2006 JEEP LIBERTY Owners Manual

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 no longer functional. These
protective covers for the airbag cushions are de-
signed to open only when the airbags are inflating.
•If your vehicle is equipped with window bags, do
not stack luggage or other cargo up high enough to
block the location of the window bag. The area
where the window bag is located should remain
free from any obstructions.
•If your vehicle is equipped with window bags, do
not have any accessory items installed which will
alter the roof, including adding a sunroof to your
vehicle. Do not add roof racks that require perma-
nent attachments (bolts or screws) for installation
on the vehicle roof. Do not drill into the roof of the
vehicle for any reason.
Along with the seat belts, front airbags work with the
instrument panel knee bolsters to provide improved
protection for the driver and front passenger. Window
bags also work with seat belts to improve occupant
protection.
The seat belts are designed to protect you in many types
of collisions. The front airbags deploy in moderate to
severe frontal collisions.
NOTE: The passenger front airbag may not deploy even
when the driver front airbag has if the Occupant Classi-
fication System (refer to “Occupant Classification Sys-
tem” in this section) has determined the seat is empty or
is occupied by someone that is classified in the “child”
category. This could be a child, a teenager, or even a small
adult.
If your vehicle is so equipped, the window bag on the
crash side of the vehicle is triggered in moderate to
severe side collisions. But even in collisions where the
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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 and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat in an appropriate child restraint.
Infants in rear-facing child restraints should NEVERride
in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger front airbag.
An airbag deployment can cause severe injury or death to
infants in that position.
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. See “Child Restraint” 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 airbag room to inflate.
4. If your vehicle has window bags, do not lean against
the door or window, airbags will inflate forcefully into
the space between you and the door.
5. If the airbag system in this vehicle needs to be
modified to accommodate a disabled person, contact the
Customer Center. Phone numbers are provided under “If
You Need Assistance” in Section 9 of this manual.
50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
•Relying 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.
•Being 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.
•If the vehicle has window bags, they also need
room to inflate. Do not lean against the door or
window. Sit upright in the center of the seat.
Airbag System Components
The airbag system consists of the following:
•Occupant Restraint Controller
•Remote Acceleration Sensors
•Airbag Warning Light
•Driver Airbag
•Passenger Airbag
•Window Bags above Side Windows (If Equipped)
•Steering Wheel and Column
•Instrument Panel
•Interconnecting Wiring
•Knee Impact Bolsters
•Front Acceleration Sensors
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•Driver and Front Passenger Seat Belt Pretensioners
•Front Passenger Seat Occupant Classification System
(OCS)
Occupant Classification Module
Passenger Airbag Disabled (PAD) Indicator Light
Interconnecting Wiring
Pressure Sensor, Bladder Assembly, and Belt Tension
Sensor
How The Airbag System Works
•
The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) determines
if a frontal collision is severe enough to require the
airbags to inflate. Based on the level of collision
severity, the front control module determines the
proper rate of inflation. The front airbag inflators are
designed to provide different rates of airbag inflation
from direction provided by the ORC. The ORC may modify the rate of inflation based on the occupant size
provided by the Occupant Classification Module. The
ORC will not detect roll over, or rear impacts.
The ORC monitors the readiness of the electronic parts
of the system whenever the ignition switch is in the
START or RUN positions. These include all of the
items listed above except the steering wheel and
column, and knee bolsters. If the key is in the OFF
position, in the ACC position, or not in the ignition,
the airbags are not on and will not inflate.
Also, the ORC turns on the AIRBAG warning light
(located in the instrument cluster) and PAD indicator
light (located in the front passenger grab handle) for 6 to
8 seconds for a self-check when the ignition is first turned
on. After the self-check, the AIRBAG warning light will
turn off. The PAD indicator light will function normally
(Refer to “Passenger Airbag Disable (PAD) Indicator
Light” in this section). If the ORC detects a malfunction
52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

in any part of the system, it turns on the AIRBAG
warning light either momentarily or continuously. A
single chime will sound if the light comes on again after
initial start up.
WARNING!
Ignoring the AIRBAG warning light in your instru-
ment panel could mean you won’t have the airbags
to protect you in a collision. If the light does not
come on, stays on after you start the vehicle, or if it
comes on as you drive, have the airbag system
checked right away.
•The Driver and Passenger Airbag/Inflator Units are
located in the center of the steering wheel and the right
side of the instrument panel. When the ORC detects a
collision requiring the airbags, it signals the inflator
units. A large quantity of nontoxic gas is generated to inflate the front airbags. Different airbag inflation rates
may be possible based on collision severity and occu-
pant size. The steering wheel hub trim cover and the
upper right side of the instrument panel separate and
fold out of the way as the bags inflate to their full size.
The bags fully inflate in about 50–70 milliseconds. This
is about half of the time it takes to blink your eyes. The
bags then quickly deflate while helping to restrain the
driver and front passenger.
The driver’s front airbag gas is vented through vent
holes in the sides of the airbag. The passenger’s front
airbag gas is vented through vent holes in the sides of
the airbag. In this way the airbags do not interfere with
your control of the vehicle.•The
Side Impact SRS Window Bags are designed to
activate only in certain side collisions. When the ORC
(with side impact option) detects a collision requiring
the window bags to inflate, it signals the inflators on
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the crash side of the vehicle. A quantity of nontoxic gas
is generated to inflate the window bag. The inflating
window bag pushes the outside edge of the headliner
out of the way and covers the window. The airbag
inflates in about 30 milliseconds (about one quarter of
the time it takes to blink your eyes) with enough force
to injure you if you are not belted and seated properly,
or if items are positioned in the area where the
window bag inflates. This especially applies to chil-
dren. The window bag is only about 3
12inches (9 cm)
thick when it is inflated.
•The Knee Impact Bolsters help protect the knees of
the driver and the front passenger, and position every-
one for the best interaction with the front airbag.
•The Occupant Classification System (OCS) will clas-
sify an occupant in the front passenger seat into a size
category based on sensor readings from within the
seat cushion. Occupants should try to remain in a normally seated position. If the occupant’s weight is
transferred to another object in the vehicle (i.e. feet on
the dashboard), the OCS may not be able to properly
approximate occupant size. Furthermore, the occupant
size may appear to increase or decrease due to objects
hanging on the seat, other passengers pushing on the
seat, or objects lodged underneath the seat. If there is
a rapid change in temperature or humidity, the OCS
may not be able to properly approximate occupant
size. If your seat including your trim cover and
cushion needs to be serviced in any way, take the
vehicle to your authorized dealer. Only manufacturer
approved seat accessories may be used.
If there is a fault present in the system, the AIRBAG
warning light will light indicating that you should
take the vehicle to an authorized dealer. In the pres-
ence of an occupant in the passenger seat, if both the
PAD indicator light (located in the front passenger
54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

grab handle) and AIRBAG warning light (located in
the instrument cluster) are illuminated the airbag will
be disabled.
The ORC will not allow front airbag deployment in the
event of a collision for occupants classified into the
empty or child size categories. The PAD indicator light
will illuminate indicating that the Passenger Airbag is
OFF when the OCS has determined that the occupant size
category is a child. Also, when the seat is empty or an
object that weighs less than a predetermined threshold is
placed on the seat, the light will remain OFF. (The PAD
indicator light is an amber light located on the grab
handle in front of the passenger seat.) For almost all sizes of properly seated adults, the passen-
ger frontal airbag will be enabled in the event of a
collision. For small teenagers and some small adults,
depending on size, the airbag may or may not be enabled
in the event of a collision. Both drivers and passengers
Indicator Light Location
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should always use the PAD indicator light as an indica-
tion if the front passenger is properly positioned or not. If
the PAD indicator light comes on when an adult is in the
passenger seat, have the passenger re-position them-
selves in the seat until the light goes out. Remember, if
the PAD indicator light is illuminated the passenger front
airbag will not inflate. For properly installed child re-
straint systems and children properly seated on the front
passenger seat, the airbag will be disabled. If at all
possible, place children 12 years and younger in a back
seat.
•The Occupant Classification Module (OCM) is lo-
cated beneath the front passenger seat. The OCM
classifies the occupant into one of three size categories
based on the input from the Bladder Assembly and a
Belt Tension Sensor. The size categories include empty, child, and adult. The OCM sends the Occupant Clas-
sification to the ORC to determine if a front passenger
airbag is allowed. If a fault is present, the AIRBAG
warning light is illuminated.
•The
Passenger Airbag Disabled (PAD) Indicator
Light indicates to the driver and passenger when the
airbag is turned OFF. In the presence of a properly
seated occupant, when the PAD indicator light is
illuminated, the airbag is OFF. Also, when the Occu-
pant Classification System detects either an empty seat
or a weight less than the predetermined threshold, the
ORC will not illuminate the PAD indicator light even
though the airbag is turned OFF.
•The Belt Tension Sensor (BTS) is located at the
outboard passenger lap belt anchor. The BTS creates a
signal based on outboard lap belt tension. This signal
is sent to the OCM to ensure that the resultant bladder
56 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE