2009 DODGE CHALLENGER belt

chime and flash the Seat Belt Reminder Light for 96 sec-
onds or until the driver’s seat belt is buckled. The
BeltAlertwill 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).
BeltAlertProgramming
The BeltAlertcan be enabled or disabled by your
authorized dealer or by performing the following steps:
NOTE:Chrysler LLC does not recommend deactivating
the BeltAlert.
1. With both 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 position, but do not
start the engine. Wait for the Seat Belt Reminder Light to
turn off and then proceed to the next step.NOTE:You must perform the following steps within
60 seconds of turning the ignition switch to the ON
position.
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, ending with the seat belt
buckled.
NOTE:Watch for the Seat Belt Reminder Light to turn
on while unbuckling the seat belt and turn off while
re-buckling the seat belt. It may be necessary to retract
the seat belt.
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 BeltAlertcan be reactivated by repeating this pro-
cedure.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 43

NOTE:When the BeltAlertis deactivated, the Seat Belt
Reminder Light will continue to illuminate as long as the
driver’s seat belt is unbuckled.
Automatic Locking Mode — If Equipped
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-
locked. However, the belt will still retract to remove slack
in the shoulder belt. Use the Automatic Locking Mode
any time a child safety seat is installed in a seating
position that has a seat belt with this feature. Children
12 years old and younger should be properly restrained
in the rear seat whenever possible.
How to Engage the Automatic Locking Mode
1. Buckle the combination lap and 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
here 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 and shoulder belt and
allow it to retract completely to disengage the Automatic
Locking Mode and activate the vehicle sensitive (emer-
gency) 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.
44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Seat Belt Extender
If a seat belt is too short even when fully extended your
authorized 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 store it.
WARNING!
Using a seat belt extender when not needed can
increase the risk of injury in a collision. Only use
when the seat belt is not long enough when it is worn
low and snug and in the recommended seating posi-
tion. Remove and store the extender when not
needed.
Driver and Front Passenger Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) - Airbags
This vehicle has front airbags for both the driver and
front passenger as a supplement to the seat belt restraintsystems. The driver side front airbag is mounted in the
center of the steering wheel. The passenger side front
airbag is mounted in the instrument panel, above the
glove compartment. The words SRS AIRBAG are em-
bossed on the airbag covers.1 — Airbags
2 — Knee Bolsters
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 45

WARNING!
•Do 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.
•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 instal-
lation 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.
Along with the seat belts, front airbags work with the
instrument panel knee bolsters to provide improvedprotection for the driver and front passenger. Side curtain
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. The supplemental
side curtain airbag on the crash side of the vehicle will
also trigger in moderate-to-severe side collisions. How-
ever, 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.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47

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 Restraint 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 theseat as far back as possible and use the proper child
restraint. (Refer to information on Child Restraint 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. 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.
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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.
•This vehicle has supplemental side curtain air-
bags, and they need room to inflate. Do not lean
against the door or window. Sit upright in the
center of the seat.
Airbag System Components
The airbag system consists of the following:
•Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
•Side Remote Acceleration Sensors
•Side Door Pressure Sensors
•Airbag Warning Light
•Driver Airbag
•Front Passenger Airbag
•Supplemental Side Curtain Airbags above Side Win-
dows
•Steering Wheel and Column
•Instrument Panel
•Interconnecting Wiring
•Seat Belt Reminder Light
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49

•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.
•The ORC also determines if a side impact is severe
enough to deploy the supplemental side curtain airbag
as required for each type of impact.
•The ORC also monitors the readiness of the electronic
parts of the system whenever the ignition switch is in
the START or ON position. These include all of theitems 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.
50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

inflating side curtain airbag pushes the outside edge of
the headliner out of the way and covers the window.
The airbag inflates in about 30 milliseconds (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 espe-
cially applies to children. The side curtain airbag is
only about 3-1/2 in (9 cm) thick when it is inflated.
If a Deployment Occurs
The airbag system is designed to deploy when the ORC
detects a moderate-to-severe collision to help restrain the
driver and front passenger and then to immediately
deflate.
NOTE:A frontal collision that is not severe enough to
need airbag protection will not activate the system. This
does not mean something is wrong with the airbag
system.If you do have a collision that deploys the airbags, any or
all of the following may occur:
•The nylon airbag material may sometimes cause abra-
sions and/or skin reddening to the driver and front
passenger as the airbags deploy and unfold. The
abrasions are similar to friction rope burns or those
you might get sliding along a carpet or gymnasium
floor. They are not caused by contact with chemicals.
They are not permanent and normally heal quickly.
However, if you haven’t healed significantly within a
few days or if you have any blistering, see your doctor
immediately.
•As the airbags deflate, you may see some smoke-like
particles. The particles are a normal by-product of the
process that generates the non-toxic gas used for
airbag inflation. These airborne particles may irritate
the skin, eyes, nose, or throat. If you have skin or eye
irritation, rinse the area with cool water. For nose or
52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE