2008 JEEP LIBERTY airbag

NDriver And Front Passenger Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) - Airbag............52
NChild Restraint........................69
mEngine Break-In Recommendations...........79
mSafety Tips............................79
NTransporting Passengers.................79NLock Your Vehicle......................80
NExhaust Gas..........................80
NSafety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle..............................81
NPeriodic Safety Checks You Should Make
Outside The Vehicle....................82
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 11
2

OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems. These include the front
and rear seat belts for the driver and all passengers, front
airbags for both the driver and front passenger, and side
curtain airbags for the driver and passengers seated next
to a window. If you will be carrying children too small for
adult-size belts, your seat belts also can be used to hold
infant and child restraint systems.
Please pay close attention to the information in this
section. It tells you how to use your restraint system
properly to keep you and your passengers as safe as
possible.WARNING!
In a collision, you and your passengers can suffer
injuries, including fatalities, if you are not properly
buckled up. You can strike the interior of your
vehicle or other passengers, or you can be thrown out
of the vehicle. Always be sure you and others in your
vehicle are buckled up properly.
Buckle up even though you are an excellent driver, even
on short trips. Someone on the road may be a poor driver
and cause a collision that includes you. This can happen
far away from home or on your own street.
Research has shown that seat belts save lives, and they
can reduce the seriousness of injuries in a collision. Some
of the worst injuries happen when people are thrown
from the vehicle. Seat belts reduce the possibility of
ejection and the risk of injury caused by striking the
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 41
2

As a guide, if you are shorter than average, you will
prefer a lower position, and if you are taller than average,
you will prefer a higher position. When you release the
anchorage, try to move it up and down to make sure that
it is locked in position.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Untwisting Procedure
Use the following procedure to untwist a twisted lap/
shoulder belt.
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.
Seat Belt Pretensioners
The driver and front passenger seat belts are equipped
with pretensioning devices that are designed to remove
any slack from the seat belt systems in the event of a
collision. These devices improve the performance of the
seat belt by assuring that the belt is tight around the
occupant early in a collision. Pretensioners work for all
size occupants, including those in child restraints.
NOTE:These devices are not a substitute for proper seat
belt placement by the occupant. The seat belt must still be
worn snugly and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the Occupant Re-
straint Controller (ORC). 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.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47
2

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 airbag is mounted in 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.
NOTE:The front airbags are certified to the Federal
regulations that allow less forceful deployment.
1 Ð Driver Airbag
2 Ð Passenger Airbag 52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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.
The front passenger airbag is also certified to the Federal
regulations that define Occupant Classification (refer to
information on Occupant Classification System in this
section).
This vehicle is equipped with side curtain airbags to
protect the driver and the front and rear passengers
sitting next to a window. 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.
Window Airbag Location
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53
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WARNING!
²Do not put anything on or around the front and side
curtain airbag covers or attempt to manually open
them. You may damage the airbags and you could be
injured because the airbags are no longer functional.
These protective covers for the airbag cushions are
designed to open only when the airbags are inflating.
²Do not stack luggage or other cargo up high enough to
block the location of the side curtain airbag. The area
where the side curtain airbag is located should remain
free from any obstructions.
²Do 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 permanent
attachments (bolts or screws) for installation on the
vehicle roof. Do not drill into the roof of the vehicle
for any reason.
²Do not cover or place items on the airbag covers. These
items may cause serious injury during inflation.
Along with the seat belts, the front airbags provide
improved protection for the driver and front passenger.
Side Curtain Airbags also work with seat belts to im-
prove occupant protection.
The seat belts are designed to protect you in many types
of collisions. The front airbags deploy in moderate to
severe collisions. The Side Curtain Airbag will also
trigger on the crash side of the vehicle in moderate to
severe side collisions or on both sides of the vehicle in
rollover collisions. In certain types of collisions, both the
front and side airbags may be triggered. However, even
in collisions where the airbags deploy, 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; particularly if the
Occupant Classification System has determined the pas-
senger seat is empty or is occupied by someone that is
54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

classified in a category other than that of an adult (refer
to information on Occupant Classification System in this
section). This could be a child, teenager, or even a small
size 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 the rear seat.
Infants in rear facing child restraints shouldNEVERride
in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger front airbag.
An airbag deployment could cause severe injury or death
to infants in that position.
Children that are not big enough to wear the vehicle seat
belt properly should be secured in the rear seat in child
restraints or belt-positioning booster seats. Older chil-
dren who do not use child restraints or belt-positioningbooster seats should ride properly buckled 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 information on 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 front airbags room to
inflate.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 55
2

4. 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 ªIf
You Need Assistanceº in Section 9 of this manual.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 instrument
panel during airbag deployment could cause seri-
ous injury. Airbags need room to inflate. Sit back,
comfortably extending your arms to reach the
steering wheel or instrument panel.
²The side curtain airbags need room to inflate. Do
not lean against the door or window. Sit upright in
the center of the seat.
56 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE