For added protection, the f ront seat
belts are equipped with automatic
seat belt tensioners. When activated,
the tensioners immediately tighten
the belts to help hold the driver and
a f ront passenger in place.The tensioners are designed to
activate primarily in f rontal collisions,
andtheyshouldactivateinany
collision severe enough to cause
front-airbag inflation.
When the tensioners are activated,
the seat belts will remain tight until
they are unbuckled in the normal
manner.
To deactivate the locking
mechanism, unlatch the buckle and
let the seat belt f ully retract. To
ref asten the belt, pull it out only as
f ar as needed.
The tensioners can also be activated
during a collision in which the f ront
airbags do not deploy. In this case,
the airbags would not be needed, but
the additional restraint could be
helpf ul.
A utomatic Seat Belt T ensioners
Additional Inf ormation About Your Seat Belts
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
19
Improperly replacing
or covering f ront seat-back covers
can prevent your side airbags f rom
inf lating during a side impact. If water or another liquid
soaks into a seat-back, it can
prevent the side airbag cutof f
system f rom working properly. Tampering could cause
the airbags to deploy, possibly
causing very serious injury. Together, airbags and
seat belts provide the best
protection.
Any airbag
that has deployed must be
replaced along with the control
unit and other related parts. If a
f ront airbag inf lates, the seat belt
tensioners must also be replaced.
Do not try to remove or replace
anyairbagbyyourself.Thismust
be done by your dealer or a
knowledgeable body shop.
Your airbag systems are virtually
maintenance f ree, and there are no
parts you can saf ely service.
However, you must have your
vehicle serviced if:
Take your vehicle to an
authorized dealer as soon as
possible. If you ignore this
indication, your airbags may not
operate properly.
This indicator alerts you
that the passenger’s side
airbag has been automatically shut
of f . It does mean there is a
problem with your side airbags.
When you turn the ignition switch to
ON (II), the indicator should light
brief ly and go of f (see page ). If it
doesn’t light, stays on, or comes on
while driving without a passenger in
the front seat, have the system
checked. 53
Optional for Canadian models
Standard f or U.S. models
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
Do not cover or replace f ront seat -
back covers wit hout consult ingyour dealer.
Do not expose t he f ront seat -backs
to liquid.
Do not t amper wit h airbag
component s or wiring f or anyreason.
Donotattempttodeactivateyour
airbags.
An airbag ever inf lates.
T he SRS indicat or alert s you t o aproblem.
not
Additional Saf ety Precautions
Airbag Service
How the Side Airbag Of f
Indicator Works
26
