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Seats and Seat Controls
This section tells you about the seats -- how to adjust
them and fold them up and down. It also tells you about
reclining front seatbacks and head restraints.
Power Seats
You can adjust the front seats with the controls located
on the side of the seat, next to the door.You can use the round center knob to move the seat to
where you want it. To raise the seat, move the knob up.
To lower the seat, move the knob down. To move the
seat forward, move the knob toward the front of the
vehicle. To move the seat rearward, move the knob
toward the rear of the vehicle.
You can also raise and lower the front and rear of the
seat. To raise the front of the seat, move the front lever
up. To lower the front of the seat, move the front lever
down. To raise the rear of the seat, move the rear lever
up. To lower the rear of the seat, move the rear
lever down.
The switch located at the front of this control panel
is for the power lumbar adjustment, which is
explained next.
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Fold the seatback forward
enough to allow removal of
the head restraints. Push and
hold the release buttons at
the bottom of each head
restraint height
-adjust post
and slide the head
restraint out of the
height
-adjust tubes.
Set the head restraints aside for now. You will stow them
in their proper position after you are done folding
the seat.
Pull the seatback forward and fold the seatback down
until it is flat.
Then, stow the head
restraints by sliding them
into the rear of the seat
cushion. Make sure the
posts go in all the way.
To return the seat to the passenger position, first remove
the head restraints by sliding them out of the seat
cushion. Lift the seatback up enough to install the head
restraints. Push the seatback rearward all the way. Then,
lower the seat cushion until it latches in position.
After returning the seat to the passenger position, return
the head restraints to the top of the seatback. Pull
forward on the seatback and up on the seat cushion to
make sure that the seat is securely in place.
If the latch plate portion of the center safety belt was put
in the center armrest when the seat was folded, take the
latch plate portion out and place it on the seat. That way,
the center position safety belt will be available for the
center rear seat passenger to use.
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When should an air bag inflate?
An air bag is designed to inflate in a moderate to severe
frontal or near
-frontal crash. The air bag will inflate
only if the impact speed is above the system's designed
ªthreshold level.º If your vehicle goes straight into a
wall that doesn't move or deform, the threshold level is
about 9 to 16 mph (14 to 26 km/h). The threshold level
can vary, however, with specific vehicle design, so that
it can be somewhat above or below this range. If your
vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such
as a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The
air bag is not designed to inflate in rollovers, side
impacts or rear impacts, because inflation would not
help the occupant.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air
bag should have inflated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
Inflation is determined by the angle of the impact and
how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal or
near
-frontal impacts.
The air bag system is designed to work properly under a
wide range of conditions, including off
-road usage.
Observe safe driving speeds, especially on rough terrain.
As always, wear your safety belt. See ªOff
-Road
Drivingº in the Index for more tips on off
-road driving.What makes an air bag inflate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The sensing
system triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which
inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and related
hardware are all part of the air bag modules inside the
steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the
right front passenger.
How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near
-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or
the instrument panel. Air bags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body,
stopping the occupant more gradually. But air bags
would not help you in many types of collisions,
including rollovers, rear impacts and side impacts,
primarily because an occupant's motion is not toward
those air bags. Air bags should never be regarded as
anything more than a supplement to safety belts,
and then only in moderate to severe frontal or
near
-frontal collisions.
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Child Restraints
Every time infants and young children ride in
vehicles, they should have protection provided by
appropriate restraints.
Q:What are the different types of add-on
child restraints?
A:Add-on child restraints are available in four basic
types. When selecting a child restraint, take into
consideration not only the child's weight and size,
but also whether or not the restraint will be
compatible with the motor vehicle in which it will
be used.
An infant car bed (A) is a special bed made for use
in a motor vehicle. It's an infant restraint system
designed to restrain or position a child on a
continuous flat surface. With an infant car bed,
make sure that the infant's head rests toward the
center of the vehicle.
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Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear seat. But they need to use the
safety belts properly.
