2009 DODGE NITRO Owners Manual

WARNING!
•Wearing a seat belt incorrectly is dangerous. Seat
belts are designed to go around the large bones of
your body. These are the strongest parts of your
body and can take the forces of a collision the best.
Wearing your belt in the wrong place could make
your injuries in a collision much worse. You might
suffer internal injuries, or you could even slide out
of part of the belt. Follow these instructions to
wear your seat belt safely and to keep your pas-
sengers safe also.
•Two people should never be belted into a single
seat belt. People belted together can crash into one
another in an accident, hurting one another badly.
Never use a lap/shoulder belt or a lap belt for more
than one person, no matter what their size.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions
1. Enter the vehicle and close the door. Sit back and
adjust the seat.
2. The seat belt latch plate is above the back of your seat.
Grasp the latch plate and pull out the belt. Slide the latch
plate up the webbing as far as necessary to make the belt
go around your lap.
Latch Plate
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3. When the belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”WARNING!
A belt that is buckled into the wrong buckle will not
protect you properly. The lap portion could ride too
high on your body, possibly causing internal inju-
ries. Always buckle your belt into the buckle nearest
you.
A belt that is too loose will not protect you as well. In
a sudden stop you could move too far forward,
increasing the possibility of injury. Wear your seat
belt snugly.
A belt that is worn under your arm is very dangerous.
Your body could strike the inside surfaces of the
vehicle in a collision, increasing head and neck
injury. A belt worn under the arm can cause internal
injuries. Ribs aren’t as strong as shoulder bones.
Wear the belt over your shoulder so that your stron-
gest bones will take the force in a collision.
(Continued)
Latch Plate To Buckle
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WARNING! (Continued)
A shoulder belt placed behind will not protect you
from injury during a collision. You are more likely to
hit your head in a collision if you do not wear your
shoulder belt. The lap and shoulder belt are meant to
be used together.
4. Position the lap belt across your thighs, below your
abdomen. To remove slack in the lap portion, pull up a
bit on the shoulder belt. To loosen the lap belt if it is too
tight, tilt the latch plate and pull on the lap belt. A snug
belt reduces the risk of sliding under the belt in a
collision.
WARNING!
A lap belt worn too high can increase the risk of
injury in a collision. The belt forces won’t be at the
strong hip and pelvic bones, but across your abdo-
men. Always wear the lap part of your seat belt as
low as possible and keep it snug.
A twisted belt can’t do its job as well. In a collision it
could even cut into you. Be sure the belt is straight. If
you can’t straighten a belt in your vehicle, take it to
your authorized dealer and have it fixed.
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5. Position the shoulder belt on your chest so that it is
comfortable and not resting on your neck. The retractor
will withdraw any slack in the belt.6. To release the belt, push the red button marked PRESS
on the buckle. The belt will automatically retract to its
stowed position. If necessary, slide the latch plate down
the webbing to allow it to retract fully.
WARNING!
A frayed or torn belt could rip apart in a collision and
leave you with no protection. Inspect the belt system
periodically, checking for cuts, frays, or loose parts.
Damaged parts must be replaced immediately. Do
not disassemble or modify the system. Seat belt
assemblies must be replaced after an accident if they
have been damaged (bent retractor, torn webbing,
etc.).
Removing Slack From Belt
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Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the front seating positions, the shoulder belt can be
adjusted upward or downward to position the belt away
from your neck. Press the release button to release the
anchorage, and then move it up or down to the position
that fits you best.
NOTE:The adjustable upper shoulder belt anchorage is
equipped with an Easy Up feature. This feature allows
the shoulder belt anchorage to be adjusted in the upward
position without pressing the release button. To verify
the shoulder belt anchorage is latched, pull downward
on the shoulder belt anchorage until it is locked into
position.
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.
Adjusting Upper Shoulder Belt
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Automatic Locking 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.
When To Use The Automatic Locking Mode
Anytime a child safety seat is installed in the rear center
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 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
hear a clicking sound. This indicates the safety belt is
now in the automatic locking mode.
How to Disengage The Automatic Locking Mode
Disconnect the combination lap/shoulder belt and allow
it to retract completely to disengage the automatic lock-
ing mode and activate the vehicle sensitive (emergency)
locking mode.
Energy Management Feature
This vehicle has a safety belt system with an energy
management feature in the front seating positions to help
further reduce the risk of injury in the event of a head-on
collision.
This safety belt system has a retractor assembly that is
designed to release webbing in a controlled manner. This
feature is designed to help reduce the belt force acting on
the occupant’s chest.
44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
•The belt and retractor assembly must be replaced
if the seat belt assembly “automatic locking retrac-
tor” feature or any other seat belt function is not
working properly when checked according to the
procedures in the Service Manual.
•Failure to replace the belt and retractor assembly
could increase the risk of injury in collisions.
Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert)
If the driver’s or front passenger’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 (BeltAlert) will alert the
driver or front passenger to buckle their seat belt. The
driver should also instruct all other occupants to buckle
their seat belts. Once the warning is triggered, the
Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert) will continue to
chime and flash the Seat Belt Reminder Light for 96 sec-
onds or until the driver’s or front passenger’s seat belt is
buckled. The Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert) will
be reactivated if the driver’s or front passenger’s seat belt
is unbuckled for more than 10 seconds and the vehicle
speed is greater than 5 mph (8 km/h).
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The Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert) can be en-
abled 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. The manufacturer does not recom-
mend deactivating the Enhanced Warning System
(BeltAlert).
1. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position, and
fasten the driver seat belt.
2. Start the engine, and wait for the Seat Belt Warning
Light to turn off.3. Within 60 seconds of starting the vehicle, unbuckle
and then re-buckle the driver seat belt at least three times,
ending with the seat belt buckled.
4. Turn OFF the engine. A single chime will sound to
signify that you have successfully completed the
programming.
The Enhanced Warning System (BeltAlert) can be reac-
tivated by repeating this procedure.
NOTE:Although the Enhanced Warning System
(BeltAlert) has been deactivated, the Seat Belt Warning
Light will continue to illuminate while the driver seat
belt remains unfastened.
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