child restraint DODGE VIPER 2013 VX / 3.G Owners Manual

WINDOWS ...........................24
▫ Power Windows .......................24
▫ Auto-Down Feature ....................25
▫ AUTO-Up Feature With Anti-Pinch Protection —
If Equipped ..........................25
▫ Reset Auto-Up ........................26
 LIFTGATE ............................26
 OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS ................29
▫ Lap/Shoulder Belts ....................30
▫ Lap/Shoulder Belt Untwisting Procedure .....35
▫ Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert) ..........................36
▫ Automatic Locking Retractor Mode (ALR) — If
Equipped ............................37
▫ Seat Belt Pretensioners — If Equipped .......38▫
Seat Belts and Pregnant Women ............38
▫ Seat Belt Extender .....................38
▫ Driver And Passenger Supplemental Restraint
System (SRS) - Airbags ..................39
▫ Airbag Deployment Sensors And Controls .....43
▫ Child Restraints .......................52
 BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS ...........59
 SAFETY TIPS ..........................60
▫ Transporting Passengers ..................60
▫ Exhaust Gas .........................61
▫ Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle .............................62
▫ Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make Outside
The Vehicle ..........................63
10 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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
passenger
• An energy-absorbing steering column and steering
wheel
• Knee bolsters/blockers for front seat occupants
• Seat belts incorporate pretensioners to enhance occu-
pant protection by managing occupant energy during
an impact event — if equipped
• Passenger side seatbelt incorporates an Automatic
Locking Retractor (ALR), which locks 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).
NOTE: The Advanced Front Airbags have a multistage
inflator design. This allows the airbag to have different
rates of inflation based on several factors, including the
severity and type of collision.
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.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 29

Seat Belt Pretensioners — If Equipped
The seat belts for both front seating positions may be
equipped with pretensioning devices that are designed to
remove slack from the seat belt in the event of an
collision. These devices improve the performance of the
seat belt by assuring that the belt is tight about the
occupant early in an 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 still must 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.
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 portion 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 an collision.
Seat Belt Extender
If a seat belt is too short, even when extended fully, your
authorized dealer can provide you with a seat belt
extender. This extender should only be used if the
existing belt is not long enough. When it is not required,
remove the extender, and store it.
38 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

shut OFF. An airbag deployment can cause severe
injury or death to an infant in this position. Refer to
“Passenger Airbag Disabled (PAD) Indicator Light”.
3. A child who is not big enough to wear the vehicle seat belt properly should be secured in a child safety seat
or booster seat. (Refer to “Child Restraints”)
4. An older child who does not use a child safety seat or booster seat should ride buckled properly in their seat.
5. Never allow a child to place the shoulder belt behind them or under the arm.
6. Never allow a child to lean forward toward the instrument panel as a passenger airbag deployment
could cause severe injury or death to a child in this
position.
7. For a child from 1 to 12 years old: Move the passenger seat as far back as possible. For a child from 20 to
60 lbs (9 kg to 27 kg): Secure them in the appropriate child safety seat or booster seat. If too large for a
booster seat, the child should wear the lap/shoulder
belt properly.
8. Read the instructions provided with your child re- straint to make sure that you are using it properly.
9. Read the instructions provided with your child safety seat or booster seat to make sure that you are using it
properly.
10. All occupants should always wear their lap and shoulder belts properly.
11. Position the driver seat and passenger seat as far away from the instrument panel as practical to allow
the airbags room to inflate. Note that the power
adjustable pedals allow for more driver’s seat adjust-
ment options. Refer to “Adjustable Pedals” in “Un-
derstanding The Features Of Your Vehicle” for de-
tails.
42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

The passenger airbag will not be enabled for most any
size child who is seated properly in the passenger seat
and for most properly installed child restraint systems.
However, under certain conditions, even with a properly
installed child restraint system, the PAD Indicator Light
may not be on, even though the airbag is disabled. This
can occur if the child restraint is lighter than the thresh-
old weight necessary to turn the PAD Indicator Light on.
In any case,DO NOTassume the airbag is turned off if
the PAD Indicator Light is not illuminated.
WARNING!
An infant in rear facing child safety seat, designed
for a child up to one year or approximately 20 lbs
(9 kg), should NEVER ride in the front seat of a
vehicle equipped with a passenger airbag, unless the
airbag is shut OFF. An airbag deployment can cause
severe injury or death to an infant in this position.
Flex Mat
The Flex Mat is located beneath the passenger seat
cushion foam. The Flex Mat sends signals to the OCM for
classifying the occupant in the passenger seat.
Any weight on the seat will be sensed by the Flex Mat.
Therefore, the occupant in the passenger seat needs to sit
in a normal position (with their feet on or near the floor)
in order to be classified properly. If an occupant’s weight
is transferred to another part of the vehicle (like the door
or instrument panel), the system may not classify the
occupant properly. Furthermore, objects lodged under
the seat can prevent the occupant’s weight from being
measured properly and may result in the occupant being
classified improperly.
The passenger seat assembly contains critical compo-
nents that affect passenger airbag deployment. Correctly
functioning passenger seat components are critical for the
OCS to classify the passenger properly and calculate the
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Airbag Warning Light
You will want to have the airbags ready to
inflate for your protection in a collision. The
Airbag Warning Light monitors the internal
circuits and interconnecting wiring associated
with airbag system electrical components. While the
airbag system is designed to be maintenance free, if any
of the following occurs, have an authorized dealer ser-
vice the airbag system immediately.
• The Airbag Warning Light does not come on during
the four to eight seconds when the ignition is first
cycled to the ON/RUN position.
• The Airbag Warning Light remains on after the four to
eight-second interval.
• The Airbag Warning Light comes on intermittently or
remains on while driving. NOTE:
If the speedometer, tachometer, or any engine
related gauges are not working, the Occupant Restraint
Controller (ORC) may also be disabled. The airbags may
not be ready to inflate for your protection. Promptly
check the fuse block for blown fuses. Refer to the label
located on the inside of the fuse block cover for the
proper airbag fuses. See your authorized dealer if the
fuse is good.
Child Restraints
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 small
children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the law,
and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child can become a
projectile 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.
Infant and Child Restraints
• Safety experts recommend that children ride rearward-
facing in the vehicle until they are two years old or until they reach either the height or weight limit of
their rear facing child safety seat. 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 from birth
until they reach the weight or height limit of the infant
carrier. Convertible child seats can be used either
rearward-facing or forward-facing in the vehicle. Con-
vertible 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
have outgrown their infant carrier but are still less than
at least two years old. Children should remain
rearward-facing until they reach the highest weight or
height allowed by their convertible child seat.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53

WARNING!
Rearward-facing infant restraints must never be se-
cured in the passenger seat of a vehicle with a
passenger airbag. In a collision, a passenger airbag
may deploy causing severe injury or death to infants
riding in rearward-facing infant restraints.
Older Children and Child Restraints
Children who are two years old or who have outgrown
their rear-facing convertible child seat can ride forward-
facing in the vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and
convertible child seats used in the forward-facing direc-
tion are for children who are over two years old or who
have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit of
their rear-facing convertible child seat. Children should
remain in a forward-facing child seat with a harness for
as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height
allowed by the child seat.All children whose weight or height is above the
forward-facing limit for the child seat should use a
belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle’s seat belts
fit 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 seat belt.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 child restraint manufacturer ’s
directions exactly when installing an infant or
child restraint.
(Continued)
54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!(Continued)
•When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in
the vehicle with the seat belt or LATCH anchor-
ages, or remove it from the vehicle. Do not leave it
loose in the vehicle. In a sudden stop or accident, it
could strike the occupants or seatbacks and cause
serious personal injury.
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 seat belt in the seat. Use this
simple 5-step test to decide whether the child can use the
vehicle’s seat belt alone:
• Can the child sit all the way back against the back of
the vehicle seat? •
Do the child’s knees bend comfortably over the front of
the vehicle seat – while they are still sitting all the way
back?
• Does the shoulder belt cross the child’s shoulder
between their neck and arm?
• Is the lap part of the belt as low as possible, touching
the child’s thighs and not their stomach?
• Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
If the answer to any of these questions was “no,” then the
child still needs to use a booster seat in this vehicle. If the
child is using the lap/shoulder belt, check belt fit peri-
odically. 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.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 55

NOTE: For additional information, refer to
www.seatcheck.org or call 1–866–SEATCHECK. Cana-
dian residents, should refer to Transport Canada’s web-
site for additional information. http://www.tc.gc.ca/
roadsafety/safedrivers/childsafety/index.htm
WARNING!
Improper installation of a child restraint to the
LATCH anchorages can lead to failure of an infant or
child restraint. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer’s directions exactly
when installing an infant or child restraint.
Child Restraint Tether Anchor
Child restraints having tether straps and hooks
for connection to tether anchors 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. There is
a tether strap anchor located behind the child tether
access cover behind the passenger seat.
To attach a child restraint tether strap:
1. Move the seat forward.
2. Move the seatback to its full forward position.
3. Remove the child tether access cover by prying either side with a screwdriver or similar tool, as shown.
56 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE