2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE warning

Child Protection Locks
The rear doors of your vehicle are equipped with child
protection locks. If you push up on the lever on the open
edge of the door it cannot be opened from the inside of
the vehicle. Push the lever down to disengage the child
protection locks.
WARNING!
Avoid trapping anyone in the vehicle in a collision.
Remember that the rear doors can only be opened
from the outside when the child protection locks are
engaged.
Power Door Lock System
The power door locks are on a paddle-type switch.
Pressing the switch toward the rear of the vehicle will
ªLockº all doors. Pressing the switch toward the front of
the vehicle will ªUnlockº all doors. The driver's and
passenger's switch locks and unlocks all doors and the
liftgate.
18 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

open or partially open positions. This is a normal occur-
rence and can be minimized. If the buffeting occurs with
the sunroof open, adjust the sunroof opening to minimize
the buffeting.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems. These include the front
and rear seat belts for the driver and all passengers, front
airbags for both the driver and right front passenger, and,
if equipped, window bags for the driver and passengers
seated next to a window. If you will be carrying children
too small for adult-size belts, your seat belts also can be
used to hold infant and child restraint systems.
NOTE:The front airbags have a multi stage inflator
design. This allows the airbag to have different rates of
inflation that are based on collision severity.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.WARNING!
In a collision, you and your passengers can suffer
injuries, including fatalities, 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 which includes you. This can
happen far away from home or on your own street.
26 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.Everyonein a motor vehicle should
be belted at all times to reduce or prevent injuries.
Lap/Shoulder Belts
The outboard front and rear seats of your vehicle have
combination 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. But in a collision, the belt will lock
and reduce the risk of you striking the inside of the
vehicle or being thrown out.
WARNING!
²Wearing 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. 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 instruc-
tions to wear your seat belt safely and to keep
your passengers safe, too.
²Two people should never be belted into a single
seat belt. People belted together can crash into one
another in an accident, hurting one another badly.
Never use a lap/shoulder belt or a lap belt for
more than one person, no matter what their size.
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WARNING!
²A 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.
²A belt that is too loose will not protect you as well.
In a sudden stop you could move too far forward,
increasing the possibility of injury. Wear your seat
belt snugly.
²A belt that is worn under your arm is very danger-
ous. Your body could strike the inside surfaces of
the vehicle in a collision, 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.
²A shoulder belt placed behind 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.
4. Position the lap belt across your thighs, below your
abdomen. To remove slack in the lap 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 a
collision.
WARNING!
²A lap belt worn too high can increase the risk of
injury in a collision. The 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.
²A twisted belt can't do its job as well. 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 and
have it fixed.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 29
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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.
6. To release the belt, push the red button marked PRESS
on the buckle. The belt will automatically retract to its
stowed position. If necessary, slide the latch plate down
the webbing to allow it to retract fully.WARNING!
A frayed or torn belt could rip apart in a collision
and leave you with no protection. Inspect the belt
system periodically, checking for cuts, frays, or loose
parts. Damaged parts must be replaced immediately.
Do not disassemble or modify the system. Seat belt
assemblies must be replaced after an accident if they
have been damaged (bent retractor, torn webbing,
etc.).
Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the front seating positions, the shoulder belt can be
adjusted upward or downward to position the belt away
from your neck. Press the release button to release the
anchorage, and then move it up or down to the position
that serves you best.
30 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

How to Disengage The Automatic Locking Mode
Disconnect the combination lap/shoulder belt and allow
it to retract completely to disengage the automatic lock-
ing mode and activate the vehicle sensitive (emergency)
locking mode.
Energy Management Feature
This vehicle has a safety belt system with an energy
management feature in the front seating positions to help
further reduce the risk of injury in the event of a head-on
collision.
This safety belt system has a retractor assembly that is
designed to release webbing in a controlled manner. This
feature is designed to help reduce the belt force acting on
the occupant's chest.
WARNING!
²After a vehicle collision, the front passenger out-
board seat belt system must be checked by a
qualified technician to verify that the ªautomatic
locking retractorº feature for child seats is still
functioning properly. In addition, all seat belts
should be checked for proper function.
²The belt and retractor assembly must be replaced
if the seat belt assembly ªautomatic locking re-
tractorº feature or any other seat belt function is
not working properly when checked according to
the procedures in the Service Manual.
²Failure to replace the belt and retractor assembly
could increase the risk of injury in collisions.
32 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Rear Center Lap Belt
The rear center seating position has a lap belt only. To
fasten the lap belt, slide the latch plate into the buckle
until you hear a ªclick.º
To lengthen the lap belt, tilt the latch plate and pull. To
remove slack, pull the loose end of the webbing. Wear the
belt snug against the hips. Sit back and erect in the seat,
then adjust the belt as tightly as is comfortable.
WARNING!
²A lap belt worn too loose or too high is dangerous.
²A belt worn too loose can allow you to slip down
and under the belt in a collision.
²A belt that is too high will apply crash forces to
the abdomen, not to the stronger hip bones. In
either case, the risk of internal injuries is greater.
Wear a lap belt low and snug.
Enhanced Driver Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert)
If the driver's seat belt has not been buckled within 60
seconds of starting the vehicle and if the vehicle speed is
greater than 5 mph (8 km/h), the Enhanced Warning
System (BeltAlert) will alert the driver to buckle their seat
belt. The driver should also instruct all other occupants to
buckle their seat belts. Once the warning is triggered, the
Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert) will continue to
chime and flash the Seat Belt Warning Light for 96
seconds or until the driver's seat belt is buckled. The
Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert) will be reactivated
if the driver's seat belt is unbuckled for more than 10
seconds and the vehicle speed is greater than 5 mph (8
km/h).
The Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert) can be en-
abled or disabled by your authorized dealer or by
following these steps:
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NOTE:The following steps must occur within the first
60 seconds of the ignition switch being turned to the ON
or START position. The manufacturer does not recom-
mend deactivating the Enhanced Warning System
(BeltAlert).
1. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position, and
fasten the driver's seat belt.
2. Start the engine, and wait for the Seat Belt Warning
Light to turn off.
3. Within 60 seconds of starting the vehicle, unbuckle
and then re-buckle the driver's seat belt at least three
times, ending with the seat belt buckled.
4. Turn off the engine. A single chime will sound to
signify that you have successfully completed the pro-
gramming.
The Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert) can be reacti-
vated by repeating this procedure.NOTE:Although the Enhanced Warning System (BeltA-
lert) has been deactivated, the Seat Belt Warning Light
will continue to illuminate while the driver's seat belt
remains unfastened.
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 possible.
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 a collision.
34 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE