2008 DODGE AVENGER Owners Manual

1. Position the latch plate as close as possible to the
anchor point.
2. At about 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) above the latch
plate, grasp and twist the belt webbing 180É to create a
fold that begins immediately above the latch plate.
3. Slide the latch plate upward over the folded webbing.
The folded webbing must enter the slot at the top of the
latch plate.
4. Continue to slide the latch plate up until it clears the
folded webbing.
ADJUSTABLE UPPER SHOULDER BELT
ANCHORAGE
In the front seat, the shoulder belt can be adjusted
upward or downward to position the belt away from
your neck. Push anchorage button to release the anchor-
age, and move it up or down to the position that serves
you best. As a guide, if you are shorter than average, you will
prefer a lower position, and if you are taller than average,
you'll prefer a higher position. When you release the
anchorage, try to move it up or down to make sure that
it is locked in position. Adjustable AnchorageTHINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47
2

REAR SEAT BELTS
Three point belts are nonadjustable for outboard and
center rear passengers on sedans. The center belt is
mounted to the rear shelf panel and exits through a bezel
in the panel.
SEAT BELT PRETENSIONERS
The seat belts 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 work for all size occupants,
including those in child restraints.
In addition, the front passenger seat belt includes a
two-stage load-limiting feature to enhance occupant pro-
tection for the same reason. 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 Occupant Re-
straint Controller (ORC) (see Airbag Section). Like the
front airbags, the pretensioners are single use items. After
a collision that is severe enough to deploy the airbags and
pretensioners, both must be replaced.
ENHANCED SEAT BELT REMINDER SYSTEM
(BELTALERT T )
If the occupied driver'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), BeltAlert t will
alert the driver to buckle their seat belt. The driver
should also instruct all other occupants to buckle their
seat belts. Once the warning is triggered, BeltAlert t will
continue to chime and flash the Seat Belt Warning Light
for 96 seconds or until the driver's seat belt is buckled.48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

BeltAlert t will be reactivated if the driver's seat belt is
unbuckled for more than 10 seconds and the vehicle
speed is greater than 5 mph (8 km/h).
BELTALERT T PROGRAMMING
BeltAlert t can be enabled 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 BeltAlert t .
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 partially each
time when unbuckling.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the LOCK position. A
single chime will sound to signify that you have success-
fully completed the programming.
BeltAlert t can be reactivated by repeating this procedure.
NOTE: Although BeltAlert t has been deactivated, the
Seat Belt Warning Light will continue to illuminate while
the driver's seat belt remains unbuckled. THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49
2

AUTOMATIC LOCKING MODE
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-
locked. However, the belt will still retract to remove any
slack in the shoulder belt. The Automatic Locking Mode
is available on all passenger-seating positions. Use the
Automatic Locking Mode anytime a child safety seat is
installed in a passenger seating position. Children 12
years old and under should be properly restrained in the
rear seat whenever possible.
How To Engage The Automatic Locking Mode
1. Buckle the combination lap/shoulder belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull downward until
the entire belt is extracted.
3. Allow the belt to retract. As the belt retracts, you will
hear a clicking sound. This indicates the safety belt is
now in the Automatic Locking Mode. How To Disengage The Automatic Locking Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap/shoulder belt and allow it
to retract completely to disengage the Automatic Locking
Mode and activate the vehicle sensitive (emergency)
locking mode.
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.50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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. 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. THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 51
2

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. This vehicle may also be equipped with window bags to
protect the driver, front, and rear passengers sitting next
to a window. If the vehicle is equipped with window
bags, they are located above the side windows. Their
covers are also labeled SRS AIRBAG.
NOTE: Airbag covers may not be obvious in the interior
trim; but they will open to allow airbag deployment.
AIRBAG SYSTEM COMPONENTS
The airbag system consists of the following:
² Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
² Airbag Light
² Driver Airbag
² Front Passenger Airbag
² Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC)
Ð If EquippedFront Airbag Components52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

² Front SeatÐ side mounted (Thorax) Airbags Ð If
Equipped
² Front Impact Sensors
² Side Impact Sensors (If Equipped)
² Steering Wheel and Column
² Instrument Panel
² Seat Belt Reminder Light
² Knee Impact Bolster
² Front Seat Belt Pretensioners
FRONT SEAT AIRBAG FEATURES
The front airbag system has dual-stage driver and front
passenger airbags. This system provides output appro-
priate to the level of crash severity as determined by the
Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) and the impact
sensors at the front of the car. The first stage inflator is triggered immediately during an
impact that requires airbag deployment. The timing of
the second stage determines whether the output force is
low, medium, or high. If a low output is sufficient to meet
the need, the second stage is expended later in the crash
event.
Driver Airbag Special Features
Driver airbag deployment and force level is controlled by
the driver's seat position as well as impact severity. Use
of special inflators, result in a very compact driver's side
airbag.
In addition to the small size, the inflating gasses exit
through strategically placed vents, which direct the gas
away from the occupant. THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53
2

Front Passenger Airbag Special Features
A new active venting front-passenger airbag is designed
to reduce the risk of occupants who may be out of
position by the use of active vents positioned on each
side of the airbag.
Supplemental Front Seat-Mounted Thorax Side
Airbags Ð If Equipped
Front seat mounted side (Thorax) airbags provide en-
hanced protection and work together with supplemental
Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC) to help protect
an occupant during a side impact. The seat-mounted side
airbag is marked with an airbag label sewn into the
outboard side of the seat.
When the bag deploys, it opens the seam between the
front and side of the seat's trim cover. Each bag deploys
independently, that is a left side impact deploys the left
bag only and a right-side impact deploys only the right
bag. seat-mounted Side Airbag Label54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE