2015 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN child seat

▫Important Safety Precautions..............56
▫Seat Belt Systems......................58
▫Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)........80
▫Child Restraints.......................96
▫Transporting Pets.....................120
!ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS . . .120
!SAFETY TIPS.........................121
▫Transporting Passengers.................121
▫Exhaust Gas.........................121
▫Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle.............................122
▫Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make Outside
The Vehicle.........................125
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 11

You can turn the feature back on by repeating the
previous procedure.
Power Sliding Side Door Power 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 pushing the OFF side
of the Power Switch located in the front overhead con-
sole.
When the power sliding door power switch is in the OFF
position, the power sliding side door may not be opened
or closed by pushing 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 Power Switch
1—LeftSlidingDoor3—RightSlidingDoor2 — Liftgate4 — Power Switch
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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.
Child Protection Door Lock
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49

NOTE:
•After engaging the Child Protection Door Lock, always
test the door from the inside to make certain it is in the
desired position.
•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 B-pillar trim panel, just in front
of the power sliding door, regardless of the Child
Protection Door Lock lever position.To avoid unin-
tentional operation of the power sliding door from
the rear seats, push the “OFF” Master Lock Out
Switch located 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 B-Pillar trim panel just in front of the power
sliding door when the Child Protection Door Locks
are engaged.
50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems:
•Seat Belt Systems
•Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Air Bags
•Supplemental Active Head Restraints
•Child Restraints
Important Safety Precautions
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.
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 vehicle with a rear seat.
2. If a child from 2 to 12 years old (not in a rear-facing
child restraint) 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”)
3. Children that are not big enough to wear the vehicle
seat belt properly (Refer to#Child Restraints#) should
be secured in a vehicle with a rear seat in child
56 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

restraints or belt-positioning booster seats. Older chil-
dren who do not use child restraints or belt-
positioning booster seats should ride properly buckled
up in a vehicle with a rear seat.
4. Never allow children to slide the shoulder belt behind
them or under their arm.
5. You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it
properly.
6. All occupants should always wear their lap and
shoulder belts properly.
7. The driver and front passenger seats should be moved
back as far as practical to allow the Advanced Front
Air Bags room to inflate.
8. 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 and you could be injured.
9. 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!
•Never place a rear-facing child restraint in front of
an air bag. A deploying Passenger Advanced Front
Air Bag can cause death or serious injury to a child
12 years or younger, including a child in a rear-
facing child restraint.
•Only use rear-facing child restraint in a vehicle
with a rear seat.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 57

WARNING!
•ONLY use a Seat Belt Extender if it is physically
required in order to properly fit the original seat
belt system. DO NOT USE the Seat Belt Extender
if, when worn, the distance between the front edge
of the Seat Belt Extender buckle and the center of
the occupant’s body is LESS than 6 inches.
•Using a Seat Belt Extender when not needed can
increase the risk of serious injury or death in a
collision. Only use the Seat Belt Extender when the
lap belt is not long enough and only use in the
recommended seating positions. Remove and store
the Seat Belt Extender when not needed.
Seat Belts And Pregnant Women
We recommend that pregnant women use the seat belts
throughout their pregnancy. Keeping the mother safe is
the best way to keep the baby safe.
Pregnant women should wear the lap part of the seat belt
across the thighs and as snug across the hips as possible.
Keep the seat belt low so that it does not come across the
abdomen. That way the strong bones of the hips will take
the force if there is a collision.
Seat Belt Pretensioner
The front seat belt system is equipped with pretensioning
devices that are designed to remove slack from the seat
belt in the event of a collision. These devices may
improve the performance of the seat belt by removing
slack from the seat belt 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.
72 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

The pretensioners are triggered by the Occupant Re-
straint Controller (ORC). Like the air bags, the preten-
sioners are single use items. A deployed pretensioner or
a deployed air bag must be replaced immediately.
Energy Management Feature
This vehicle has a seat belt system with an Energy
Management feature in the front seating positions that
may help further reduce the risk of injury in the event of
a collision. This seat belt system has a retractor assembly
that is designed to release webbing in a controlled
manner.
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) — If Equipped
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions may be
equipped with a switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
(ALR) which is used to secure a child restraint system.
For additional information, refer to “Installing Child
Restraints Using The Vehicle Seat Belt” under the “Child
Restraints” section of this manual. The table below
defines the type of feature for each seating position.
Second Row Captains Chair
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