Power Windows........................21
▫Power Window Operation With The Convertible
Top Switch (Roadster Only)...............22
Rear Liftgate/Decklid Release..............22
Occupant Restraints.....................22
▫Lap/Shoulder Belts.....................23
▫Seat Belts And Pregnant Women............28
▫Seat Belt Extender......................28
▫Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) - Airbag . .29▫Child Restraint........................40
Engine Break-In Recommendations..........47
Safety Tips............................47
▫Exhaust Gas..........................47
▫Safety Checks You Should Make Inside
The Vehicle..........................48
▫Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make
Outside The Vehicle....................48
8 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Power Window Operation With The Convertible
Top Switch (Roadster Only)
The power windows can also be operated by using the
convertible top switch.
To operate, turn the key in the ignition switch to the
ON/RUN position. Press down on the rear of the con-
vertible top switch twice to open the windows.
Press down on the front of the convertible top switch
twice to close the windows.
REAR LIFTGATE/DECKLID RELEASE
You can open the rear liftgate/decklid by using the
handle located on the liftgate/decklid just above the rear
license plate pocket.
WARNING!
Do not allow children to have access to the rear cargo
area by climbing into the rear cargo area from
outside. Always close the liftgate/decklid when your
vehicle is unattended. Once in the cargo area, young
children may have difficulty leaving the vehicle. If
trapped in the cargo area, children can die from
suffocation or heat stroke.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems. These include the lap/
shoulder seat belts for the driver and passenger, emer-
gency tensioning retractors for the seat belts, and front
and side airbags for the driver and passenger. If you will
be carrying children too small for adult-size belts, the
passenger side seat belt also can be used to hold infant
and child restraint systems.
22 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
The seat belts are designed to protect you in many types
of collisions. The front airbags deploy only in moderate
to severe front collisions. In certain types of collisions,
both the front and side airbags may be triggered. 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. Infants in rear-facing child safety seats shouldNEVER
ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger frontal
airbag unless the airbag is shut OFF. See “Passenger
Airbag On/Off Switch” and “To Shut Off the Passenger
Airbag.” The rear-facing seat places them too close to the
passenger air bag in the event of a crash. 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 that are
appropriate for the child’s age, height, and weight.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.
If a child from 1 to 12 years old must ride in the vehicle,
move the seat as far back as possible, shut off the
passenger airbag, and use the proper child restraint. See
the section on “Child Restraint.”
You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint or belt-positioning booster seat to make
sure that you are using it properly.
2. All occupants should wear their lap and shoulder belts
properly.
3. The driver and passenger seats should be moved back
as far as practical to allow the front airbags room to
inflate.
4. Do not lean against the door, as the side airbags will
inflate forcefully into the space between you and the
door. (See the section on “Side Airbags.”)
30 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
•The operational readiness of the side airbag system is
verified by the airbag indicator light in the instrument
cluster when turning the key in the ignition switch to
the ON/RUN position. If no fault is detected, the light
will go out after approximately four seconds. After the
light goes out, the system continues to monitor the
components and circuitry of the airbag system and
will indicate a malfunction by coming on again. If the
light does not come on at all, or if it fails to go out after
the four seconds, or if it comes on thereafter, a mal-
function in the system has been detected. See your
authorized dealer for service.WARNING!
•The door mounted side airbag deploys with con-
siderable force. Being too close to the door panel
during airbag deployment could cause serious
injury or death.
•All occupants must be in the appropriate restraint
for their size and age, especially children 12 and
under.
•To help avoid the potential for serious injury and
death should the side airbag be activated, please
follow these guidelines:
1. Occupants, especially children, should never lean
against the door in the area where the side airbag
inflates;
2. Occupants need to sit upright in the center of the
seat to give the side airbag room to inflate;
3. Always use the appropriate restraint for the occu-
pant and ensure it is properly used.
36 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Passenger Front Airbag On/Off Switch
The on/off switch is located at the right end of the
instrument panel and is accessible by opening the pas-
senger door.
The on/off switch is to be used only when the passenger
is:
•an infant (less than 1 year old),
•a child, age 1 to 12,
•an adult with a medical condition which makes pas-
senger airbag inflation (deployment) a greater risk for
the passenger than the risk of hitting the dashboard
(instrument panel) or windshield in a crash.If the airbag is turned off when there is any other
occupant at that position, the supplemental restraint
provided by the airbag will not be available.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 37
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Airbag Light
You will want to have the airbags ready for
your protection in case of a collision. While the
airbag Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) is
designed to be maintenance free, if any of the
following occurs, have an authorized dealer service the
system immediately.
•The AIRBAG light does not come on or flickers during
the four seconds when the ignition switch is first
turned on.
•The light remains on or flickers after the four second
interval.
•The light flickers or comes on and remains on while
driving.
Child Restraint
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up all the
time, babies and children, too. Every state in the United
States and all Canadian provinces require that small
children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the law,
and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny
baby, can become a missile inside the vehicle. The
force required to hold even an infant on your lap
could become so great that you could not hold the
child, no matter how strong you are. The child and
others could be badly injured. Any child riding in
your vehicle should be in a proper restraint for the
child’s size.
Infants and Child Restraints
There are different sizes and types of restraints for children
from newborn size to the child almost large enough for an
adult safety belt. Always check the child seat Owner’s
Manual to ensure you have the right seat for your child.
Use the restraint that is correct for your child:
•Safety experts recommend that children ride
rearward-facing in the vehicle until they are at least
one year old and weigh at least 9 kg (20 lbs.). Two
types of child restraints can be used rearward-facing:
infant carriers and “convertible” child seats.
40 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
•The infant carrier is only used rearward-facing in the
vehicle. It is recommended for children who weigh up
to about 20 lbs. (9 kg). “Convertible” child seats can be
used either rearward-facing or forward-facing in the
vehicle. Convertible child seats often have a higher
weight limit in the rearward-facing direction than
infant carriers do, so they can be used rearward-facing
by children who weigh more than 20 lbs. (9 kg) but are
less than one year old. Both types of child restraints are
held in the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt or the
LATCH child restraint anchorage system. (See the
LATCH - Child Seat Anchorage System section.)
•Rearward-facing child seats mustNEVERbe used in
the front seat of a vehicle with the front passenger
airbag unless the airbag is turned off. An airbag
deployment could cause severe injury or death to
infants in this position.
WARNING!
•A rearward facing infant restraint must not be
used unless the passenger airbag has been shut
off. A rearward facing infant restraint may be
struck by a deploying passenger airbag which
may cause severe or fatal injury to the infant.
•Improper installation can lead to failure of a child
restraint. It could come loose in a collision. The
child could be badly injured or killed. Follow the
manufacturer’s directions exactly when installing
a child restraint.
Here are some tips on getting the most out of your child
restraint:
•Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it
has a label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety
Standards. We also recommend that you make sure
that you can install the child restraint in the vehicle
where you will use it before you buy it.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 41
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•The restraint must be appropriate for your child’s
weight and height. Check the label on the restraint for
weight and height limits.
•Carefully follow the instructions that come with the
restraint. If you install the restraint improperly, it may
not work when you need it.
•Buckle the child into the seat according to the seat
manufacturer’s directions.
•When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in the
vehicle with the seat belt or remove it from the vehicle.
Do not leave it loose in the vehicle. In a sudden stop or
collision, it could strike the occupants and cause
serious personal injury.
NOTE:For additional information refer to
www.seatcheck.org or call 1–866–SEATCHECK.
Older Children and Child Restraints
Children who weigh more than 20 lbs. (9 kg) and who are
older than one year can ride forward-facing in the
vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and convertible child
seats used in the forward-facing direction are for children
who weigh 20 to 40 lbs. (9 to 18 kg) and who are olderthan one year. These child seats are also held in the
vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt or the LATCH child
restraint anchorage system. (See LATCH - Child Seat
Anchorage System section.)
The belt-positioning booster seat is for children weighing
more than 40 lbs. (18 kg), but who are still too small to fit
the vehicle’s seat belts properly. If the child cannot sit
with knees bent over the vehicle’s seat cushion while the
child’s back is against the seat back, they should use a
belt-positioning booster seat. The child and belt-
positioning booster seat are held in the vehicle by the
lap/shoulder belt.
Children Too Large For Booster Seats
Children who are large enough to wear the shoulder belt
comfortably, and whose legs are long enough to bend
over the front of the seat when their back is against the
seat back, should use the lap/shoulder belt.
•Make sure that the child is upright in the seat.
•The lap portion should be low on the hips and as snug
as possible.
42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE