seats DODGE CHALLENGER SRT 2009 3.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 seating positions in your vehicle are equipped with
lap/shoulder belts.
The belt webbing retractor is designed to lock during
very sudden stops or impacts. This feature allows the
shoulder part of the belt to move freely with you under
normal conditions. However, in a collision, the belt will
lock and reduce your risk of striking the inside of the
vehicle or being thrown out.
WARNING!
•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 seriously injured or killed.
•Do not allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle that is
not equipped with seats and seat belts.
•Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a seat
belt properly.
•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 best.
•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
passengers safe, too.
•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 a lap
belt for more than one person, no matter what their size.
38 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
Infants in rear-facing child restraints should NEVER
ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger
front airbag. An airbag deployment could cause
severe injury or death to infants in that position.
2. Children who are not big enough to wear the vehicle
seat belt properly should be secured in the rear seat in
child restraints or belt-positioning booster seats. (Refer to
information on Child Restraint in this section.)
3. Older children who do not use child restraints or
belt-positioning booster seats should ride properly buck-
led up in the rear seat. Never allow children to slide the
shoulder belt behind them or under their arm.
4. If a child from 1 to 12 years old must ride in the front
passenger seat because the vehicle is crowded, move theseat as far back as possible and use the proper child
restraint. (Refer to information on Child Restraint in this
section.)
5. You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
6. All occupants should use their seat belts properly.
7. The driver and front passenger seats should be moved
back as far as practical to allow the airbags time to inflate.
8. Do not lean against the door, as the airbags will inflate
forcefully into the space between you and the door.
9. If the airbag system in this vehicle needs to be
modified to accommodate a disabled person, contact the
Customer Center. Phone numbers are provided in theIf
You Need Customer Assistancesection.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49
2

Child Restraint
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up all the
time, including babies and children. 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 younger should ride properly
buckled 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.
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.
Infants and Child Restraints
•
Safety experts recommend that children ride
rearward-facing in the vehicle until they are at least
one year oldandweigh at least 20 lbs (9 kg). Two types
of child restraints can be used rearward-facing, infant
carriers and convertible child seats.
•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). Convertible child 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
58 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

infant carriers do, so they can be used rearward-facing
by children who weigh more than 20 lbs (9 kg) but are
less than one year old. Both types of child restraints are
held in the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt or the
LATCH child restraint anchorage system. Refer to
“LATCH — Child Seat Anchorage System (Lower
Anchors and Tether for CHildren)” in this section.
•Rearward-facing child seats mustNEVERbe used in
the front seat of a vehicle with the front passenger
airbag unless the airbag is turned off. An airbag
deployment could cause severe injury or death to
infants in this position.
Older Children and Child Restraints
Children 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 childseats 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. Refer to “LATCH — Child
Seat Anchorage System (Lower Anchors and Tether for
CHildren)” in this section.
The belt-positioning booster seat is for children weighing
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 seat cushion while the
child’s back is against the seatback, they should use a
belt-positioning booster seat. The child and belt-
positioning booster seat are held in the vehicle by the
lap/shoulder belt.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 59
2

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
seatback should use the lap/shoulder belt in a rear seat.
•Make sure that the child is upright in the seat.
•The lap portion should be low on the hips and as snug
as possible.
•Check belt fit periodically. A child’s squirming or
slouching can move the belt out of position.
•If the shoulder belt contacts the face or neck, move the
child closer to the center of the vehicle. Never allow a
child to put the shoulder belt under an arm or behind
their back.
NOTE: For additional information, refer to
www.seatcheck.org or call 1–866–SEATCHECK.
WARNING!
•Improper installation can lead to failure of an
infant or child restraint. It could come loose in a
collision. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer’s directions ex-
actly when installing an infant or child restraint.
•A rearward-facing child restraint should only be
used in a rear seat. A rearward-facing child re-
straint in the front seat may be struck by a deploy-
ing passenger airbag, which may cause severe or
fatal injury to the infant.
Here are some tips on getting the most out of your child
restraint:
•Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it
has a label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety
60 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

kits or retrofit kits. You are urged to take advantage of all
the available attachments provided with your child re-
straint in any vehicle.
All three rear-seating positions have lower anchorages
that are capable of accommodating LATCH-compatible
child seats. You shouldNEVERinstall LATCH-
compatible child seats so that two seats share a common
lower anchorage. If installing child seats in adjacent
rear-seating positions, or if your child restraints are not
LATCH-compatible, install the restraints using the vehi-
cle’s seat belts.
Installing the LATCH-Compatible Child Restraint
System
We urge you to follow the manufacturer’s directions
carefully when installing your child restraint. Not all
child restraint systems will be installed as described here.
LATCH Anchorages
62 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

SAFETY TIPS
Transporting Passengers
NEVER TRANSPORT PASSENGERS IN THE CARGO
AREA.
WARNING!
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 seriously
injured or killed.
Do not allow people to ride in any area of your
vehicle that is not equipped with seats and seat belts.
Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
Lock Your Vehicle
Always remove the key from the ignition and lock all
doors when leaving the vehicle unattended, even in your
own driveway or garage. Try to park your vehicle in a
well-lit area and never invite theft by leaving articles of
value exposed.
Exhaust Gas
WARNING!
•Exhaust gases can injure or kill. They contain
carbon monoxide (CO), which is colorless and
odorless. Breathing it can make you unconscious
and can eventually poison you. To avoid breathing
(CO) follow these safety tips.
68 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Voice Recognition System — If Equipped......104
▫Voice Recognition System (VR) Operation....104
▫Commands..........................105
▫Voice Training........................108

Seats................................109
▫Easy Entry Seats......................109
▫Power Seats.........................109
▫Front Seat Back Recline.................110
▫Lumbar Support......................111
▫Head Restraints......................111
▫Heated Seats........................112
▫Folding Rear Seat — If Equipped..........113

To Open And Close The Hood.............114
Lights...............................116
▫Headlight Switch.....................116
▫Automatic Headlights — If Equipped.......117
▫Headlights On With Wipers
(Available With Auto Headlights Only)......117
▫Headlight Time Delay..................117
▫Daytime Running Lights — If Equipped.....118
▫Lights-On Reminder...................118
▫Fog Lights..........................118
▫Multifunction Control Lever..............119
▫Overhead Console Map/Reading Lights.....120
▫Interior Lights.......................121
72 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

SEATS
Easy Entry Seats
Pushing the lever upward (toward the front of the
vehicle) allows the seat back to dump forward and the
seat to slide forward. This allows for easier access to the
rear seat.
Power Seats
The power seat switch is on the outboard side of the seat
near the floor. Use this switch to move the driver’s seat
up or down, forward or rearward, or to tilt the seat.
Easy Entry Seats
Power Seat Switch
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 109
3

Heated Seats
Heated seats provide comfort and warmth on cold days
and can help soothe sore muscles and backs. The heaters
provide the same heat level for both cushion and back.
The driver seat and front passenger seat are heated.
The controls for each heater are located near the bottom
center of the instrument panel. After turning on the
ignition, you can choose from High, Low, or Off heat
settings. Amber indicators in the top portion of each
switch indicate the level of heat in use. Two indicators
will illuminate for high, one for low, and none for off.
Press the switch once to select high level heating. 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 will automati-
cally switch to the low level after 30 minutes of continu-
ous operation. At that time, the number of indicators
Heated Seat Switch
112 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE