JEEP COMPASS 2015 1.G Service Manual

•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 poisonous
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 RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems:
•Seat Belt Systems
•Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Air Bags
•Supplemental Active Head Restraints
•Child Restraints
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 39

Important Safety Precautions
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.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying air bag:
1. Children 12 years old and under should always ride
buckled up in a vehicle with a rear seat.
2. If a child from 2 to 12 years old (not in a rear-facing
child restraint) 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”)
3. Children that are not big enough to wear the vehicle
seat belt properly (Refer to#Child Restraints#) should
be secured in a vehicle with a rear seat in child
restraints or belt-positioning booster seats. Older chil-
dren who do not use child restraints or belt-
positioning booster seats should ride properly buckled
up in a vehicle with a rear seat.
4. Never allow children to slide the shoulder belt behind
them or under their arm.
5. You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it
properly.
6. All occupants should always wear their lap and
shoulder belts properly.
7. The driver and front passenger seats should be moved
back as far as practical to allow the Advanced Front
Air Bags room to inflate.
40 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

8. 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 and you could be injured.
9. 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.#
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 rear-facing child restraint in a vehicle
with a rear seat.
Seat Belt Systems
Buckle up even though you are an excellent driver, even
on short trips. Someone on the road may be a poor driver
and could cause a collision that includes you. This can
happen far away from home or on your own street.
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.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 41

Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert)
BeltAlert is a feature intended to remind the driver
and outboard front passenger (if equipped with out-
board front passenger BeltAlert) to buckle their seat
belts. The feature is active whenever the ignition
switch is in the START or ON/RUN position. If the
driver or outboard front seat passenger is unbelted,
the Seat Belt Reminder Light will turn on and remain
on until both outboard front seat belts are buckled.
The BeltAlert warning sequence begins after the vehicle
speed is over 5 mph (8 km/h) by blinking the Seat Belt
Reminder Light and sounding an intermittent chime.
Once the sequence starts, it will continue for the entire
duration or until the respective seat belts are buckled.
After the sequence completes, the Seat Belt Reminder
Light remains illuminated until the respective seat belts
are buckled. The driver should instruct all other occu-
pants to buckle their seat belts. If an outboard front seat
belt is unbuckled while traveling at speeds greater than
5 mph (8 km/h), BeltAlert will provide both audio and
visual notification.
The outboard front passenger seat BeltAlert is not active
when the outboard front passenger seat is unoccupied.
BeltAlert may be triggered when an animal or heavy
object is on the outboard front passenger seat or when the
seat is folded flat (if equipped). It is recommended that
pets be restrained in the rear seat (if equipped) in pet
harnesses or pet carriers that are secured by seat belts,
and cargo is properly stowed.
BeltAlert can be activated or deactivated by your autho-
rized dealer. Chrysler Group LLC does not recommend
deactivating BeltAlert.
42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

NOTE:If BeltAlert has been deactivated, the Seat Belt
Reminder Light will continue to illuminate while the
driver ’s or outboard front passenger ’s (if equipped with
BeltAlert) seat belt remains unbuckled.
Lap/Shoulder Belts
All seating positions in your vehicle are equipped with
lap/shoulder belts.
The seat belt webbing retractor will lock only during very
sudden stops or collisions. This feature allows the shoul-
der part of the seat belt to move freely with you under
normal conditions. However, in a collision the seat belt
will lock and reduce your risk of striking the inside of the
vehicle or being thrown out of the vehicle.
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 belt even though you have
air bags.
•In a collision, you and your passengers can suffer
much greater injuries if you are not properly buck-
led 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.
•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.
(Continued)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 43

WARNING!(Continued)
•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 your seat belt incorrectly could make your
injuries in a collision much worse. You might
suffer internal injuries, or you could even slide out
of the seat belt. Follow these instructions to wear
your seat belt safely and to keep your passengers
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 a lap belt for more
than one person, no matter what their size.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•A lap belt worn too high can increase the risk of
injury in a collision. The seat belt forces won’t be at
the strong hip and pelvic bones, but across your
abdomen. Always wear the lap part of your seat
belt as low as possible and keep it snug.
•A twisted seat belt may not protect you properly.
In a collision, it could even cut into you. Be sure the
seat belt is flat against your body, without twists.
If you can’t straighten a seat belt in your vehicle,
take it to your authorized dealer immediately and
have it fixed.
•A seat 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 inter-
nal injuries. Always buckle your seat belt into the
buckle nearest you.
(Continued)
44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!(Continued)
•A seat 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 seat belt that is worn under your arm is dangerous.
Your body could strike the inside surfaces of the
vehicle in a collision, increasing head and neck
injury. A seat belt worn under the arm can cause
internal injuries. Ribs aren’t as strong as shoulder
bones. Wear the seat 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 a collision. 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.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•A frayed or torn seat belt could rip apart in a
collision and leave you with no protection. Inspect
the seat belt system periodically, checking for
cuts, frays, or loose parts. Damaged parts must be
replaced immediately. Do not disassemble or
modify the seat belt system. Seat belt assemblies
must be replaced after a collision.
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 above the back of the front
seat, and next to your arm in the rear seat (for vehicles
equipped with a rear seat). Grasp the latch plate and
pull out the seat belt. Slide the latch plate up the
webbing as far as necessary to allow the seat belt to go
around your lap.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 45

3. When the seat belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”
4. Position the lap belt so that it is snug and lies low
across your hips, below your abdomen. To remove
slack in the lap belt portion, pull up 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 seat belt reduces
the risk of sliding under the seat belt in a collision.
Pulling Out The Latch PlateInserting Latch Plate Into Buckle
46 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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.
Second Row Center Seat Belt Operating
Instructions
The second row center seat belt features a seat belt with
a mini-latch and buckle, which allows the seat belt to
detach from the lower anchor when the seat is folded.
The mini-buckle and seat belt can then be stored out of
the way in the right side trim panel for added conve-
nience to open up utilization of the storage areas behind
the front seats when the seat is not occupied.
Positioning The Lap Belt
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47

1. Remove the mini-latch and regular latch from its
stowed position in the right rear side trim panel.
Mini-Latch Stowage
Routing The Rear Center Shoulder Belt
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE