2007 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER Owners Manual

NOTE:The front airbags are certified to the Federal
regulations that allow less forceful deployment.
The front airbags have a multistage inflator design. This
may allow the airbag to have different rates of inflation
that are based on collision severity and occupant size.
Also, the front passenger airbag is certified to the Federalregulations that define Occupant Classification (Refer to
9Occupant Classification System9in this section).
If the vehicle is equipped with side airbags, they are
located inside the driver and front passenger seats, and
their covers are also labeled SRS AIRBAG.
Front Airbag Components
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WARNING!
²Do not put anything on or around the airbag covers
or attempt to manually open them. You may damage
the airbags and you could be injured because the
airbags are not there to protect you. These protec-
tive covers for the airbag cushions are designed to
open only when the airbags are inflating.
²If your vehicle is equipped with side airbags, do
not use accessory seat covers or place objects
between you and the side airbags; the perfor-
mance could be adversely affected and/or objects
could be pushed into you, causing serious injury.
²If your vehicle is equipped with side airbags, do not
attach cup holders or any other objects on or around
the door. The inflating side airbag could drive the
object into occupants, causing serious injury.
Airbags inflate in moderate to high speed impacts. Along
with seat belts and pretensioners, front airbags work with
the driver inflatable knee blocker to provide improved
protection for the driver and front passenger. Side airbags
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. If your vehicle is equipped, the
side airbag on the crash side of the vehicle is triggered in
moderate to severe side collisions. In certain types of
collisions, both the front and side airbags may be trig-
gered. 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.
NOTE:The passenger front airbag may not deploy even
when the driver front airbag has if the Occupant Classi-
fication System (refer to9Occupant Classification System9
in this section) has determined the passenger seat is
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empty or is occupied by someone that is classified in the
ªchildº category. This could be a child, a teenager, or
even a small adult.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying airbag.
1.Children 12 years old and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
Infants in rear facing child restraints shouldNEVERride
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.
Children that are not big enough to properly wear the
vehicle seat belt (see Section on Child Restraints) should be
secured in the rear seat in child restraints or belt-positioning
booster seats. Older children who do not use child restraints
or belt-positioning booster seats should ride properly buck-
led up in the rear seat. Never allow children to slide the
shoulder belt behind them or under their arm.
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. Refer to the section on Child Restraint.
You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
2.All occupants should wear their lap and shoulder
belts properly.
3.The driver and front passenger seats should be
moved back as far as practical to allow the front airbags
room to inflate.
4.If your vehicle has side airbags, do not lean against
the door, 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 accomodate a disabled person, contact the
Customer Center. Phone numbers are provided under
(If You Need Assistance(in Section 9 of this manual.
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WARNING!
²Relying 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.
²Being too close to the steering wheel or instru-
ment panel during front 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.
²If the vehicle has side airbags, they also need
room to inflate. Do not lean against the door. Sit
upright in the center of the seat.
The front airbag system consists of the following:
²Occupant Restraint Controller
²Side Remote Acceleration Sensors (If Equipped)
²Airbag Warning Light
²Driver Airbag
²Passenger Airbag
²Front Seat Mounted Side Airbags (If equipped)
²Steering Wheel and Column
²Instrument Panel
²Interconnecting Wiring
²Knee Impact Bolsters
²Driver Inflatable Knee Blocker
²Front Acceleration Sensors
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²Driver and Front Passenger Seat Belt Pretensioners
²Occupant Classification System (OCS) for the Front
Passenger Seat
þOccupant Classification Module
þPassenger Airbag Disable (PAD) Indicator Light
þWeight Sensors
How The Airbag System Works
²
TheOccupant Restraint Controller (ORC)determines
if a frontal collision is severe enough to require the
airbags to inflate. The front airbag inflators are de-
signed to provide different rates of airbag inflation
from direction provided by the ORC. The ORC may
also modify the rate of inflation based on the occupant
size provided by the Occupant Classification Module.
The ORC will not detect roll over.The ORC also 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.
During a moderate-to-severe rear impact the ORC may
deploy the seat belt pretensioners alone.
Also, the ORC turns on the AIRBAG warning
light and PAD indicator light in the instrument
panel 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 to9Passen-
ger Airbag Disable (PAD) Indicator Light9in this section).
If the ORC detects a malfunction 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.
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WARNING!
Ignoring the AIRBAG light in your instrument 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.
²TheOccupant Classification System (OCS)is part of
a Federally regulated safety system required for this
vehicle. It is designed to turn off the front passenger
airbag for occupants that weigh less than a very small
adult.
NOTE:Children 12 years and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat in an appropriate child restraint.
²The OCS classifies an occupant using weight sensors
mounted in the base of the front passenger seat. Any
weight on the seat will be sensed by the system.Objects hanging on the seat or other passengers push-
ing down on the seat will also be sensed. The weight of
an adult will cause the system to turn the airbag on. In
this case, the OCS has classified the occupant of the
seat as an adult. An adult occupant needs to sit in a
normal position (with their feet on or near the floor) in
order to be properly classified. Reclining the seat back
too far may change how an occupant is classified by
the OCS.
²ThePassenger Airbag Disable (PAD) Indicator Light
(an amber light located in the center of the instrument
panel) tells the driver and front passenger when the
front passenger airbag is turned off. The PAD Indica-
tor lamp illuminates the words9PASS AIR BAG OFF9
to show that the front passenger airbag will not inflate
during a collision requiring airbags. When the right
front passenger seat is empty or when very light
objects are placed on the seat, the passenger air bag
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will not inflate even though the Passenger Airbag
Disable (PAD) indicator lamp is not illuminated.
²The PAD indictor light should not be illu-
minated when teenagers, most children in a
forward facing child restraint or booster
seats, most children that can properly wear
the vehicle's seat belt, and when an adult passenger is
properly seated in the front passenger seat. In this
case, the air bag is ready to be inflated if a collision
requiring an airbag occurs.For all other occupants, the PAD indicator light will be
illuminated indicating that the front passenger airbag
is turned off and will not inflate.
NOTE:Even though this vehicle is equipped with an
occupant classification system, children 12 years and
under should always ride buckled up in a rear seat in an
appropriate child restraint (see section on child re-
straints).WARNING!
Never place a rear facing infant seat in front of an
airbag. A deploying passenger airbag can cause
death or serious injury to a child in a rear facing
infant seat.
Passenger Airbag Disabled Light
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Front Passenger
Seat OccupantPassenger Air-
bag Disable
(PAD) Indicator
LightAirbag Status
Adult OFF ON
Child ON OFF
Grocery Bags,
Heavy Briefcases
and Other Rela-
tively Light Ob-
jectsON OFF
Empty or Very
Small ObjectsOFF* OFF
* Since the system senses weight, some small objects
will turn the PAD Indicator Light on.
Drivers and adult passengers should verify that the PAD
Indicator Light is not illuminated when an adult is riding
in the front passenger seat. If an adult occupant's weight
is transferred to another part of the vehicle (like the dooror instrument panel), the weight sensors in the seat may
not properly classify the occupant. Objects lodged under
the seat or between the seat and the center console can
prevent the occupant's weight from being measured
properly and may result in the occupant being improp-
erly classified. Ensure that the front passenger seat back
does not touch anything placed on the second row of
seats because this can also affect occupant classification.
Also, if you fold down the seats in the second row check
to be sure they don't touch the front passenger seat.
If the front passenger seat is damaged in any way, it
should only be serviced by an authorized dealer. If the
seat is removed (or even if the seat attachment bolts are
loosened or tightened in any way), take the vehicle to an
authorized dealer.
If there is a fault present in the OCS, the Airbag Warning
Light (a red light located in the center of the instrument
cluster directly in front of the driver) will be turned on.
96 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE