weight DODGE CARAVAN 2008 5.G Owners Manual

²Safety experts recommend that children ride
rearward-facing in the vehicle until they are at least
one year old and weigh at least 20 lbs (9 kg). Two types
of child restraints can be used rearward-facing: infant
carriers and9convertible9child seats. Both types of
child restraints are held in the vehicle by the lap/
shoulder belt or the LATCH child restraint anchorage
system. Refer to ªLower Anchors and Tether for CHil-
dren (LATCH)º later in this section.
²The infant carrier is only used rearward-facing in the
vehicle. It is recommended for children who weigh up
to about 20 lbs (9 kg).9Convertible9child seats can be
used either rearward-facing or forward-facing in the
vehicle. Convertible child seats often have a higher
weight limit in the rearward-facing direction than
infant carriers do, so they can be used rearward-facing
by children who weigh more than 20 lbs (9 kg) but are
less than one year old.
²Rearward-facing child seats mustNEVERbe used in
the front seat of a vehicle with a front passenger
airbag. An airbag deployment could cause severe
injury or death to infants in this position.
²Rearward-facing child seats and infant carriers must
NEVERbe used while the second row Swivel 'n Go
seats are in the rearward-facing position.
WARNING!
Never place any child seat or infant carrier in the
Swivel 'n Go seat while it is in the rearward-facing
position. The swivel seat should be locked in the
forward position when using any child seat or infant
carriers, with the vehicle in motion. Failure to do so
could result in serious injury or even death.
82 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Here are some tips on getting the most out of your child
restraint:
²Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it
has a label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety
Standards. We also recommend that you make sure
that you can install the child restraint in the vehicle
where you will use it, before you buy it.
²The restraint must be appropriate for your child's
weight and height. Check the label on the restraint for
weight and height limits.
²Carefully follow the instructions that come with the
restraint. If you install the restraint improperly, it may
not work when you need it.
²The passenger seat belts are equipped with cinching
latch plates, which are designed to keep the lap
portion tight around the child restraint so that it is not
necessary to use a locking clip. Pulling up on theshoulder portion of the lap/shoulder belt will tighten
the belt. The cinching latch plate will keep the belt
tight, however, any seat belt system will loosen with
time, so check the belt occasionally and pull it tight if
necessary.
²In the rear seat, you may have trouble tightening the
lap/shoulder belt on the child restraint because the
buckle or latch plate is too close to the belt path
opening on the restraint. Disconnect the latch plate
from the buckle and twist the short buckle end of the
belt several times to shorten it. Insert the latch plate
into the buckle with the release button facing out.
²If the belt still can't be tightened, or if pulling and
pushing on the restraint loosens the belt, disconnect
the latch plate from the buckle, turn the buckle
around, and insert the latch plate into the buckle
again. If you still can't make the child restraint secure,
try a different seating position.
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Not all child restraint systems will be installed as we
have described here. Again, carefully follow the instruc-
tions that come with the child restraint system.
WARNING!
Improper installation of a child restraint to the
LATCH anchorages can lead to failure of an infant or
child restraint. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer's directions exactly
when installing an infant or child restraint.
Transporting Pets
Airbags deploying in the front seat could harm your pet.
An unrestrained pet could be thrown about and possibly
injured, or injure a passenger during panic braking or in
a collision.Pets should be restrained in the rear seat in pet harnesses
or pet carriers that are secured by seat belts.
REAR SEAT DELETE FEATURE (COMMERCIAL
VEHICLES ONLY) Ð IF EQUIPPED
Commercial cargo vehicles are not designed for use as a
family vehicle and are not intended for carrying children
in the front passenger seat. However, if you must carry a
child in a vehicle without a rear seat, the passenger seat
should be moved to the full rearward position and the
child must be in a proper restraint system based on it's
age, size and weight. NEVER carry a child in a rear facing
infant carrier in a vehicle without rear seats. In an
accident, serious injury or death may occur from the
deploying passenger airbag.
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Plastic Grocery Bag Retainer Hooks
Retainer hooks which will hold plastic grocery bag
handles are built into the seatbacks of all rear seats and
some front seats. The floor supports the partial weight of
the bagged goods.
DRIVER MEMORY SEAT Ð IF EQUIPPED
Once programmed, the Memory Buttons 1 and 2 on the
driver's door panel can be used to recall the driver's seat,
driver's outside mirror, adjustable brake and accelerator
pedals, and radio station preset settings. Your Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitters can also be pro-
grammed to recall the same positions when the UN-
LOCK button is pressed.
Your vehicle may have been delivered with two Remote
Keyless Entry transmitters. One or both transmitters can
be linked to either Memory Position. The memory system
can accommodate up to four transmitters, each one
linked to either of the two memory positions.
Driver Memory Seat Switch
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 155
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ROOF LUGGAGE RACK Ð IF EQUIPPED
The crossbars and siderails are designed to carry the
weight on vehicles equipped with a luggage rack. The
load must not exceed 150 lbs (68 kg), and should be
uniformly distributed over the luggage rack crossbars.
Distribute cargo weight evenly on the roof rack crossbars.
The roof rack does not increase the total load carrying
capacity of the vehicle. Be sure the total load of cargo
inside the vehicle plus that on the external rack does not
exceed the maximum vehicle load capacity.
To move the crossbars, loosen the thumb screws located
at the upper edge of each crossbar approximately six
turns, then move the crossbar to the desired position,
keeping the crossbars parallel to the rack frame. Once the
crossbar is in place, retighten the thumb screws to lock
the crossbar into position.Attempt to move the crossbar again to ensure that it has
properly locked into position.
NOTE:To help control wind noise when installing the
crossbars make sure the arrows marked on the underside
of the crossbars are facing the front of the vehicle. When
the crossbars are not in use, the front crossbar should be
fastened just forward of the middle support and the rear
crossbar should be fastened at the rearmost position of
the side rails. This will help reduce the amount of wind
noise when the crossbars are not in use.
The tie down holes on the crossbar ends should always
be used to tie down the load. Check the straps frequently
to be sure that the load remains securely attached.
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 215
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Distance To Empty (DTE)
Shows the estimated distance that can be traveled with
the fuel remaining in the tank. This estimated distance is
determined by a weighted average of the instantaneous
and average fuel economy, according to the current fuel
tank level.
NOTE:Significant changes in driving style or vehicle
loading will greatly affect the actual drivable distance of
the vehicle, regardless of the DTE displayed value.
When the DTE value is less than 30 miles (48 km)
estimated driving distance, the DTE display will change
to a text display of9LOW FUEL.9This display will
continue until the vehicle runs out of fuel. Adding a
significant amount of fuel to the vehicle will turn off the
9LOW FUEL9text and a new DTE value will display.
Elapsed Time
Shows the total elapsed time of travel since the last reset
when the ignition switch is in the ACC position. Elapsed
time will increment when the ignition switch is in the ON
or START position.
Display Units of Measure in:
To make your selection, press and release the STEP
button until ªUSº or ªMETRICº appears.
To Reset The Display
Reset will only occur while a resettable function is being
displayed. Press and release the RESET button once to
clear the resettable function being displayed. To reset all
resettable functions, press and release the RESET button
a second time within three seconds of resetting the
currently displayed function (Reset ALL will display
during this three-second window).
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 245
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Tire Loading and Tire Pressure
Tire Placard Location
NOTE:The proper cold tire inflation pressure is listed
on either the face of the driver's door or the driver's side
B-Pillar.
Tire and Loading Information Placard
This placard tells you important information about the:
1) number of people that can be carried in the vehicle
2) total weight your vehicle can carry
3) tire size designed for your vehicle
4) cold tire inflation pressures for the front, rear, and
spare tires.
Tire Placard Location
Tire and Loading Information Placard
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Loading
The vehicle maximum load on the tire must not exceed
the load carrying capacity of the tire on your vehicle. You
will not exceed the tire's load carrying capacity if you
adhere to the loading conditions, tire size, and cold tire
inflation pressures specified on the Tire and Loading
Information placard and in the ªVehicle Loadingº section
of this manual.
NOTE:Under a maximum loaded vehicle condition,
gross axle weight ratings (GAWRs) for the front and rear
axles must not be exceeded. For further information on
GAWRs, vehicle loading, and trailer towing, refer to
ªVehicle Loadingº in this section.
To determine the maximum loading conditions of your
vehicle, locate the statement, ªThe combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg or XXX
lbs.º on the Tire and Loading Information placard. Thecombined weight of occupants, cargo/luggage and
trailer tongue weight (if applicable) should never exceed
the weight referenced here.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement, ªThe combined weight of occu-
pants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbsº
on your vehicle's placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and
passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and pas-
sengers from XXX kg or XXX lbs.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of
cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if ªXXXº
amount equals 1,400 lbs (635 kg) and there will be five
each 150 lb (68 kg) passengers in your vehicle, the
354 STARTING AND OPERATING

amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs (295 kg) (since 5 x 150 = 750, and 1400 ± 750 = 650
lbs [295 kg]).
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle. That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your
trailer will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle.NOTE:The following table shows examples on how to
calculate total load, cargo/luggage, and towing capaci-
ties of your vehicle with varying seating configurations
and number and size of occupants. This table is for
illustration purposes only and may not be accurate for
the seating and load carrying capacity of your vehicle.
NOTE:For the following example, the combined weight
of occupants and cargo should never exceed 865 lbs (392
kg).
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Vehicle Certification Label
Your vehicle has a Vehicle Certification Label attached to
the driver's door pillar.
The label contains the following information:
²Name of manufacturer
²Month and year of manufacture
²Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
²Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) front
²Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) rear
²Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
²Type of Vehicle
²Month Day and Hour of Manufacture (MDH)
The bar code allows a computer scanner to read the
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
The GVWR is the total allowable weight of your vehicle.
This includes driver, passengers, and cargo. The total
load must be limited so that you do not exceed the
GVWR.
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR)
The GAWR is the maximum capacity of the front and rear
axles. Distribute the load over the front and rear axles
evenly. Make sure that you do not exceed either front or
rear GAWR.
WARNING!
Because the front wheels drive and steer the vehicle,
it is important that you do not exceed the maximum
front or rear GAWR. A dangerous driving condition
can result if either rating is exceeded. You could lose
control of the vehicle and have an accident.
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