2016 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Owners Manual

Position the lap belt snug and low below the abdomen
and across the strong bones of the hips. Place the
shoulder belt across the chest and away from the neck.
Never place the shoulder belt behind the back or under
the arm.
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.
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
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.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 71

Switchable Automatic Locking Retractors (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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If the passenger seating position is equipped with an
ALR and is being used for normal usage, only pull the
seat belt webbing out far enough to comfortably wrap
around the occupant’s mid-section so as to not activatethe ALR. If the ALR is activated, you will hear a clicking
sound as the seat belt retracts. Allow the webbing to
retract completely in this case and then carefully pull out
only the amount of webbing necessary to comfortably
wrap around the occupant’s mid-section. Slide the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a
click.
In Automatic Locking Mode, the shoulder belt is auto-
matically pre-locked. The seat belt will still retract to
remove any slack in the shoulder belt. Use the Automatic
Locking Mode anytime a child restraint is installed in a
seating position that has a seat belt with this feature.
Children 12 years old and under should always be
properly restrained in a vehicle with a rear seat.
Second Row Bench
• ALR — Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
• Cinch — Cinching Latch Plate
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 73

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 a rear-facing child restraint in a vehicle
with a rear seat.
How To Engage The Automatic Locking Mode
1. Buckle the combination lap and shoulder belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull downward until the entire seat belt is extracted.
3. Allow the seat belt to retract. As the seat belt retracts, you will hear a clicking sound. This indicates the seat
belt is now in the Automatic Locking Mode. How To Disengage The Automatic Locking Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap/shoulder belt and allow it
to retract completely to disengage the Automatic Locking
Mode and activate the vehicle sensitive (emergency)
locking mode.
WARNING!
•
The seat belt assembly must be replaced if the
switchable Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) fea-
ture or any other seat belt function is not working
properly when checked according to the proce-
dures in the Service Manual.
• Failure to replace the seat belt assembly could
increase the risk of injury in collisions.
(Continued)
74 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!(Continued)
•Do not use the Automatic Locking Mode to restrain
occupants who are wearing the seat belt or children
who are using booster seats. The locked mode is
only used to install rear-facing or forward-facing
child restraints that have a harness for restraining
the child.
Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR)
These head restraints are passive, deployable compo-
nents, and vehicles with this equipment cannot be readily
identified by any markings, only through visual inspec-
tion of the head restraint. The head restraint will be split
in two halves, with the front half being soft foam and
trim, the back half being decorative plastic. How The Active Head Restraints (AHR) Work
The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) determines
whether the severity, or type of rear impact will require
the Active Head Restraints (AHR) to deploy. If a rear
impact requires deployment, both the driver and front
passenger seat AHRs will be deployed.
When AHRs deploy during a rear impact, the front half
of the head restraint extends forward to minimize the gap
between the back of the occupant’s head and the AHR.
This system is designed to help prevent or reduce the
extent of injuries to the driver and front passenger in
certain types of rear impacts.
NOTE:
The Active Head Restraints (AHR) may or may
not deploy in the event of a front or side impact.
However if during a front impact, a secondary rear
impact occurs, the AHR may deploy based on the sever-
ity and type of the impact.
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WARNING!
•All occupants, including the driver, should not
operate a vehicle or sit in a vehicle’s seat until the
head restraints are placed in their proper positions
in order to minimize the risk of neck injury in the
event of a collision.
• Do not place items over the top of the Active Head
Restraint, such as coats, seat covers or portable
DVD players. These items may interfere with the
operation of the Active Head Restraint in the event
of a collision and could result in serious injury or
death.
(Continued)
Active Head Restraint (AHR) Components
1 — Head Restraint Front Half
(Soft Foam and Trim) 3 — Head Restraint Back Half
(Decorative Plastic Rear Cover)
2 — Seatback 4 — Head Restraint Guide Tubes
76 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!(Continued)
•Active Head Restraints may be deployed if they are
struck by an object such as a hand, foot or loose
cargo. To avoid accidental deployment of the Ac-
tive Head Restraint ensure that all cargo is secured,
as loose cargo could contact the Active Head Re-
straint during sudden stops. Failure to follow this
warning could cause personal injury if the Active
Head Restraint is deployed.
NOTE: For more information on properly adjusting and
positioning the head restraint, refer to “Adjusting Active
Head Restraints” in “Understanding The Features Of
Your Vehicle.”
Resetting Active Head Restraints (AHR)
The front and rear halves of the Active Head Restraint
will be in contact during normal use and after resetting.
If the AHR is deployed, these two halves will separate. Since it may not be comfortable to drive in the separated
condition, the AHR should be reset. See an authorized
dealer to reset the AHR. Attempting to reset the AHR
may result in damage to the system that could impair its
function.AHR In Reset Position
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Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
Air Bag System Components
Your vehicle may be equipped with the following air bag
system components:
•Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
• Air Bag Warning Light
•Steering Wheel and Column
• Instrument Panel
• Knee Impact Bolsters
• Advanced Front Air Bags
• Supplemental Side Air Bags
• Supplemental Knee Air Bags
• Front and Side Impact Sensors •
Seat Belt Pretensioners
• Seat Belt Buckle Switch
• Seat Track Position Sensors
Advanced Front Air Bags
This vehicle has Advanced Front Air Bags for both the
driver and front passenger as a supplement to the seat
belt restraint systems. The driver ’s Advanced Front Air
Bag is mounted in the center of the steering wheel. The
passenger ’s Advanced Front Air Bag is mounted in the
instrument panel, above the glove compartment. The
words “SRS AIRBAG” or “AIRBAG” are embossed on
the air bag covers.
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