warning JEEP COMPASS 2012 1.G User Guide

DOOR LOCKS
Manual Door Locks
Use the manual door lock knob to lock the doors from
inside the vehicle. If the lock knob is down when the door
is closed, the door will lock. Make sure the keys are not
inside the vehicle before closing the door.
WARNING!
•For personal security and safety in the event of an
accident, lock the vehicle doors as you drive as
well as when you park and leave the vehicle.
•Before exiting a vehicle, always apply the parking
brake, shift the transmission into PARK, and re-
move the key fob from the ignition. When leaving
the vehicle, always lock your vehicle.
•Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle.
•Allowing children to be in a vehicle unattended is
dangerous for a number of reasons. A child or
others could be seriously or fatally injured. Chil-
dren should be warned not to touch the parking
brake, brake pedal or the shift lever.(Continued)
Manual Door Lock Knob
30 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not leave the key fob in or near the vehicle, and
do not leave the ignition in the ACC or ON/RUN
position. A child could operate power windows,
other controls, or move the vehicle.
CAUTION!
An unlocked vehicle is an invitation to thieves.
Always remove the key from the ignition and lock all
of the doors when leaving the vehicle unattended.
Power Door Locks
A power door lock switch is located on the driver’s and
front passenger’s door panel. Press this switch to lock or
unlock the doors and liftgate.NOTE:
To prevent from locking the key in the vehicle,
the power door lock switch will not operate when the key
is in the ignition and either front door is open. A chime
will sound as a reminder to remove the key.
Driver Power Door Lock Switch
1 - Unlock 2 - Lock
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 31

WARNING!
Avoid trapping anyone in a vehicle in a collision.
Remember that the rear doors can only be opened
from the outside when the Child-Protection locks are
engaged.
Child-Protection Door Lock LocationChild-Protection Door Lock Function
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 35

NOTE:For emergency exit with the system engaged,
move the lock knob up (unlocked position), roll down the
window and open the door with the outside door handle.
POWER WINDOWS — IF EQUIPPED
Power Window Switches
The window controls on the driver ’s door trim panel
control all the door windows. There are single window
controls on each passenger door trim panel, which oper-
ate the passenger door windows. The window controls
will operate when the ignition switch is in the ON/RUN
or ACC position.
NOTE:
•For vehicles not equipped with the Electronic Vehicle
Information Center (EVIC), the power window
switches will remain active for 45 seconds after the
ignition switch is turned to the LOCK position. Open-
ing either front door will cancel this feature.
•For vehicles equipped with the EVIC, the power
window switches will remain active for up to 10 min-
utes after the ignition switch is turned to the LOCK
position. Opening either front door will cancel this
feature. The time for this feature is programmable.
Refer to “Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC)/Personal Settings (Customer-Programmable
Features)” in “Understanding Your Instrument Panel”
for further information.
WARNING!
Never leave children in a vehicle with the key in the
ignition switch. Occupants, particularly unattended
children, can become entrapped by the windows
while operating the power window switches. Such
entrapment may result in serious injury or death.
36 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

•Although the liftgate has no inside release mechanism,
the liftgate trim panel includes an opening with a
snap-in cap that provides access to release the latch in
the event of an electrical system malfunction.
WARNING!
•Driving with the liftgate open can allow poison-
ous exhaust gases into your vehicle. You and your
passengers could be injured by these fumes. Keep
the liftgate closed when you are operating the
vehicle.
•If you are required to drive with the liftgate open,
make sure that all windows are closed, and the
climate control blower switch is set at high speed.
Do not use the recirculation mode.Gas props support the liftgate in the open position.
However, because the gas pressure drops with tempera-
ture, it may be necessary to assist the props when
opening the liftgate in cold weather.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems:
•Three-point lap and shoulder belts for the driver and
all passengers
•Advanced Front Air Bags for driver and front passen-
ger
•Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR) located
on top of the front seats (integrated into the head
restraint) — if equipped
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 39

WARNING!
Infants in rear facing child restraints should never
ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger
Advanced Front Air Bag. An air bag deployment can
cause severe injury or death to infants in that position.
Children that are not big enough to wear the vehicle seat
belt properly (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 (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 Air Bags room to inflate.
4. Do not lean against the door or window. If your
vehicle has side air bags, and deployment occurs, the
side air bags will inflate forcefully into the space
between you and the door.
5. If the air bag 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.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 41

WARNING!
•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, the air bags won’t deploy at all.
Always wear your seat belts even though you have
air bags.
•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.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtain
(SABIC) and Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB)
also need room to inflate. Do not lean against the
door or window. Sit upright in the center of the
seat.
•In a collision, you and your passengers can suffer
much greater injuries if you are not properly
buckled 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.
42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Research has shown that seat belts save lives, and 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. Everyone in a motor vehicle should
be belted at all times.
Lap/Shoulder Belts
All seating positions 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. However, in a collision the belt will
lock and reduce the risk of you striking the inside of the
vehicle or being thrown out.
WARNING!
•It is dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or
outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in
these areas are more likely to be seriously injured
or killed.
•Do not allow people to ride in any area of your
vehicle that is not equipped with seats and seat
belts.
•Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
•Wearing 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.(Continued)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 43

WARNING! (Continued)
•Wearing 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 instructions to
wear your seat belt safely and to keep your pas-
sengers safe, too.
•Two people should never be belted into a single
seat belt. People belted together can crash into one
another in a collision, 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 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 allow the belt to go around your lap.
3. When the belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”Pulling Out The Latch Plate
44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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.(Continued)
Inserting Latch Plate Into Buckle
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