2010 JEEP COMPASS warning

DOOR LOCKS
Manual Door Locks
Use the manual door lock plunger to lock the doors from
inside the vehicle. If the plunger is down when the door
is closed, the door will lock. Make sure the keys are not
inside the vehicle before closing the door.
WARNING!
•For personal security and safety in the event of an
accident, lock the vehicle doors as you drive as
well as when you park and leave the vehicle.
•When leaving the vehicle, always remove the key
from the ignition lock and lock your vehicle. Do
not leave unattended children in the vehicle or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised
use of vehicle equipment may cause severe per-
sonal injuries and death.
CAUTION!
An unlocked vehicle is an invitation to thieves.
Always remove the key from the ignition and lock all
of the doors when leaving the vehicle unattended.
Manual Door Lock Plunger
28 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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:
For emergency exit with the system engaged,
move the lock plunger up (unlocked position), roll down
the window and open the door with the outside door
handle.
POWER WINDOWS — IF EQUIPPED
Power Window Switches
The window controls on the driver ’s door trim panel
control all the door windows. There are single window
controls on each passenger door trim panel, which oper-
ate the passenger door windows. The window controls
will operate when the ignition switch is in the ON or
ACC position.
NOTE:
•For vehicles not equipped with the Electronic Vehicle
Information Center (EVIC), the power window
switches will remain active for 45 seconds after the
ignition switch is turned to the LOCK position. Open-
ing either front door will cancel this feature.
Child-Protection Door Lock Function
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 33

•For vehicles equipped with the EVIC, the power
window switches will remain active for up to 10 min-
utes after the ignition switch is turned to the LOCK
position. Opening either front door will cancel this
feature. The time for this feature is programmable.
Refer to “Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC)/Personal Settings (Customer-Programmable
Features)” in “Understanding Your Instrument Panel”
for further information.
WARNING!
Never leave children in a vehicle with the key in the
ignition switch. Occupants, particularly unattended
children, can become entrapped by the windows
while operating the power window switches. Such
entrapment may result in serious injury or death.
Auto-Down
The driver’s door window switch has an Auto-Down
feature. Push the window switch past the first detent,
release, and the window will go down automatically. To
cancel the Auto-Down movement, operate the switch in
either the up or down direction and release the switch.
Power Window Switch Location
34 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Once unlocked, the liftgate can be opened or closed
without using the key. To open the liftgate, squeeze the
liftgate release and pull the liftgate open with one fluid
motion.NOTE:
•In the event of a power malfunction, or the RKE
transmitter is inoperative, insert the key into the
liftgate lock cylinder and turn to the right (manual
lock models only). Using the liftgate handle, pull the
liftgate open with one fluid motion.
•Although the liftgate has no inside release mechanism,
the liftgate trim panel includes an opening with a
snap-in cap that provides access to release the latch in
the event of an electrical system malfunction.
WARNING!
•Driving with the liftgate open can allow poison-
ous exhaust gases into your vehicle. You and your
passengers could be injured by these fumes. Keep
the liftgate closed when you are operating the
vehicle.
(Continued)
Liftgate Latch Location
36 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING! (Continued)
•If you are required to drive with the liftgate open,
make sure that all windows are closed, and the
climate control blower switch is set at high speed.
DO NOT use the recirculation mode.
Gas props support the liftgate in the open position.
However, because the gas pressure drops with tempera-
ture, it may be necessary to assist the props when
opening the liftgate in cold weather.
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 Rear Impact Active Head Restraints
(AHR) located on top of the front seats (integrated into
the head restraint)
•Supplemental Side Airbag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC)
for the driver and passengers seated next to a window
•Supplemental Side Seat Airbags — 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
•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
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 37

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 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.
Research has shown that seat belts save lives, and they
can reduce the seriousness of injuries in a collision. Some
of the worst injuries happen when people are thrown
from the vehicle. Seat belts reduce the possibility of
38 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

ejection and the risk of injury caused by striking the
inside of the vehicle.Everyone in a motor vehicle should
be belted at all times.
Lap/Shoulder Belts
All the seats in your vehicle are equipped with Lap/
Shoulder belts.
The belt webbing retractor is designed to lock during
very sudden stops or collisions. This feature allows the
shoulder part of the belt to move freely with you under
normal conditions. But in a collision, the belt will lock
and reduce the risk of you striking the inside of the
vehicle or being thrown out.
WARNING!
•It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people
riding in these areas are more likely to be seri-
ously injured or killed.
•Do not allow people to ride in any area of your
vehicle that is not equipped with seats and seat
belts.
•Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
•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.
(Continued)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 39

WARNING! (Continued)
•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 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 along side the pillar near 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 allow the belt to go around your lap.
3. When the belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”Pulling Out The Latch Plate
40 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE