DODGE VIPER 2015 VX / 3.G Service Manual

plate and pull on the lap belt. A snug seat belt reduces
the risk of sliding under the seat belt in a collision.
5. Position the shoulder belt across the shoulder and
chest with minimal, if any slack so that it is comfort-
able and not resting on your neck. The retractor will
withdraw any slack in the shoulder belt.
6. To release the seat belt, push the red button on the
buckle. The seat belt will automatically retract to its
stowed position. If necessary, slide the latch plate
down the webbing to allow the seat belt to retract
fully.
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 inches (15 to 30 cm) above the latch
plate, grasp and twist the seat belt webbing 180° 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.
Positioning The Lap Belt
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4. Continue to slide the latch plate up until it clears the
folded webbing and the seat belt is no longer twisted.
Seat Belt Extender
If a seat belt is not long enough to fit properly, even when
the webbing is fully extended and the adjustable upper
shoulder belt anchorage (if equipped) is in its lowest
position, your authorized dealer can provide you with a
Seat Belt Extender. The Seat Belt Extender should be used
only if the existing seat belt is not long enough. When the
Seat Belt Extender is not required for a different occu-
pant, it must be removed.
WARNING!
•ONLY use a Seat Belt Extender if it is physically
required in order to properly fit the original seat
belt system. DO NOT USE the Seat Belt Extender
if, when worn, the distance between the front edge
of the Seat Belt Extender buckle and the center of
the occupant’s body is LESS than 6 inches.
•Using a Seat Belt Extender when not needed can
increase the risk of serious injury or death in a
collision. Only use the Seat Belt Extender when the
lap belt is not long enough and only use in the
recommended seating positions. Remove and store
the Seat Belt Extender when not needed.
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.
40 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Pregnant women should wear the lap part of the seat belt
across the thighs and as snug across the hips as possible.
Keep the seat 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 Pretensioner
The front seat belt system is equipped with pretensioning
devices that are designed to remove slack from the seat
belt in the event of a collision. These devices may
improve the performance of the seat belt by removing
slack from the seat belt 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 still must be
worn snugly and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the Occupant Re-
straint Controller (ORC). Like the air bags, the preten-
sioners are single use items. A deployed pretensioner or
a deployed air bag must be replaced immediately.
Energy Management Feature
This vehicle has a seat belt system with an Energy
Management feature in the front seating positions that
may help further reduce the risk of injury in the event of
a collision. This seat belt system has a retractor assembly
that is designed to release webbing in a controlled
manner.
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) — If Equipped
The seat belt in the passenger seating position is
equipped with a switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
(ALR) which is used to secure a child restraint system.
Refer to “Installing Child Restraints Using The Vehicle
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 41

Seat Belt” in the “Child Restraints” section of this manual
for additional information. The table below defines the
type of feature for each seating position.
If the passenger seating position is equipped with an
ALR and is being used for normal usage:
Only pull the seat belt webbing out far enough to
comfortably wrap around the occupant’s mid-section so
as to not activate the ALR. If the ALR is activated, you
will hear a clicking sound as the seat belt retracts. Allow
the webbing to retract completely in this case and then
carefully pull out only the amount of webbing necessary
to comfortably wrap around the occupant’s mid-section.
Slide the latch plate into the buckle until you hear a
#click.#
In Automatic Locking Mode, the shoulder belt is auto-
matically pre-locked. The seat belt will still retract to
remove any slack in the shoulder belt. The Automatic
Locking Mode is available on all passenger seating
positions with a combination lap/shoulder belt. Use the
Automatic Locking Mode anytime a child restraint is
installed in a seating position that has a seat belt with this
•ALR = Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

feature. Children 12 years old and under should always
be properly restrained in a vehicle with a rear seat.
WARNING!
•Never place a rear-facing child restraint in front of
an air bag. A deploying Passenger Advanced Front
Air Bag can cause death or serious injury to a child
12 years or younger, including a child in a rear-
facing child restraint.
•Only use a rear-facing child restraint in a vehicle
with a rear seat.
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 seat belt is extracted.
3. Allow the seat belt to retract. As the seat belt retracts,
you will hear a clicking sound. This indicates the seat
belt is now in the Automatic Locking Mode
How To Disengage The Automatic Locking Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap/shoulder belt and allow it
to retract completely to disengage the Automatic Locking
Mode and activate the vehicle sensitive (emergency)
locking mode.
WARNING!
•The seat belt assembly must be replaced if the
switchable Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) fea-
ture or any other seat belt function is not working
properly when checked according to the proce-
dures in the Service Manual.
(Continued)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 43

WARNING!(Continued)
•Failure to replace the seat belt assembly could
increase the risk of injury in collisions.
•Do not use the Automatic Locking Mode to restrain
occupants who are wearing the seat belt or children
who are using booster seats. The locked mode is
only used to install rear-facing or forward-facing
child restraints that have a harness for restraining
the child.
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
Air Bag System Components
Your vehicle may be equipped with the following air bag
system components:
•Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
•Air Bag Warning Light
•Steering Wheel and Column
•Instrument Panel
•Knee Impact Bolsters
•Advanced Front Air Bags
•Supplemental Side Air Bags
•Seat Belt Pretenioners
•Seat Belt Buckle Switch
•Seat Track Position Sensors
•Front and Side Impact Sensors
•Occupant Classification System
44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Advanced Front Air Bags
This vehicle has Advanced Front Air Bags for both the
driver and front passenger as a supplement to the seat
belt systems. The driver ’s Advanced Front Air Bag is
mounted in the center of the steering wheel. The passen-
ger ’s Advanced Front Air Bag is mounted in the instru-
ment panel, above the glove compartment. The words
SRS AIRBAG are embossed on the air bag covers.
Advanced Front Air Bag And Knee Impact Bolster
Locations
1—DriverAndPassengerAdvancedFrontAirBags2 — Driver And Passenger Knee Impact Bolster
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 45

WARNING!
•Being too close to the steering wheel or instrument
panel during Advanced Front Air Bag deployment
could cause serious injury, including death. Air
bags need room to inflate. Sit back, comfortably
extending your arms to reach the steering wheel or
instrument panel.
•Never place a rear-facing child restraint in front of
an air bag. A deploying Passenger Advanced Front
Air Bag can cause death or serious injury to a child
12 years or younger, including a child in a rear-
facing child restraint.
•Only use a rear-facing child restraint in a vehicle
with a rear seat.
Advanced Front Air Bag Features
The Advanced Front Air Bag system has multistage
driver and front passenger air bags. This system provides
output appropriate to the severity and type of collision as
determined by the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC),
which may receive information from the front impact
sensors or other system components.
The first stage inflator is triggered immediately during an
impact that requires air bag deployment. A low energy
output is used in less severe collisions. A higher energy
output is used for more severe collisions.
This vehicle may be equipped with driver and/or front
passenger seat track position sensors that may adjust the
inflation rate of the Advanced Front Air Bags based upon
seat position.
This vehicle may be equipped with a driver and/or front
passenger seat belt buckle switch that detects whether
the driver or front passenger seat belt is buckled. The seat
belt buckle switch may adjust the inflation rate of the
Advanced Front Air Bags.
46 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Advanced Air Bag Features
This vehicle has an Occupant Classification System
(“OCS”) in the right front passenger seat. The OCS is
designed to deactivate the front Passenger Advanced
Front Air Bag for an unoccupied seat and for occupants
classified in a category other than a properly seated
adult. This could be a child, teenager, or even an adult.
The Passenger Air Bag Disable (“PAD”) Indicator Light
(an amber light located in the center of the instrument
panel) tells the driver and front passenger when the
Passenger Advanced Front Air Bag is deactivated. The
PAD Indicator Light illuminates the words “PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF” to show that the Passenger Advanced
Front Air Bag will not inflate during a collision.
WARNING!
•No objects should be placed over or near the air
bag on the instrument panel or steering wheel,
because any such objects could cause harm if the
vehicle is in a collision severe enough to cause the
air bags to inflate.
•Do not put anything on or around the air bag
covers or attempt to open them manually. You may
damage the air bags and you could be injured
because the air bags may no longer be functional.
The protective covers for the air bag cushions are
designed to open only when the air bags are
inflating.
(Continued)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47

WARNING!(Continued)
•Relying on the air bags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The air bags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions, air bags won’t deploy at all. Al-
ways wear your seat belts even though you have air
bags.
Advanced Front Air Bag Operation
Advanced Front Air Bags are designed to provide addi-
tional protection by supplementing the seat belts. Ad-
vanced Front Air Bags are not expected to reduce the risk
of injury in rear, side, or rollover collisions. The Ad-
vanced Front Air Bags will not deploy in all frontal
collisions, including some that may produce substantial
vehicle damage — for example, some pole collisions,
truck underrides, and angle offset collisions.
On the other hand, depending on the type and location of
impact, Advanced Front Air Bags may deploy in crashes
with little vehicle front-end damage but that produce a
severe initial deceleration.
Because air bag sensors measure vehicle deceleration
over time, vehicle speed and damage by themselves are
not good indicators of whether or not an air bag should
have deployed.
Seat belts are necessary for your protection in all colli-
sions, and also are needed to help keep you in position,
away from an inflating air bag.
When the ORC detects a collision requiring the Ad-
vanced Front Air Bags, it signals the inflator units. A large
quantity of non-toxic gas is generated to inflate the
Advanced Front Air Bags.
The steering wheel hub trim cover and the upper right
side of the instrument panel separate and fold out of the
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE