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WARNING! (Continued)
•A belt that is worn under your arm is dangerous.
Your body could strike the inside surfaces of the
vehicle in an accident, increasing head and neck
injury. A belt worn under the arm can cause
internal injuries. Ribs are not as strong as shoulder
bones. Wear the belt over your shoulder so that
your strongest bones will take the force in a
collision.
•A shoulder belt placed behind you will not protect
you from injury during an accident. You are more
likely to hit your head in a collision if you do not
wear your shoulder belt. The lap and shoulder belt
are meant to be used together.4. Position the lap belt across your thighs, below your
abdomen. To remove slack in the lap belt portion, pull up
a bit on the shoulder belt. To loosen the lap belt if it is too
tight, tilt the latch plate and pull on the lap belt. A snug
belt reduces the risk of sliding under the belt in an
accident.
WARNING!
•A lap belt worn too high can increase the risk of
internal injury in an accident. The belt forces
won’t be at the strong hip and pelvic bones, but
across your abdomen. Always wear the lap belt as
low as possible and keep it snug.
•A twisted belt cannot do its job as well. In a
collision, it could even cut into you. Be sure the
belt is straight. If you cannot straighten a belt in
your vehicle, take it to your authorized dealer
immediately and have it fixed.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49
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5. Position the shoulder belt on your chest so that it is
comfortable and not resting on your neck. The retractor
will withdraw any slack in the belt.6. To release the belt, push the red button on the buckle.
The belt will automatically retract to its stowed position.
If necessary, slide the latch plate down the webbing to
allow the belt to retract fully.
WARNING!
A frayed or torn belt could rip apart in an accident
and leave you with no protection. Inspect the belt
system periodically, checking for cuts, frays, or loose
parts. Damaged parts must be replaced immediately.
Do not disassemble or modify the system. Seat belt
assemblies must be replaced after an accident if they
have been damaged (bent retractor, torn webbing,
etc.).
Removing Slack From Belt
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out only the amount of webbing necessary to comfort-
ably wrap around the occupant’s mid-section. Slide the
latch plate into the buckle until you hear aclick.
Automatic Locking Retractor Mode (ALR) —
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. Use the Automatic Locking Mode
anytime a child safety seat is installed in a seating
position that has a belt with this feature. Children
12 years old and under should always be properly
restrained in the rear seat.
How To Engage The Automatic Locking Mode
1. Buckle the combination lap and shoulder belt.
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
Unbuckle the combination lap/shoulder belt and allow it
to retract completely to disengage the Automatic Locking
Mode and activate the vehicle sensitive (emergency)
locking mode.
WARNING!
•The belt and retractor assembly must be replaced
if the seat belt assembly Automatic Locking Re-
tractor (ALR) feature or any other seat belt func-
tion is not working properly when checked ac-
cording to the procedures in the Service Manual.
•Failure to replace the belt and retractor assembly
could increase the risk of injury in collisions.
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Energy Management Feature
This vehicle has a safety belt system with an Energy
Management feature in the front seating positions to help
further reduce the risk of injury in the event of a head-on
accident. This safety belt system has a retractor assembly
that is designed to release webbing in a controlled
manner. This feature is designed to help reduce the belt
force acting on the occupant’s chest.
WARNING!
•The belt and retractor assembly must be replaced
if the seat belt assembly Automatic Locking Re-
tractor (ALR) feature or any other seat belt func-
tion is not working properly when checked ac-
cording to the procedures in the Service Manual.
•Failure to replace the belt and retractor assembly
could increase the risk of injury in accidents.
Seat Belt Pretensioners
The seat belts for both front seating positions are
equipped with pretensioning devices that are designed to
remove slack from the seat belt in the event of an
accident. These devices may improve the performance of
the seat belt by assuring that the belt is tight about the
occupant early in an accident. 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 air bags, the preten-
sioners are single use items. A deployed pretensioner or
a deployed air bag must be replaced immediately.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53
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extender. This extender should be used only if the
existing belt is not long enough. When it is not required,
remove the extender and store it.
WARNING!
Using a seat belt extender when not needed can
increase the risk of injury in an accident. Only use
when the seat belt is not long enough when it is worn
low and snug and in the recommended seating posi-
tion. Remove and store the extender when not
needed.
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) - Air Bags
This vehicle has Advanced Front Air Bags 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 Air Bag is mounted in theinstrument panel, above the glove compartment. The
words SRS AIRBAG are embossed on the air bag covers.
NOTE:
These air bags are certified to the new Federal
regulations for Advanced Air Bags.Advanced Front Air Bag And Knee Bolster Locations
1 — Driver And Passenger Advanced Front Air Bags
2 — Knee Bolster
56 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
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The Advanced Front Air Bags have a multistage inflator
design. This allows the air bag 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 Air Bags 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 Air Bags.
This vehicle is equipped with Supplemental Seat-
Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB) to provide enhanced
protection for an occupant during a side impact. The
Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags are located in
the outboard side of the front seats.This vehicle is equipped with Supplemental Side Air Bag
Inflatable Curtains (SABIC) to protect the driver, front,
and rear passengers sitting next to a window. The SABIC
air bags are located above the side windows and their
covers are also labeled: SRS AIRBAG.
NOTE:
•Air Bag covers may not be obvious in the interior trim,
but they will open during air bag deployment.
•After any accident, the vehicle should be taken to an
authorized dealer immediately.
Air Bag System Components
Your vehicle may be equipped with the following air bag
system components:
•Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
•Air Bag Warning Light
•Steering Wheel and Column
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 57
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•Instrument Panel
•Knee Impact Bolster
•Driver Advanced Front Air Bag
•Passenger Advanced Front Air Bag
•Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB)
•Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtains
(SABIC)
•Front and Side Impact Sensors
•Front Seat Belt Pretensioners, Seat Belt Buckle Switch,
and Seat Track Position Sensors
Advanced Front Air Bag Features
The Advanced Front Air Bag system has multistage
driver and front passenger air bags. 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 air bag deployment. This low output
is used in less severe collisions. A higher energy output is
used for more severe collisions.
WARNING!
•No objects should be placed over or near the air
bag on the instrument panel, because any such
objects could cause harm if the vehicle is in a
collision severe enough to cause the air bag to
inflate.
(Continued)
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WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not put anything on or around the air bag
covers or attempt to open them manually. You may
damage the air bags and you could be injured
because the air bags may no longer be functional.
The protective covers for the air bag cushions are
designed to open only when the air bags are
inflating.
•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 Air Bags (SAB)
Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags may provide
enhanced protection to help protect an occupant during a
side impact. The Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air
Bag is marked with an air bag label sewn into the
outboard side of the front seats.
Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bag Label
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