DODGE CARAVAN 2009 Workshop Manual

NOTE:
•After setting the Child Protection Door Lock system,
always test the door from the inside to make certain it
is in the desired position.
•The power sliding side door switches will not operate
if the vehicle is in gear or the vehicle speed is above
0 mph (0 km/h).
•The power sliding door will operate from 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 when the
shift lever is in PARK, regardless of the child lock lever
position.
LIFTGATE
On vehicles equipped with power locks, the liftgate can
be unlocked using the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter button, or by activating the power door lock
switches located on the front doors.
To open the liftgate, depress the liftgate release handle
located on the underside of the license plate bar and pull
the liftgate open with one fluid motion.
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If the liftgate is locked and is not equipped with the
power liftgate feature, pressing the button on the RKE
transmitter will result in the liftgate becoming unlocked
for 30 seconds allowing you to manually access the
liftgate area.
Power Liftgate — If Equipped
The power liftgate may be opened manually or by using
the button on the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmit-
ter. Press the button on the transmitter twice within five
seconds, to open the power liftgate. When the liftgate is
fully open, pressing the button twice within five seconds,
a second time, will close the liftgate.
The power liftgate may also be opened and closed by
pressing the button located on the overhead console.
Liftgate Handle Location
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The power liftgate may be closed by pressing the button,
located in the upper left trim in the liftgate opening.
Pushing once will only close the liftgate. This button
cannot be used to open the liftgate.When the RKE transmitter button is pressed and the
Flash Lights feature is enabled, the tail lights will flash to
signal that the liftgate is opening or closing.
Overhead Console Master Power Switch
1 — Left Door 3 — Right Door
2 — Liftgate 4 — Master Lock
Liftgate Rear Switch
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WARNING!
During power operation, personal injury or cargo
damage may occur. Ensure the liftgate travel path is
clear. Make sure the liftgate is closed and latched
before driving away.
NOTE:
•If anything obstructs the power liftgate while it is
closing or opening, the liftgate will automatically
reverse to the closed or open position, provided it
meets sufficient resistance.
•There are also pinch sensors attached to the side of the
liftgate opening. Light pressure anywhere along these
strips will cause the liftgate to return to the open
position.
•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
below12°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.
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•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 poison-
ous exhaust gases into your vehicle. You and your
passengers 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.
STORAGE BIN SAFETY WARNING
Safety Warning
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 an accident, 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)
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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
— If Equipped
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.NOTE:In the event of an individual being locked inside
the storage bin, the storage bin cover can be opened from
inside of the bin by pulling on the glow-in-the-dark lever
attached to the storage bin cover latching mechanism.
Storage Bin Cover Emergency Release Lever
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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
•Pretensioning and load-limiting retractors for the front
seat belts
•Advanced multistage driver and new active-vent front
passenger airbags
•Supplemental side airbags that span the front, second,
and third row seating for the driver and passengers
seated next to a window.
•An energy-absorbing steering column and steering
wheel
•Knee bolsters/blockers for front seat occupants
•Front seat belt retractors incorporate pretensioners to
enhance occupant protection by managing occupant
energy during an impact event.
•All seat belt systems (except the driver’s, Swivel n’ Go,
and third row center position) 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.
If you will be carrying children too small for adult-size
seat belts, your seat belts or the Lower Anchors and
Tether for CHildren (LATCH) feature also can be used to
hold infant and child restraint systems.
NOTE:The front airbags have a multistage inflator
design. This allows the airbag to have different rates of
inflation that are based on collision severity.
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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.
WARNING!
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 collisions. This feature
allows the shoulder part of the belt to move freely with
you under normal conditions. But in a collision, the belt
will lock and reduce the risk of your striking the inside of
the vehicle or being thrown out.
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WARNING!
•It is extremely 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 seri-
ously injured or killed.
•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.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•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 pas-
sengers safe, too.
•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.
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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.WARNING!
•A belt that is worn under your arm is very danger-
ous. 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 strongest 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.
Pulling Out Belt and Latch Plate
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