
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

As a guide, if you are shorter than average, you will
prefer a lower position, and if you are taller than average,
you'll prefer a higher position. When you release the
anchorage, try to move it up or down to make sure that
it is locked in position.
Automatic Locking Mode Ð If Equipped
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-
locked. The belt will still retract to remove any slack in
the shoulder belt.
When To Use The Automatic Locking Mode
Anytime a child safety seat is installed in a passenger
front seating position. Children 12 years old and under
should be properly restrained in the rear seat whenever
possible.
How To Use The Automatic Locking Mode
1. Buckle the combination lap and shoulder belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull downward until
the entire belt is extracted.
3. Allow the belt to retract. As the belt retracts, you will
hear a clicking sound. This indicates the safety belt is
now in the automatic locking mode.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 31
2

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

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

units. A large quantity of nontoxic gas is generated to
inflate the front airbags. Different airbag inflation rates
are possible, these rates are determined by the front
airbag control module based on collision severity. The
steering wheel hub trim cover and the upper right side
of the instrument panel separate and fold out of the
way as the bags inflate to their full size. The bags fully
inflate in about 30±70 milliseconds. This is about half
of the time it takes to blink your eyes. The bags then
quickly deflate while helping to restrain the driver and
front passenger.
The driver front airbag gas is vented through the
airbag material towards the instrument panel. The
passenger front airbag gas is vented through the
airbag material on the sides of the airbag. In this way,
the airbags do not interfere with your control of the
vehicle.²TheSide Impact SRS Window Bagsare designed to
activate only in certain side collisions. When the airbag
control module (ACM), along with the remote side
impact sensors detects a side impact collision requir-
ing the window bags to inflate, it signals the inflators
on the crash side of the vehicle. A quantity of nontoxic
gas is generated to inflate the window bag. The
inflating window bag pushes the outside edge of the
headliner out of the way and covers the window. The
airbag inflates in about 30 milliseconds (about one
quarter of the time it takes to blink your eyes) with
enough force to injure you if you are not belted and
seated properly, or if items are positioned in the area
where the window bag inflates. This especially applies
to children. The window bag is only about 3
1¤2inches
(9 cm) thick when it is inflated.
²TheKnee Impact Bolstershelp protect the knees of
the driver and the front passenger's, and position
everyone for the best interaction with the front airbag.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 41
2

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