2007 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY warning

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.).
Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the front seats and the second row outboard seats, the
shoulder belt anchorage can be adjusted upward ordownward to help position the belt away from your
neck. The upper anchorage can be adjusted upward by
pushing anywhere on the anchorage. To move the an-
chorage downward, press the actuation button while
simultaneously pushing down on the anchorage assem-
bly.Adjusting Upper Shoulder Belt
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 51
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WARNING!
•A lap belt worn too loose or too high is dangerous.
•A belt worn too loose can allow you to slip down
and under the belt in a collision.
•A belt that is too high will apply crash forces to
the abdomen, not to the stronger hip bones. In
either case, the risk of internal injuries is greater.
Wear a lap belt low and snug.
Seat Belt Pretensioners
The seat belt buckles for both front seating positions are
equipped with pretensioning devices that are designed to
remove slack from the seat belt in the event of a collision.
These devices improve the performance of the seat belt
by assuring that the belt is tight about the occupant early
in a collision. Pretensioners are designed to work for all
size occupants.NOTE:These devices are not a substitute for proper seat
belt placement by the occupant. The seat belt still must be
worn snugly and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the front airbag con-
trol module (see Front Airbag Section). Like the front
airbags, the pretensioners are single use items. After a
collision that is severe enough to deploy the front airbags
and pretensioners, both must be replaced.
Enhanced Seat Belt Use 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
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53
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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 reacti-
vated 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).
Belt Alert Programming
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/RUN position. DaimlerChrysler does not recom-
mend deactivating the Enhanced Warning System
(BeltAlert).1. With all doors closed and the ignition switch in any
position except On or Start, buckle the driver’s seat belt.
2. Turn the ignition switch to the ON/RUN position
(engine does not need to be running), and wait for the
Seat Belt Warning Light to turn off.
3. Within 60 seconds of turning the ignition switch to the
ON/RUN 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 each time,
while unbuckling and re-buckling the seat belt.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position. A single
chime will sound to signify that you have successfully
completed the programming.
54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 pregnancies. 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.
Seat Belt Extender
If a seat belt is too short, even when fully extended and
when the adjustable upper shoulder belt anchorage (if
equipped) is in its lowest position, your dealer can
provide you with a seat belt extender. This extender
should be used only if the existing belt is not long
enough. When it is not required, remove the extender
and stow it.
WARNING!
Using a seat belt extender when not needed can
increase the risk of injury in a collision. Only use
when the lap belt is not long enough when it is worn
low and snug, and in the recommended seating
positions. Remove and store the extender when not
needed.
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WARNING!
•Do 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 protective
covers for the airbag cushions are designed 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.
NOTE:Do not use a clothing bar mounted to the coat
hooks in this vehicle. A clothing bar will impede the
proper performance of the window bags.
Front airbags, along with the seat belts and front seat belt
buckle pretensioners, 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.
58 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 window bags, 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 accommodate a disabled person, contact
the Customer Center. Phone numbers are provided in
theIf You Need Customer Assistancesection in this
manual.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 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.
•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.
60 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

How The Airbag System Works
•
TheOccupant 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.
•The ORC may modify the rate of inflation based on the
occupant size provided by the Occupant Classification
Module.
•The ORC will not detect side, 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 andcolumn, instrument panel and passenger knee bol-
sters. 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 warn-
ing light and PAD indicator light in the
center of 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 to “Passenger Airbag
Disable (PAD) Indicator Light” in this section). If the
ORC detects a malfunction in any part of the system, it
turns on the AIRBAG warning light either momen-
tarily or continuously. A single chime will sound if the
light comes on again after initial start up.
62 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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.
•TheDriver and Passenger Airbag/Inflator Unitsare
located in the center of the steering wheel and the right
side of the instrument panel. When the ORC and
impact sensors detects a collision requiring the air-
bags, 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 occupant size. The steering
wheel hub trim cover and the upper right side of the
instrument panel separate and fold out of the way asthe airbags inflate to their full size. The airbags fully
inflate in about 50–70 milliseconds. This is about half
of the time it takes to blink your eyes. The airbags then
quickly deflate while helping to restrain the driver and
front passenger.
The driver’s and passenger’s front airbag gas is vented
through the airbag material towards the instrument
panel. In this way the airbags do not interfere with
your control of the vehicle.•TheSide Impact SRS Side Curtain Bagsare designed
to activate only in certain side collisions. When the
ORC and the side impact sensors (with side impact
option) detects a collision requiring the window bags
to inflate, it signals the inflators on 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
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