DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 2007 Manual PDF

Enhanced Accident Response
If the airbags and seat belt pretensioners deploy after an
impact and the electrical system remains functional,
vehicles equipped with power door locks will unlock
automatically. In addition, approximately 10 seconds
after the vehicle has stopped moving, the interior lights
will illuminate until the ignition switch is turned off. Maintaining Your Airbag System
WARNING!• Modifications to any part of the airbag system could
cause it to fail when you need it. You could be injured
because the airbags are not there to protect you. Do not
modify the components or wiring, including adding any
kind of badges or stickers to the steering wheel hub
trim cover or the upper right side of the instrument
panel. Do not modify the front bumper, vehicle body
structure, or frame.
• Do not attempt to modify any part of your advanced
airbag system. The airbag may inflate accidentally or
may not function properly if modifications are made.
Take your vehicle to an authorized dealer for any
advanced airbag system service. If your seat including
your trim cover and cushion needs to be serviced in any
way (including removal or loosening/tightening of seat
attachment bolts), take the vehicle to your authorized
dealer. Only manufacturer approved seat accessories
may be used. If it is necessary to modify an advanced
airbag system for persons with disabilities, contact your
authorized dealer. THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 71
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WARNING!• You need proper knee impact protection in a
collision. Do not mount or locate any aftermarket
equipment on or behind the knee bolsters.
• It is dangerous to try to repair any part of the
airbag system yourself. Be sure to tell anyone who
works on your vehicle that it has airbags.
NOTE: Perchlorate Material — special handling may
apply. See www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate
Airbag Light
You will want to have the airbags ready to
inflate for your protection in a collision. While
the airbag system is designed to be mainte-
nance free, if any of the following occurs, have
an authorized dealer service the system immediately. • The AIRBAG light does not come on or flickers during
the 6 to 8 seconds when the ignition switch is first
turned on.
• The light remains on or flickers after the 6 to 8 second
interval.
• The light flickers or comes on and remains on while
driving.
NOTE: If the speedometer, tachometer or any engine
related gauges are not working, the airbag control mod-
ule may also be disabled. The airbags may not be ready
to inflate for your protection. Promptly check fuse block
for blown fuses. Refer to the label located on the inside of
the fuse block cover for the proper airbag fuses. See your
dealer if the fuse is good.72 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Event Data Recorder (EDR)
In the event of an airbag deployment, your vehicle is
designed to record up to 2-seconds of specific vehicle
data parameters (see list below) in an event data recorder
prior to the moment of airbag deployment. Please note
that such data are ONLY recorded if an airbag deploys,
and are otherwise unavailable. In conjunction with other
data gathered during a complete accident investigation,
the electronic data may be used by DaimlerChrysler
Corporation and others to learn more about the possible
causes of crashes and associated injuries in order to
assess and improve vehicle performance. In addition to
crash investigations initiated by DaimlerChrysler Corpo-
ration, such investigations may be requested by custom-
ers, insurance carriers, government officials, and profes-
sional crash researchers, such as those associated with
universities, and with hospital and insurance organiza-
tions. In the event that an investigation is undertaken by
DaimlerChrysler Corporation (regardless of initiative),
the company or its designated representative will first
obtain permission of the appropriate custodial entity for
the vehicle (usually the vehicle owner or lessee) before
accessing the electronic data stored, unless ordered to
download data by a court with legal jurisdiction (i.e.,
pursuant to a warrant). A copy of the data will be
provided to the custodial entity upon request. General
data that does not identify particular vehicles or crashes
may be released for incorporation in aggregate crash
databases, such as those maintained by the US govern-
ment and various states. Data of a potentially sensitive
nature, such as would identify a particular driver, ve-
hicle, or crash, will be treated confidentially. Confidential
data will not be disclosed by DaimlerChrysler Corpora-
tion to any third party except when: THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 73
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1. Used for research purposes, such as to match data
with a particular crash record in an aggregate database,
provided confidentiality of personal data is thereafter
preserved
2. Used in defense of litigation involving a
DaimlerChrysler Corporation product
3. Requested by police under a legal warrant
4. Otherwise required by law
Data Parameters that May Be Recorded:
• Diagnostic trouble code(s) and warning lamp status
for electronically-controlled safety systems, including
the airbag system
• Airbag disable lamp status (if equipped)
•  Time  of airbag deployment (in terms of ignition
cycles and vehicle mileage) • Airbag deployment level (if applicable)
• Seatbelt status
• Brake status (service and parking brakes)
• Accelerator status (including vehicle speed)
• Engine control status (including engine speed)
• Cruise control status
• Traction/stability control status
DaimlerChrysler Corporation Integrated Child
Seat — If Equipped
Operating instructions for this seat are included with the
seat. If the instructions are not with the seat or in the
Owner’s Manual Package, replacement instructions can
be obtained.74 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

To obtain Integrated Child Seat replacement
instructions:
Use the order form at the back of this manual and specify
publication number 81-016-1950.
Child Restraint
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up at all
times — babies and children, too. Every state in the
United States and all Canadian provinces require that
small children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the
law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
Children 12 years and under should ride properly buck-
led up in a rear seat. According to crash statistics,
children are safer when properly restrained in the rear
seats, rather than in the front. WARNING!In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny
baby, can become a missile inside the vehicle. The
force required to hold even an infant on your lap
could become so great that you could not hold the
child, no matter how strong you are. The child and
others could be badly injured. Any child riding in
your vehicle should be in a proper restraint for the
child’s size.
Infants and Child Restraints
There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
enough for an adult safety belt. Always check the child
seat owner’s manual to ensure you have the right seat for
your child. Use the restraint that is correct for your child. THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 75
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• Safety 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 and  convertible  child 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 “Lower Anchors and Tether for CHil-
dren (LATCH)” later in this section.
• The infant carrier is only used rearward-facing in the
vehicle. It is recommended for children who weigh up
to about 20 lbs (9 kg).  Convertible  child 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. • Rearward-facing child seats must NEVER be 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.
Older Children and Child Restraints
Children who weigh more than 20 lbs (9 kg) and who are
older than one year can ride forward-facing in the
vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and convertible child
seats used in the forward-facing direction are for children
who weigh 20 to 40 lbs (9 to 18 kg) and who are older
than one year. These child seats are also held in the
vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt or the LATCH child
restraint anchorage system. Refer to “Lower Anchors and
Tether for CHildren (LATCH)” later in this section.
The belt-positioning booster seat is for children weighing
more than 40 lbs (18 kg), but who are still too small to fit
the vehicle’s seat belts properly. If the child can not sit
with knees bent over the vehicles seat cushion while the76 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

child’s back is against the seat back, they should use a
belt-positioning booster seat. The child and booster seat
are held in the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt.
Children Too Large For Booster Seats
Children who are large enough to wear the shoulder belt
comfortably, and whose legs are long enough to bend
over the front of the seat when their back is against the
seatback, should use the lap/shoulder belt in a rear seat.
• Make sure that the child is upright in the seat.
• The lap portion should be low on the hips and as snug
as possible.
• Check belt fit periodically. A child’s squirming or
slouching can move the belt out of position.
• If the shoulder belt contacts the face or neck, move the
child closer to the center of the vehicle. If this doesn’t
help, move the child to the center rear seating position and use the lap belt. Never allow a child to put the
shoulder belt under an arm or behind their back.
NOTE: For additional information, refer to
www.seatcheck.org or call 1-866-SEATCHECK .
WARNING!• Improper installation can lead to failure of an
infant or child restraint. It could come loose in a
collision. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer’s directions ex-
actly when installing an infant or child restraint.
• A rearward facing child restraint should only be
used in a rear seat. A rearward facing child re-
straint in the front seat may be struck by a
deploying passenger airbag which may cause se-
vere or fatal injury to the infant. THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 77
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Here are some tips on getting the most out of your child
restraint:
• Before 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.
• The restraint must be appropriate for your child’s
weight and height. Check the label on the restraint for
weight and height limits.
• Carefully follow the instructions that come with the
restraint. If you install the restraint improperly, it may
not work when you need it.
The 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 the shoulder 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.
• In 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.
• If 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.78 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

• Buckle the child into the seat according to the child
restraint manufacturer’s directions.
• When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in the
vehicle with the seat belt or remove it from the vehicle.
Don’t leave it loose in the vehicle. In a sudden stop or
collision, it could strike the occupants or seatbacks and
cause serious personal injury.
Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren (LATCH)
Each vehicle, except commercial cargo vehicles, is
equipped with the child restraint anchorage system
called LATCH, which stands for Lower Anchors and
Tether for CHildren. Two LATCH child restraint anchor-
age systems are installed on all second-row seats and in
the center position on all 3rd row fold-in-floor seats.
Second-row seats also feature tether strap anchorages,
located in the rear surface of the seatback. In addition, all
3-passenger bench seats and 3rd row fold-in-floor seats
are equipped with a child restraint tether anchor at the center seating position.
Latch AnchoragesTHINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 79
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When using the tether anchorages in the outboard seat-
ing positions, ensure that the strap is routed over the top
of the seatback and under the head restraint between the
head restraint posts. Except for bench seats with split
seatbacks, when the tether anchorage is used in the center
seating position, the strap should be positioned straight
over the top of the seatback. For bench seats with split
seatbacks, route the tether between the seatbacks.
When using the tether anchorages in the center position
on 3rd row fold-in-floor seating, ensure that the strap is
routed over the top of the seatback and under the head
restraint between the head restraint posts. Tether Strap Mounting80 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE