2010 DODGE NITRO instrument panel

WARNING! (Continued)
•Being too close to the steering wheel or instrument
panel during Advanced Front Airbag deployment
could cause serious injury, including death. Air-
bags need room to inflate. Sit back, comfortably
extending your arms to reach the steering wheel or
instrument panel.
•The Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains
(SABIC) need room to inflate. Do not lean against
the door or window. Sit upright in the center of the
seat.
Airbag Deployment Sensors and Controls
Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
TheORC is part of a Federally regulated safety system
required for this vehicle. The ORC determines if deployment of the front and/or
side airbags in a frontal or side collision is required.
Based on the impact sensors signals, a central electronic
ORC deploys the Advanced Front Airbags, Supplemental
Side Airbag Inflatable Curtain (SABIC), and front seat
belt pretensioners, as required, depending on each type
of impact.
Advanced Front Airbags are designed to provide addi-
tional protection by supplementing the seat belts in
certain frontal collisions depending on the severity and
type of collision. Advanced Front Airbags are not ex-
pected to reduce the risk of injury in rear, side, or rollover
collisions.
The Advanced Front Airbags will not deploy in all frontal
collisions, including some that may produce substantial
vehicle damage — for example, some pole collisions,
truck underrides, and angle offset collisions. On the other
hand, depending on the type and location of impact,
62 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

•Weight Sensors
Your vehicle has four Weight Sensors located between the
seat and the floor pan. The weight sensors measure
applied weight and transfers that information to the
OCM.
•Passenger Airbag Disable (PAD) Indicator Light
The PAD Indicator Light (an amber light located in the
center of the instrument panel) tells the driver and front
passenger when the passenger Advanced Front Airbag is
turned off. The PAD Indicator light illuminates the words
“PASS AIR BAG OFF” to show that the passenger
Advanced Front Airbag will not inflate during a collision
requiring airbag deployment. When the right front pas-
senger seat is empty or when very light objects are placed
on the seat, the passenger airbag will not inflate even
though the PAD indicator light is not illuminated. The PAD indicator light should not be illuminated when
an adult passenger is properly seated in the front passen-
ger seat. In this case, the passenger Advanced Front
Airbag is ready to be inflated if a collision requires an
airbag deployment.
Indicator Light Location
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 65

For all other occupants, the PAD indicator light will be
illuminated indicating that the passenger Advanced
Front Airbag is turned off and will not inflate.
NOTE:Even though this vehicle is equipped with an
occupant classification system, children 12 years and
younger should always ride buckled up in a rear seat in
an appropriate child restraint (refer to “Child Re-
straints”).
WARNING!
Never place a rear facing infant seat in front of an
airbag. A deploying passenger Advanced Front Air-
bag can cause death or serious injury to a child in a
rear-facing infant seat.
Passenger Airbag Disable (PAD) System
Front Passenger Indicator Light Airbag Status Adult OFFON
Child ONOFF
Grocery Bags,
Heavy Briefcases and Other Rela-
tively Light Ob- jects ON
OFF
Empty or Very Light Objects OFF*
OFF
* Since the system senses weight, some small objects will turn the PAD Indicator Light on.
Drivers and adult passengers should verify that the PAD
Indicator Light is not illuminated when an adult is riding
in the front passenger seat. If an adult occupant’s weight
is transferred to another part of the vehicle (like the door
or instrument panel), the weight sensors in the seat may
66 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Driver and Passenger Advanced Front Airbag
Inflator Units
TheDriver and Passenger Advanced Front Airbag In-
flator Units are located in the center of the steering wheel
and the right side of the instrument panel. When the
ORC detects a collision requiring the Advanced Front
Airbags, it signals the inflator units. A large quantity of
non-toxic gas is generated to inflate the Advanced Front
Airbags. Different airbag inflation rates are possible
based on collision severity and type. The steering wheel
hub trim cover and the upper right side of the instrument
panel separate and fold out of the way as the airbags
inflate to their full size. The airbags fully inflate in about
50 to 70 milliseconds. This is about half of the time it
takes to blink your eyes. The airbags then quickly deflate
while helping to restrain the driver and front passenger. The Advanced Front Airbag gas is vented through the
vent holes in the sides of the airbag. In this way, the
airbags do not interfere with your control of the vehicle.
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.
Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains
(SABIC)
The
Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains
(SABIC) may deploy during rollovers and collisions
where the impact is confined to a particular area of the
side of the vehicle, depending on the severity and type of
collision. In these events, the ORC will deploy the SABIC
only on the impact side of the vehicle. Because airbag
sensors estimate deceleration over time, vehicle speed
and damage by themselves are not good indicators of
whether or not an airbag should have deployed.
68 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Maintaining Your Airbag System
WARNING!
•Modifications to any part of the airbag system
could cause it to fail when you need it. You could
be injured if the airbag system is not there to
protect you. Do not modify the components or
wiring, including adding any kind of badges or
stickers to the steering wheel hub trim cover or the
upper right side of the instrument panel or the
headliner along the side rails. Do not modify the
front bumper or vehicle body structure.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not attempt to modify any part of your ad-
vanced airbag system. The airbag may inflate
accidentally or may not function properly if modi-
fications are made. Take your vehicle to an autho-
rized dealer for any advanced airbag system ser-
vice. If it is necessary to modify the airbag system
for persons with disabilities, contact your autho-
rized dealer.
•It is dangerous to try to repair any part of the
airbag system yourself. Be sure to tell anyone who
works on your vehicle that it has an airbag system.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 73

WARNING! (Continued)
•Check mounting of mats on a regular basis. Al-
ways properly reinstall and secure floor mats that
have been removed for cleaning.
•Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the
driver foot well while the vehicle is moving.
Objects can become trapped under the brake pedal
and accelerator pedal causing a loss of vehicle
control.
•If required, mounting posts must be properly
installed, if not equipped from the factory.
Failure to properly follow floor mat installation or
mounting can cause interference with the brake
pedal and accelerator pedal operation causing loss
of control of the vehicle.
Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make Outside
the Vehicle
Tires
Examine tires for excessive tread wear and uneven wear
patterns. Check for stones, nails, glass, or other objects
lodged in the tread. Inspect the tread and sidewall for
cuts and cracks. Check the wheel nuts for tightness.
Check the tires (including spare) for proper pressure.
Lights
Have someone observe the operation of exterior lights
while you work the controls. Check turn signal and high
beam indicator lights on the instrument panel.
90 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

▫Voice Training ...................... 134
 Seats .............................. 134
▫ Front Manual Seat Adjustment ........... 135
▫ Front Seat Adjustment — Recline ......... 136
▫ Six-Way Driver’s Power Seat With Manual
Recliner ........................... 137
▫ Fold-Flat Front Passenger Seat ........... 138
▫ Adjusting Active Head Restraints ......... 138
▫ Heated Seats — If Equipped ............ 141
▫ 60/40 Split Folding Rear Seat With Fold-Flat
Feature ........................... 142
 To Open And Close The Hood ............ 145
 Lights ............................. 147
▫ Multifunction Lever .................. 147 ▫
Headlights And Parking Lights .......... 148
▫ Instrument Panel Dimmer .............. 148
▫ Lights-On Reminder .................. 149
▫ High/Low Beam Switch ............... 149
▫ Flash-To-Pass ....................... 149
▫ Front Fog Lights — If Equipped .......... 150
▫ Turn Signals ........................ 150
▫ Lane Change Assist ................... 151
▫ Daytime Running Lights — If Equipped .... 151
▫ Interior Lights ...................... 151
 Windshield Wipers And Washers .......... 152
▫ Windshield Wiper Operation ............ 152
▫ Intermittent Wiper System .............. 154
94 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

The Uconnect™ Phone will then send the corresponding
phone number associated with the phonebook entry, as
tones over the phone.
NOTE:
•You may not hear all of the tones due to cellular phone
network configurations. This is normal.
•Some paging and voice mail systems have system time
out settings that are too short and may not allow the
use of this feature.
Barge In - Overriding Prompts
The “Voice Command” button can be used when you
wish to skip part of a prompt and issue your voice
command immediately. For example, if a prompt is
askingWould you like to pair a phone, clear a..., you
could press the
button and say, Pair a Phoneto
select that option without having to listen to the rest of
the voice prompt.
Turning Confirmation Prompts ON/OFF
Turning confirmation prompts off will stop the system
from confirming your choices (e.g., the Uconnect™
Phone will not repeat a phone number before you dial it).
•Press thebutton to begin.
•After the Readyprompt and the following beep, say
Setup Confirmations. The Uconnect™ Phone will
play the current confirmation prompt status and you
will be given the choice to change it.
Phone and Network Status Indicators
If available on the radio and/or on a premium display
such as the instrument panel cluster, and supported by
your cellular phone, the Uconnect™ Phone will provide
notification to inform you of your phone and network
status when you are attempting to make a phone call
using Uconnect™ Phone. The status is given for roaming,
network signal strength, phone battery strength, etc.
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 117