2012 DODGE CALIBER Owners Manual

WARNING!
•A lap belt worn too high can increase the risk of
internal injury in a collision. 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 may 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. 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 a collision 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 a collision if they
have been damaged (bent retractor, torn webbing,
etc.).
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47

Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the driver and front passenger seat, the shoulder belt
can be adjusted upward or downward to position the belt
away from your neck. Push the anchorage button to
release the anchorage, and 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
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. When you release the
anchorage, try to move it down to make sure that it is
Adjustable Anchorage
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locked in position. In the rear seat, move toward the
center of the seat to position the belt away from your
neck.
Lap/ Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions With A
Mini-Latch And Buckle
A three point seat belt with a mini-latch and buckle,
allows the shoulder belt to detach from the lower anchor
when the seat is folded. The mini-buckle and shoulder
belt can then be stored out of the way in the right side
trim panel for added convenience.
1. Remove the mini-latch and regular latch from its
stowed position in the right rear side trim panel.2. Grasp the mini-latch plate and pull the belt over the
seat.
Mini-Latch Stowage
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49

3. Route the shoulder belt to the inside of the right head
restraint.
4. When the belt is long enough to fit, insert the mini-
latch plate into the mini-buckle until you hear a “click.”5. Sit back in seat. Slide the regular latch plate up the
webbing as far as necessary to allow the belt to go around
your lap.
6. When the belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”
Routing The Rear Center Shoulder Belt
Connecting Mini-Latch To Buckle
50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

7. Position the lap belt across your thighs, below your
abdomen. To remove slack in the lap belt portion, pull up
on the shoulder belt. To loosen the lap belt if it is too tight,
pull on the lap belt. A snug belt reduces the risk of sliding
under the belt in a collision.8. 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.
9. To release the belt, push the red button on the buckle.
Rear Center Seat Belt BuckledDetaching Mini-Latch And Buckle
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10. To disengage the mini-latch from the mini-buckle for
storage, insert the regular latch plate into the black
button on the top of the mini-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. Insert the mini-latch plate into the slot
provided in the trim panel.
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.
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 Belts In Passenger Seating Positions
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with an Automatic Locking Retractor (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 ALR ALR Third Row N/A N/A N/A
•N/A — Not Applicable
•ALR — Automatic Locking Retractor
52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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.
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.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53

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.
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
collision. 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.
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 a collision.
These devices may improve the performance of the seat
belt by assuring that the belt is tight about the occupant
early in a collision. Pretensioners work for all size occu-
pants, 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.
54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE