2004 JEEP WRANGLER Owners Manual

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 that includes you. This can happen
far away from home or on your own street.
Research has shown that seat belts save lives, and that
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 are
equipped with 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 your striking the inside of the
vehicle or being thrown out.
WARNING!
²It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in these areas are more likely to be
seriously injured or killed.
²Do not allow people to ride in any area of your
vehicle that is not equipped with seats and seat
belts.
²Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat using
a seat belt properly.
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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 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.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions
1. Enter the vehicle and close the door. Sit back and
adjust the seat.2. The seat belt latch plate is above the back of the front
seat, next to your arm in the rear seat. Grasp the latch
plate and pull out the belt. Slide the latch plate up the
webbing as far as necessary to allow the belt to go around
your lap.
3. When the belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a ªclick.º
18 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 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
dangerous. 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 the 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 belt portion, pull up
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.
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WARNING!
²A lap belt worn too high can increase the risk of
internal 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 belt as low as
possible and keep it snug.
²A twisted belt cannot do its job as well. In a
collision it could even cut into you. Be sure the
belt is straight. If you cannot straighten a belt in
your vehicle, take it to your dealer and have it
fixed.
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 on the buckle.
The belt will automatically retract to its stowed position.
If necessary, slide the latch plate down the webbing to
allow the belt 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 a collision if they
have been damaged (bent retractor, torn webbing,
etc.).
20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the front seats, the shoulder belt anchorage can be
adjusted upward or downward to position the belt away
from your neck. Push in on the anchorage near your
outside shoulder and slide it up or down to reach the
position that serves you best.
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.
Seat Belts And Pregnant Women
We recommend that pregnant women use 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.
Seat Belt Extender
If a seat belt is too short, even when fully extended and
when the adjustable upper shoulder belt anchorage (if
equipped) is in its lowest position, your dealer can
provide you with a seat belt extender. This extender
should be used only if the existing belt is not long
enough. When it is not required, remove the extender
and store it.
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WARNING!
Using a seat belt extender when not needed can
increase the risk of injury in a collision. Only use
when the seat belt is not long enough when it is
worn low and snug, and in the recommended seating
positions. Remove and stow the seat belt extender
when not needed.
Driver And Front Passenger Supplemental
Restraint Systems (SRS) Ð Airbags
This vehicle has front airbags for both the driver and
front passenger as a supplement to the seat belt restraint
system. The driver's front airbag is mounted in the center
of the steering wheel. The passenger's front airbag is
mounted in the instrument panel, above the glove com-
partment. The words SRS/AIRBAG are embossed on the
airbag covers.
NOTE:The front airbags are certified to the Federal
regulations that allow less forceful deployment.
NOTE:Airbag covers may not be obvious in the
interior trim; but they will open to allow airbag deploy-
ment.
WARNING!
Do not put anything on or around the front airbag
covers or attempt to manually open them. You may
damage the airbags and you could be injured be-
cause the airbags are not there to protect you. These
protective covers for the airbag cushions are de-
signed to open only when the airbags are inflating.
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Airbags inflate in moderate to high speed impacts. Along
with the seat belts, front airbags work with the instru-
ment panel knee bolsters to provide improved protection
for the driver and front passenger.
The seat belts are designed to protect you in many types
of collisions. The front airbags deploy in moderate to
severe frontal 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 old and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
Infants in rear-facing child restraints (designed for chil-
dren up to 20 lbs (9 kg) and at least one year old) should
NEVERride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passen-
ger front airbag, unless the airbag is turned off. An airbag
deployment can cause severe injury or death to infants in
this position.Children that are not big enough to properly wear the
vehicle seat belt (Refer to ªChild Restraintº in this
section.) 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. Refer to 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.
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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.
Airbag System Components
The airbag system consists of the following:
²Airbag Control Module (ACM)
²Airbag Warning Light
²Driver Airbag
²Passenger Airbag
²Steering Wheel And Column
²Instrument Panel
²Crash Sensor
²Interconnecting Wiring
²Knee Impact Bolsters
²Passenger Airbag ON/OFF Switch (If Equipped)
How The Airbag System Works
²
TheAirbag Control Module (ACM)determines if a
frontal collision is severe enough to require the airbags
to inflate.
²The ACM will not detect side, roll over, or rear
impacts.
²The ACM also monitors the readiness of the electronic
parts of the system whenever the ignition switch is in
the START or ON position. These include all of the
items listed above except the knee bolster, the instru-
ment panel, and the steering wheel and column. If the
ignition key is in the OFF or ACC position, or not in
the ignition, the airbags are not on and will not inflate.
24 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE