CHRYSLER PT CRUISER 2008 1.G Owners Manual

ENHANCED SEAT BELT REMINDER SYSTEM
(BELTALERT)If the driver’s or front passenger’s 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 or front passenger 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
seconds or until the driver’s or front passenger’s seat belt
is buckled. The Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert)
will be reactivated if the driver’s or front passenger’s seat
belt is unbuckled for more than 10 seconds and the
vehicle speed is greater than 5 mph (8 km/h). NOTE:
•
The Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert) can be
enabled or disabled by your authorized dealer.
•
DaimlerChrysler does not recommend deactivating
the Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert).
If the Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert) is deacti-
vated, the Seat Belt Warning Light will continue to
illuminate while the driver seat belt remains unfastened.
SEAT BELTS AND PREGNANT WOMENWe recommend that pregnant women use the seat belts
throughout their pregnancy. Keeping the mother safe is
the best way to keep the baby safe.
Pregnant women should wear the lap part of the belt
across the thighs and as snug across the hips as possible.
Keep the belt low so that it does not come across the
abdomen. That way the strong bones of the hips will take
the force if there is a collision.THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 89
2

DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)This vehicle has airbags for both the driver and front
passenger as a supplement to the seat belt restraint
systems. The driver’s front airbag is mounted in the
center of the steering wheel. The passenger’s front airbag
is mounted in the instrument panel, above the glove
compartment. The words SRS AIRBAG are embossed on
the airbag covers.
Front Panel SRS Features
1 — Driver Airbag3 — Passenger Knee Blocker
2 — Passenger Airbag 4 — Driver Knee Blocker
90 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Head/Thorax airbags (if equipped) are located inside the
driver and front passenger seats, and their covers are also
labeled SRS AIRBAG.
NOTE:Airbag covers may not be obvious in the interior
trim; but they will open to allow airbag deployment.
WARNING!
•
Do not drill, cut or tamper with the knee blocker
panel in any way.
•
Do not mount any accessories to the knee blocker
panel such as alarm lights, stereos, citizens band
radios etc.
SRS Airbag Label
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WARNING!
•
Do not put anything on or around the airbag
covers or attempt to manually open them. You may
damage the airbags and you could be injured
because the airbags are not there to protect you.
These protective covers for the airbag cushions are
designed to open only when the airbags are inflat-
ing.
•
If your vehicle is equipped with Head/Thorax
airbags, do not use accessory seat covers or place
objects between you and the side airbags; the
performance could be adversely affected and/or
objects could be pushed into you, causing serious
injury.Airbags inflate in moderate to high speed impacts. Along
with seat belts and pretensioners, front airbags work with
knee impact blocker panels to provide improved protec-
tion for the driver and front passenger.
The seat belts are designed to protect you in many types
of collisions. The front airbags deploy in moderate to
severe frontal collisions. If your vehicle is equipped, the
Head/Thorax airbag on the crash side of the vehicle is
triggered in moderate to severe side collisions. In certain
types of collisions, both the front seat and Head/Thorax
airbags may be triggered. But even in collisions where
the airbags work, you need the seat belts to keep you in
the right position for the airbags to protect you properly.
NOTE:
The passenger front airbag may not deploy even
when the driver front airbag has if the Occupant Classi-
fication System (refer to Occupant Classification System
in this section) has determined the passenger seat is
92 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

empty or is occupied by someone that is classified in the
“child” category. This could be a child, a teenager, or
even a small adult.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying airbag.
1.Children 12 years old and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
Infants in rear facing child restraints should NEVERride
in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger front airbag.
An airbag deployment can cause severe injury or death to
infants in that position.
Children that are not big enough to properly wear the
vehicle seat belt (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.
You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
2. All occupants should 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 front airbags room to
inflate.
4. If your vehicle has side airbags, do not lean against the
door, airbags will inflate forcefully into the space be-
tween 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.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 93
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WARNING!
•
Relying on the airbags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The airbags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions the airbags won’t deploy at all.
Always wear your seat belts even though you have
airbags.
•
Being too close to the steering wheel or instrument
panel during front airbag deployment could cause
serious injury. Airbags need room to inflate. Sit
back, comfortably extending your arms to reach
the steering wheel or instrument panel.
•
If the vehicle has Head/Thorax airbags, they also
need room to inflate. Do not lean against the door.
Sit upright in the center of the seat.The front airbag system consists of the following:
•
Occupant Restraint Controller
•
Side Remote Acceleration Sensors (If Equipped)
•
Airbag Warning Light
•
Driver Airbag
•
Passenger Airbag
•
Front Seat Mounted Head/Thorax Airbags (if
equipped)
•
Steering Wheel and Column
•
Instrument Panel
•
Driver and Front Passenger Knee Impact Blockers
•
Front Acceleration Sensors
•
Driver and Front Passenger Seat Belt Pretensioners
•
Passenger Airbag Disable (PAD) Indicator Light
94 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

The Head/Thorax airbag system (if equipped) consists
of the following:•
AIRBAG Readiness Light (shared with the front airbag
system)
•
Front Seat— side mounted Head/Thorax Airbags — if
equipped
•
Airbag Control Module (shared with the front airbag
system)
•
Side impact sensors
How The Airbag System Works
•
TheOccupant Restraint Controller (ORC) determines
if a frontal collision is severe enough to require the
airbags to inflate. The front airbag inflators are de-
signed to provide different rates of airbag inflation
from direction provided by the ORC. The ORC may also modify the rate of inflation based on the occupant
size provided by the Occupant Classification Module.
The ORC will not detect roll over.
The ORC also monitors the readiness of the electronic
parts of the system whenever the ignition switch is in
the START or RUN positions. These include all of the
items listed above except the steering wheel and
column, and knee impact blockers. If the key is in the
OFF position, in the ACC position, or not in the
ignition, the airbags are not on and will not inflate.
During a moderate-to-severe rear impact the ORC may
deploy the seat belt pretensioners alone. Also, the ORC turns on the AIRBAG warning
light and PAD indicator light in the instrument
panel for six to eight seconds for a self-check
when the ignition is first turned on. After the
self-check, the AIRBAG warning light will turn off. The
PAD indicator light will function normally (Refer to
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 95
2

Passenger Airbag Disable (PAD) Indicator Lightin this
section). If the ORC detects a malfunction in any part of
the system, it turns on the AIRBAG warning light either
momentarily or continuously. A single chime will sound
if the light comes on again after initial start up.
WARNING!
Ignoring the AIRBAG light in your instrument 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.
NOTE: Children 12 years and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat in an appropriate child restraint.•
When the front airbag control module detects a colli-
sion requiring the front airbags, it signals the inflator units. A large quantity of nontoxic gas is generated to
inflate the front airbags. The front airbag covers sepa-
rate and fold out of the way as the front airbags inflate
to their full size. The front airbags fully inflate in about
50 milliseconds. This is only about half of the time it
takes you to blink your eyes. The front airbags then
quickly deflate while helping to restrain the driver and
front passenger. The driver’s and passenger’s front
airbag gas is vented through holes in the sides of the
airbag. In this way the front airbags do not interfere
with your control of the vehicle.
•
The
Passenger 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 Indica-
tor lamp illuminates the words PASS AIR BAG OFF
to show that the front passenger airbag will not inflate
during a collision requiring airbags. When the right
front passenger seat is empty or when very light
96 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

objects are placed on the seat, the passenger air bag
will not inflate even though the PAD indicator lamp is
not illuminated.
•
The PAD indictor light should not be illu-
minated when teenagers, most children in a
forward facing child restraint or booster
seats, most children that can properly wear
the vehicle’s seat belt, and when an adult passenger is
properly seated in the front passenger seat. In this
case, the air bag is ready to be inflated if a collision
requiring an airbag occurs. For all other occupants, the PAD indicator light will be
illuminated indicating that the front passenger airbag
is turned off and will not inflate.
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 (see section on child re-
straints).
WARNING!
Never place a rear facing infant seat in front of an
airbag. A deploying passenger airbag can cause death
or serious injury to a child in a rear facing infant seat.
Passenger Airbag Disabled Light
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 97
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Passenger Airbag Disable (PAD) System
Front Passenger Indicator Light Airbag Status
Adult OFFON
Child ONOFF
Grocery Bags,
Heavy Briefcases
and Other Rela-
tively Light Ob-
jects ON
OFF
Empty or Very
Small Objects OFF*
OFF
* Since the system senses weight, some small objects
will turn the PAD Indicator Light on.
Drivers and adult passengers should verify that the PAD
Indicator Light is not illuminated when an adult is riding
in the front passenger seat. If an adult occupant’s weight
is transferred to another part of the vehicle (like the door
or instrument panel), the weight sensors in the seat may not properly classify the occupant. Objects lodged under
the seat or between the seat and the center console can
prevent the occupant’s weight from being measured
properly and may result in the occupant being improp-
erly classified. Ensure that the front passenger seat back
does not touch anything placed on the second row of
seats because this can also affect occupant classification.
Also, if you fold down the seats in the second row check
to be sure they don’t touch the front passenger seat.
If the front passenger seat is damaged in any way, it
should only be serviced by an authorized dealer. If the
seat is removed (or even if the seat attachment bolts are
loosened or tightened in any way), take the vehicle to an
authorized dealer.
If there is a fault present in the Airbag Warning Light (a
red light located in the center of the instrument cluster
directly in front of the driver) will be turned on. This
98 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE