child seat DODGE CARAVAN 2011 Owners Manual

▫Power Sliding Side Door — If Equipped ..... 43
▫ Sliding Side Door Child Protection Lock ..... 47
 Liftgate ............................. 49
▫ Power Liftgate — If Equipped ............ 50
 Occupant Restraints ..................... 53
▫ Lap/Shoulder Belts .................... 57
▫ Seat Belts In Passenger Seating Positions ..... 63
▫ Automatic Locking Retractor Mode (ALR) —
If Equipped ......................... 64
▫ Energy Management Feature ............. 65
▫ Seat Belt Pretensioners ................. 65
▫ Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR)
— If Equipped ....................... 66 ▫
Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert) ......................... 70
▫ Seat Belt Lock Out .................... 71
▫ Seat Belts And Pregnant Women .......... 71
▫ Seat Belt Extender ..................... 72
▫ Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) — Air
Bags .............................. 72
▫ Air Bag System Components ............. 74
▫ Advanced Front Air Bag Features .......... 75
▫ Air Bag Deployment Sensors And Controls . . . 78
▫ Event Data Recorder (EDR) .............. 86
▫ Child Restraints ...................... 87
10 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
ProCarManuals.com

Rear Seat Delete Feature (Commercial Vehicles
Only) — If Equipped ..................... 97
▫ Restraining Infants And Small Children With
Seat Delete Feature (Commercial Vehicles
Only) .............................. 98
 Engine Break-In Recommendations ......... 100
 Safety Tips .......................... 101 ▫
Transporting Passengers ............... 101
▫ Exhaust Gas ........................ 101
▫ Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle ............................ 102
▫ Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make
Outside The Vehicle .................. 104
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 11
ProCarManuals.com

Power Sliding Side Door Open Flash
The left and right exterior hazard lights will flash for
12 seconds when either sliding door is opened. This will
alert other drivers in the area that passenger(s) could be
entering or exiting the vehicle.
The Sliding Side Door Open Flash can be enabled or
disabled by performing the following procedure:
1. Place the Key Fob in the ignition switch.
2. Cycle the ignition switch from ON/RUN to OFF five
times ending in the ON/RUN position(do not start the
engine).
3. Within 10 seconds of the final cycle, press the HAZ-
ARD switch ON.
4. A single chime will sound to signify that you have
successfully completed the programming. You can turn the feature back on by repeating the
previous procedure.
Power Sliding Side Door Master Lock 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 pressing the OFF side
of the Master Lock Out Switch located in the front
overhead console.
When the power sliding door master lock switch is in the
OFF position, the power sliding side door may not be
opened or closed by pressing the switch located on the
b-pillar trim panel, just in front of the sliding door or
activating the inside power sliding door handle.
46 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
ProCarManuals.com

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.
Overhead Console Power Sliding Door Master Switch
1 — Left Door 3 — Right Door
2 — Liftgate 4 — Master Lock
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47
ProCarManuals.com

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.
NOTE:
•After engaging the Child Protection Door Lock, al-
ways 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 trim panel just in front of the
power sliding door, regardless of the Child Protection
Door Lock lever position.
To avoid unintentional op-
eration of the power sliding door from the rear seats,
press the ”ON” Master Lock Out Switch located in the
front overhead console, next to the driver.
Child Protection Door Lock
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
ProCarManuals.com

•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.
54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
ProCarManuals.com

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.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 55
ProCarManuals.com

pushing anywhere on the anchorage. To move the an-
chorage downward, squeeze the actuation buttons while
simultaneously pushing down on the anchorage assem-
bly.
As a guide, if you are shorter than average you will
prefer a lower position, and if you are taller than averageyou will prefer a higher position. When you release the
anchorage, try to move it up or down to make sure that
it is locked in position.
Seat Belts In Passenger Seating Positions
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with Automatic Locking Retractors (ALR)
which are used to secure a child restraint system. For
additional information, refer to “Installing Child Re-
straints Using The Vehicle Seat Belt” under the “Child
Restraints” section. The chart below defines the type of
feature for each seating position.
Driver Center Passenger
First Row N/A N/A ALR
Second Row ALR ALR ALR Third Row ALR Cinch ALR
•N/A — Not Applicable
•ALR — Automatic Locking Retractor
Adjustable Anchorage
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 63
ProCarManuals.com

If the passenger seating position is equipped with an
ALR and is being used for normal usage:
Only pull the belt webbing out far enough to comfortably
wrap around the occupant’s mid-section so as to not
activate the ALR. If the ALR is activated, you will hear a
ratcheting sound as the belt retracts. Allow the webbing
to retract completely in this case and then carefully pull
out only the amount of webbing necessary to comfort-
ably wrap around the occupant’s mid-section. Slide the
latch plate into the buckle until you hear aclick.
Automatic Locking Retractor Mode (ALR) — If
Equipped
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-
locked. The belt will still retract to remove any slack in
the shoulder belt. The Automatic Locking Mode is avail-
able on all passenger-seating positions with a combina-
tion lap/shoulder belt. Use the Automatic Locking Mode
anytime a child safety seat is installed in a seating position that has a belt with this feature. Children
12 years old and under should always be properly
restrained in the 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 belt is extracted.
3. Allow the belt to retract. As the belt retracts, you will
hear a clicking sound. This indicates the safety 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.
64 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
ProCarManuals.com

WARNING!
•The belt and retractor assembly must be replaced
if the seat belt assembly Automatic Locking Re-
tractor (ALR) feature or any other seat belt func-
tion is not working properly when checked ac-
cording to the procedures in the Service Manual.
•Failure to replace the belt and retractor assembly
could increase the risk of injury in collisions.
Energy Management Feature
This vehicle has a safety belt system with an Energy
Management feature in the front seating positions to help
further reduce the risk of injury in the event of a head-on
accident. This safety belt system has a retractor assembly
that is designed to release webbing in a controlled
manner. This feature is designed to help reduce the belt
force acting on the occupant’s chest.
Seat Belt Pretensioners
The seat belts for both front seating positions are
equipped with pretensioning devices that are designed to
remove slack from the seat belt in the event of an
accident. These devices may improve the performance of
the seat belt by assuring that the belt is tight about the
occupant early in an accident. 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.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 65
ProCarManuals.com