FIAT FREEMONT 2011 Owner handbook (in English)

(Continued)
 Care should be taken to avoid contamination
of the webbing with polishes, oils and chemicals,
and particularly battery acid. Cleaning may be
safely carried out using mild soap and water.The
belt should be replaced if webbing becomes
frayed, contaminated, or damaged.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions
1. Enter the vehicle and close the door. Sit back and adjust the front seat.
2. The seat belt latch plate is along side the pillar near the back of your seat. Grasp the latch plate and pull
out the belt. Slide the latch plate up the webbing as
far as necessary to make the belt go around your lap.
(fig. 111) 3. When the belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”
(fig. 112)(fig. 111) Pulling Out Lap/Shoulder Belt
(fig. 112)Connecting Latch Plate To Buckle
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WARNING!
 A 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.
 A belt that is too loose will not protect you
properly. In a sudden stop, you could move too far
forward, increasing the possibility of injury.Wear
your seat belt snugly.
 A belt that is worn under your arm is danger-
ous.Your body could strike the inside surfaces of
the vehicle in an accident , 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.
 A shoulder belt placed behind you will not
protect you from injury during an accident . 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.
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 an accident. (fig. 113)
WARNING!
 A lap belt worn too high can increase
the risk of internal injury in an accident .
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 possible and keep it
snug.
 A twisted belt will not protect you properly. 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 authorized dealer
immediately 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.
(fig. 113) Removing Slack From Belt 135
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6. To release the belt, push the red button on thebuckle. 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
an accident and leave you with no pro-
tection. Inspect the belt system periodically,
checking for cuts, frays, or loose parts. Damaged
parts must be replaced immediately. Do not dis-
assemble or modify the system. Seat belt assem-
blies must be replaced after an accident if they
have been damaged (bent retractor, torn web-
bing, etc .).
Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the driver's seat and front passenger's seat, 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, then move it up or down to the position
that fits you best. (fig. 114)
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.
In the rear seat, move toward the center of the seat to
position the belt away from your neck. 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 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 web- bing. 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.
(fig. 114) Adjusting Upper Shoulder Belt
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SEAT BELTS IN PASSENGER SEATING
POSITIONS
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with an Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
or a cinching latch plate which are used to secure a
child restraint system. For additional information refer
to “Installing Child Restraints Using the Vehicle Seat
Belt” under the “Child Restraint” section. The chart
below defines the type of feature for each seatingposition.
Driver Center Passenger
First Row N/A N/A ALR
Second Row ALR ALR ALR
• N/A — Not Applicable
• ALR — Automatic Locking Retractor
If the passenger seating position is equipped with an
ALR and is being used for normal usage:
Only pull the belt webbing out far enough to comfort-
ably wrap around the occupant's mid-section so as to
not activate the ALR. If the ALR is activated, you will
hear a ratcheting sound as the belt retracts. Allow the
webbing to retract completely in this case and then
carefully pull out only the amount of webbing neces-
sary to comfortably wrap around the occupant's mid-
section. Slide the latch plate into the buckle until you
hear a "click." AUTOMATIC LOCKING RETRACTOR MODE
(ALR) — IF EQUIPPED
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-
locked. The 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 com-
bination lap/shoulder belt. Use the Automatic Locking
Mode anytime a child safety seat is installed in a seating
position that has a belt with this feature. Children
12 years old and under should always be properly
restrained in the 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 belt is extracted.
3. Allow the belt to retract. As the belt retracts, you will hear a clicking sound. This indicates the safety
belt is now in the Automatic Locking Mode.
How To Disengage The Automatic LockingMode
Unbuckle the combination lap/shoulder belt and allow
it to retract completely to disengage the Automatic
Locking Mode and activate the vehicle sensitive (emer-
gency) locking mode.
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WARNING!
 The belt and retractor assembly must
be replaced if the seat belt assembly
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) feature or
any other seat belt function is not working prop-
erly when checked according to the procedures in
the Service Manual.
 Failure to replace the belt and retractor assem-
bly could increase the risk of injury in collisions.
SEAT BELT PRETENSIONERS
The seat belts for both front seating positions are
equipped with pretensioning devices that are designed
to remove slack from the seat belt in the event of an
accident. These devices may improve the performance
of the seat belt by assuring that the belt is tight about
the occupant early in an accident. 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. SUPPLEMENTAL ACTIVE HEAD
RESTRAINTS (AHR)
These head restraints are passive, deployable compo-
nents, and vehicles with this equipment cannot be
readily identified by any markings, only through visual
inspection of the head restraint. The head restraint will
be split in two halves, with the front half being soft
foam and trim, the back half being decorative plastic.
How The Active Head Restraints (AHR) Work
The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) determines
whether the severity, or type of rear impact will require
the Active Head Restraints (AHR) to deploy. If a rear
impact requires deployment, both the driver and front
passenger seat AHRs will be deployed.
When AHRs deploy during a rear impact, the front half
of the head restraint extends forward to minimize the
gap between the back of the occupant’s head and the
AHR. This system is designed to help prevent or
reduce the extent of injuries to the driver and front
passenger in certain types of rear impacts.
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NOTE:The Active Head Restraints (AHR) may or
may not deploy in the event of a front or side impact.
However if during a front impact, a secondary rear
impact occurs, the AHR may deploy based on the
severity and type of the impact. (fig. 115)
All occupants, including the driver, should
not operate a vehicle or sit in a vehicle's
seat until the head restraints are placed
in their proper positions in order to minimize the
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident . NOTE:
For more information on properly adjusting
and positioning the head restraint, refer to “Adjusting
Active Head Restraints” in “Knowing Your Vehicle”.
Resetting Active Head Restraints (AHR)
If the Active Head Restraints are triggered in an acci-
dent, you must reset the head restraint on the driver’s
and front passenger seat. You can recognize when the
Active Head Restraint has been triggered by the fact
that they have moved forward (as shown in step three
of the resetting procedure).
1. Grasp the deployed AHR from the rear seat. (fig. 116)
2. Position the hands on the top of the deployed AHR at a comfortable position.
(fig. 115) Active Head Restraint (AHR) Components
1 — Head Restraint Front
Half (Soft Foam and Trim) 3 — Head Restraint Back
Half (Decorative Plastic
Rear Cover)
2 — Seatback 4 — Head Restraint Guide
Tubes
(fig. 116)
Hand Positioning Points On AHR 139
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3. Pulldownthenrearward towards the rear of the
vehicle then downto engage the locking mecha-
nism. (fig. 117) (fig. 118)
4. The AHR front soft foam and trim half should lock into the back decorative plastic half. (fig. 119)
NOTE:
• If you have difficulties or problems resetting the
Active Head Restraints, see an authorized dealer.
• For safety reasons, have the Active Head Restraints
checked by a qualified specialist at an authorized dealer.(fig. 117) 1 — Downward Movement
2 — Rearward Movement
(fig. 118)3 — Final Downward Movement To Engage Locking Mechanism(fig. 119) AHR In Reset Position
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ENHANCED SEAT BELT USE REMINDER
SYSTEM (BELTALERT
®)
BeltAlert
®is a feature intended to remind the driver
and front passenger (if equipped with front passenger
BeltAlert®) to fasten their seat belts. This feature is
active whenever the ignition is on. If the driver or front
seat passenger is unbelted, the Seat Belt Reminder
Light will turn on and remain on until both front seat
belts are fastened. BeltAlert
®triggers within 60 sec-
onds of vehicle speed over 8 km/h. The reminder
sequence lasts for 96 seconds or until the respective
seat belts are fastened. After the sequence completes,
the Seat Belt Reminder Light remains illuminated until
front belts are fastened. The driver should instruct all
other occupants to fasten their seat belts. If a front seat
belt is unbuckled while traveling at speeds greater than
8 km/h, BeltAlert
®will chime as a single notification
and illuminate the Seat Belt Reminder Light, then will
proceed to the 96 second reminder sequence.
The front passenger seat BeltAlert
®is not active when
the front passenger seat is unoccupied. BeltAlert
®may
be triggered when an animal or heavy object is on the
front passenger seat or when the seat is folded flat (if
equipped). It is recommended that pets be restrained
in the rear seat in pet harnesses or pet carriers that are
secured by seat belts, and cargo is properly stowed.
NOTE:
• The BeltAlert
®can be enabled or disabled by your
authorized dealer. • The manufacturer of this vehicle does not recom-
mend deactivating the BeltAlert
®.
• If the BeltAlert
®
is deactivated, the Seat Belt Re-
minder Light will continue to illuminate as long as the
driver's seat belt is unbuckled/retracted.
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 pos-
sible. 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 accident.
CHILD RESTRAINTS
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up all the
time, including babies and children.
Children 12 years or younger should ride properly
buckled up in a rear seat, if available. According to crash
statistics, children are safer when properly restrained
in the rear seats rather than in the front.
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Mass GroupSeating Position (or other site)
Front Passenger Rear Outboard Rear Center Intermediate
Outboard Intermediate
Center
Group — up to 10 kg X *U N/A **U U
Group 0+ — up to 13 kg X *U N/A **U U
Group 1 – 9 to 18 kg X *U N/A **U U
Group II – 15 to 25 kg X *U N/A **U U
Group III — 22 to 36 kg X *U N/A **U U
Key of letters used in the table above:
U = Suitable for “universal” category restraints ap-
proved for use in this mass group.
UF = Suitable for forward-facing “universal” category
restraints approved for use in this mass group.
L = Suitable for particular child restraints given on
attached list. These restraints may be of the “specific
vehicle,” “restricted” or “semi-universal” categories.
B = Built-in restraint approved for this mass group.
X = Seat position not suitable for children in this mass
group.
* = If a child seat is to be used in the third row, the
second row seat back directly in front of the child seat
must be folded flat if the seat back can not be locked in
a upright position. ** = If a child seat is to be used in the second row, the
first row seat directly in front of the child seat may
need to be limited in its rearward travel to avoid any
contact with the child seat. (fig. 120)
(fig. 120)
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WARNING!
 “Extreme Hazard! Do not use a
rearward-facing child restraint on a seat
protected by an air bag in front of it!” Refer to
visor and door shut face mounted labels for infor-
mation.
 In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny
baby, 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 re-
straint 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.
Infants 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. Both types of
child restraints are held in the vehicle by the lap/
shoulder belt or the ISOFIX child restraint anchor
system. Refer to “ISOFIX — Child Seat Anchorage
System”.
WARNING!
Rearward-facing child seats must never
be used in the front seat of a vehicle with
the front passenger air bag unless the air bag is
turned off. An air bag deployment could cause
severe injury or death to infants in this position.
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 direction are for children who are over two years
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