child restraint DODGE NITRO 2007 1.G Owners Manual

▫Programming Additional Transmitters........24
▫Battery Replacement....................24
▫General Information....................25

Remote Starting System — If Equipped........26

Door Locks............................27
▫Manual Door Locks.....................28
▫Power Door Locks.....................29
▫Child-Protection Door Lock System
(Rear Doors)..........................30

Windows.............................31
▫Power Windows.......................31
▫Wind Buffeting........................35

Liftgate...............................35
Occupant Restraints......................36
▫Lap/Shoulder Belts.....................38
▫Lap/Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions.....39
▫Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage....42
▫Automatic Locking Mode — If Equipped.....43
▫Energy Management Feature..............43
▫Seat Belt Pretensioners...................44
▫Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert)...........................44
▫Seat Belts And Pregnant Women............45
▫Seat Belt Extender......................46
▫Driver And Front Passenger Supplemental
Restraint Systems (SRS)..................47
▫Child Restraint........................64
12 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

To open the liftgate, pull up (squeeze) on the handle and
lift. Manually unlocking the vehicle doors with the
plunger or a key in the lock cylinder will not unlock the
liftgate.WARNING!
Driving with the liftgate open can allow poisonous
exhaust gases into your vehicle. You and your pas-
sengers could be injured by these fumes. Keep the
liftgate closed when you are operating the vehicle.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems. These include the front
and rear seat belts for the driver and all passengers, front
airbags for both the driver and right front passenger, and
side curtain airbags for the driver and passengers seated
next to a window. If you will be carrying children too
small for adult-size belts, your seat belts also can be used
to hold infant and child restraint systems.
Liftgate Release
36 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
•The belt and retractor assembly must be replaced
if the seat belt assembly “automatic locking re-
tractor” feature or any other seat belt function is
not working properly when checked according to
the procedures in the Service Manual.
•Failure to replace the belt and retractor assembly
could increase the risk of injury in collisions.
Seat Belt Pretensioners
The driver and front passenger seat belts are equipped
with pretensioning devices that are designed to remove
any slack from the seat belt systems in the event of a
collision. These devices improve the performance of the
seat belt by assuring that the belt is tight around the
occupant early in a collision. 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 must still be
worn snugly and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the Occupant Re-
straint Control (ORC) Module. Like the front airbags, the
pretensioners are a single use item. After a collision that
is severe enough to deploy the airbags and pretensioners,
they must be replaced.
Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert)
If the driver seat belt has not been buckled within 60
seconds of starting the vehicle and if the vehicle speed is
greater than 5 mph (8 km/h), the Enhanced Warning
System (BeltAlert) will alert the driver to buckle their seat
belt. The driver should also instruct all other occupants to
buckle their seat belts. Once the warning is triggered, the
Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert) will continue to
chime and flash the Seat Belt Warning Light for 96
44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

The front airbags have a multi stage inflator design. This
allows the airbag to have different rates of inflation that
are based on collision severity. Along with the seat belts,
front airbags work with the instrument panel knee bol-
sters to provide improved protection for the driver and
front passenger. Window bags also work with seat belts
to improve occupant protection.
The seat belts are designed to protect you in many types
of collisions. The front airbags deploy in moderate to
severe frontal collisions.
NOTE:The passenger front airbag may not deploy even
when the driver front airbag has if the Occupant Classi-
fication System (refer toOccupant Classification System
in this section) has determined the passenger seat is
empty or is occupied by someone that is classified in the
childsize category. This could be a child, teenager, or
even a adult.The window bag on the crash side of the vehicle is
triggered in moderate to severe side collisions. In certain
types of collisions, both the front and side airbags may be
triggered. But even in collisions where the airbags de-
ploy, you need the seat belts to keep you in the right
position for the airbags to protect you properly.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying airbag.
1. Children 12 years and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
Infants in rear facing child restraints shouldNEVERride
in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger airbag. An
airbag deployment could cause severe injury or death to
infants in that position.
Children that are not big enough to properly wear the
vehicle seat belt should be secured in the rear seat, in a
child restraint or belt-positioning booster seat. Older
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49
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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 must ride in the front
passenger seat because the vehicle is crowded, move the
seat as far back as possible, and use the proper child
restraint. See “Child Restraint” in this section.
You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
2. All occupants should use their lap and shoulder belts
properly.3. The driver and front passenger seats should be moved
back as far as practical to allow the front airbags room to
inflate.
4. Do not lean against the door or window, airbags will
inflate forcefully into the space between you and the
door.
5. If the airbag 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” in Section 9 of this manual.
50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

either momentarily or continuously. A single chime
will sound if the light comes on again after initial start
up.
WARNING!
Ignoring the “Airbag Warning Light” in your instru-
ment panel could mean you won’t have the airbags
to protect you in a collision. If the light does not
come on, stays on after you start the vehicle, or if it
comes on as you drive, have the airbag system
checked right away.
•TheOccupant Classification System (OCS)is part of
a Federally regulated safety system required for this
vehicle. It is designed to turn off the front passenger
airbag for an empty seat and for occupants classified
in the “child” size category. This could be a child,
teenager, or even a adult.
NOTE:Children 12 years and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat in an appropriate child restraint.
•ThePassenger Airbag Disable (PAD) Indicator Light
(an amber light located in the center of the instrument
panel) tells the driver and front passenger when the
front passenger airbag is turned off. The “PAD Indi-
cator Light” illuminates the wordsPASS AIR BAG
OFFto show that the passenger airbag will not inflate
during a collision requiring airbags. When the right
front passenger seat is empty or when very light
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53
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objects are placed on the seat, the passenger airbag
will not inflate even though the “PAD Indicator Light”
is not illuminated.The “PAD Indicator Light” should not be illuminated
when a adult passenger is properly seated in the front
passenger seat. In this case, the airbag is ready to be
inflated if a collision requiring an airbag occurs.
For occupants classified into the “child” size category, the
“PAD Indicator Light” will be illuminated indicating that
the front passenger airbag is turned off and will not
inflate. If the “PAD Indicator Light” is not illuminated,
DO NOTassume the airbag is turned off and move the
child restraint to the rear seat. A deploying passenger
airbag can cause death or serious injury to a child in a
rear facing infant seat.
NOTE:Even though this vehicle is equipped with an
Occupant Classification System, children 12 years and
under should always ride buckled up in a rear seat in an
appropriate child restraint.
Indicator Light Location
54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

The driver front airbag gas is vented through the vent
holes in the sides of the airbag. The passenger front
airbag gas is vented through the vent holes in the sides
of the airbag. In this way, the airbags do not interfere
with your control of the vehicle.
•TheOccupant Classification Module (OCM)is lo-
cated beneath the front passenger seat. The OCM
classifies the occupant into categories based on the
measurements made by the seat weight sensors. The
OCM communicates with the Occupant Restraint Con-
trol (ORC) Module. The ORC uses the occupant cat-
egory to determine whether the front passenger airbag
should be turned off. It also determines the rate of
airbag inflation during a collision.
•Your vehicle has fourWeight Sensorslocated between
the seat and the floor pan. The weight sensors measure
applied weight and transfers that information to the
OCM.
•TheSide Impact SRS Side Curtain Airbagsare de-
signed to activate only in certain side collisions. When
the ORC detects a collision requiring the side curtain
airbag to inflate, it signals the inflators on the crash
side of the vehicle. A quantity of nontoxic gas is
generated to inflate the side curtain airbag. The inflat-
ing side curtain airbag pushes the outside edge of the
headliner out of the way and covers the window. The
airbag inflates in about 30 milliseconds (about one
quarter of the time it takes to blink your eyes) with
enough force to injure you if you are not belted and
seated properly, or if items are positioned in the area
where the side curtain airbag inflates. This especially
applies to children. The side curtain airbag is only
about 3
12inches (9 cm) thick when it is inflated.
•TheKnee Impact Bolstershelp protect the knees of
the driver and the front passenger, and position every-
one for the best interaction with the front airbag.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 57
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Child Restraint
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up all the
time — 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, if available. According to crash
statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in
the rear seats rather than in the front.
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: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 can
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.
64 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Infants and Child Restraints
•
Safety experts recommend that children ride
rearward-facing in the vehicle until they are at least
one year oldandweigh at least 20 lbs (9 kg). Two types
of child restraints can be used rearward-facing: infant
carriers and “convertible” child seats.
•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 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. Both types of
child restraints are held in the vehicle by the lap/
shoulder belt or the LATCH child restraint anchorage
system (Refer to LATCH — Child Seat Anchorage
System in this section.)
•Rearward-facing child seats mustNEVERbe used in
the front seat of a vehicle with the front passenger
airbag unless the airbag is turned off. An airbag
deployment could cause severe injury or death to
infants in this position.
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 infant restraint should only be
used in a rear seat. A rearward facing infant
restraint 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 65
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