2009 DODGE VIPER warning light

TRUNK LOCK AND RELEASE — CONVERTIBLE
MODELS ONLY
You can unlatch the trunk lid by pressing the TRUNK
button on the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
for at least one second. The park lights and turn signal
lights will flash three times to acknowledge the signal
and the trunk lid will pop open.
You can also unlatch the trunk lid with the key. The key
cylinder is located on the trunk lid.
The word “DECK” will flash in the odometer when the
trunk lid is open. With the key in the ignition switch, this
display will turn off approximately 40 seconds after
switching OFF the ignition, or if the Power Accessory
Delay feature is active, it will turn off approximately
40 seconds after the delay feature times out.NOTE:Gas props support the trunk lid in the open
position. However, because the gas pressure drops with
temperature, it may be necessary to assist the props when
opening the trunk lid in cold weather.
TRUNK SAFETY WARNING — CONVERTIBLE
MODELS ONLY
WARNING!
Do not allow children to have access to the trunk,
either by climbing into the trunk from outside, or
through the inside of the vehicle. Always close the
trunk lid when your vehicle is unattended. Once in
the trunk, young children may not be able to escape.
If trapped in the trunk, children can die from suffo-
cation or heat stroke.
32 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 in (15 to 30 cm) above the latch plate,
grasp and twist the belt webbing 180 degrees 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.
Enhanced Seat Belt Reminder System (BeltAlert)
If the driver does not buckle their seat belt and vehicle
speed exceeds 5 mph (8 km/h), or if the passenger does
not buckle their seat belt within 10 seconds of vehiclespeed exceeding 5 mph (8 km/h), the Enhanced Warning
System (BeltAlert) will alert the occupant(s) to buckle
their seat belt(s). Once triggered, BeltAlertwill flash the
Seat Belt Reminder Light and chime for up to 96 seconds
to alert the occupant(s) to buckle their seat belt(s). If the
driver unbuckles their seat belt while vehicle speed is
greater than 5 mph (8 km/h), or if the passenger unbuck-
les their seat belt for more than 10 seconds while vehicle
speed is greater than 5 mph (8 km/h), BeltAlertwill
reactivate.
BeltAlertProgramming
BeltAlertcan be enabled or disabled by your authorized
dealer or by performing the following steps:
NOTE:Chrysler LLC does not recommend deactivating
BeltAlert.
1. Close all doors.
2. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF/LOCK position.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 39
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WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not drill, cut, or tamper with the knee bolster
in any way.
•Do not mount any accessories to the knee bolster
such as alarm lights, stereos, citizens band radios,
etc.
•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,
extending your arms comfortably to reach the
steering wheel or instrument panel.The airbags work with the instrument panel knee bolsters
and the seat belts to provide improved protection for the
driver and passenger. While the seat belts are designed to
protect the driver and passenger in many types of
collisions, the airbags will deploy in moderate to severe
frontal collisions. However, even in collisions where the
airbags deploy, all occupants need the seat belts to keep
them in the right position for the airbags to protect
properly.
NOTE:The passenger airbag may not deploy if the
Occupant Classification System (refer to “How The Air-
bag System Works” in this section) determines the seat is
empty or is occupied by someone that is classified in the
“child” category. This could be a child, a teenager, or
even a small adult. Therefore, even if the driver’s airbag
deploys, the passenger’s airbag may not deploy.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 43
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9. Read the instructions provided with your child safety
seat or booster seat to make sure that you are using it
properly.
10. All occupants should wear their lap and shoulder
belts properly.
11. Position the driver seat and passenger seat as far
away from the instrument panel as practical to allow the
airbags room to inflate. Note that the power adjustable
pedals allow for more driver’s seat adjustment options.
Refer to “Adjustable Pedals” in Section 3 of this manual
for details.
Airbag System Components
The Airbag System consists of the following:
•Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
•Airbag Warning Light
•Driver Airbag
•Passenger Airbag
•Passenger Airbag Off Light
•Steering Wheel and Column
•Instrument Panel
•Seat Track Position Sensors
•Interconnecting Wiring
•Seat Belt Reminder Light
•Knee Impact Bolsters
•Front Acceleration Sensors
•Passenger Seat Occupant Classification System (OCS)
Occupant Classification Module (OCM)
Passenger Airbag Disabled (PAD) Indicator Light
Flex Mat
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 45
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Interconnecting Wiring
Seat Track Position Sensors
How the Airbag System Works
•
TheOccupant Restraint Controller (ORC)determines
if a frontal collision is severe enough to require the
airbags to inflate. The airbag inflators are designed to
provide different rates of inflation. Based on the level
of collision severity, the ORC determines the proper
rate of inflation. The ORC may modify the rate of
passenger airbag inflation or prevent passenger airbag
deployment based on input from the Occupant Clas-
sification System (OCS). The ORC will not detect
roll-over or rear impacts. Furthermore, the airbags are
not on and will not inflate if the key is in the
OFF/LOCK position, in the ACC position, or not in
the ignition.The ORC also monitors the readiness of the electronic
parts of the system whenever the ignition switch is in
the ON/RUN position. These include all of the items
listed under “Airbag System Components,” except the
steering wheel and column and the knee bolsters.
•The ORC turns on the Airbag Warning
Light and Passenger Airbag Disable (PAD)
Indicator Light 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 and the PAD Indicator Light will function
normally (Refer to “Passenger Airbag Disable (PAD)
Indicator Light” in this section). 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.
46 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
Ignoring the Airbag Warning Light in your instrument
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 Airbag/Inflator Unitis mounted in the
steering wheel. ThePassenger Airbag/Inflator Unitis
mounted underneath a cover in the passenger side of
the instrument panel. When the ORC detects a colli-
sion requiring the airbags, it signals the inflator units.
A large quantity of non-toxic gas is generated to inflate
the airbags. Different airbag inflation rates may be
possible based on collision severity and occupant size.
The steering wheel hub trim cover and the upper right
side of the instrument panel separate and then fold out
of the way, as the bags inflate to their full size. Thebags inflate fully in about 50 to 70 ms. This is about
half of the time it takes to blink your eyes. The bags
then deflate quickly while helping to restrain the
driver and passenger. The airbag gas is vented toward
the instrument panel through vent holes in the airbag
material. 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 passenger, and position everyone
for the best interaction with the airbags.
•TheOccupant Classification Module (OCM)is lo-
cated underneath the passenger seat. The OCM uses
input from the Flex Mat to classify the occupant in the
passenger seat into a size category. The OCM commu-
nicates this information to the ORC. The ORC may
modify the rate of passenger airbag inflation or pre-
vent passenger airbag deployment based on occupant
classification.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47
2

If there is a fault present in the OCS, the Airbag
Warning Light will turn on. This indicates that you
should take the vehicle to an authorized dealer for
service. The Airbag Warning Light will turn on when-
ever there is fault present, which can affect the opera-
tion of the airbag system. If there is a fault present in
the OCS, both the PAD Indicator Light and the Airbag
Warning Light will illuminate to show that the pas-
senger airbag is turned off. Should this occur the
passenger airbag would remain off until the fault is
cleared. If an object is lodged under the seat and
interferes with operation of the Flex Mat, a fault will
occur which turns on both the PAD Indicator Light
and the Airbag Warning Light. Once the lodged object
is removed, the fault will be cleared automatically
after a short period.
•ThePassenger Airbag Disabled (PAD) Indicator
Lightindicates to the driver and passenger when the
passenger airbag is turned OFF. In the presence of anoccupant seated properly in the passenger seat, when
the PAD Indicator Light is illuminated, the passenger
airbag is turned OFF.
The passenger airbag will be enabled for most any size
adult who is seated properly in the passenger seat. The
passenger airbag may or may not be enabled for
(depending on size) a small teenager or a small adult
who is seated properly in the passenger seat. The
driver and passenger should always use the PAD
Indicator Light as an indication that the passenger is
positioned properly in their seat. If the PAD Indicator
Light comes on when an adult or teenager is in the
passenger seat, have the passenger reposition their self
in the seat until the light goes out. Remember, if the
PAD Indicator Light is illuminated the passenger
airbag will not inflate in the event of a collision.
The passenger airbag will not be enabled for most any
size child who is seated properly in the passenger seat
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

and for most properly installed child restraint systems.
However, under certain conditions, even with a properly
installed child restraint system, the PAD Indicator Light
may not be on, even though the airbag is disabled. This
can occur if the child restraint is lighter than the thresh-
old weight necessary to turn the PAD Indicator Light on.
In any case,DO NOTassume the airbag is turned off if
the PAD Indicator Light is not illuminated.
WARNING!
An infant in rear facing child safety seat, designed
for a child up to one year or approximately 20 lbs
(9 kg), should NEVER ride in the front seat of a
vehicle equipped with a passenger airbag, unless the
airbag is shut OFF. An airbag deployment can cause
severe injury or death to an infant in this position.
•TheFlex Matis located beneath the passenger seat
cushion foam. The Flex Mat sends signals to the OCM
for classifying the occupant in the passenger seat.
Any weight on the seat will be sensed by the Flex Mat.
Therefore, the occupant in the passenger seat needs to
sit in a normal position (with their feet on or near the
floor) in order to be classified properly. If an occu-
pant’s weight is transferred to another part of the
vehicle (like the door or instrument panel), the system
may not classify the occupant properly. Furthermore,
objects lodged under the seat can prevent the occu-
pant’s weight from being measured properly and may
result in the occupant being classified improperly.
The passenger seat assembly contains critical compo-
nents that affect passenger airbag deployment. Correctly
functioning passenger seat components are critical for the
OCS to classify the passenger properly and calculate the
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49
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