2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE child restraint

NProgramming Additional Transmitters........22
NTransmitter Battery Replacement...........22
mSecurity Alarm System Ð If Equipped.........23
NTo Set The Alarm......................23
NTo Disarm The System...................23
mPower Windows........................24
NAuto Down Feature Ð If Equipped.........25
NWind Buffeting........................25
mOccupant Restraints......................26
NLap/Shoulder Belts.....................27
NLap/Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions.....28
NAdjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage....30
NAutomatic Locking Mode Ð If Equipped.....31NEnergy Management Feature..............32
NRear Center Lap Belt....................33
NEnhanced Driver Seat Belt Use Reminder
System (BeltAlert)......................33
NSeat Belts And Pregnant Women............34
NSeat Belt Extender......................35
NDriver And Front Passenger Supplemental
Restraint Systems (SRS)..................35
NChild Restraint........................44
mEngine Break-In Recommendations...........51
mSafety Tips............................51
NExhaust Gas..........................51
NSafety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle..............................52
NSafety Checks You Should Make Outside The
Vehicle..............................53
10 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

1. Children 12 years and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
Infants in rear facing child restraints shouldNEVERride
in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger airbag. An
airbag deplyment could cause severe injury or death to
infants in that position.
Children that are not big enough to properly wear the
vehicle seat belt should be secured in the rear seat, in a
child restraint or belt-positioning booster seat. 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 must ride in the front
passenger seat because the vehicle is crowded, move the
seat as far back as possible, and use the proper child
restraint. See ªChild Restraintº in this section.You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
2. All occupants should use their lap and shoulder belts
properly.
3. The driver and front passenger seats should be moved
back as far as practical to allow the front airbags room to
inflate.
4. If your vehicle has window bags, do not lean against
the door or window, airbags will inflate forcefully into
the space between you and the door.
38 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Airbag Warning Light
You will want to have the airbag system ready to inflate
for your protection in an impact. The airbag system is
designed to be maintenance free. If any of the following
occurs, have an authorized dealer service the system
promptly:
²Does not come on during the 6 to 8 seconds after the
ignition switch is first turned on.
²Remains on after the 6 to 8 second interval.
²Comes on for any period of time while driving.
Child Restraint
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up all the
time Ð babies and children, too. Every state in the United
States and all Canadian provinces require that small
children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the law,
and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.Children 12 years and under should ride properly buck-
led 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.
WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny
baby, can become a missile inside the vehicle. The
force required to hold even an infant on your lap can
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 restraint for the child's
size.
Infants and Small Children
There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

enough for an adult seat belt. Always check the child seat
owner's manual to ensure you have the right seat for
your child. Use the restraint that is correct for your child:
²The rearward-facing infant restraint is for babies
weighing up to about 20 lbs (9 kg), and one year old or
more. The infant restraint mustNEVERbe used in the
front seat of a vehicle with a passenger side airbag
unless the airbag is turned off. An airbag deployment
could cause severe injury or death to infants in this
position. The infant restraint is held in the vehicle by
the lap belt, lap/shoulder belt, or the LATCH child
restraint anchorage system. Refer to ªLower Anchors
and Tether for CHildren (LATCH)º in this section.
²Children under one year of age should continue to ride
in a rear-facing infant seat, even if they weigh more
than 20 lbs (9 kg). A ªconvertibleº child seat, one that
is designed to be used either rearward-facing orforward-facing, should be used for children who are
too heavy for the infant carrier, but who are too young
to face forward in the vehicle.
²The forward-facing child seat is for children from
about 20 lbs (9 kg) to 40 lbs (18 kg), and more than one
year old. The child seat is held in the vehicle by the lap
belt, lap/shoulder belt, or the LATCH child restraint
anchorage system. Refer to ªLower Anchors and
Tether for CHildren (LATCH)º in this section.
²The belt-positioning booster seat is for children weigh-
ing more than 40 lbs (18 kg). If the child cannot sit with
knees bent over the seat cushion while the child's back
is against the seat back, they should use a belt-
positioning booster seat. The child and booster seat are
held in the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt. (Some
booster seats are equipped with a front shield and are
held in the vehicle by the lap portion or lap belt.)
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 45
2

²For additional information, refer towww.seatcheck.org.
WARNING!
²Improper installation can lead to failure of an
infant or child restraint. It could come loose in a
collision. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer's directions ex-
actly when installing an infant or child restraint.
²A rearward facing infant restraint should only be
used in a rear seat. A rearward facing infant
restraint in the front seat may be struck by a
deploying passenger airbag which may cause se-
vere or fatal injury to the infant.
Here are some tips for getting the most out of your child
restraint:
²Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it
has a label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety
Standards. The manufacturer also recommends that
you try a child restraint in the vehicle seats where you
will use it before you buy it.
²The restraint must be appropriate for your child's
weight and height. Check the label on the restraint for
weight and height limits.
²Carefully follow the instructions that come with the
restraint. If you install the restraint improperly, it may
not work when you need it.
46 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

²The passenger seat belts are equipped with cinching
latch plates, which are designed to keep the latch
portion tight around the child restraint so that it is not
necessary to use a locking clip. Pulling up on the
shoulder portion of the lap/shoulder belt will tighten
the belt. The cinching latch plate will keep the belt
tight, however, any seat belt system will loosen with
time, so check the belt occasionally and pull it tight if
necessary.
²In the rear seat, you may have trouble tightening the
lap/shoulder belt on the child restraint because the
buckle or latch plate is too close to the belt path
opening on the restraint. Disconnect the latch plate
from the buckle and twist the short buckle-end belt
several times to shorten it. Insert the latch plate into
the buckle with the release button facing out.
²If the belt still cannot be tightened, or if pulling and
pushing on the restraint loosens the belt, disconnect
the latch plate from the buckle, turn the buckle
around, and insert the latch plate into the buckle
again. If you still cannot make the child restraint
secure, try a different seating position.
²Buckle the child into the restraint exactly as the
manufacturer's instructions tell you.
²When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in the
vehicle with the seat belt or remove it from the vehicle.
Do not leave it loose in the vehicle. In a sudden stop or
collision, it could strike the occupants or seat backs
and cause serious personal injury.
Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH)
Your vehicle is equipped with the child restraint anchor-
age system called LATCH, which stands for Lower
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47
2

Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. The LATCH system
provides for the installation of the child restraint without
using the vehicle seat belt. The two rear outboard seating
positions have exclusive lower anchorages located at the
rear of the seat cushion. They are round bars, part of the
seat and body structure, and are readily visible.In addition, there are tether anchors above the rear
liftgate opening behind each rear outboard seat. The
anchors are covered by hinged plastic caps.
To attach a child restraint tether strap hook, pull down on
the cover of the anchor directly behind the seat where
you are placing the child restraint. Raise the head re-
straint and route the tether strap under the head restraint
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE