2009 JEEP COMMANDER warning

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, too.
•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.
44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 injuries.
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 are not 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)
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.
46 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 ab-
domen. Always wear the lap part of your seat belt
as low as possible and keep it snug.
•A twisted belt cannot do its job as well. In a
collision it could even cut into you. Be sure the
belt is straight. If you cannot straighten a belt in
your vehicle, take it to your authorized dealer and
have it fixed.
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.
Removing Slack from Belt
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47
2

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 (i.e., bent retractor, torn web-
bing, etc.).
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 serves you best.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. When you release the
anchorage, try to move it up or down to make sure that
it is locked in position.Adjusting Upper Shoulder Belt
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
•The belt and retractor assembly must be replaced
if the seat belt assembly Automatic Locking Re-
tractor (ALR) feature or any other seat belt func-
tion is not working properly when checked ac-
cording to the procedures in the Service Manual.
•Failure to replace the belt and retractor assembly
could increase the risk of injury in collisions.
Seat Belt Pretensioners
The driver and front passenger seat belts are equipped
with a pretensioning device that is designed to remove
any slack from the seat belt systems in the event of a
collision. This device improves the performance of the
seat belt by assuring that the belt is tight around 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 must still be
worn snugly and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the Occupant Re-
straint Control (ORC). Like the front airbags, the preten-
sioners are a single use item. After a collision that is
severe enough to deploy the airbags and pretensioners,
they must be replaced.
Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert)
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 (BeltAlert) will alert the driver to buckle their
seat belt. The driver should also instruct all other occu-
pants to buckle their seat belts. Once the warning is
triggered, BeltAlertwill continue to chime and flash the
Seat Belt Warning Light for 96 seconds or until the
50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

driver’s seat belt is buckled. 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).
BeltAlertcan be enabled 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. Chrysler LLC does not recommend
deactivating BeltAlert.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position, and
buckle the driver’s seat belt.
2. Turn the ignition key to the ACC/ON position (engine
does not need to be running), 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’s seat belt at least three
times with 10 seconds, ending with the seat belt buckled.
4. Turn the ignition key to the OFF position. A single
chime will sound to signify that you have successfully
completed the programming.
BeltAlertcan be reactivated by repeating this procedure.
NOTE:Although BeltAlerthas been deactivated, the
Seat Belt Warning Light will continue to illuminate while
the driver’s seat belt remains unfastened.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 51
2

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.
Seat Belt Extender
If a seat belt is too short, even when fully extended and
when the adjustable upper shoulder belt anchorage (if
equipped) is in its lowest position, 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 ex-
tender 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 lap belt is not long enough when it is worn
low and snug, and in the recommended seating
positions. Remove and store the extender when not
needed.
Driver and Front Passenger Supplemental
Restraint Systems (SRS)
This vehicle has airbags for both the driver and right
front passenger as a supplement to the seat belt restraint
systems. The driver’s front airbag is mounted in the
steering wheel. The passenger side airbag is mounted in
the instrument panel, above the glove compartment. The
words SRS/AIRBAG are embossed on the airbag covers.
52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

NOTE:Airbag covers may not be obvious in the interior
trim; but they will open to allow airbag deployment.
WARNING!
•Do not put anything on or around the front airbag
covers or attempt to manually 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 inflat-
ing.
•Do not stack luggage or other cargo up high
enough to block the location of the window bag.
The area where the window bag is located should
remain free from any obstructions.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•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.
•Do not cover or place items on the airbag covers.
These items may cause serious injury during
inflation.
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.
The front airbags have a multistage inflator design. This
allows the airbag to have different rates of inflation that
are based on collision severity. Along with the seat belts,
54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE