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Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides will provide added
safety belt comfort for older children who have outgrown
booster seats and for small adults. When installed on
a shoulder belt, the comfort guide better positions
the belt away from the neck and head.
There is one guide for each outside passenger position
in the rear seat. To provide added safety belt comfort
for children who have outgrown child restraints and
booster seats and for smaller adults, the comfort guides
may be installed on the shoulder belts. Here is how
to install a comfort guide and use the safety belt:
1. Pull the elastic cord out from between the edge of
the seatback and the interior body to remove the
guide from its storage clip.
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4. Buckle, position and release the safety belt as
described inRear Seat Passengers on page 1-22.
Make sure that the shoulder belt crosses the
shoulder.
To remove and store the comfort guides, squeeze the
belt edges together so that you can take them out of the
guides. Pull the guide upward to expose its storage
clip, and then slide the guide onto the clip. Turn
the guide and clip inward and in between the seatback
and the interior body, leaving only the loop of elastic
cord exposed.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for the driver
and right front passenger. Although you cannot see
them, they are located on the retractor part of the safety
belts. They help the safety belts reduce a person’s
forward movement in a moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal crash.
Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in a
crash, you will need to get new ones, and probably other
new parts for your safety belt system. SeeReplacing
Restraint System Parts After a Crash on page 1-58.
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you, you
should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long enough, your dealer will
order you an extender. It is free. When you go in to
order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so
the extender will be long enough for you. To help avoid
personal injury, do not let someone else use it, and
use it only for the seat it is made to t. The extender has
been designed for adults. Never use it for securing
child seats. To wear it, just attach it to the regular safety
belt. For more information, see the instruction sheet
that comes with the extender.
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Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats should
wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
Q:What is the proper way to wear safety belts?
A:If possible, an older child should wear a
lap-shoulder belt and get the additional restraint a
shoulder belt can provide. The shoulder belt
should not cross the face or neck. The lap belt
should t snugly below the hips, just touching the
top of the thighs. It should never be worn over
the abdomen, which could cause severe or even
fatal internal injuries in a crash.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear seat.
In a crash, children who are not buckled up can strike
other people who are buckled up, or can be thrown
out of the vehicle. Older children need to use safety
belts properly.
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A forward-facing child seat (C-E) provides restraint for
the child’s body with the harness and also sometimes
with surfaces such as T-shaped or shelf-like shields.A booster seat (F-G) is a child restraint designed to
improve the t of the vehicle’s safety belt system. Some
booster seats have a shoulder belt positioner, and
some high-back booster seats have a ve-point harness.
A booster seat can also help a child to see out the
window.
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A rear seat is a safer place to secure a forward-facing
child restraint. If you need to secure a forward-facing
child restraint in the right front seat, you will be using the
lap-shoulder belt to secure the restraint in this position.
Be sure to follow the instructions that came with the
child restraint. Secure the child in the child restraint
when and as the instructions say.
1. Because your vehicle has a right front passenger
airbag, always move the seat as far back as it will
go before securing a forward-facing child restraint.
SeeManual Seats on page 1-2.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
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Automatic Transaxle Operation
If your vehicle is equipped with an automatic transaxle,
the shift lever is located on the console between
the seats.
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P):This position locks your front wheels. It
is the best position to use when you start your engine
because your vehicle cannot move easily.{CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake rmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Do not leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured. To
be sure your vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground, always set your
parking brake and move the shift lever to
PARK (P). SeeShifting Into Park (P) (Automatic
Transaxle) on page 2-28. If you are pulling a
trailer, seeTowing a Trailer (Manual Transaxle)
on page 4-37orTowing a Trailer (Automatic
Transaxle) on page 4-38.
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The parking brake lever is located between the
front seats.
For vehicles equipped with an armrest, lift the console
armrest in order to access the parking brake lever.
To set the parking brake, Hold the brake pedal down
and pull up on the parking brake lever. If the ignition is
on, the brake system warning light will come on.
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-27.To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal
down. Pull the parking brake lever up until you can press
the release button. Hold the release button in as you
move the brake lever all the way down.
If you forget to release your parking brake, a chime will
sound and a warning light will ash when the parking
brake is applied and the vehicle is moving faster
than 5 mph (8 km/h). SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-37.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Verify that
the parking brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
Automatic Shift
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The main components of your instrument panel are the following:
A. Side Window Outlets. SeeClimate Control System
on page 3-17.
B. Air Outlets. SeeOutlet Adjustment on page 3-20.
C. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever. SeeTurn
Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-7.
D. Cruise Control Buttons (If Equipped). SeeCruise
Control on page 3-10.
E. Audio Steering Wheel Controls (If Equipped). See
Audio Steering Wheel Controls on page 3-75.
F. Instrument Panel Cluster. SeeInstrument Panel
Cluster on page 3-22.
G. Hazard Warning Flashers Switch. SeeHazard
Warning Flashers on page 3-6.
H. Windshield Wiper/Washer Controls. SeeWindshield
Wipers on page 3-9andWindshield Washer on
page 3-10.
I. Audio System. SeeAudio System(s) on page 3-45.
J. Fog Lamp Button (If Equipped). SeeFog Lamps
on page 3-15.K. Trunk Release. SeeTrunk on page 2-10.
L. Instrument Panel Brightness Control. SeeInstrument
Panel Brightness on page 3-15.
M. Horn. SeeHorn on page 3-6.
N. Driver Information Control Button. SeeDriver
Information Center (DIC) on page 3-35.
O. Cigarette Lighter (If Equipped). Accessory Power
Outlet (If Equipped). SeeAshtrays and Cigarette
Lighter on page 3-17andAccessory Power Outlets
on page 3-16.
P. Shift Lever (Manual Shown). SeeManual Transaxle
Operation on page 2-24andAutomatic Transaxle
Operation on page 2-22.
Q. Climate Controls. SeeClimate Control System on
page 3-17.
R. Heated Seats Button (If Equipped). SeeHeated
Seats on page 1-4.
S. Glove Box. SeeGlove Box on page 2-35.
3-5