child restraint CHRYSLER PT CRUISER 2008 1.G Owners Manual

Emergency Seat Back Release (Sedan) .........40
 Emergency Deck Lid Release Latch
(Convertible) ...........................41
 Power Windows ........................42
▫ Auto Down Feature ....................43
▫ Rear Window Switches ..................43
▫ Wind Buffeting ........................44
 Occupant Restraints (Sedan) ................44
▫ Lap/Shoulder Belts .....................45
▫ Lap/Shoulder Seat Belt Untwisting Procedure . .52
▫ Adjustable Upper Shoulder Seat Belt
Anchorage ...........................52
▫ Seat Belt Pretensioners ...................53 ▫
Enhanced Seat Belt Reminder System
(BeltAlert) ..........................54
▫ Seat Belts And Pregnant Women ............54
▫ Driver And Front Passenger Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) - Airbag ............55
▫ Child Restraint ........................72
 Occupant Restraints (Convertible) ............81
▫ Lap/Shoulder Belts .....................82
▫ Lap/Shoulder Seat Belt Untwisting Procedure . .88
▫ Seat Belt Pretensioners ...................88
▫ Enhanced Seat Belt Reminder System
(BeltAlert) ..........................89
▫ Seat Belts And Pregnant Women ............89
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▫Driver And Front Passenger Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) ...................90
▫ Child Restraint .......................107
 Engine Break-In Recommendations ..........115
 Safety Tips ...........................115 ▫
Exhaust Gas .........................115
▫ Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle .............................116
▫ Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make
Outside The Vehicle ...................117
12 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WIND BUFFETINGWind buffeting can be described as the perception of
pressure on the ears or a helicopter type sound in the
ears. Your vehicle may exhibit wind buffeting with the
windows down, or the sunroof (if equipped) in certain
open or partially open positions. This is a normal occur-
rence and can be minimized. If the buffeting occurs with
the rear windows open, open the front and rear windows
together to minimize the buffeting. If the buffeting occurs
with the sunroof open, adjust the sunroof opening to
minimize the buffeting.OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS (SEDAN)Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems. These include:•
Front and rear seat belts for all passengers
•
Front airbags for both the driver and front passenger
•
Pretensioning and load-limiting retractors for the front
seat belts.
•
Knee Impact Blocker panels for front seat occupants.
•
Supplemental front seat mounted side Head/Thorax
airbags for both the driver and front passenger (if
equipped).
•
Front seat belt retractors that incorporate pretension-
ers to enhance occupant protection by managing oc-
cupant energy during an impact event.
If you will be carrying children too small for adult-size
seat belts, your seat belts or the LATCH feature also, can
be used to hold infant and child restraint systems.
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.
44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

As a guide, if you are shorter than average, you will
prefer a lower position, and if you are taller than average,
you’ll prefer a higher position. When you release the
anchorage, try to move it up or down to make sure that
it is locked in position.
SEAT BELT PRETENSIONERSThe seat belts for both front seating positions are
equipped with pretensioning devices that are designed to
remove slack from the seat belt in the event of a collision.
These devices improve the performance of the seat belt
by assuring that the belt is tight about 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 still must be
worn snugly and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the front airbag con-
trol module (see Airbag Section). Like the front airbags,
the pretensioners are single use items. After a collision
that is severe enough to deploy the airbags and preten-
sioners, both must be replaced.
Adjusting Upper Shoulder Belt
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Airbags inflate in moderate to high speed impacts. Along
with seat belts and pretensioners, front airbags work with
the driver inflatable knee blocker to provide improved
protection for the driver and front passenger. Side airbags
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. If your vehicle is equipped, the
side airbag 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 trig-
gered. 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 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.
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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. Refer to the section on Child Restraint.
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
between you and the door.
5. If the airbag system in this vehicle needs to be
modified to accomodate a disabled person, contact the
Customer Center. Phone numbers are provided under If
You Need Assistance in Section 9 of this manual.
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 side airbags, they also need room
to inflate. Do not lean against the door. Sit upright
in the center of the seat.
58 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 bolsters. 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 6 to 8 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 Passen-
ger Airbag Disable (PAD) Indicator Light in 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.•
The Occupant 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 occupants that weigh less than a very small
adult.
NOTE: Children 12 years and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat in an appropriate child restraint.
•
The OCS classifies an occupant using weight sensors
mounted in the base of the front passenger seat. Any
60 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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.
Front Passenger Seat Occupant Passenger Air-
bag Disable
(PAD) Indicator Light Airbag Status
Adult OFF ON Child ON OFF
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
62 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

•
Airbag disable lamp status (if equipped)
•
Timeof airbag deployment (in terms of ignition
cycles and vehicle mileage)
•
Airbag deployment level (if applicable)
•
Impact acceleration and angle
•
Seatbelt status
•
Brake status (service and parking brakes)
•
Accelerator status (including vehicle speed)
•
Engine control status (including engine speed)
•
Transmission gear selection
•
Cruise control status
•
Traction/stability control status
•
Tire pressure monitoring system status
CHILD RESTRAINTEveryone 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, if available. According to crash
statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in
the rear seats, rather than in the front.
72 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 Small ChildrenThere 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 correct seat
for your child. Use the restraint that is correct for your
child:
•
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 andconvertible child seats. Both types of
child restraints are held in the vehicle by the lap/
shoulder belt or the LATCH child restraint anchorage
system.
•
This vehicle is not capable of accommodating the
installation of a car bed used for carrying newborn
babies at the right front passenger seat position. If a car
bed must be used to transport a newborn baby, the car
bed must be installed in the second seating row only.
•
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). Convertiblechild seats can be
used either rearward-facing or forward-facing in the
vehicle. Convertible child seats often have a higherTHINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 73
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