Children who aren't buckled up can be thrown out in
a crash.
Children who aren't buckled up can strike other
people who are.
CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here two children are wearing the same belt. The
belt can't properly spread the impact forces. In a
crash, the two children can be crushed together
and seriously injured. A belt must be used by
only one person at a time.
Q:What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt,
but the child is so small that the shoulder belt is
very close to the child's face or neck?
A:Move the child toward the center of the vehicle, but
be sure that the shoulder belt still is on the child's
shoulder, so that in a crash the child's upper body
would have the restraint that belts provide. If the
child is sitting in a rear seat outside position, see
ªRear Safety Belt Comfort Guidesº in the Index. If
the child is so small that the shoulder belt is still
very close to the child's face or neck, you might
want to place the child in a seat that has a lap belt,
if your vehicle has one.
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Your vehicle has one
double
-sided key for the
ignition and all door locks.
If you ever lose your key, your dealer will be able to
assist you with obtaining a new one.
Your vehicle also has a key
that locks and unlocks the
center floor console only.
Door Locks
CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers -- especially children -- can easily
open the doors and fall out. When a door is
locked, the inside handle won't open it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked
door when you slow down or stop your vehicle.
This may not be so obvious: You increase the
chance of being thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash if the doors aren't locked. Wear safety belts
properly, lock your doors, and you will be far
better off whenever you drive your vehicle.
Side Doors
To open the door from the outside, pull the handle up
and pull the door open.
To open the door from the inside, pull the lever toward
you and push the door open.
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Rear Doors
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to drive with the tailgate
glass, tailgate or rear doors open because carbon
monoxide (CO) gas can come into your vehicle.
You can't see or smell CO. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If you must drive with the tailgate glass, tailgate
or rear doors open or if electrical wiring or other
cable connections must pass through the seal
between the body and the tailgate glass, tailgate
or rear doors:
Make sure all other windows are shut.
Turn the fan on your heating or cooling
system to its highest speed with the setting on
VENT. That will force outside air into your
vehicle. See ªComfort Controlsº in the Index.
If you have air outlets on or under the
instrument panel, open them all the way.
See ªEngine Exhaustº in the Index.
Tailgate Glass and Tailgate
If your vehicle has a tailgate, you must raise the rear
glass before lowering the tailgate.
To open the glass from the outside, use your key. With
the key in the lock, turn the key clockwise to release the
glass, then lift it up.
To release the glass from the inside, use the electric
tailgate glass release switch on the instrument panel. For
more information, see ªTailgate
-- Electric Glass
Releaseº in the Index.
To open the tailgate, lift up on the handle while pulling
the tailgate toward you.
Close the tailgate before closing the rear glass. After
closing the tailgate, make sure the tailgate is securely
latched by pulling it toward you. After closing the rear
glass, pull up on its handle to make sure it is locked.
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To open the rear panel doors, you must open the
passenger's side panel door first. If the door is locked,
insert your door key in the lock and turn it
counterclockwise to unlock it.
To open the passenger's side panel door, pull up on the
handle and pull the door open.
To open the driver's side panel door, first open the
passenger's side panel door. Then, pull the handle on the
left door edge outward and pull the door open.
The rear doors have a check assembly to keep them
from fully opening during normal use.
To fully open either rear door, you must release the
check strap. To release the check strap just:
1. Open the door partway until the white mark on the
check strap is fully outside the door edge. If the end
of the strap catches the pin on the door, the door is
open too far.
2. Then, hold the strap at
the white mark, pull the
strap toward you and
open the door all
the way.
To r e
-engage the door check strap, just close the door
and the strap will catch the pin.
To close the doors, close the driver's side door first.
After securely closing the door, close the passenger's
side door. Make sure both doors are latched securely.
To lock the rear doors from outside the vehicle, put your
key in the lock and turn it clockwise. If you have power
door locks, you can lock the side doors as well as the
rear doors from inside the vehicle. For more
information, see ªPower Door Locksº in this section.