2010 DODGE NITRO belt

The Advanced Front Airbags have a multistage inflator
design. This allows the airbag to have different rates of
inflation that are 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.
Front Airbag Components
1 — Driver and Passenger Advanced Front Airbag
2 — Knee Bolster
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 55

•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
•Occupant Classification System (OCS)
•Occupant Classification Module (OCM)
•Passenger Airbag Disable (PAD) Indicator Light
•Weight Sensors
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.
NOTE:
The passenger Advanced Front Airbag may not
deploy, even when the driver Advanced Front Airbag
has, if the Occupant Classification System (refer to Oc-
cupant Classification System”) has determined the pas-
senger seat is empty or is occupied by someone that is
classified in the childsize category. This could be a
child, teenager, or even an adult.
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WARNING! (Continued)
•If your vehicle is equipped with SABIC airbags,
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.
Knee Impact Bolsters
The Knee Impact Bolsters help protect the knees of the
driver and the front passenger, and position front occu-
pants 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:
1. Children 12 years and younger should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
WARNING!
Infants in rear facing child restraints should NEVER
ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger
airbag. An airbag deployment could cause severe
injury or death to infants in that position.
Children that are not big enough to properly wear the
vehicle seat belt should be secured in the rear seat, in a
child restraint or belt-positioning booster seat. 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.
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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.
2. All occupants should ALWAYS wear their lap and
shoulder belts properly.
3. The driver and front passenger seats should be moved
back as far as practical to allow the Advanced Front
Airbags room to inflate.
4. Do not lean against the door or window. If your
vehicle has side airbags, and deployment occurs, the side
airbags will inflate forcefully into the space between you
and the door.5. 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”.
WARNING!
•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.
(Continued)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 61

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

Advanced Front Airbags may deploy in crashes with
little vehicle front-end damage but that produce a severe
initial deceleration.
The SABIC will not deploy in all side collisions. SABIC
deployment will depend on the severity and type of
collision.
Because airbag sensors measure vehicle deceleration over
time, vehicle speed and damage by themselves are not
good indicators of whether or not an airbag should have
deployed.
Seat belts are necessary for your protection in all crashes,
and also are needed to help keep you in position, away
from an inflating airbag.
The ORC also monitors the readiness of the electronic
parts of the airbag system whenever the ignition switch is
in the START or ON positions. If the key is in the LOCKposition, in the ACC position, or not in the ignition, the
airbag system is not on and the airbags will not inflate.
The ORC contains a backup power supply system that
may deploy the airbags even if the battery loses power or
it becomes disconnected prior to deployment.
Also, the ORC turns on the “Airbag Warning
Light” for four to eight seconds for a self-check
when the ignition is first turned ON. After the
self-check, the “Airbag Warning Light” will
turn off. If the ORC detects a malfunction in any part of
the system, it turns on the “Airbag Warning Light” either
momentarily or continuously. A single chime will sound
if the light comes on again after initial startup.
It also includes diagnostics that will illuminate the instru-
ment cluster Airbag Warning Light if a malfunction is
noted that could affect the airbag system. The diagnostics
also record the nature of the malfunction.
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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

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
milliseconds (about one quarter of the time 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
12inches (9 cm) thick when
it is inflated.
The system includes side impact sensors adjacent to both
front and rear seat occupants that are calibrated to deploy
the SABIC airbags during impacts that require airbag
occupant protection.
WARNING!
If your vehicle is equipped with left and right
Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains
(SABIC), do not stack luggage or other cargo up high
enough to block the location of the SABIC. The area
where the SABIC is located should remain free from
any obstructions.
The front passenger seat assembly contains critical com-
ponents that affect the front passenger airbag deploy-
ment. Correctly functioning front passenger seat compo-
nents are critical for the Occupant Classification System
(OCS) to properly classify the front passenger and calcu-
late the proper airbag deployment. Do not make any
modifications to the front passenger seat components,
assembly, or to the seat cover.
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