2013 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Owners Manual

•During power operation, whether liftgate is fully open
or fully closed, the liftgate chime will beep several
times indicating power operation is in progress.
•The power liftgate must be in the full open or close
positions for any of the buttons to operate. If the
liftgate is not in the full open or close positions, it must
be opened or closed manually.
•If the liftgate release button is activated while the
power liftgate is closing, the liftgate will reverse to the
full open position.
•The power liftgate buttons will not operate if the shift
lever is in gear or the vehicle speed is above 0 mph
(0 km/h).
•
The power liftgate will not operate in temperatures below
12°F (24°C) or temperatures above 143°F (62°C). Be
sure to remove any buildup of snow or ice from the
liftgate before pressing any of the power liftgate buttons.
•If the power liftgate encounters multiple obstructions
within the same cycle, the system will automatically
stop and must be opened or closed manually.
WARNING!
•Driving with the liftgate open can allow poisonous
exhaust gases into your vehicle. You and your pas-
sengers could be injured by these fumes. Keep the
liftgate closed when you are operating the vehicle.
•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.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 55

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
passenger
•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 bolster for front passenger seat occupant
•Front seat belts incorporate pretensioners that may
enhance occupant protection by managing occupant
energy during an impact event
•All seat belt systems (except the driver ’s and third row
center) 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
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.
56 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

If you will be carrying children too small for adult-sized
seat belts, the seat belts or the Lower Anchors and Tether
for CHildren (LATCH) feature also can be used to hold
infant and child restraint systems. For more information
on LATCH, refer to Lower Anchors and Tether for
CHildren (LATCH).
NOTE:The Advanced Front Air Bags have a multistage
inflator design. This allows the air bag to have different
rates of inflation based on several factors, including the
severity and type of collision.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying air bag:
1.Children 12 years old and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.WARNING!
Infants in rear facing child restraints should never ride
in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger Ad-
vanced Front Air Bag. An air bag deployment 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 should
ride properly buckled up in the rear seat. Never allow
children to slide the shoulder belt behind them or under
their arm.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 57

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
underIf 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)
58 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 buck-
led 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.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•Being too close to the Supplemental Side Air Bag
Inflatable Curtain (SABIC) and/or Seat-Mounted
Side Air Bag (SAB) during deployment could cause
you to be severely injured or killed.
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.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 59

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 collisions. This feature
allows the shoulder part of the belt to move freely with
you under normal conditions. However, in a collision the
belt will lock and reduce the risk of you striking the
inside of the vehicle or being thrown out.
WARNING!
•It is dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or
outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in
these areas are more likely to be seriously injured
or killed.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•Do not allow people to ride in any area of your
vehicle that is not equipped with seats and seat belts.
•Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
•Wearing a seat belt incorrectly is dangerous. Seat
belts are designed to go around the large bones of
your body. These are the strongest parts of your
body and can take the forces of a collision the best.
•Wearing your belt in the wrong place could make
your injuries in a collision much worse. You might
suffer internal injuries, or you could even slide out
of part of the belt. Follow these instructions to wear
your seat belt safely and to keep your passengers
safe, too.
(Continued)
60 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!(Continued)
•Two people should never be belted into a single
seat belt. People belted together can crash into one
another in a collision, hurting one another badly.
Never use a lap/shoulder belt or lap belt for more
than one person, no matter what their size.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions
1. Enter the vehicle and close the door. Sit back and
adjust the seat.
2. The seat belt latch plate is near the seatback of the
front seats and next to your arm in the rear seats.
Grasp the latch plate and pull out the belt. Slide the
latch plate up the webbing as far as necessary to allow
the belt to go around your lap.
Pulling Out Belt and Latch Plate
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 61

WARNING!
•A belt that is worn under your arm is dangerous.
Your body could strike the inside surfaces of the
vehicle in a collision, increasing head and neck
injury. A belt worn under the arm can cause internal
injuries. Ribs aren’t as strong as shoulder bones.
Wear the belt over your shoulder so that your stron-
gest bones will take the force in a collision.
•A shoulder belt placed behind you will not protect
you from injury during a collision. You are more
likely to hit your head in a collision if you do not
wear your shoulder belt. The lap and shoulder belt
are meant to be used together.
3. When the belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a “click”.
Inserting Latch Plate Into Buckle
62 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE