child restraint DODGE NITRO 2010 1.G Owners Manual

▫Battery Replacement ................... 24
▫ General Information ................... 25
 Remote Starting System — If Equipped ....... 25
▫ How To Use Remote Start ............... 25
 Door Locks ........................... 28
▫ Manual Door Locks ................... 28
▫ Power Door Locks .................... 29
▫ Automatic Door Locks ................. 29
▫ Automatic Unlock Doors On Exit .......... 30
▫ Child-Protection Door Lock System (Rear
Doors) ............................. 31
 Windows ............................ 33
▫ Power Windows ...................... 33 ▫
Wind Buffeting ....................... 37
 Liftgate ............................. 37
 Occupant Restraints ..................... 38
▫ Lap/Shoulder Belts .................... 39
▫ Lap/Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions .... 41
▫ Lap/Shoulder Belt Untwisting Procedure .... 45
▫ Seat Belt Pretensioner .................. 45
▫ Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage . . . 45
▫ Seat Belts In Passenger Seating Positions ..... 46
▫ Automatic Locking Retractors (ALR) Mode
— If Equipped ....................... 47
▫ Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR) . . 48
▫ Energy Management Feature ............. 52
10 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

▫Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert) ......................... 52
▫ Seat Belt Lock Out .................... 53
▫ Seat Belts And Pregnant Women .......... 53
▫ Seat Belt Extender ..................... 54
▫ Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) —
Airbags ............................ 54
▫ Airbag Deployment Sensors And Controls . . . 62
▫ Event Data Recorder (EDR) .............. 74▫
Child Restraints ...................... 76
 Engine Break-In Recommendations .......... 86
 Safety Tips ........................... 86
▫ Transporting Passengers ................ 86
▫ Exhaust Gas ......................... 87
▫ Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle ............................. 88
▫ Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make
Outside The Vehicle ................... 90
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 11

OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems:
•Three-point lap and shoulder belts for all seating
positions
•Advanced Front Airbags for driver and front passen-
ger
•Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR) located
on top of the front seats (integrated into the head
restraint)
•Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC)
for the driver and passengers seated next to a window
•An energy-absorbing steering column and steering
wheel
•Knee bolsters/blockers for front seat occupants
•Front seat belts incorporate pretensioners to enhance
occupant protection by managing occupant energy
during an impact event
•All seat belt systems (except the driver’s and rear
center) 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 equipped
If you will be carrying children too small for adult-sized
seat belts, the seat belts or the Lower Anchors and Tether
for CHildren (LATCH) feature also can be used to hold
infant and child restraint systems. For more information
on LATCH, see Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren
(LATCH).
38 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.
2. At about 6 to 12 in (15 to 30 cm) above the latch plate,
grasp and twist the belt webbing 180 degrees 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 Belt Pretensioner
The seat belts for both front seating positions are
equipped with a pretensioning device that is designed to
remove any slack from the seat belt systems in the eventof a collision. These devices improve the performance of
the seat belt by assuring that the belt is tight around the
occupant early in a collision. Pretensioners work for all
size occupants, including those in child restraints.
NOTE:
These devices are not a substitute for proper seat
belt placement by the occupant. The seat belt must still be
worn snugly and positioned properly
The pretensioners are triggered by the Occupant Re-
straint Controller (ORC). Like the airbags, the pretension-
ers are single use items. A deployed pretensioner or a
deployed airbag must be replaced immediately.
Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the front seating positions, the shoulder belt can be
adjusted upward or downward to position the belt away
from your neck. Press the release button to release the
anchorage, and then move it up or down to the position
that fits you best.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 45

NOTE:The adjustable upper shoulder belt anchorage is
equipped with an Easy Up feature. This feature allows the
shoulder belt anchorage to be adjusted in the upward
position without pressing the release button. To verify the
shoulder belt anchorage is latched, pull downward on the
shoulder belt anchorage until it is locked into position.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.
Seat Belts In Passenger Seating Positions
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with Automatic Locking Retractors (ALR)
which are used to secure a child restraint system. For
additional information refer to “Installing Child Re-
straints Using the Vehicle Seat Belt” under the “Child
Restraints” section. The chart below defines the type of
feature for each seating position.
Left Center Right
First Row ALR
Second Row ALR Cinching Latch PlateALR
Third Row
Adjusting Upper Shoulder Belt
46 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

•Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC)
•Front and Side Impact Sensors
•Front Seat Belt Pretensioners, Seat Belt Buckle Switch,
and Seat Track Position Sensors
•Supplemental Active Head Restraint for Driver and
Front Passenger
•Occupant Classification System (OCS)
•Occupant Classification Module (OCM)
•Passenger Airbag Disable (PAD) Indicator Light
•Weight Sensors
Advanced Front Airbag Features
The Advanced Front Airbag system has multistage driver
and front passenger airbags. This system provides output
appropriate to the severity and type of collision asdetermined by the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC),
which may receive information from the front impact
sensors.
The first stage inflator is triggered immediately during an
impact that requires airbag deployment. The timing of
the second stage determines whether the output force is
low, medium, or high. If a low output is sufficient to meet
the need, the remaining gas in the inflator is expended.
NOTE:
The passenger Advanced Front Airbag may not
deploy, even when the driver Advanced Front Airbag
has, if the Occupant Classification System (refer to Oc-
cupant Classification System”) has determined the pas-
senger seat is empty or is occupied by someone that is
classified in the childsize category. This could be a
child, teenager, or even an adult.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 57

WARNING! (Continued)
•If your vehicle is equipped with SABIC airbags,
do not have any accessory items installed which
will alter the roof, including adding a sunroof to
your vehicle. Do not add roof racks that require
permanent attachments (bolts or screws) for instal-
lation on the vehicle roof. Do not drill into the roof
of the vehicle for any reason.
Knee Impact Bolsters
The Knee Impact Bolsters help protect the knees of the
driver and the front passenger, and position front occu-
pants for the best interaction with the Advanced Front
Airbag.
Along with seat belts and pretensioners, Advanced Front
Airbags work with the knee bolsters to provide improved
protection for the driver and front passenger. Side airbags
also work with seat belts to improve occupant protection.Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying airbag:
1. Children 12 years and younger should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
WARNING!
Infants in rear facing child restraints should NEVER
ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger
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 should be secured in the rear seat, in a
child restraint or belt-positioning booster seat. 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.
60 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

If a child from 1 to 12 years old (not in a rear facing child
seat) must ride in the front passenger seat, move the seat
as far back as possible and use the proper child restraint.
(Refer to “Child Restraints”)
You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
2. All occupants should ALWAYS 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 Advanced Front
Airbags room to inflate.
4. Do not lean against the door or window. If your
vehicle has side airbags, and deployment occurs, the side
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 under “If
You Need Assistance”.
WARNING!
•Relying on the airbags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The airbags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions, the airbags won’t deploy at all.
Always wear your seat belts even though you have
airbags.
(Continued)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 61

WARNING!
Ignoring the “Airbag Warning Light” in your instru-
ment panel could mean you won’t have the airbags to
protect you in a collision. If the light does not come
on, stays on after you start the vehicle, or if it comes
on as you drive, have an authorized dealer service the
airbag system immediately.
Occupant Classification System (OCS)
The OCS is part of a Federally regulated safety system
required for this vehicle. It is designed to turn off the
passenger Advanced Front Airbag for an empty seat and
for occupants classified in a category other than an adult.
This could be a child, teenager, or even an adult.
NOTE:Children 12 years and younger should always
ride buckled up in a rear seat in an appropriate child
restraint.
•Occupant Classification System (OCS)
The OCS is part of a Federally regulated safety system
required for this vehicle. It is designed to turn off the
passenger Advanced Front Airbag for an empty seat and
for occupants classified in a category other than an adult.
This could be a child, teenager, or even an adult.
NOTE: Children 12 years and younger should always
ride buckled up in a rear seat in an appropriate child
restraint.
•Occupant Classification Module (OCM)
The OCM is located beneath the front passenger seat. The
OCM classifies the occupant into categories based on the
measurements made by the seat weight sensors. The
OCM communicates with the ORC. The ORC uses the
occupant category to determine whether the passenger
Advanced Front Airbag should be turned off. It also
determines the rate of airbag inflation during a collision.
64 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

For all other occupants, the PAD indicator light will be
illuminated indicating that the passenger Advanced
Front Airbag is turned off and will not inflate.
NOTE:Even though this vehicle is equipped with an
occupant classification system, children 12 years and
younger should always ride buckled up in a rear seat in
an appropriate child restraint (refer to “Child Re-
straints”).
WARNING!
Never place a rear facing infant seat in front of an
airbag. A deploying passenger Advanced Front Air-
bag can cause death or serious injury to a child in a
rear-facing infant seat.
Passenger Airbag Disable (PAD) System
Front Passenger Indicator Light Airbag Status Adult OFFON
Child ONOFF
Grocery Bags,
Heavy Briefcases and Other Rela-
tively Light Ob- jects ON
OFF
Empty or Very Light Objects OFF*
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
66 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE