2010 DODGE JOURNEY Airbag

▫Seat Belts And Pregnant Women .......... 53
▫ Seat Belt Extender ..................... 53
▫ Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) —
Airbags ............................ 54
▫ Advanced Front Airbag Features .......... 56
▫ Airbag Deployment Sensors And Controls . . . 61
▫ Event Data Recorder (EDR) .............. 69
▫ Child Restraints ...................... 71 
Engine Break-In Recommendations .......... 83
 Safety Tips ........................... 84
▫ Transporting Passengers ................ 84
▫ Exhaust Gas ......................... 85
▫ Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle ............................. 86
▫ Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make
Outside The Vehicle ................... 88
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 11

WARNING!
•Driving with the liftgate open can allow poison-
ous exhaust gases into your vehicle. These fumes
could injure you and your passengers. Keep the
liftgate closed when you are operating the vehicle.
•If you are required to drive with the liftgate open,
make sure that all windows are closed, and the
blower switch on the climate control is set at high
speed. DO NOT use the recirculation mode.
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 Active Head Restraints (AHR) located
on top of the front seats (integrated into the head
restraint)
•Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC)
that span the front, second, and third row seating for
the driver and passengers seated next to a window —
if equipped
•Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Airbags (SAB) — 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
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 39

•All seat belt systems (except the driver ’s) include
Automatic Locking Retractors (ALRs), which lock the
seat belt webbing into position by extending the belt
all the way out and then adjusting the belt to the
desired length to restrain a child seat or secure a large
item in a seat — 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 also can be used to hold
infant and child restraint systems. For more information
on LATCH, see Lower Anchors and Tether for CHildren
(LATCH).
NOTE: The Advanced Front Airbags have a multistage
inflator design. This allows the airbag to have different
rates of inflation based on the severity and type of
collision. 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.
40 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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. A deployed pretensioner or a
deployed airbag, must be replaced immediately.
Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR)
These head restraints are passive, deployable compo-
nents, and vehicles with this equipment can not be
readily identified by any markings, only through visual
inspection of the head restraint. The head restraint will be
split in two halves, with the front half being soft foam
and trim, the back half being decorative plastic.
How the Active Head Restraints (AHR) Work
The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) determines
whether the severity, or type of rear impact will require the Active Head Restraints (AHR) to deploy. If a rear
impact requires deployment, both the driver and front
passenger seat AHRs will be deployed.
When AHRs deploy during a rear impact, the front half
of the head restraint extends forward to minimize the gap
between the back of the occupant’s head and the AHR.
This system is designed to help prevent or reduce the
extent of injuries to the driver and front passenger in
certain types of rear impacts.
NOTE:
The Active Head Restraints (AHR) may or may
not deploy in the event of a front or side impact.
However if during a front impact, a secondary rear
impact occurs, the AHR may deploy based on the sever-
ity and type of the impact.
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 seat belt is not long enough when it is worn
low and snug and in the recommended seating posi-
tions. Remove and store the extender when not
needed.
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) — Airbags
This vehicle has Advanced Front Airbags for both the
driver and front passenger as a supplement to the seat
belt restraint systems. The driver’s Advanced Front Air-
bag is mounted in the center of the steering wheel. The
passenger’s Advanced Front Airbag is mounted in the
instrument panel, above the glove compartment. Thewords SRS AIRBAG are embossed on the airbag covers.
NOTE:
These airbags are certified to the new Federal
regulations for Advanced Airbags.Front Airbag Components
1 — Driver Advanced Front Airbag
2 — Passenger Advanced Front Airbag
3 — Knee Bolsters
54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

The Advanced Front Airbags have a multistage inflator
design. This allows the airbag to have different rates of
inflation based on the severity and type of collision.
This vehicle may be equipped with driver and/or front
passenger seat track position sensors that may adjust the
inflation rate of the Advanced Front Airbags based upon
seat position.
This vehicle may be equipped with a driver and/or front
passenger seat belt buckle switch that detects whether
the driver or front passenger seat belt is fastened. The
seat belt buckle switch may adjust the inflation rate of the
Advanced Front Airbags.
This vehicle may also be equipped with Supplemental
Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC) to protect the
driver, front, and rear passengers sitting next to a win-
dow. If the vehicle is equipped with SABIC airbags, they
are located above the side windows and their covers are
also labeled: SRS AIRBAG.This vehicle may also be equipped with Supplemental
Seat-Mounted Side Airbags (SAB). If the vehicle is
equipped with Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Airbags
they are marked with an airbag label sewn into the
outboard side of the front seats.
NOTE:
•Airbag covers may not be obvious in the interior trim;
but they will open during airbag deployment.
•After any collision, the vehicle should be taken to an
authorized dealer immediately.
Airbag System Components
Your vehicle may be equipped with the following airbag
system components:
•Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
•Airbag Warning Light
•Steering Wheel and Column
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 55

•Instrument Panel
•Knee Impact Bolster
•Driver Advanced Front Airbag
•Passenger Advanced Front Airbag
•Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Airbags (SAB)
•Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC)
•Front and Side Impact Sensors
•Front Seat Belt Pretensioners, Seat Belt Buckle Switch,
and Seat Track Position Sensors
•Supplemental Active Head Restraint for Driver and
Front Passenger
Advanced Front Airbag Features
The Advanced Front Airbag system has multistage driver
and front passenger airbags. This system provides output
appropriate to the severity and type of collision asdetermined by the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC),
which may receive information from the front impact
sensors.
The first stage inflator is triggered immediately during an
impact that requires airbag deployment. The timing of
the second stage determines whether the output force is
low, medium, or high. If a low output is sufficient to meet
the need, the remaining gas in the inflator is expended.
WARNING!
•No objects should be placed over or near the
airbag on the instrument panel, because any such
objects could cause harm if the vehicle is in a
collision severe enough to cause the airbag to
inflate.
(Continued)
56 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not put anything on or around the airbag
covers or attempt to open them manually. You may
damage the airbags and you could be injured
because the airbags may no longer be functional.
The protective covers for the airbag cushions are
designed to open only when the airbags are inflat-
ing.
•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, citizen band radios,
etc.
Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Airbags (SAB) —
If Equipped
Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Airbags provide en-
hanced protection to help protect an occupant during aside impact. The Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air-
bag is marked with an airbag label sewn into the out-
board side of the front seats.
When the airbag deploys, it opens the seam between the
front and side of the seat’s trim cover. Each airbag
Seat Mounted Side Airbag Label
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