2005 DODGE VIPER ECU

Buckle the child into the seat exactly as the child seat
manufacturer’s directions tell you. The latch plate on the
lap/shoulder belt will keep the belt tight.
When your infant carrier or child seat is not in use, secure
it with the seat belt or remove it from the vehicle. Don’t
leave it loose in the vehicle. In a sudden stop or collision,
it could strike occupants and injure them.LATCH—Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren
Your vehicle’s passenger seat is equipped with the child
restraint anchorage system called LATCH, which stands
for Lower Anchors and Tether for Children. The LATCH
LATCH Anchorages
36 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
An incorrectly anchored tether strap could lead to
increased head motion and possible injury to the
child. Use only the anchor position directly behind
the child seat to secure a child restraint top tether
strap.
Installing Child Restraints Using the Vehicle Seat
belt
The passenger side seat belt is equipped with an auto-
matic locking retractor for child restraint system installa-
tion. It is designed to keep the lap portion of the restraint
tightly held to the passenger seat. Seat belts equipped
with automatic locking retractors will have a distinctive
label on the webbing.
To restrain the child seat, pull enough webbing from the
retractor to allow the belt to pass through the childrestraint and slide the latch plate into the buckle. Then,
pull on the webbing from the retractor until all of it is
extracted. Retract some to the webbing back to the
retractor to activate the automatic locking retractor. (See
Seat Belt Locking Mode below). Tighten the lap portion
of the belt and allow the excess webbing to retract back to
the retractor. If it still does not make the child restraint
secure, try different seating positions in addition to
securing the child restraint with the LATCH restraint
system.Seat Belt Locking Mode
The seat belts for both occupants are equipped with
emergency locking retractors for normal use. They are
activated during very sudden stops or impacts and are
set in emergency locking mode. However, the passenger
side seat belt is also equipped with an automatic locking
retractor to secure child restraint systems. It can also be
converted to set the seat belt in the emergency locking
mode.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 39
2

To convert the emergency locking mode to automatic
locking mode for seat belts equipped with automatic
locking retractors, grasp on the shoulder belt portion of
the belt and pull all of the webbing out of the retractor. By
allowing some of the webbing to retract back into the
retractor, you will hear a clicking sound indicating that
the belt is now activated to automatic locking mode.
Once it is in the automatic locking mode you will not be
able to pull any more of the webbing out of the retractor,
but will only be able to feed back excess webbing to
secure the child restraint. To disengage the automatic
locking mode, simply allow all of the webbing to retract
back into the retractor which will switch the seat belt to
emergency locking mode for normal use.
Children Too Large For Child Seats
Children who are too large for child seats and who can sit
upright by themselves should use the lap/shoulder belt
for best protection.
•Make sure that the child is seated upright in the seat.
•The lap belt should be low on the hips and as snug as
possible.
•Check belt fit periodically. A child’s squirming or
slouching can move the belt out of position.
•If the shoulder belt contacts the face or neck, move the
child closer to the side of the vehicle.
Booster seats that may help overcome this problem are
also available for use with lap/shoulder belts. Before
buying a booster seat, make sure that it has a label
certifying that it meets applicable Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards. Make sure that it is satisfactory for use in this
vehicle.
40 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

in collisions where the airbags deploy, you need the seat
belts to keep you in the right position for the airbags to
protect you properly.
Here are four simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying airbag.
1.Infants in rear facing child safety seats designed for
children up to one year or approximately 20 pounds (9
kg) should never ride in the front seat of a vehicle with
a passenger side airbag unless the airbag is shut OFF.
See“Passenger Side Airbag On/Off Switch.”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 (see section on“Child Restraint”) should
be secured in child safety seats or booster seats.
Older children who do not use child safety seats or
booster seats should ride properly buckled.Never allow children to place the shoulder belt behind
them or under the arm.
Infants up to 1 year or approximately 20 pounds (9 kg)
should never ride in the vehicle, because the rear facing
child seat places them too close to the passenger air bag
in the event of a crash.
Children from 1 to 12 years old: Move the passenger seat
as far back as possible. Children from 20 to 60 pounds (9
kg to 27 kg) should be secured in the appropriate child
safety seat or booster seat. If too large for a booster seat,
the child should wear the lap/shoulder belt properly.
Children should never be allowed to lean forward to-
ward the instrument panel as a passenger air bag deploy-
ment could cause severe injury or death to a child in this
position.
You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Transporting Pets
Deploying airbags could harm your pet. An unrestrained
pet will be thrown about and possibly injured, or injure a
passenger during panic braking or in a collision.
Pets should be restrained in pet harnesses or pet carriers
that are secured by seat belts.
ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS
The engine in your new Viper does not require a long
break-in period. Following these few simple guidelines is
all that is necessary for a good break-in:
For the first 500 miles (800 km):
•Keep your vehicle speed below the legal, posted speed
limit and your engine speed below 4,000 rpm.
•Avoid driving at a constant speed, either fast or slow,
for long periods of time.
•Do not make any full throttle starts and avoid full
throttle acceleration.
•Use the proper gear for your speed range.
•Wait until the engine has reached normal operating
temperature before driving at the recommended maxi-
mum break-in speed.
•Avoid excessive idling.
•Check the engine oil level at every fuel fill.
NOTE:A new engine will consume some oil during the
first few thousand miles of operation. This should be
considered as a normal part of the break-in and not
interpreted as a sign of difficulty.
50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

5. Fold the convertible top cover again. Place the cover
into the bag. Store the cover in the trunk or a dry secure
area.CONSOLE FEATURES
The front console has a removable ashtray, power outlet/
cigarette lighter and power window switches.
The center console compartment is equipped with a
cigarette lighter/power outlet and a passenger airbag
on/off switch.
Folding Boot Cover
Console
66 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

CAUTION!
Prolonged driving with the light on could cause
further damage to the emission control system. It
could also affect fuel economy and driveability. The
vehicle must be serviced before any state emissions
tests can be performed.
If the light is flashing, severe catalytic converter damage
and power loss will soon occur. Immediate service is
required.
If the gas cap is not secured properly, the light may come
on. Be sure the gas cap is tightened every time you add
fuel.
High Beam Indicator
This light shows that the headlights are on high
beam. Pull the turn signal lever toward the steer-
ing wheel to switch the headlights from high or low
beam.
Seat Belt Indicator Light
This system alerts the driver to fasten the seat belt
if not done so within 60 seconds of starting the
vehicle and if the vehicle is moving faster than 5
mph (8 km/h). The system will cause a chime to sound
repeatedly and will flash the seat belt warning light for 96
seconds or until the driver’s seat belt is fastened. The
reminder system will be reactivated if the driver’s seat
belt is unfastened for more than 10 seconds and the
vehicle speed is greater than 5 mph (8 km/hr). Refer to
Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System (BeltAlert™)in
the Occupant Restraints section for deactivating the
system.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 89
4

instrument panel and release when the engine starts. If
the engine has not started within 3 seconds, slightly
depress the accelerator pedal while continuing to crank.
If the engine fails to start within 10 seconds, turn the key
to the“OFF”position, wait 5 seconds, then repeat the
normal starting procedure.If Engine Fails to Start
NOTE:The Remote Keyless Entry Transmitter MUST be
used to unlock the vehicle and disarm the alarm system.
In the event of a lost or defective Remote Keyless
Transmitter, the security system can be momentarily
disarmed to allow the vehicle to be started.
See the paragraph on the Vehicle Theft Security System in
Section 2 of this manual
Engine Start Button
112 STARTING AND OPERATING