warning DODGE MAGNUM 2008 1.G User Guide

OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems. These include the front
and rear seat belts for the driver and all passengers, the
front airbags for both the driver and front passenger, the
optional supplemental side curtain airbags for the driver
and passengers seated next to a window, and the optional
supplemental front-seat-mounted side airbags. If you
will be carrying children too small for adult-size belts,
your seat belts 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.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.
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
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 41
2

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!
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.
²Wearing 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.
²Wearing 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.
²Two 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.
42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

3. When the belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a ªclick.ºWARNING!
²A 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.
²A belt that is too loose will not protect you as well. In
a sudden stop, you could move too far forward, in-
creasing the possibility of injury. Wear your seat belt
snugly.
²A belt that is worn under your arm is very dangerous.
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 strongest bones will
take the force in a collision.
²A 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.
Connecting Latch Plate To Buckle
44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

4. Position the lap belt across your thighs, below your
abdomen. To remove slack in the lap belt portion, pull up
a bit 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.WARNING!
²A 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.
²A 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.
Removing Slack From Belt
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 45
2

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.).
Rear Center Lap/Shoulder Belt Retractor Lock-Out
This feature is designed to lock the retractor whenever
the 60% rear seat back is not fully latched. This prevents
someone from wearing the rear center lap/shoulder belt
when the rear seat back is not fully latched.
NOTE:
²If the rear center lap/shoulder belt cannot be pulled
out, check that the rear seat back is fully latched.
²If the rear seat back is properly latched and the rear
center lap/shoulder belt still cannot be pulled out, the
Automatic-Locking Retractor (ALR) system may be
activated. To reset this feature you must let all of the
belt webbing return into the retractor. You will not be
able to pull out more webbing until all of the webbing
has been returned back into the retractor.
46 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
The rear center lap/shoulder belt is equipped with a
lock-out feature to ensure that the rear seat back is in
the fully upright and locked position when occupied.
If the rear seat back is not fully upright and locked
and the rear center lap/shoulder belt can be pulled
out of the retractor, the vehicle should immediately
be taken to your dealer for service. Failure to follow
this warning could result in serious or fatal injury.
Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the driver and front passenger seats, the shoulder belt
can be adjusted upward or downward to position the belt
away from your neck. Push and fully depress the button
above the webbing to release the anchorage, and then
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 will prefer a higher position. When you release the
anchorage, try to move it up and down to make sure that
it is locked in position.
Adjusting Upper Shoulder Belt
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47
2

Enhanced Seat Belt Reminder System (BeltAlertT)
If the driver's seat belt has not been buckled within 60
seconds of starting the vehicle and if the vehicle speed is
greater than 5 mph (8 km/h), the Enhanced Warning
System (BeltAlertt) will alert the driver to buckle their
seat belt. The driver should also instruct all other occu-
pants to buckle their seat belts. Once the warning is
triggered, the Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlertt)
will continue to chime and flash the Seat Belt Reminder
Light for 96 seconds or until the driver's seat belt is
buckled. The Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlertt) will
be reactivated if the driver's seat belt is unbuckled for
more than 10 seconds and the vehicle speed is greater
than 5 mph (8 km/h).
BeltAlerttProgramming
The Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlertt) can be en-
abled or disabled by your authorized dealer or by
performing the following steps:NOTE:DaimlerChrysler does not recommend deacti-
vating the Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlertt).
1. With all doors closed, and the ignition switch in any
position except ON or START, buckle the driver's seat
belt.
2. Turn the ignition switch to the ON position, but do not
start the engine. Wait for the Seat Belt Reminder Light to
turn off and then proceed to the next step.
NOTE:You must perform the following steps within 60
seconds of turning the ignition switch to the ON position.
3. Within 60 seconds of turning the ignition switch to the
ON position, unbuckle and then re-buckle the driver's
seat belt at least three times within 10 seconds, ending
with the seat belt buckled.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49
2

NOTE:Watch for the Seat Belt Reminder Light to turn
on while unbuckling the seat belt and turn off while
re-buckling the seat belt. It may be necessary to retract
the seat belt.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the LOCK position. A
single chime will sound to signify that you have success-
fully completed the programming.
The Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlertt) can be reac-
tivated by repeating this procedure.
NOTE:When the Enhanced Warning System
(BeltAlertt) is deactivated, the Seat Belt Reminder Light
will continue to illuminate as long as the driver's seat belt
is unbuckled.Automatic Locking Mode Ð If Equipped
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-
locked. However, the belt will still retract to remove slack
in the shoulder belt. Use The Automatic Locking Mode
any time a child safety seat is installed in a seating
position that has a seat belt with this feature. Seat belts
that have the Automatic Locking Mode feature have a
distinctive label on the webbing. Children 12 years old
and under should be properly restrained in the rear seat
whenever possible.
How To Engage The Automatic Locking Mode
1. Buckle the combination lap and shoulder belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull downward until
the entire belt is extracted.
3. Allow the belt to retract. As the belt retracts, you will
here a clicking sound. This indicates the safety belt is
now in the automatic locking mode.
50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

How To Disengage The Automatic Locking Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap and shoulder belt and
allow it to retract completely to disengage the automatic
locking mode and activate the vehicle sensitive (emer-
gency) locking mode.
Seat Belts and Pregnant Women
We recommend that pregnant women use the seat belts
throughout their pregnancy. Keeping the mother safe is
the best way to keep the baby safe.
Pregnant women should wear the lap part of the belt
across the thighs and as snug across the hips as possible.
Keep the belt low so that it does not come across the
abdomen. That way the strong bones of the hips will take
the force if there is a collision.
Seat Belt Extender
If a seat belt is too short, even when fully extended, and
when the adjustable upper shoulder belt anchorage (if so
equipped) is in its lowest position, your dealer can
provide you with a seat belt extender. This extender
should be used only if the existing belt is not long
enough. When it is not required, remove the extender,
and store it.
WARNING!
Using a seat belt extender when not needed can
increase the risk of injury in a collision. Only use
when the seat belt is not long enough when it is worn
low and snug, and in the recommended seating
positions. Remove and store the extender when not
needed.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 51
2

WARNING!
²Do not put anything on or around the front airbag
covers or attempt to manually open them. You may
damage the airbags and you could be injured because
the airbags are no longer functional. These protective
covers for the airbag cushions are designed to open
only when the airbags are inflating.
²Do not drill, cut or tamper with the knee bolster in
any way.
²Do not mount any accessories to the knee bolster
such as alarm lights, stereos, citizens band radios etc.
This vehicle may also be equipped with supplemental
side curtain airbags to protect the driver and passengers
sitting next to a window and/or supplemental front-seat-
mounted side airbags.If the vehicle is equipped with supplemental side curtain
airbags, they are located above the side windows. Their
covers are also labeled SRS AIRBAG.
NOTE:Airbag covers may not be obvious in the interior
trim; but they will open to allow airbag deployment.Window Airbag
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53
2