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Home >> Dodge or Ram Truck >> 2008 >> Grand Caravan V6-4.0L >> Repair and Diagnosis >> Restraints and Safety Systems >> Description and Operation >> Description

Description







DESCRIPTION

An occupant restraint system is standard factory-installed safety equipment on this vehicle. Available occupant restraints for this vehicle include both active and passive types. Active restraints are those which require the vehicle occupants to take some action to employ, such as fastening a seat belt; while passive restraints require no action by the vehicle occupants to be employed.

ACTIVE RESTRAINTS


The active restraints for this vehicle include:

- Child Restraint Anchors - All vehicles are equipped with fixed-position child seat upper tether anchors, two for the second row bench seat, one for each optional second row bucket seat, and one for the optional third row split bench seating. These anchors are integral to the back of each second row or third row seat cushion frame. Two lower anchors are also provided for each second row seating position and two for the third row center seating position. These lower anchors are accessed from the front of the second row or third row seat where the seat back meets the seat cushion. The lower anchors are also integral to the seat cushion frames.
- Front Seat Belts - Both front seating positions are equipped with three-point seat belt systems employing lower B-pillar mounted inertia latch-type emergency locking retractors, height-adjustable upper B-pillar mounted turning loops, a traveling lower seat belt anchor secured to the outboard side of the seat frame, and a traveling end-release seat belt buckle secured to the inboard side of the seat frame. The passenger side front seat belt retractor is switchable to an automatic locking retractor for compatibility with child seats. On all vehicles, the driver and passenger side front seat belt buckle includes an integral seat belt switch. On all vehicles, the passenger side front seat belt buckle includes an integral Hall Effect-type sensor and the drivers side seat belt buckle includes an integral Contact Type sensor. In each case, the seat belt switch or sensor detects whether the front seat belts have been fastened.
- Integrated Child Booster Seats - Two integrated child booster seats are an available option on vehicles equipped with the optional swivel second row bucket seats covered in leather. The center section of the seat cushion of these seats is lifted up and rearward to raise the seat cushion four inches, which raises a child aged four to eight years old into the belted zone of the adult seat belts.
- Integrated Child Safety Seats - Two integrated child safety seats are an available option on vehicles equipped with the second row two-passenger bench seat. These seats are for children at least one year old, weighing between 22 and 50 pounds and no more than 47 inches tall.
- Second Row Seat Belts - All second row bench and bucket seating positions are equipped with three-point seat belt systems. On all seats except the optional swivel buckets, the second row seating position belts employ lower C-pillar mounted inertia latch-type emergency locking retractors, height-adjustable upper C-pillar mounted turning loops, self-cinching latch plates for compatibility with child seats, fixed lower seat belt anchors secured to the lower C-pillar (right side) or the floor panel near the base of the C-pillar (left side) and fixed end-release buckles secured to the seat cushion frames. The optional second row swivel bucket seats have seat back frame mounted inertia latch-type emergency locking retractors with integrated turning loops, self-cinching latch plates, traveling lower seat belt anchors and end-release buckles secured to the seat cushion frames. All second row seating positions have an inertia latch-type emergency locking retractor that is switchable to an automatic locking retractor for compatibility with child seats.
- Third Row Seat Belts - In vehicles equipped with the optional third row split bench seat, all third row seating positions are equipped with three-point seat belt systems. The outboard seating position seat belts employ mid-quarter inner panel mounted inertia latch-type emergency locking retractors, fixed position inner roof rail mounted turning loops, self-cinching latch plates for compatibility with child seats, fixed lower seat belt anchors secured to the lower quarter inner panels, and fixed position end-release buckles secured to the seat frame. The center seating position employs a retractor and turning loop mounted to the upper liftgate opening header above the headliner and two fixed position end-release buckles (one conventional seat belt buckle and a keyed center belt anchor buckle) secured to the seat cushion frame.

PASSIVE RESTRAINTS






The passive restraints available for this vehicle include the following:

- Dual Front Airbags - Multistage driver and front passenger airbags are used in this vehicle. This airbag system consists of passive, inflatable, Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) components and vehicles with this equipment can be readily identified by the SRS - AIRBAG logo molded into the driver airbag trim cover in the center of the steering wheel and also into the passenger airbag door on the top of the instrument panel forward of the upper glove box. Vehicles with the airbag system can also be identified by the airbag indicator, which will illuminate in the ElectroMechanical Instrument Cluster (EMIC) (also known as the Cab Compartment Node/CCN) from four to six seconds as a bulb test each time the ignition switch is turned to the ON position. On all market vehicles, a pyrotechnic-type seat belt retractor tensioner is also integral to the driver and passenger front seat belt retractors to work in conjunction with the dual front airbags. On export market vehicles, a second pyrotechnic-type seat belt tensioner is integral to the driver and passenger front seat belt buckles to work in conjunction with the seat belt retractor tensioner and the dual front airbags.
- Seat Airbags - Seat integrated side airbags are standard equipment in all export market vehicles except Mexico. This airbag system consists of passive, inflatable, SRS components and vehicles with this equipment can be readily identified by a sewn tag with the SRS - AIRBAG logo located on the outboard side of the front seat back trim cover.
- Side Curtain Airbags - Side curtain airbags are standard equipment for this vehicle in all markets except Mexico. This airbag system consists of passive, inflatable, SRS components and vehicles with this equipment can be readily identified by a molded identification trim button with the SRS - AIRBAG logo located at the top of each B-pillar and C-pillar upper trim panel near the headliner.





The SRS includes the following major components, which are described in further detail elsewhere in this service information:

- Airbag Indicator - The airbag indicator is integral to the ElectroMechanical Instrument Cluster (EMIC) (also known as the Cab Compartment Node/CCN), which is located on the instrument panel in front of the driver.
- Clockspring - The clockspring is located near the top of the steering column, directly beneath the steering wheel.
- Driver Airbag (4) - The driver airbag is located in the center of the steering wheel horn pad, beneath the driver airbag trim cover.
- Driver Knee Blocker - The driver knee blocker is a structural unit secured to the back side of and integral to the instrument panel steering column opening cover.
- Front Impact Sensor (1) - Two front impact sensors are used, one left side and one right side. One sensor is located on the back of the front end module carrier on each side of the cooling module and below the inboard end of each front lamp unit.
- Occupant Restraint Controller (2) - The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) is located on a mounting bracket on the floor panel near the dash panel just forward of the center instrument panel support.
- Passenger Airbag (3) - The passenger airbag is located in the instrument panel, beneath the passenger airbag door on the top of the instrument panel just forward of the upper glove box on the passenger side of the vehicle.
- Passenger Knee Blocker - The passenger knee blocker is a structural reinforcement that is integral to and concealed within the lower glove box door.
- Seat Belt Tensioner (6 and 8) - A seat belt tensioner is integral to both front seat belt retractor units (8) on all vehicles. In addition, a tensioner is integral to both front seat belt buckle units (6) of vehicles manufactured for export markets. The seat belt retractor tensioner units are secured to the right and left inner B-pillars and concealed beneath the lower B-pillar trim. The seat belt buckle tensioner units are secured to the inboard side of each front seat cushion frame and concealed beneath the inboard seat cushion side shield.
- Seat Track Position Sensor (7) - Certain vehicles, (Domestic market and Mexico) may include a seat track position sensor that is located on a bracket on the inboard side of the upper inboard seat adjuster track on each front seat.
- Seat Airbags (9) - Seat integrated side airbags are standard equipment in all export market vehicles except Mexico. This airbag system consists of passive, inflatable, SRS components and vehicles with this equipment can be readily identified by a sewn tag with the
- Side Curtain Airbag (11) - Vehicles with this equipment have a side curtain airbag secured to each inside roof side rail above the headliner, which extends from the A-pillar to the D-pillar.
- Side Impact Sensor (5 and 10) - Six side impact sensors are standard equipment on vehicles with side curtain airbags, three on each side of the vehicle. One pressure-type sensor (5) is located on each right and left side front door module carrier, while one acceleration-type sensor (10) is located in each sliding door lower track and each quarter inner panel near the wheel well. These sensors are each concealed behind the adjacent interior trim components.

The ORC and the EMIC each contain a microprocessor and programming that allow them to communicate with each other using the Controller Area Network (CAN) data bus. This method of communication is used by the ORC for control of the airbag indicator in the EMIC.Description.

Hard wired circuitry connects the SRS components to each other through the electrical system of the vehicle. These hard wired circuits are integral to several wire harnesses, which are routed throughout the vehicle and retained by many different methods. These circuits may be connected to each other, to the vehicle electrical system, and to the SRS components through the use of a combination of soldered splices, splice block connectors, and many different types of wire harness terminal connectors and insulators. Refer to Diagrams/Electrical. The wiring information includes wiring diagrams, proper wire and connector repair procedures, further details on wire harness routing and retention, as well as pin-out and location views for the various wire harness connectors, splices and grounds.


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