2009 CHRYSLER 300 C 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.
WARNING!
•Do not put anything on or around the front airbag
covers or attempt to 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.
•Do not drill, cut or tamper with the knee bolster in
any way.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not mount any accessories to the knee bolster
such as alarm lights, stereos, citizens band radios
etc.
This vehicle may also be equipped with supplemental
side curtain airbags to protect the driver and passengers
sitting next to a window and/or supplemental front
seat-mounted side airbags.
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If the vehicle is equipped with supplemental side curtain
airbags, 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.If the vehicle is equipped with supplemental front seat-
mounted side airbags, they are marked with an SRS label
sewn into the outboard side of the seat.
Window AirbagSRS Label Location
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WARNING!
•If your vehicle is equipped with supplemental
front seat-mounted side airbags, do not use acces-
sory seat covers or place objects between you and
the seat airbags; the performance could be ad-
versely affected and/or objects could be pushed
into you, causing serious injury.
•If your vehicle is equipped with supplemental
front seat-mounted side airbags, do not attach
cupholders or any other objects on or around the
door. The inflating seat airbag could drive the
object into occupants, causing serious injury.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•If your vehicle is equipped with supplemental
side curtain airbags, do not stack luggage or other
cargo up high enough to block the location of the
side curtain airbag. The area where the side cur-
tain airbag is located should remain free from any
obstructions.
•If your vehicle is equipped with supplemental
side curtain airbags, 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 permanent 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 curtain airbags.
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Along with the seat belts, front airbags work with the
instrument panel knee bolsters to provide improved
protection for the driver and front passenger. Side curtain
and seat airbags also work with seat belts to improve
occupant protection.
While the seat belts are designed to protect you in many
types of collisions, the front airbags will deploy in
moderate to severe frontal collisions. For vehicles so
equipped, the supplemental side curtain airbag and front
seat-mounted side airbag on the crash side of the vehicle
will also trigger in moderate to severe side collisions.
However, even in collisions where the airbags deploy,
you need the seat belts to keep you in the correct position
for the airbags to protect you properly.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize
the risk of harm from a deploying airbag.
1. Children 12 years old and younger should ride buck-
led up in the rear seat.WARNING!
Infants in rear-facing child restraints should NEVER
ride 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.
2. Children who 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. (Refer to
information on Child Restraints in this section.)
3. 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.
4. If a child from 1 to 12 years old must ride in the front
passenger seat because the vehicle is crowded, move the
58 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

seat as far back as possible and use the proper child
restraint. (Refer to information on Child Restraints in this
section.)
5. You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
6. All occupants should use their seat belts properly.
7. The driver and front passenger seats should be moved
back as far as practical to allow the airbags time to inflate.
8. If your vehicle has supplemental side curtain airbags
and/or supplemental front seat-mounted side airbags,
do not lean against the door, as the airbags will inflate
forcefully into the space between you and the door.
9. 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.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 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.
•If the vehicle has supplemental side curtain air-
bags and/or supplemental front seat-mounted side
airbags, they also need room to inflate. Do not lean
against the door or window. Sit upright in the
center of the seat.
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Airbag System Components
The airbag system consists of the following:
•Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
•Side Remote Acceleration Sensors (if equipped)
•Airbag Warning Light
•Driver Airbag
•Front Passenger Airbag
•Supplemental Side Curtain Airbags above Side Win-
dows (if equipped)
•Supplemental Front Seat-Mounted Side Airbags (if
equipped)
•Steering Wheel and Column
•Instrument Panel
•Interconnecting Wiring
•Seat Belt Reminder Light
•Knee Impact Bolsters
•Front Acceleration Sensors
•Driver and Front Passenger Seat Belt Pretensioners
How the Airbag System Works
•
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 will not
detect rollover.
•For vehicles so equipped, the ORC also determines if a
side impact is severe enough to deploy the supple-
mental side curtain airbag and/or supplemental front
seat-mounted side airbag as required for each type of
impact.
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•The ORC also monitors the readiness of the electronic
parts of the system whenever the ignition switch is in
the START or ON positions. These include all of the
items listed above except the knee bolster, the instru-
ment panel, and the steering wheel and column. If the
key is in the LOCK position, in the ACC position, or
not in the ignition, the airbags are not on and they will
not inflate.
•The ORC also turns on the Airbag Warning
Light in the instrument panel for six to eight
seconds as a self-check when the ignition is
first turned on. After the self-check, the
Airbag Warning Light will turn off. If the ORC detects
a malfunction in any part of the system, it turns on the
Airbag Warning Light either momentarily or continu-
ously. A single chime will sound if the light comes on
again after initial start-up.
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 Front Passenger Airbag/Inflator
Unitsare located in the center of the steering wheel
and the passenger side of the instrument panel. When
the ORC detects a collision requiring the airbags, 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 colli-
sion severity. The steering wheel hub trim cover and
the upper passenger side of the instrument panel
separate and fold out of the way as the bags inflate to
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their full size. The bags fully inflate in about 50 to 70
ms. This is about half of the time that it takes to blink
your eyes. The bags then quickly deflate while helping
to restrain the driver and front passenger. The driver’s
front airbag gas is vented through vent holes in the
sides of the airbag. The passenger’s front airbag gas is
vented through vent holes in the sides of the airbag. In
this way, the airbags do not interfere with your control
of the vehicle.
•TheKnee Impact Bolstershelp protect the knees of
the driver and the front passenger and position every-
one for the best interaction with the front airbag.
•TheSupplemental Side Impact SRS Side Curtain
Airbagsare designed to activate only in certain side
collisions. When the ORC (with side impact option)
detects a collision requiring the side curtain airbag to
inflate, it signals the inflators on the crash side of the
vehicle. A quantity of nontoxic gas is generated toinflate the side curtain airbag. The inflating side cur-
tain airbag pushes the outside edge of the headliner
out of the way and covers the window. The airbag
inflates in about 30 ms (about one-quarter of the time
that it takes to blink your eyes) with enough force to
injure you if you are not belted and seated properly, or
if items are positioned in the area where the side
curtain airbag inflates. This especially applies to chil-
dren. The side curtain airbag is only about 3-1/2 in
(9 cm) thick when it is inflated.
•TheSupplemental Front Seat-Mounted Side Airbags
are designed to activate only in certain side collisions.
When the ORC (with side impact option) detects a
collision requiring the front seat-mounted side airbag
to inflate, it signals the inflators on the crash side of the
vehicle. A quantity of nontoxic gas is generated to
inflate the front seat-mounted side airbag. The inflat-
ing front seat-mounted side airbag pushes through the
seam in the seat’s trim cover and opens into the space
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