belt DODGE NEON 2005 2.G Owners Manual

NTo Lock The Doors.....................19
NHorn Chirp Feature.....................19
NTo Unlock The Trunk....................20
NUsing The Panic Alarm..................20
NProgramming Additional Transmitters........20
NGeneral Information....................21
NTransmitter Battery Service...............21
mVehicle Theft Alarm Ð If Equipped..........22
NTo Set The Alarm......................22
NTo Disarm The System...................23
NSecurity System Manual Override...........23
mPower Windows Ð If Equipped............23
mOccupant Restraints.....................24
NLap/Shoulder Belts.....................24NAdjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage....28
NLap/Shoulder Belt Untwisting Procedure.....29
NSeat Belts And Pregnant Women............30
NSeat Belt Extender......................31
NDriver And Front Passenger Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) - Airbags...........31
NChild Restraint........................39
NTransporting Pets......................45
mEngine Break-In Recommendations..........46
mSafety Tips............................46
NExhaust Gas..........................46
NSafety Checks You Should Make Inside
The Vehicle..........................47
NPeriodic Safety Checks You Should Make
Outside The Vehicle....................47
8 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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, front
airbags for both the driver and front passenger and side
airbags for both the driver and front passenger. 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 buck-
led 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 that
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 your risk of striking the inside of the vehicle
or being thrown out.
24 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
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 instruc-
tions 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 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 in the rear seat. 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.
Latch Plate
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 25
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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.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,
increasing 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 sur-
faces 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 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.
Latch Plate To Buckle
26 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
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.
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.
Removing Slack From Belt
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 27
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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. Front seat
belt assemblies must be replaced after a collision.
Rear seat belt assemblies must be replaced after a
collision if they have been damaged (bent retractor,
torn webbing, etc.).
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 up or down on the anchorage
button 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'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.
Adjusting Upper Shoulder Belt
28 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Lap/Shoulder Belt Untwisting Procedure
Use the following procedure to untwist a twisted lap/
shoulder belt.1. Position the latch plate as close as possible to the
anchor point.
Twisted Seat Belt
Positioning Latch Plate
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 29
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2. At about 6 to 12 inches 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.
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.
Creating A Fold
Sliding The Latch Plate
30 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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
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.
Driver and Front Passenger Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) - Airbags
This vehicle has front airbags for both the driver and
front passenger as a supplement to the seat belt restraint
systems. The driver's front airbag is mounted in the
center of the steering wheel. The passenger's front airbag
is mounted in the instrument panel, above the glove
compartment. The words SRS AIRBAG are embossed on
the airbag covers.
Front Airbag Components
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 31
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Airbags inflate in moderate to high speed impacts. Along
with the seat belts, front airbags work with the instru-
ment panel knee bolsters to provide improved protection
for the driver and front passenger. Side airbags also work
with seat belts to improve occupant protection.
The seat belts are designed to protect you in many types
of collisions. The front airbags deploy in moderate to
severe frontal collisions. If your vehicle is equipped, the
side airbag on the crash side of the vehicle is triggered in
moderate to severe side collisions. In certain types of
collisions, both the front and side airbags may be trig-
gered. But even in collisions where the airbags work, you
need the seat belts to keep you in the right position for
the airbags to protect you properly.
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 (designed for chil-
dren up to 20 lbs (9 kg) and less than one year old) shouldNEVERride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passen-
ger front airbag. An airbag deployment could 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. See 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.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 33
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