belt DODGE NITRO 2010 1.G Owners Manual

control. Failure to operate this vehicle safely may result
in an accident, rollover of the vehicle, and severe or fatal
injury. Drive carefully.
Failure to use driver and passenger seat beltsprovided
is a major cause of severe or fatal injury. In fact, the U.S.
government notes that the universal use of existing seat belts could cut the highway death toll by 10,000 or more
each year and could reduce disabling injuries by two
million annually. In a rollover crash, an unbelted person
is significantly more likely to die than a person wearing
a seat belt. Always buckle up.
HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL
Consult the Table of Contents to determine which section
contains the information you desire.
Since the specification of your vehicle depends on the
items of equipment ordered, certain descriptions and
illustrations may differ from your vehicle’s equipment
The detailed index at the back of this Owner’s Manual
contains a complete listing of all subjects.
Consult the following table for a description of the
symbols that may be used on your vehicle or throughout
this Owner’s Manual:
Rollover Warning Label
1
INTRODUCTION 5

▫Battery Replacement ................... 24
▫ General Information ................... 25
 Remote Starting System — If Equipped ....... 25
▫ How To Use Remote Start ............... 25
 Door Locks ........................... 28
▫ Manual Door Locks ................... 28
▫ Power Door Locks .................... 29
▫ Automatic Door Locks ................. 29
▫ Automatic Unlock Doors On Exit .......... 30
▫ Child-Protection Door Lock System (Rear
Doors) ............................. 31
 Windows ............................ 33
▫ Power Windows ...................... 33 ▫
Wind Buffeting ....................... 37
 Liftgate ............................. 37
 Occupant Restraints ..................... 38
▫ Lap/Shoulder Belts .................... 39
▫ Lap/Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions .... 41
▫ Lap/Shoulder Belt Untwisting Procedure .... 45
▫ Seat Belt Pretensioner .................. 45
▫ Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage . . . 45
▫ Seat Belts In Passenger Seating Positions ..... 46
▫ Automatic Locking Retractors (ALR) Mode
— If Equipped ....................... 47
▫ Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR) . . 48
▫ Energy Management Feature ............. 52
10 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

▫Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert) ......................... 52
▫ Seat Belt Lock Out .................... 53
▫ Seat Belts And Pregnant Women .......... 53
▫ Seat Belt Extender ..................... 54
▫ Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) —
Airbags ............................ 54
▫ Airbag Deployment Sensors And Controls . . . 62
▫ Event Data Recorder (EDR) .............. 74▫
Child Restraints ...................... 76
 Engine Break-In Recommendations .......... 86
 Safety Tips ........................... 86
▫ Transporting Passengers ................ 86
▫ Exhaust Gas ......................... 87
▫ Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle ............................. 88
▫ Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make
Outside The Vehicle ................... 90
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 11

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 Airbags for driver and front passen-
ger
•Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR) located
on top of the front seats (integrated into the head
restraint)
•Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC)
for the driver and passengers seated next to a window
•An energy-absorbing steering column and steering
wheel
•Knee bolsters/blockers for front seat occupants
•Front seat belts incorporate pretensioners to enhance
occupant protection by managing occupant energy
during an impact event
•All seat belt systems (except the driver’s and rear
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 — if equipped
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, see Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren
(LATCH).
38 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

NOTE:The Advanced Front Airbags have a multistage
inflator design. This allows the airbag to have different
rates of inflation based on the severity and type of
collision.
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.
WARNING!
In a collision, 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. Buckle up even though you are an excellent driver, even
on short trips. Someone on the road may be a poor driver
and cause a collision 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 a collision. 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 seating positions in your vehicle are equipped with
lap/shoulder belts. The belt webbing retractor is de-
signed to lock during very sudden stops or collisions.
This feature allows the shoulder part of the belt to move
freely with you under normal conditions. However, in a
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 39

collision 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 a collision, 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)
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 a collision the best.
Wearing your belt in the wrong place could make
your injuries in a collision much worse. You might
suffer internal injuries, or you could even slide out
of part of the belt. Follow these instructions to
wear your seat belt safely and to keep your pas-
sengers safe too.
•Two people should never be belted into a single
seat belt. People belted together can crash into one
another in a collision, hurting one another badly.
Never use a lap/shoulder belt or a lap belt for more
than one person, no matter what their size.
40 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 located on the B-Pillar along
the outboard side and rear of the seat cushion. The rear
seat belt latch plates are located on the C-Pillar for the
outboard rear seating positions and next to your arm in
the center rear seating position. Grasp the latch plate and
pull out the belt. Slide the latch plate up the webbing as
far as necessary to make the belt go around your lap.
Latch Plate
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 41

3. When the belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”WARNING!
•A belt that is buckled into the wrong buckle will
not protect you properly. The lap portion could
ride too high on your body, possibly causing
internal injuries. Always buckle your belt into the
buckle nearest you.
•A belt that is too loose will not protect you
properly. In a sudden stop you could move too far
forward, increasing the possibility of injury. Wear
your seat belt snugly.(Continued)
Latch Plate To Buckle
42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING! (Continued)
•A belt that is worn under your arm is dangerous.
Your body could strike the inside surfaces of the
vehicle in a collision, increasing head and neck
injury. A belt worn under the arm can cause
internal injuries. Ribs aren’t as strong as shoulder
bones. Wear the belt over your shoulder so that
your strongest bones will take the force in a
collision.
•A shoulder belt placed behind you will not protect
you from injury during a collision. You are more
likely to hit your head in a collision if you do not
wear your shoulder belt. The lap and shoulder belt
are meant to be used together.
4. Position the lap belt across your thighs, below your
abdomen. To remove slack in the lap portion, pull up a
bit on the shoulder belt. To loosen the lap belt if it is too tight, tilt the latch plate and pull on the lap belt. A snug
belt reduces the risk of sliding under the belt in a
collision.
WARNING!
•A lap belt worn too high can increase the risk of
injury in a collision. The belt forces won’t be at the
strong hip and pelvic bones, but across your ab-
domen. Always wear the lap part of your seat belt
as low as possible and keep it snug.
•A twisted belt will not protect you properly. In a
collision, it could even cut into you. Be sure the
belt is straight. If you can’t straighten a belt in
your vehicle, take it to your authorized dealer
immediately and have it fixed.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 43

5. Position the shoulder belt on your chest so that it is
comfortable and not resting on your neck. The retractor
will withdraw any slack in the belt.6. To release the belt, push the red button on the buckle.
The belt will automatically retract to its stowed position.
If necessary, slide the latch plate down the webbing to
allow it to retract fully.
WARNING!
A frayed or torn belt could rip apart in a collision and
leave you with no protection. Inspect the belt system
periodically, checking for cuts, frays, or loose parts.
Damaged parts must be replaced immediately. Do
not disassemble or modify the system. Seat belt
assemblies must be replaced after a collision if they
have been damaged (bent retractor, torn webbing,
etc.).
Removing Slack From Belt
44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE