DODGE CARAVAN 2011 Workshop Manual

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 trim panel just in front of the power sliding
door when the Child Protection Door Locks are
engaged.
To Disengage the Child Protection Door Lock
1. Open the sliding side door.
2. Slide the Child Protection Door Lock control outward
(away from the vehicle) to disengage the Child Protection
Door Lock.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 on the opposite sliding door (if
equipped).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 open the
power sliding doors 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.
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To open the liftgate, press the liftgate release handle
located on the underside of the license plate bar and pull
the liftgate open with one fluid motion.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
and several audible beeps will occur 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
Rear Power Liftgate 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
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.
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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.
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 passen-
ger
•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)
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•An energy-absorbing steering column and steering
wheel
•Knee bolsters/blockers for front seat occupants
•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. 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 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.
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WARNING!
Infants in rear facing child restraints should never
ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger
Advanced Front Air Bag. An air bag deployment can
cause severe injury or death to infants in that posi-
tion.
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. 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.
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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
under If 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)
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 an accident, 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.
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Buckle up even though you are an excellent driver, even
on short trips. Someone on the road may be a poor driver
and cause an accident 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 an accident.
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 accidents. This feature
allows the shoulder part of the belt to move freely withyou under normal conditions. However, in an accident
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 an accident, people riding
in these areas are more likely to be seriously
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.
(Continued)
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WARNING! (Continued)
•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 an accident the
best.
•Wearing your belt in the wrong place could make
your injuries in an accident much worse. You
might suffer internal injuries, or you could even
slide out of part of the belt. Follow these instruc-
tions to wear your seat belt safely and to keep your
passengers safe, too.
•Two people should never be belted into a single
seat belt. People belted together can crash into one
another in an accident, 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.
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