seats DODGE CALIBER 2006 1.G Owners Manual

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.Everyonein a motor vehicle should
be belted at all times.
Lap/Shoulder Belts
All the seats in your vehicle are equipped with Lap/
Shoulder Belts.
The belt webbing retractor is designed 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. But in a collision, the belt will lock
and reduce the risk of your striking the inside of the
vehicle or being thrown out.
WARNING!
²It 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
seriously injured or killed.
²Do not allow people to ride in any area of your
vehicle that is not equipped with seats and seat
belts.
²Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
30 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 shouldNEVERride
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.
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 accommodate a disabled person, contact the
Customer Center. Phone numbers are provided under9If
You Need Assistance9in Section 9 of this manual.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 41
2

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 restraints).
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
OccupantPassenger Airbag
Disable (PAD)
Indicator LightAirbag
Status
Adult OFF ON
Child ON OFF
Grocery Bags, Heavy
Briefcases and Other
Relatively Light ObjectsON OFF
Empty or Very Small
ObjectsOFF* 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.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 45
2

²Accelerator status (including vehicle speed)
²Engine control status (including engine speed)
²Cruise control status
²Traction/stability control status
Child Restraint
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up at all
times Ð 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.
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 Children
There 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:
²Safety 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
52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

carriers and9convertible9child seats. Both types of
child restraints are held in the vehicle by the lap/
shoulder belt or the LATCH child restraint anchorage
system.
²The infant carrier is only used rearward-facing in the
vehicle. It is recommended for children who weigh up
to about 20 lbs (9 kg).9Convertible9child seats can be
used either rearward-facing or forward-facing in the
vehicle. Convertible child seats often have a higher
weight limit in the rearward-facing direction than
infant carriers do, so they can be used rearward-facing
by children who weigh more than 9 kg (20 lbs) but are
less than one year old.
²Rearward-facing child seats mustNEVERbe used in
the front seat of a vehicle with a front passenger
airbag. An airbag deployment could cause severe
injury or death to infants in this position.
²Children who weigh more than 20 lbs (9 kg) and who
are older than one year can ride forward-facing in the
vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and convertible
child seats used in the forward-facing direction are for
children who weigh 20 to 40 lbs (9 to 18 kg) and who
are older than one year. These child seats are also held
in the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt or the LATCH
child restraint anchorage system.
²The belt-positioning booster seat is for children weigh-
ing more than 40 lbs (18 kg), but who are still too small
to fit the vehicle's seat belts properly. If the child
cannot sit with knees bent over the vehicle's cushion
while the child's back is against the seat back; they
should use a Belt Positioning Booster Seat. The child
and booster seat are held in the vehicle by the lap/
shoulder belt. (Some booster seats are equipped with a
front shield and are held in the vehicle by the lap
portion.)
NOTE:For additional information refer to
www.seatcheck.org.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53
2

Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren (LATCH)
Your vehicle is equipped with the child restraint anchor-
age system called LATCH, which stands for Lower
Anchors and Tether for CHildren. The LATCH system
provides for the installation of the child restraint without
using the vehicle seat belt. All three rear seating positions
have lower anchorages that are capable of accommodat-
ing LATCH-compatible child seats having flexible,
webbing-mounted lower attachments. Child seats with
fixed lower attachments must be installed in the out-
board positions only. Regardless of the specific type of
lower attachment,NEVERinstall LATCH-compatible
child seats such that two seats share a common lower
anchorage. If you are installing LATCH-compatible child
restraints in adjacent rear seating positions, you can use
the LATCH anchors or the vehicle's seat belt for the
outboard position, but you must use the vehicle's seat
belt at the center position. If your child restraints are not
LATCH-compatible, you can only install the child re-
straints using the vehicle's seat belts. Please refer to,
Installing the Child Restraint System for typical installa-
tion instructions.Child restraints systems having attachments designed to
connect to the lower anchorages are now available. Child
restraints having tether straps and hooks for connection
to the top tether anchorage have been available for some
time. In fact, many child restraint manufacturers will
provide add-on tether strap kits for some of their older
products. Tether anchorage kits are also available for
most older vehicles.
Rear Seat LATCH
56 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

In general, you will first loosen the adjusters on the lower
and tether straps so that you can more easily attach the
hook or connector to the lower and tether anchorages.
The tether strap should be routed under the center of the
head restraint and attached to the tether anchor on the
rear of the seat back. Then tighten all three straps as you
push the child restraint rearward and downward into the
seat.Not all child restraint systems will be installed as we
have described here. Again, carefully follow the instruc-
tions that come with the child restraint system.
NOTE:If your child restraint seat is not LATCH
compatible, install the restraint using the vehicle seat
belts.
WARNING!
An incorrectly anchored tether strap could lead to
increased head motion and possible injury to the
child. Use only the anchor position directly behind
the child seat to secure a child restraint top tether
strap.
Children Too Large For Booster Seats
Children who are large enough to wear the shoulder belt
comfortably, and whose legs are long enough to bend
over the front of the seat when their back is against the
seat back, should use the lap/shoulder belt in a rear seat.
²Make sure that the child is upright in the seat.
Rear Seat Tether Anchors
58 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
CONTENTS
mMirrors..............................66
NInside Day/Night Mirror Ð If Equipped......66
NOutside MirrorÐDriver's Side.............66
NOutside MirrorÐPassenger's Side...........67
NElectric Remote-Control Mirrors............67
NVanity Mirrors Ð If Equipped.............69
NSun Visor Sliding Feature................69
mSeats................................69
NFront Seat Adjustment...................69
NManual Seat Height Adjustment Ð
If Equipped..........................70
NManual LumbarÐ If Equipped.............71NDriver's Seat Back Recline................71
NAdjustable Head Restraints...............72
NHeated Seats Ð If Equipped..............72
NFolding Rear Seat......................74
NReclining And Folding Rear Seat Ð
If Equipped..........................75
mTo Open And Close The Hood.............76
mLights...............................77
NMap/Reading Lights....................77
NMulti-Function Control Lever..............77
NHeadlights, Parking Lights, Instrument Panel
Lights..............................78
3

Vanity Mirrors Ð If Equipped
To use the mirror, rotate the sun visor down and swing
the mirror cover upward.
Sun Visor Sliding Feature
The sun visors may be pulled out to provide extended
coverage of the side glass.
SEATS
Front Seat Adjustment
The adjusting bar is at the front of the seats, near the
floor. Pull the bar up to move the seat to the desired
position.
Using body pressure, move forward and rearward on the
seat to be sure the seat adjusters have latched.
Vanity Mirror
Front Seat Adjustment
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 69
3

Adjustable Head Restraints
Head restraints can reduce the risk of whiplash injury in
the event of impact from the rear. Pull up or push down
on the head restraints so that the upper edge is as high as
practical. To raise the head restraint, pull up on the head
restraint. To lower the head restraint, depress the button
and push down on the head restraint.
Heated Seats Ð If Equipped
WARNING!
Persons who are unable to feel pain to the skin
because of advanced age, chronic illness, diabetes,
spinal cord injury, medication, alcohol use, exhaus-
tion 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. Do not place anything on the seat
that insulates against heat, such as a blanket or
cushion. This may cause the seat heater to overheat.
This feature heats the front driver's and passenger's
seats. The controls for the heater is located on the
instrument panel, below the radio. After turning on the
ignition, you may choose OFF, HIGH, or LOW heat
settings. An indicator on the switch shows which setting
has been chosen.
Head Restraint Adjustment
72 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE