS) feature is active. Use the +/- selector on
the shift lever to activate ERS. Refer to “Automatic
Transmission” in “Starting And Operating” for further
information.
17. Vehicle Security Light — If Equipped This light will flash at a fast rate for approxi-
mately 15 seconds, when the vehicle security
alarm is arming, and then will flash slowly
until the vehicle is disarmed.
18. Brake Warning Light This light monitors various brake functions,
including brake fluid level and parking brake
application. If the brake light turns on it may
indicate that the parking brake is applied, that
the brake fluid level is low, or that there is a problem with
the anti-lock brake system reservoir.
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WARNING! (Continued)
•Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in and near the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running. Before exiting a vehicle, you should
always shift the vehicle into PARK, remove the
key fob from the ignition switch, and apply the
parking brake. Once the key is removed from the
ignition, the shift lever is locked in the PARK
position, securing the vehicle against unwanted
movement. Furthermore, you should never leave
unattended children inside a vehicle.
•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 fob
in the ignition switch. A child could operate power
windows, other controls, or move the vehicle.
The following indicators should be used to ensure that
you have placed the shift lever into the PARK position:
•When moving the shift lever into PARK, firmly move
the lever all the way forward until it stops.
•Look at the shift indicator window on the instrument
cluster to ensure the shift lever is in the PARK position.
•When engaged in PARK, you will not be able to move
the shift lever rearward without moving the shift lever
to the right.
CAUTION!
Before moving the shift lever out of PARK, you must
turn the ignition switch from LOCK to ON so the
shift lever is released. Otherwise, damage to the shift
lever could result.
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Loading
To load your vehicle properly, first figure out its empty
weight, axle-by-axle and side-by-side. Store heavier items
down low and be sure you distribute their weight as
evenly as possible. Stow all loose items securely before
driving. If weighing the loaded vehicle shows that you
have exceeded either GAWR, but the total load is within
the specified GVWR, you must redistribute the weight.
Improper weight distribution can have an adverse effect
on the way your vehicle steers and handles, and the way
the brakes operate.CAUTION!
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the GVWR
or the maximum front and rear GAWR. If you do,
parts on your vehicle can break, or it can change the
way your vehicle handles. This could cause you to
lose control. Also, overloading can shorten the life of
your vehicle.
TRAILER TOWING
In this section you will find safety tips and information
on limits to the type of towing you can reasonably do
with your vehicle. Before towing a trailer, carefully
review this information to tow your load as efficiently
and safely as possible.
To maintain warranty coverage, follow the requirements
and recommendations in this manual concerning ve-
hicles used for trailer towing.
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WARNING!
Improper towing can lead to a injury collision. Fol-
low these guidelines to make your trailer towing as
safe as possible:
•Make certain that the load is secured in the trailer
and will not shift during travel. When trailering
cargo that is not fully secured, dynamic load shifts
can occur that may be difficult for the driver to
control. You could lose control of your vehicle and
have a collision.
•When hauling cargo or towing a trailer, do not
overload your vehicle or trailer. Overloading can
cause a loss of control, poor performance or dam-
age to brakes, axle, engine, transmission, steering,
suspension, chassis structure or tires.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Safety chains must always be used between your
vehicle and trailer. Always connect the chains to
the frame or hook retainers of the vehicle hitch.
Cross the chains under the trailer tongue and
allow enough slack for turning corners.
•Vehicles with trailers should not be parked on a
grade. When parking, apply the parking brake on
the tow vehicle. Put the tow vehicle automatic
transmission in PARK. Always, block or chock
the trailer wheels.
•GCWR must not be exceeded.
•Total weight must be distributed between the tow
vehicle and the trailer such that the following four
ratings are not exceeded:
1. GVWR
2. GTW
(Continued)
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