belt DODGE AVENGER 2008 Owners Manual

N Using The Express Down Windows Feature Ð
If Equipped ..........................25
N Using The Panic Alarm ..................25
N Programming Additional Transmitters ........26
N Battery Replacement ....................26
N General Information ....................27
m Remote Start System Ð If Equipped ..........28
N How To Use Remote Start ................29
m Door Locks ............................30
N Manual Door Locks .....................30
N Power Door Locks .....................32
N ªChild-Protectionº Door Lock System
(Rear Doors) ..........................34
m Power Windows ........................35 N Power Window Switches .................35
N Auto Window Down Ð If Equipped .........36
N Auto Window Up Ð If Equipped ...........37
N Reset Auto Up ........................37
N Window Lockout Switch .................38
N Wind Buffeting ........................38
m Trunk Release ..........................39
m Trunk Safety Warnin g.....................39
N Trunk Internal Emergency Release ..........40
m Occupant Restraints ......................40
N Lap/Shoulder Belts .....................42
N Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage ....47
N Rear Seat Belts ........................4810 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

N Seat Belt Pretensioners ...................48
N Enhanced Seat Belt Reminder System
(BeltAlert t ) ..........................48
N BeltAlert t Programming .................49
N Automatic Locking Mode ................50
N Seat Belts And Pregnant Women ............50
N Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) - Airbag . .51
N Airbag System Components ...............52
N Front Seat Airbag Features ................53
N Airbag Deployment Sensors And Controls .....59 N Event Data Recorder (EDR) ...............65
N Child Restraint ........................67
m Engine Break-In Recommendations ...........78
m Safety Tips ............................78
N Exhaust Gas ..........................78
N Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle ..............................79
N Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make
Outside The Vehicle ....................80THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 11
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TRUNK INTERNAL EMERGENCY RELEASE
NOTE: As a security measure, a Trunk Internal Emer-
gency Release lever is built into the trunk latching
mechanism. In the event of an individual being locked
inside the trunk, the trunk can be simply opened by
pulling on the glow-in-the-dark handle attached to the
trunk latching mechanism. OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems. The following safety
features are standard on all vehicles:
² Three point lap and shoulder belts for all seating
positions
² Pretensioning and load-limiting retractors for the front
seat belts
² Advanced multistage driver and new active-vent front
passenger airbags
² New active-vent front passenger airbags.
² Knee Bolsters/Blockers for front seat occupants
² An energy absorbing steering column and steering
wheelInterior Trunk Emergency Release40 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

² Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC)
that span the front and second rows for sedans Ð if
equipped
² Supplemental seat side (Thorax) airbags Ð if
equipped
² Front seat belt retractors incorporate pretensioners to
enhance occupant protection by managing occupant
energy during an impact event.
² All seat belt systems (except the driver's) 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 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. NOTE: 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.
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. THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 41
2

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 will lock only during very
sudden stops or collisions. This feature allows the shoul-
der part of the belt to move freely with you under normal conditions. But in a collision, the belt will lock and reduce
your risk of striking the inside of the vehicle or being
thrown out.
WARNING!² Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
² It is extremely 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 seri-
ously injured or killed.
² 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.42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!² 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.
² Two people should never be belted into a single
seat belt. People belted together can crash into one
another in an accident, hurting one another badly.
Never use a lap/shoulder belt or lap belt for more
than one person, no matter what their size.
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 above the back of the front
seat, next to your arm. Grasp the latch plate and pull out
the belt. Slide the latch plate up the webbing as far as
necessary to allow the belt to go around your lap.
Pulling Out the Latch PlateTHINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 43
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3. When the belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a ªclick.º
WARNING!² 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.
² A belt that is too loose will not protect you as well.
In a sudden stop, you could move too far forward,
increasing the possibility of injury. Wear your seat
belt snugly. Inserting Latch Plate Into Buckle44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!² A belt that is worn under your arm is very danger-
ous. 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 stron-
gest bones will take the force in a collision.
² 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 belt portion, pull up
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.
Positioning the Lap BeltTHINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 45
2

WARNING!² A lap belt worn too high can increase the risk of
internal injury in a collision. The belt forces won't be
at the strong hip and pelvic bones, but across your
abdomen. Always wear the lap belt as low as pos-
sible and keep it snug.
² A twisted belt can't do its job as well. 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 dealer and have it fixed.
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 the belt 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.).
Lap/Shoulder Belt Untwisting Procedure
Use the following procedure to untwist a twisted lap/
shoulder belt.46 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

1. Position the latch plate as close as possible to the
anchor point.
2. At about 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) above the latch
plate, grasp and twist the belt webbing 180É to create a
fold that begins immediately above the latch plate.
3. Slide the latch plate upward over the folded webbing.
The folded webbing must enter the slot at the top of the
latch plate.
4. Continue to slide the latch plate up until it clears the
folded webbing.
ADJUSTABLE UPPER SHOULDER BELT
ANCHORAGE
In the front seat, the shoulder belt can be adjusted
upward or downward to position the belt away from
your neck. Push anchorage button to release the anchor-
age, and move it up or down to the position that serves
you best. 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. Adjustable AnchorageTHINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47
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