instrument panel CHRYSLER PT CRUISER 2010 1.G User Guide

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.
•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 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
weight on the seat will be sensed by the system. Objects hanging on the seat or other passengers push-
ing down on the seat will also be sensed. The weight of
an adult will cause the system to turn the airbag on. In
this case, the OCS has classified the occupant of the
seat as an adult. An adult occupant needs to sit in a
normal position (with their feet on or near the floor) in
order to be properly classified. Reclining the seat back
too far may change how an occupant is classified by
the OCS.
•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
objects are placed on the seat, the passenger air bag
52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Front PassengerSeat 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 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 OCS, 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.
54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

This indicates that you should take the vehicle to an
authorized dealer. The Airbag Warning Light is turned on
whenever there is fault that can affect the operation of the
airbag system. If there is a fault present in the OCS, both
the PAD Indicator Light and the Airbag Warning Light
are illuminated to show that the passenger airbag is
turned off until the fault is cleared. If an object is lodged
under the seat and interferes with operation of the weight
sensors, a fault will occur which turns on both the PAD
Indicator Light and the Airbag Warning Light. Once the
lodged object is removed, the fault will be automatically
cleared after a short period of time.
•TheDriver and Passenger Airbag/Inflator Units are
located in the center of the steering wheel and the right
side of the instrument panel. When the ORC detects a
collision requiring the airbags, it signals the inflator
units. A large quantity of nontoxic gas is generated to
inflate the front airbags. Different airbag inflation rates may be possible based on collision severity and occu-
pant size. The steering wheel hub trim cover and the
upper right side of the instrument panel separate and
fold out of the way as the bags inflate to their full size.
The bags fully inflate in about 50 - 70 milliseconds.
This is about half of the time it takes to blink your eyes.
The bags then quickly deflate while helping to restrain
the driver and front passenger. The driver’s front
airbag gas is vented through vent holes in the sides of
the airbag. The passenger’s front airbag gas is vented
through vent holes in the sides of the airbag. In this
way the airbags do not interfere with your control of
the vehicle.
•The
Occupant 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-
troller (ORC). The ORC uses the occupant category to
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 55

WARNING!
Deployed airbags and seat belt pretensioners cannot
protect you in another collision. Have the airbags,
seat belt pretensioners, and the front passenger seat
belt retractor assembly, replaced by an authorized
dealer as soon as possible. Also, have the Occupant
Classification System serviced as well.
Maintaining Your Airbag System
WARNING!
•Modifications to any part of the airbag system
could cause it to fail when you need it. You could
be injured if the airbag system is not there to
protect you. Do not modify the components or
wiring, including adding any kind of badges or
stickers to the steering wheel hub trim cover or the
upper right side of the instrument panel. Do not
modify the front bumper, vehicle body structure,
or add aftermarket side steps or running boards.
•It is dangerous to try to repair any part of the
airbag system yourself. Be sure to tell anyone who
works on your vehicle that it has an airbag system.(Continued)
60 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make Outside
the Vehicle
Tires
Examine tires for excessive tread wear and uneven wear
patterns. Check for stones, nails, glass, or other objects
lodged in the tread. Inspect the tread and sidewall for
cuts and cracks. Check the wheel nuts for tightness.
Check the tires (including spare) for proper pressure.
Lights
Have someone observe the operation of exterior lights
while you work the controls. Check turn signal and high
beam indicator lights on the instrument panel.
Door Latches
Check for positive closing, latching, and locking.
Fluid Leaks
Check area under vehicle after overnight parking for fuel,
engine coolant, oil, or other fluid leaks. Also, if gasoline
fumes are detected or if fuel, power steering fluid, or
brake fluid leaks are suspected, the cause should be
located and corrected immediately.2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 77

To Open And Close The Hood ............. 99
 Lights ............................. 101
▫ Multifunction Lever .................. 101
▫ Headlights And Parking Lights .......... 101
▫ Lights-On Reminder .................. 102
▫ Instrument Panel Dimmer .............. 102
▫ High/Low Beam Switch ............... 103
▫ Flash-To-Pass ....................... 103
▫ Front Fog Lights — If Equipped .......... 103
▫ Turn Signals ........................ 104
▫ Lane Change Assist ................... 104
▫ Daytime Running Lights — If Equipped .... 104
▫ Map/Reading Lights .................. 105
 Windshield Wipers And Washers .......... 106▫
Windshield Wiper Operation ............ 106
▫ Intermittent Wiper System .............. 108
▫ Windshield Washers .................. 109
▫ Mist Feature ........................ 110
▫ Headlights With Wipers (Available With
Automatic Headlights Only) ............ 110
 Tilt Steering Column ................... 110
 Electronic Speed Control — If Equipped ..... 112
▫ To Activate ......................... 112
▫ To Set a Desired Speed ................ 113
▫ To Deactivate ....................... 113
▫ To Resume Speed .................... 113
▫ To Vary The Speed Setting .............. 113
▫ To Accelerate For Passing .............. 114
80 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Outside Mirror — Passenger Side
Adjust the convex outside mirror so you can just see the
side of your vehicle in the part of the mirror closest to the
vehicle.
WARNING!
Vehicles and other objects seen in the passenger side
convex mirror will look smaller and farther away
than they really are. Relying too much on your
passenger side mirror could cause you to collide with
another vehicle or other object. Use your inside
mirror when judging the size or distance of a vehicle
seen in this convex mirror.
Power Mirrors — If Equipped
The power mirror switch is located to the left of the
steering column on the instrument panel. To adjust the
view in the outside mirrors, turn the rotary knob to the L(Left), O (Center) or R (Right) position. After selecting the
mirror, move the knob in the same direction you want the
mirror to move. Use the O (Center) position to guard
against accidentally moving a mirror position.Power Mirror Switch
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 83

Heated Seats — If Equipped
The heaters provide the same heat level for both cushion
and seatback. The driver and front passenger seats are
heated. The controls for each heater are located near the
bottom center of the instrument panel.
After turning the ignition ON, you can choose from High,
Low, or Off heat settings. Amber indicator lights in each
switch indicate the level of heat in use. Two indicator
lights will illuminate for High, one for Low, and none for
Off.Press the switch once to select High-level heat-
ing. Press the switch a second time to select
Low-level heating. Press the switch a third time
to shut Off the heating elements.
If High-level heating is selected, the system automatically
switches to Low-level heating and turns one indicator
light off after 30 minutes of continuous operation. It will
turn the heater and the remaining indicator light off after an additional 30 minutes of continuous operation. If
Low-level heating is selected, the system automatically
turns the heater and the indicator light off after 30 min-
utes of continuous operation.
NOTE:
Once a heat setting is selected, heat will be felt
within two to five minutes.
WARNING!
•Persons who are unable to feel pain to the skin
because of advanced age, chronic illness, diabetes,
spinal cord injury, medication, alcohol use, ex-
haustion or other physical condition must exercise
care when using the seat heater. It may cause burns
even at low temperatures, especially if used for
long periods of time.
(Continued)
90 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

NOTE:Make sure that the elastic loop is around the
emergency release handle at all times. If the handle is
pulled downward, entirely through the elastic loop, the
handle will not return to its original position and the
seatback may not operate properly.
TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE HOOD
To open the hood, two latches must be released.
1. Pull the hood release lever located under the left side
of the instrument panel.
Hood Release Lever
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 99

LIGHTS
Multifunction Lever
The multifunction lever controls the operation of the
parking lights, headlights, headlight beam selection,
passing light, fog lights, instrument panel light dimming
and turn signals. The multifunction lever is located on
the left side of the steering column.
Headlights and Parking Lights
Turn the end of the multifunction lever to the first detent
for parking lights and instrument panel lights. Turn to
the second detent for headlight operation.
Multifunction Lever
Headlight Switch
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 101