2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN seats

Commercial Cargo Vehicles (No Factory
Installed Rear Seats) — If Equipped .......... 95
▫ Restraining Infants And Small Children In
Commercial Cargo Vehicles .............. 97
 Engine Break-In Recommendations .......... 98
 Safety Tips ........................... 99
▫ Transporting Passengers ................ 99 ▫
Exhaust Gas ........................ 100
▫ Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle ............................ 101
▫ Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make
Outside The Vehicle .................. 103
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 11

for the driver and passengers. Pressing the switch once
will open the power sliding door. If the switch is pressed
while the door is under a power cycle, the door will
reverse direction.
NOTE:The power sliding side door must be unlocked
before the power sliding door switches will operate. If the inside or outside door handles are used while the
power sliding side door is activated, the power sliding
door feature will be canceled and will go into manual
mode.
To avoid unintentional operation of the power sliding
doors from the rear seats, press the power sliding door
master lock button, located in the overhead console, to
disable the switches and handles for the rear seat passen-
gers.
NOTE:
•The power sliding side door switches will not open the
power sliding door if the shift lever is in gear or the
vehicle speed is above 0 mph (0 km/h). To close the
power sliding door with the shift lever in gear and
vehicle speed at 0 mph (0 km/h), the brake must be
pressed.
Power Sliding Door Switch
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 43

3. Within 10 seconds of the final cycle, press the HAZ-
ARD switch ON.
4. A single chime will sound to signify that you have
successfully completed the programming.
You can turn the feature back on by repeating the
previous procedure.
Power Sliding Side Door Master Lock Switch
To provide a safer environment for small children riding
in the rear seats, the second row sliding door switches
and handles may be overridden by pressing the OFF side
of the Master Lock Out Switch located in the front
overhead console.
When the power sliding door master lock switch is in the
OFF position, the power sliding side door may not be
opened or closed by pressing the switch located on the
b-pillar trim panel, just in front of the sliding door or
activating the inside power sliding door handle.
Overhead Console Power Sliding Door Master Switch
1 — Left Sliding Door3 — Right Sliding Door
2 — Liftgate 4 — Master Lock
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 45

Sliding Side Door Child Protection Lock
To provide a safer environment for small children riding
in the rear seats, the sliding doors are equipped with a
Child Protection Door Lock system.
NOTE:When the Child Protection Door Lock system is
engaged, the door can be opened only by using the
outside door handle even though the inside door lock is
in the unlocked position.
To Engage the Child Protection Door Lock
1. Open the sliding side door.
2. Slide the Child Protection Door Lock control inward
(toward the vehicle) to engage the Child Protection Door
Lock. 3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 on the opposite sliding door.
NOTE:
•After engaging the Child Protection Door Lock, al-
ways test the door from the inside to make certain it is
in the desired position.
Child Protection Door Lock
46 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

•When the Child Protection Door Lock system is en-
gaged, (even if the inside door lock is in the unlocked
position) the door can be opened only by using the
outside door handle, the RKE transmitter, the switches
on the overhead console or the switches located on the
trim panel just in front of the power sliding door.
•The power sliding side door will operate from the
switches located on the trim panel just in front of the
power sliding door, regardless of the Child Protection
Door Lock lever position.To avoid unintentional
operation of the power sliding door from the rear
seats, press the OFF” Master Lock Out Switch lo-
cated in the front overhead console, next to the
driver.
WARNING!
Avoid trapping anyone in the vehicle in a collision.
Remember that the sliding doors can only be opened
from the outside door handle or the switches located
on the trim panel just in front of the power sliding
door when the Child Protection Door Locks are
engaged.
To Disengage the Child Protection Door Lock
1. Open the sliding side door.
2. Slide the Child Protection Door Lock control outward
(away from the vehicle) to disengage the Child Protection
Door Lock.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 on the opposite sliding door (if
equipped).
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47

WARNING! (Continued)
•If you are required to drive with the liftgate open,
make sure that all windows are closed, and the
climate control blower switch is set at high speed.
Do not use the recirculation mode.
Gas props support the liftgate in the open position.
However, because the gas pressure drops with tempera-
ture, it may be necessary to assist the props when
opening the liftgate in cold weather.
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
•Advanced Front Air Bags for driver and front passen-
ger
•Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR) located
on top of the front seats (integrated into the head
restraint) — if equipped
•Supplemental Driver Side Knee Air Bag
•Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtains
(SABIC) that span the front, second, and third row
seating for the driver and passengers seated next to a
window
•Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB)
•An energy-absorbing steering column and steering
wheel
•Knee bolsters/blockers for front seat occupant
•Front seat belts incorporate pretensioners that may
enhance occupant protection by managing occupant
energy during an impact event
52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 should
ride 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 (not in a rear facing child
seat) must ride in the front passenger seat, move the seat
as far back as possible and use the proper child restraint.
(Refer to “Child Restraints”)
You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
2.All occupants should always 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 Advanced
Front Air Bags room to inflate. 4.
Do not lean against the door or window. If your
vehicle has side air bags, and deployment occurs, the
side air bags will inflate forcefully into the space
between you and the door.
5. If the air bag system in this vehicle needs to be
modified to accommodate a disabled person, contact
the Customer Center. Phone numbers are provided
under If You Need Assistance.
WARNING!
•Relying on the air bags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The air bags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions, the air bags won’t deploy at all.
Always wear your seat belts even though you have
air bags.
(Continued)
54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING! (Continued)
•Being too close to the steering wheel or instrument
panel during Advanced Front Air Bag deployment
could cause serious injury, including death. Air
Bags need room to inflate. Sit back, comfortably
extending your arms to reach the steering wheel or
instrument panel.
•Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtain
(SABIC) and Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB)
also need room to inflate. Do not lean against the
door or window. Sit upright in the center of the
seat.
•In a collision, you and your passengers can suffer
much greater injuries if you are not properly
buckled up. You can strike the interior of your
vehicle or other passengers, or you can be thrown
out of the vehicle. Always be sure you and others
in your vehicle are buckled up properly.Buckle up even though you are an excellent driver, even
on short trips. Someone on the road may be a poor driver
and cause a collision that includes you. This can happen
far away from home or on your own street.
Research has shown that seat belts save lives, and they
can reduce the seriousness of injuries in a collision. Some
of the worst injuries happen when people are thrown
from the vehicle. Seat belts reduce the possibility of
ejection and the risk of injury caused by striking the
inside of the vehicle. Everyone in a motor vehicle should
be belted at all times.
Lap/Shoulder Belts
All seats in your vehicle are equipped with lap/shoulder
belts.
The belt webbing in the retractor is designed to lock
during very sudden stops or accidents. This feature
allows the shoulder part of the belt to move freely with
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 55