2011 DODGE NITRO media

Tamper Alert
If something has triggered the Vehicle Security Alarm in
your absence, the horn will sound three times when you
unlock the doors. Check the vehicle for tampering.
ILLUMINATED ENTRY
The courtesy lights will turn on when you use the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter to unlock the
doors or open any door.
This feature also turns on the approach lighting in the
outside mirrors (if equipped). Refer to “Mirrors” in
“Understanding The Features Of Your Vehicle” for fur-
ther information.The lights will fade to off after approximately 30 seconds
or they will immediately fade to off once the ignition
switch is turned to ON/RUN from the OFF position.
NOTE:
•The front courtesy overhead console and door cour-
tesy lights do not turn on if the dimmer control is in
the
Dome ON position (extreme top position).
•The Illuminated Entry system will not operate if the
dimmer control is in the “Dome defeat” position
(extreme bottom position).
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 19

Flash Lights With Lock
The feature will cause the parking lights to flash when
the doors are locked or unlocked with the RKE transmit-
ter. This feature can be turned on or off. To change the
current setting, proceed as follows:
•On Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)
equipped vehicles, refer to “Electronic Vehicle Infor-
mation Center (EVIC)/Personal Settings (Customer-
Programmable Features)” in “Understanding Your In-
strument Panel” for further information.
•On non-EVIC equipped vehicles, perform the follow-
ing steps:
1. Press and hold the UNLOCK button on a programmed
(i.e., functional) RKE transmitter for at least four seconds,
but not longer than 10 seconds. Then, press and hold the
LOCK button while still holding the UNLOCK button.
2. Release both buttons at the same time. 3. Test the feature from outside the vehicle by pressing
the LOCK and UNLOCK buttons on the RKE transmitter.
4. Repeat these steps if you want to return this feature to
its previous setting.
NOTE:
Pressing the LOCK button on the RKE transmit-
ter while you are inside the vehicle will activate the
Vehicle Security Alarm. Opening a door with the Vehicle
Security Alarm activated will cause the alarm to sound.
Press the UNLOCK button to deactivate the Vehicle
Security Alarm.Remote Open Window Feature — If Equipped
This feature allows you to remotely lower both front door
windows at the same time. To use this feature, press and
release the UNLOCK button on the RKE transmitter and
then immediately press and hold the UNLOCK button
until the windows lower to the level desired or until they
lower completely.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 23

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 aren’t 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 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
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 part of your seat
belt as low as possible and keep it snug.
•A twisted belt will not protect you properly. In a
collision, it could even cut into you. Be sure the
belt is straight. If you can’t straighten a belt in
your vehicle, take it to your authorized dealer
immediately and have it fixed.
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.
46 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 it 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.).
Lap/Shoulder Belt Untwisting Procedure
Use the following procedure to untwist a twisted lap/
shoulder belt.
1. Position the latch plate as close as possible to the
anchor point.Removing Slack From Belt
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47

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

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 Side Air Bag
Inflatable Curtains (SABIC) that run the entire length of
the headliner to protect the driver, front, and rear pas-
sengers sitting next to a window.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.
Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable
Curtains (SABIC) Label Location
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 59

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.
NOTE:The passenger Advanced Front Air Bag may not
deploy, even when the driver Advanced Front Air Bag
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.
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)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not put anything on or around the air bag
covers or attempt to manually open them. You may
damage the air bags and you could be injured
because the air bags may no longer be functional.
These protective covers for the air bag cushions
are designed to open only when the air bags are
inflating.
•Do not use accessory seat covers or place objects
between you and the side air bags; the perfor-
mance could be adversely affected and/or objects
could be pushed into you, causing serious injury.
•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.
(Continued)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 61

WARNING!
Ignoring the Air Bag Warning Light in your instru-
ment panel could mean you won’t have the air bags
to protect you in a collision. If the light does not come
on as a bulb check when the ignition is first turned
on, stays on after you start the vehicle, or if it comes
on as you drive, have an authorized dealer service the
air bag system immediately.
Occupant Classification System (OCS)
The OCS is part of a Federally regulated safety system
required for this vehicle. It is designed to turn off the
passenger Advanced Front Air Bag for an empty seat and
for occupants classified in a category other than an adult.
This could be a child, teenager, or even an adult.
NOTE:Children 12 years or younger should always
ride buckled up in a rear seat in an appropriate child
restraint.
•Occupant Classification Module (OCM)
The OCM is located beneath the front passenger seat. The
OCM classifies the occupant into categories based on the
measurements made by the seat weight sensors. The
OCM communicates with the ORC. The ORC uses the
occupant category to determine whether the passenger
Advanced Front Air Bag should be turned off. It also
determines the rate of air bag inflation during a collision.
•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 Air Bag 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 Air Bag is
turned off. The PAD Indicator light illuminates the words
66 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE