2011 DODGE NITRO child seat

▫Battery Replacement ................... 24
▫ General Information ................... 25
 Remote Starting System — If Equipped ....... 26
▫ How To Use Remote Start ............... 26
 Door Locks ........................... 28
▫ Manual Door Locks ................... 28
▫ Power Door Locks .................... 30
▫ Child-Protection Door Lock System —
Rear Doors .......................... 33
 Windows ............................ 34
▫ Power Windows ...................... 34
▫ Wind Buffeting ....................... 38
 Liftgate ............................. 38 
Occupant Restraints ..................... 39
▫ Lap/Shoulder Belts .................... 43
▫ Lap/Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions .... 44
▫ Lap/Shoulder Belt Untwisting Procedure .... 47
▫ Seat Belt Pretensioner .................. 48
▫ Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage . . . 48
▫ Seat Belts In Passenger Seating Positions ..... 49
▫ Automatic Locking Retractor Mode (ALR) —
If Equipped ......................... 50
▫ Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR) . . 51
▫ Energy Management Feature ............. 55
▫ Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert) ......................... 55
▫ Seat Belt Lock Out .................... 57
10 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

▫Seat Belts And Pregnant Women .......... 57
▫ Seat Belt Extender ..................... 57
▫ Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) — Air Bags ..................... 58
▫ Air Bag Deployment Sensors And Controls . . . 64
▫ Event Data Recorder (EDR) .............. 75
▫ Child Restraints ...................... 76
 Engine Break-In Recommendations .......... 86
Safety Tips ........................... 87
▫ Transporting Passengers ................ 87
▫ Exhaust Gas ......................... 88
▫ Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle ............................. 89
▫ Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make
Outside The Vehicle ................... 91
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 11

4. A single chime will indicate the completion of the
programming.
5. Repeat these steps if you want to return this feature to
its previous setting.
NOTE:Use the automatic unlock doors on exit feature
in accordance with local laws.
Child-Protection Door Lock System — Rear Doors
To provide a safer environment for small children riding
in the rear seats, the rear doors are equipped with a
Child-Protection Door Lock system.
To use the system, open each rear door, use a flat blade
screwdriver (or ignition key) and rotate the dial counter-
clockwise to engage the Child-Protection lock and clock-
wise to disengage the Child-Protection locks. When the
system on a door is engaged, that door can only be
opened by using the outside door handle even if the
inside door lock is in the unlocked position. NOTE:
•When the child lock system is engaged, the door can
be opened only by using the outside door handle even
though the inside door lock is in the unlocked posi-
tion.
Child-Protection Door Lock
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 33

•Front seat belts incorporate pretensioners that may
enhance occupant protection by managing occupant
energy during an impact event
•All seat belt systems (except the driver’s and rear
center) 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
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.
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, refer to Lower Anchors and Tether for
CHildren (LATCH).NOTE:
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.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying air bag:
1. Children 12 years old and under 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
Advanced Front Air Bag. An air bag deployment can
cause severe injury or death to infants in that posi-
tion.
Children that are not big enough to wear the vehicle seat
belt properly (see section on Child Restraints) should be
40 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

secured in the rear seat in child restraints or belt-
positioning booster seats. 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.
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 Air Bags room to inflate. 4.
Do not lean against the door or window. If your
vehicle has side air bags, and deployment occurs, the
side air bags will inflate forcefully into the space
between you and the door.
5. If the air bag 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 air bags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The air bags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions, the air bags won’t deploy at all.
Always wear your seat belts even though you have
air bags.
(Continued)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 41

2. At about 6 to 12 in (15 to 30 cm) above the latch plate,
grasp and twist the belt webbing 180 degrees to create a
fold that begins immediately above the latch plate.
3. Slide the latch plate upward over the folded webbing.
The folded webbing must enter the slot at the top of the
latch plate.
4. Continue to slide the latch plate up until it clears the
folded webbing.
Seat Belt Pretensioner
The seat belts for both front seating positions are
equipped with a pretensioning device that is designed to
remove any slack from the seat belt systems in the event
of a collision. These devices may improve the perfor-
mance of the seat belt by assuring that the belt is tight
around the occupant early in a collision. 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 must still 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.
Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the front seating positions, the shoulder belt can be
adjusted upward or downward to position the belt away
from your neck. Press the release button to release the
anchorage, and then move it up or down to the position
that fits you best.
NOTE: The adjustable upper shoulder belt anchorage is
equipped with an Easy Up feature. This feature allows
the shoulder belt anchorage to be adjusted in the upward
position without pressing the release button. To verify
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

the shoulder belt anchorage is latched, pull downward
on the shoulder belt anchorage until it is locked into
position.
As a guide, if you are shorter than average, you will
prefer a lower position, and if you are taller than average,
you will prefer a higher position.Seat Belts In Passenger Seating Positions
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with Automatic Locking Retractors (ALR)
which are used to secure a child restraint system. For
additional information, refer to “Installing Child Re-
straints Using The Vehicle Seat Belt” under the “Child
Restraints” section. The chart below defines the type of
feature for each seating position.
Driver Center Passenger
First Row N/A N/A ALR
Second Row ALR Cinching Latch PlateALR
Third Row N/A N/A N/A
•N/A — Not Applicable
•ALR — Automatic Locking RetractorAdjusting Upper Shoulder Belt
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49

If the passenger seating position is equipped with an
ALR and is being used for normal usage:
Only pull the belt webbing out far enough to comfortably
wrap around the occupant’s mid-section so as to not
activate the ALR. If the ALR is activated, you will hear a
ratcheting sound as the belt retracts. Allow the webbing
to retract completely in this case and then carefully pull
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.
50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE