2009 DODGE DAKOTA child seat

mRemote Keyless Entry.................... 21
NTo Unlock The Doors................... 22
NTo Lock The Doors.................... 22
NUsing The Panic Alarm................. 24
NGeneral Information.................... 24
NProgramming Additional Transmitters....... 25
NBattery Replacement................... 26
mRemote Starting System Ð If Equipped....... 27
mDoor Locks........................... 29
NManual Door Locks.................... 29
NPower Door Locks..................... 29
NChild Protection Door Lock.............. 32
mWindows............................. 34NPower Windows...................... 34
NAuto Down (Driver's Side Only)........... 35
NWindow Lockout Switch................ 35
NWind Buffeting....................... 35
mOccupant Restraints..................... 36
NLap/Shoulder Belts.................... 37
NAdjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage . . . 42
NAutomatic Locking Retractors (ALR) Mode ±
If Equipped.......................... 43
NCenter Lap Belts...................... 43
NSeat Belt Pretensioners.................. 44
NEnhanced Driver Seat Belt Reminder System
(BeltAlertt).......................... 44
NSeat Belts And Pregnant Women........... 45
10 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

NSeat Belt Extender..................... 45
NDriver And Right Front Passenger
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) ±
Airbags............................. 46
NEvent Data Recorder (EDR).............. 56
NChild Restraint....................... 58
mEngine Break-In Recommendations.......... 70mSafety Tips............................ 71
NExhaust System....................... 71
NSafety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle............................. 72
NSafety Checks You Should Make Outside The
Vehicle............................. 73
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 11
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5. Within 30 seconds, press the driver's door LOCK
switch in the UNLOCK direction.
6. A single chime will sound to indicate the feature has
been changed.
7. To reactivate the feature, repeat the above Steps.
8. If a chime is not heard, program mode was canceled
before the feature could be changed. If necessary, repeat
the above procedure.
Child Protection Door Lock
To provide a safer environment for children riding in the
rear seat, the rear doors of your vehicle have the child-
protection door lock system.
Child Lock Lever
32 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

windows down or partially open. This is a normal
occurrence and can be minimized. If the buffeting occurs
with the rear windows open, open the front and rear
windows together to minimize the buffeting.
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, knee
bolsters, front airbags for both the driver and front
passenger, and if equipped left and right side curtain
airbags for the driver and passengers seated next to a
window. If you will be carrying children too small for
adult-size seat belts, your seat belts or the LATCH feature
(refer to the ªChild Restraintº in this section), 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
much greater injuries 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.
36 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

The adjuster has an easy up (EZ Up) feature, which will
allow it to be moved up without engaging the button.
Automatic Locking Retractors (ALR) Mode ± If
Equipped
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-
locked. The belt will still retract to remove any slack in
the shoulder belt. The automatic locking mode is avail-
able on all passenger seating positions with a combina-
tion lap/shoulder belt.
When to Use the Automatic Locking Mode
Use the Automatic Locking Mode anytime a child safety
seat is installed in a passenger seating position. Children
12 years old, and younger, should be properly restrained
in the rear seat, whenever possible.
How to Use the Automatic Locking Mode
1. Buckle the combination lap/shoulder belt.2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull downward until
the entire belt is fully extended.
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
To disengage the Automatic Locking Mode, disconnect
the combination lap/shoulder belt and allow it to retract
completely. The vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking
mode is automatically activated.
Center Lap Belts
The center seat position on the front seat bench has a lap
belt only. To fasten the lap belt, slide the latch plate into
the buckle until you hear a ªclick.º To lengthen the lap
belt, tilt the latch plate and pull. To remove slack, pull the
loose end of the webbing. Wear the lap belt snug against
the hips. Sit back and erect in the seat, then adjust the belt
as tightly as is comfortable.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 43
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Seat Belt Pretensioners
The seat belts for front outboard seating positions are
equipped with pretensioning devices that are designed to
remove any slack from the seat belt system 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.
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). Like the airbags, the pretension-
ers are single-use items. After a collision that is severe
enough to deploy the airbags and pretensioners, both
must be replaced.
Enhanced Driver Seat Belt Reminder System
(BeltAlertT)
If the 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), the Enhanced Warning
System (BeltAlertt) will alert the driver to buckle their
seat belt. The driver should also instruct all other occu-
pants to buckle their seat belts. If the driver unbuckles the
seat belt while the vehicle is in motion, an immediate
chime will be heard and, BeltAlerttwill continue to
chime and flash the Seat Belt Warning Light for 96 sec-
onds or until the driver's seat belt is buckled. BeltAlertt
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).
BeltAlerttcan be enabled or disabled by your authorized
dealer, or by following these steps:
44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING! (Continued)
²If your vehicle is equipped with window bags, do
not have any accessory items installed that 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.
Along with the seat belts, front airbags 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.
If your vehicle is so equipped, the window bag on the
crash side of the vehicle is triggered in moderate-to-
severe side collisions. But even in collisions where the
airbags work, you need the seat belts to keep you in the
right position for the airbags to protect you properly.
Here are some simple steps you can follow to minimize
the risk of harm from a deploying airbag.
1. Children 12 years and younger should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat, in an appropriate child re-
straint.
Infants, in rear-facing child restraints, shouldNEVER
ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger front
airbag. An airbag deployment can cause severe injury or
death to infants in that position.
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

If a child between the ages of 1 and 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 to9Child Restraint,9in
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 airbag room to inflate.
4. If your vehicle has window airbags, do not lean
against the door or window. Airbags will inflate force-
fully 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. Refer to9If You Need Customer Assis-
tance9in Section 9.
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.
(Continued)
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49
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