2010 DODGE DAKOTA child seat

▫To Lock The Doors .................... 22
▫ Using The Panic Alarm ................. 24
▫ General Information ................... 24
▫ Programming Additional Transmitters ...... 25
▫ Battery Replacement ................... 25
 Remote Starting System — If Equipped ....... 26
▫ How To Use Remote Start ............... 26
 Door Locks ........................... 29
▫ Manual Door Locks ................... 29
▫ Power Door Locks .................... 30
▫ Child Protection Door Lock .............. 33
 Windows ............................ 34
▫ Power Windows ...................... 34 ▫
Auto-Down — Driver’s Side Only ......... 35
▫ Window Lockout Switch ................ 35
▫ Wind Buffeting ....................... 36
 Occupant Restraints ..................... 36
▫ Lap/Shoulder Belts .................... 37
▫ Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage . . . 42
▫ Automatic Locking Retractors (ALR) Mode
— If Equipped ....................... 43
▫ Center Lap Belts ...................... 44
▫ Seat Belt Pretensioners — If Equipped ...... 44
▫ Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert) ......................... 45
▫ Seat Belts And Pregnant Women .......... 46
▫ Seat Belt Extender ..................... 46
10 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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.To use the system, open each rear door, slide the lever up
to engage the locks, and down to disengage the child-
protection locks. When the system on a door is engaged,
that door can only be opened by using the outside door
handle, even if the inside door lock is in the unlocked
position.
WARNING!
Avoid trapping anyone in a vehicle in a collision.
Remember that the rear doors can only be opened
from the outside when the child protection locks are
engaged.
NOTE:
•After setting the child protection door lock system,
always test the door from the inside to make certain it
is in the desired position.
Child Lock Lever
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 33

Wind Buffeting
Wind buffeting can be described as the perception of
pressure on the ears or a helicopter-type sound in the
ears. Your vehicle may exhibit wind buffeting with the
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:
•Three-point lap and shoulder belts for all seating
positions
•Advanced Front Airbags for driver and front passen-
ger
•Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC)
for the driver and passengers seated next to a window
— if equipped
•An energy-absorbing steering column and steering
wheel
•Knee bolsters/blockers for front seat occupants
•Front seat belts incorporate pretensioners to enhance
occupant protection by managing occupant energy
during an impact event — if equipped
If you will be carrying children too small for adult-sized
seat belts, the seat belts or the Lower Anchors and Tether
for CHildren (LATCH) feature can be used to hold infant
and child restraint systems. For more information on
LATCH, see Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren
(LATCH).
36 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

As a guide, if you are shorter than average, you will
prefer a lower position, and if you are taller than average,
you will prefer a higher position. When you release the
anchorage, try to move it down to make sure that it is
locked in the desired position.NOTE:
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 the rear outboard seating position.
Children 12 years old and younger should always be
properly restrained in the rear seat.
How To Use The Automatic Locking Mode
1. Buckle the combination lap and shoulder belt.
Adjusting Upper Shoulder Belt
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 43

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 from the
buckle and allow it to retract completely to disengage the
Automatic Locking Mode and activate the vehicle sensi-
tive (emergency) locking mode.
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 “click.” 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.
Seat Belt Pretensioners — If Equipped
The seat belts for both front seating positions may be
equipped with pretensioning devices that are designed to
remove slack from the seat belt 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 deploys the
airbags and/or pretensioners, a deployed airbag and/or
pretensioner must be replaced immediately.
44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

The system includes sensors adjacent to both front and
rear seat occupants that are calibrated to deploy the
SABIC airbags during impacts that require airbag occu-
pant protection.
WARNING!
•If your vehicle is equipped with left and right Side
Airbag Inflatable Curtain (SABIC), do not stack
luggage or other cargo up high enough to block
the location of the SABIC. The area where the side
curtain airbag is located should remain free from
any obstructions.
•Do not use accessory seat covers or place objects
between you and the side airbags; the performance
could be adversely affected and/or objects could
be pushed into you, causing serious injury.
Knee Impact Bolsters
The Knee Impact Bolsters help protect the knees of the
driver and the front passenger, and position everyone for
the best interaction with the Advanced Front Airbag.
Along with seat belts and pretensioners, Advanced Front
Airbags work with the knee bolsters to provide improved
protection for the driver and front passenger. Side airbags
also work with seat belts to improve occupant protection.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying airbag:
Children 12 years old and younger should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 can cause severe
injury or death to infants in that position.
Children that are not big enough to wear the vehicle seat
belt properly (see Section on Child Restraints) should be
secured in the rear seat in child restraints or belt-
positioning booster seats. Older children who do not use
child restraints or belt-positioning booster seats should
ride properly buckled up in the rear seat. Never allow
children to slide the shoulder belt behind them or under
their arm.
If a child from 1 to 12 years old (not in a rear facing child
seat) must ride in the front passenger seat, move the seat
as far back as possible and use the proper child restraint.
(Refer to “Child Restraints”) You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it properly.
All occupants should ALWAYS wear their lap and shoul-
der belts properly.
The driver and front passenger seats should be moved
back as far as practical to allow the Advanced Front
Airbags room to inflate.
Do not lean against the door. If your vehicle has side
airbags, and deployment occurs, the side airbags will
inflate forcefully into the space between you and the
door.
If the airbag system in this vehicle needs to be modified
to accommodate a disabled person, contact the Customer
Center. Phone numbers are provided under
If You Need
Assistance.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 51

deploy the SABIC airbags, depending on severity and
type of collision. In these events, the ORC will deploy the
SABIC only on the impact side of the vehicle.
A quantity of non-toxic gas is generated to inflate the side
curtain airbag. The 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 ms
(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 especially
applies to children. The side curtain airbag is only about
3-1/2 in (9 cm) thick when it is inflated.
Because airbag sensors estimate deceleration over time,
vehicle speed and damage are not good indicators of
whether or not an airbag should have deployed.
NOTE:In a rollover the pretensioners and/or SABIC
airbags may deploy on both sides of the vehicle.Front and Side Impact Sensors
In front and side impacts, impact sensors aid the ORC in
determining appropriate response to impact events. Ad-
ditional sensors in the ORC determine the level of airbag
deployment and provide verification.
Enhanced Accident Response System
In the event of an impact causing airbag deployment, if
the communication network remains intact, and the
power remains intact, depending on the nature of the
event the ORC will determine whether to have the
Enhanced Accident Response System perform the follow-
ing functions:
•Cut off fuel to the engine.
•Flash hazard lights as long as the battery has power or
until the ignition key is turned off.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 55