2004 JEEP LIBERTY child seat

Wind Buffeting
Wind buffeting can be described as the perception of
pressure on the ears or a helicopter type sound in the
ears. Your vehicle may exhibit wind buffeting with the
windows down, or the sunroof (if equipped) in certain
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 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
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.
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When To Use The Automatic Locking Mode
Anytime a child safety seat is installed in a passenger
front or outboard rear seating position (if equipped).
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.
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 at the driver and front passenger
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 pay out webbing in a controlled manner. This
feature is designed to help reduce the belt force acting on
the occupant's chest.
42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
²After a vehicle collision, the driver and front
passenger outboard 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.
Seat Belt Pretensioners
The driver and front passenger seat belts are equipped
with a pretensioning device that is designed to remove
any slack from the seat belt systems in the event of a
collision. This device improves the performance of the
seat belt by assuring that the belt is tight around the
occupant early in a collision. Pretensioners work for all
size occupants, including those in child restraints.
NOTE:These devices are not a substitute for proper seat
belt placement by the occupant. The seat belt must still be
worn snugly and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the front Airbag
Control Module. Like the front airbags, the pretensioners
are a single use item. After a collision that is severe
enough to deploy the airbags and pretensioners, they
must be replaced.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 43
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Along with the seat belts, front airbags work with the
instrument panel knee bolsters to provide improved
protection for the driver and front passenger. Window
bags also work with seat belts to improve occupant
protection.
The seat belts are designed to protect you in many types
of collisions. The front airbags deploy in moderate to
severe frontal collisions.
NOTE:The passenger front airbag may not deploy even
when the driver front airbag has if the Occupant Classi-
fication System (refer to ªOccupant Classification Sys-
temº in this section) has determined the seat is empty or
is occupied by someone that is classified in the ªchildº
category. This could be a child, a teenager, or even a small
adult.If your vehicle is so equipped, the window bag on the
crash side of the vehicle is triggered in moderate to
severe side collisions. But even in collisions where the
airbags work, you need the seat belts to keep you in the
right position for the airbags to protect you properly.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying airbag.
1. Children 12 years and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat in an appropriate child restraint.
Infants in rear-facing child restraints shouldNEVERride
in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger front airbag.
An airbag deployment can cause severe injury or death to
infants in that position.
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.
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 airbag 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.WARNING!
²Relying on the airbags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The airbags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions the airbags won't deploy at all.
Always wear your seat belts even though you
have airbags.
²Being too close to the steering wheel or instru-
ment panel during airbag deployment could cause
serious injury. Airbags need room to inflate. Sit
back, comfortably extending your arms to reach
the steering wheel or instrument panel.
²If the vehicle has window bags, they also need
room to inflate. Do not lean against the door or
window. Sit upright in the center of the seat.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49
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not be able to properly approximate occupant size.
Furthermore, the occupant size may appear to increase
or decrease due to objects hanging on the seat, other
passengers pushing on the seat, or objects lodged
underneath the seat. If there is a rapid change in
temperature or humidity, the OCS may not be able to
properly approximate occupant size. If your seat in-
cluding your trim cover and cushion needs to be
serviced in any way, take the vehicle to your autho-
rized dealer. Only manufacturer approved seat acces-
sories may be used.
If there is a fault present in the system, the AIRBAG
warning light will light indicating that you should
take the vehicle to an authorized dealer. In the pres-
ence of an occupant in the passenger seat, if both the
PAD indicator light and AIRBAG warning light are
illuminated the airbag will be disabled.The ORC will not allow front airbag deployment in the
event of a collision for occupants classified into the
empty or child size categories. The PAD indicator light
will illuminate indicating that the Passenger Airbag is
OFF when the OCS has determined that the occupant size
category is a child. Also, when the seat is empty or an
object that weighs less than a predetermined threshold is
placed on the seat, the light will remain OFF. (The PAD
indicator light is an amber light located on the grab
handle in front of the passenger seat.)
52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

For almost all sizes of properly seated adults, the passen-
ger frontal airbag will be enabled in the event of a
collision. For small teenagers and some small adults,
depending on size, the airbag may or may not be enabled
in the event of a collision. For small teenagers and some
small adults, depending on size, the airbag may or may
not be enabled in the event of a collision. Both driversand passengers should always use the PAD indicator
light as an indication if the front passenger is properly
positioned or not. If the PAD indicator light comes on
when an adult is in the passenger seat, have the passen-
ger re-position themselves in the seat until the light goes
out. Remember, if the PAD indicator light is illuminated
the passenger front airbag will not inflate. For properly
installed child restraint systems and children properly
seated on the front passenger seat, the airbag will be
disabled. If at all possible, place children 12 years and
younger in a back seat.²TheDriver and Passenger Airbag/Inflator Unitsare
located in the center of the steering wheel and the right
side of the instrument panel. When the ORC detects a
collision requiring the airbags, it signals the inflator
units. A large quantity of nontoxic gas is generated to
inflate the front airbags. Different airbag inflation rates
may be possible based on collision severity and occu-
pant size. The steering wheel hub trim cover and the
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53
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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 50±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's front airbag gas is vented through vent
holes in the sides of the airbag. The passenger's front
airbag gas is vented through vent holes in the sides of
the airbag. In this way the airbags do not interfere with
your control of the vehicle.
²TheOccupant Classification Module (OCM)is lo-
cated beneath the front passenger seat. The OCM
classifies the occupant into one of three size categories
based on the input from the Bladder Assembly and a
Belt Tension Sensor. The size categories include empty,child, and adult. The OCM sends the Occupant Clas-
sification to the ORC to determine if a front passenger
airbag is allowed. If a fault is present, the AIRBAG
warning light is illuminated.
²ThePassenger Airbag Disabled (PAD) Indicator
Lightindicates to the driver and passenger when the
airbag is turned OFF. In the presence of a properly
seated occupant, when the PAD indicator light is
illuminated, the airbag is OFF. Also, when the Occu-
pant Classification System detects either an empty seat
or a weight less than the predetermined threshold, the
ORC will not illuminate the PAD indicator light even
though the airbag is turned OFF.
²TheBelt Tension Sensor (BTS)is located at the
outboard passenger lap belt anchor. The BTS creates a
signal based on outboard lap belt tension. This signal
is sent to the OCM to ensure that the resultant bladder
54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE