
6. To release the belt, push the red button on the buckle.
The belt will automatically retract to its stowed position.
If necessary, slide the latch plate down the webbing to
allow the belt to retract fully.
WARNING!
A frayed or torn belt could rip apart in a collision
and leave you with no protection. Inspect the belt
system periodically, checking for cuts, frays, or loose
parts. Damaged parts must be replaced immediately.
Do not disassemble or modify the system. Seat belt
assemblies must be replaced after a collision if they
have been damaged (bent retractor, torn webbing,
etc.).
Seat Belt Webbing Guide
NOTE:The manufacturer recommends that the seat belt
is routed through the seat belt webbing guide when
using the seat belt.
The seat belt webbing guide should be used to improve
seat belt accessibility. The seat belt can be removed from
the guide to allow for easier access to the rear seats.
Seat Belt Webbing Guide
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 85
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Enhanced Seat Belt Reminder System (BeltAlert)
If the driver's or front passenger's seat belt has not been
buckled within 60 seconds of starting the vehicle and if
the vehicle speed is greater than 5 mph (8 km/h), the
Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert) will alert the
driver or front passenger to buckle their seat belt. The
driver should also instruct all other occupants to buckle
their seat belts. Once the warning is triggered, the
Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert) will continue to
chime and flash the Seat Belt Warning Light for 96
seconds or until the driver's or front passenger's seat belt
is buckled. The Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert)
will be reactivated if the driver's or front passenger's seat
belt is unbuckled for more than 10 seconds and the
vehicle speed is greater than 5 mph (8 km/h).
The Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert) can be en-
abled or disabled by your authorized dealer or by
following these steps:NOTE:The following steps must occur within the first
60 seconds of the ignition switch being turned to the ON
or START position. DaimlerChrysler does not recom-
mend deactivating the Enhanced Warning System
(BeltAlert).
1. Turn the ignition switch to the LOCK position and
buckle the driver's seat belt.
2. Turn the ignition switch to the ON position and wait
for the Seat Belt Warning Light to turn off.
3. Within 60 seconds of turning the ignition switch to the
ON position, unbuckle and then re-buckle the driver's
seat belt at least three times within 10 seconds, ending
with the seat belt buckled.
NOTE:Watch for the Seat Belt Warning Light to turn on
while unbuckling and off while re-buckling the seat belt.
It may be necessary to retract the seat belt.
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4. Turn the ignition switch to the LOCK position. A
single chime will sound to signify that you have success-
fully completed the programming.
The Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert) can be reacti-
vated by repeating this procedure.
NOTE:Although the Enhanced Warning System
(BeltAlert) has been deactivated, the Seat Belt Warning
Light will continue to illuminate while the driver's or
front passenger's seat belt remains unbuckled.
Seat Belts And Pregnant Women
We recommend that pregnant women use the seat belts
throughout their pregnancy. Keeping the mother safe is
the best way to keep the baby safe.
Pregnant women should wear the lap part of the belt
across the thighs and as snug across the hips as possible.Keep the belt low so that it does not come across the
abdomen. That way the strong bones of the hips will take
the force if there is a collision.
Driver and Front Passenger Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) - Airbag
This vehicle has airbags for both the driver and front
passenger as a supplement to the seat belt restraint
systems. The driver's front airbag is mounted in the
center of the steering wheel. The passenger's front airbag
is mounted in the instrument panel, above the glove
compartment. The words SRS AIRBAG are embossed on
the airbag covers.
88 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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
90 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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
92 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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
94 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 95
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