2012 FIAT 500C lock

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 seating positions in your vehicle are equipped
with combination lap/shoulder belts.
The belt webbing retractor is designed to lock during
very sudden stops or accidents. This feature allows the
shoulder part of the belt to move freely with you under
normal conditions. However 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 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 seriously 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 31

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 Automatic Locking Retractors (ALR)
which are used to secure a child restraint system. Foradditional 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 Passenger
First Row N/A ALR
Second Row ALR ALR
•N/A — Not Applicable
•ALR — Automatic Locking Retractor
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
36 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 37

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.
38 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

NOTE:Air Bag covers may not be obvious in the
interior trim, but they will open during air bag deploy-
ment. The system includes side impact sensors that are cali-
brated to deploy the Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB)
and SABIC during impacts that require air bag occupant
protection.
WARNING!
•Your vehicle is equipped with left and right
SABIC, do not stack luggage or other cargo up
high enough to block the location of the SABIC.
The area where the side curtain air bag is located
should remain free from any obstructions.
•Do not use accessory seat covers or place objects
between you and the SAB; the performance could
be adversely affected and/or objects could be
pushed into you, causing serious injury.
(Continued)Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC)Label Location
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 45

Side Air Bags (SAB), and front seat belt pretensioners, as
required, depending on the severity and type of impact.
Advanced Front Air Bags and Supplemental Driver Side
Knee Air Bag are designed to provide additional protec-
tion by supplementing the seat belts in certain frontal
collisions depending on the severity and type of collision.
Advanced Front Air Bags are not expected to reduce the
risk of injury in rear or side collisions.
The Advanced Front Air Bags and Supplemental Driver
Side Knee Air Bag will not deploy in all frontal collisions,
including some that may produce substantial vehicle
damage — for example, some pole collisions, truck
underrides, and angle offset collisions. On the other
hand, depending on the type and location of impact,
Advanced Front Air Bags may deploy in crashes with
little vehicle front-end damage but that produce a severe
initial deceleration.The side air bags will not deploy in all side collisions.
Side air bag deployment will depend on the severity and
type of collision.
Because air bag sensors measure vehicle deceleration
over time, vehicle speed and damage by themselves are
not good indicators of whether or not an air bag should
have deployed.
Seat belts are necessary for your protection in all acci-
dents, and also are needed to help keep you in position,
away from an inflating air bag.
The ORC monitors the readiness of the electronic parts of
the air bag system whenever the ignition switch is in the
ON/RUN or START position. If the key is in the OFF/
LOCK position, or not in the ignition, the air bag system
is not on and the air bags will not inflate.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47

event, the ORC will determine whether to have the
Enhanced Accident Response System perform the follow-
ing functions:
•Cut off fuel to the engine.
•Flash hazard lights as long as the battery has power or
until the ignition key is turned off.
•Turn on the interior lights, which remain on as long as
the battery has power or until the ignition key is
removed.
•Unlock the doors automatically.After the event occurs, when the system is active, the
message
Fuel Cutoff See Handbook is displayed.
Carefully check the vehicle for fuel leaks in the engine
compartment and on the ground near the engine com-
partment and fuel tank before resetting the system and
starting the engine.
System Reset Procedure
After an impact causing air bag deployment, the left and
right turn signal lights, located in the instrument panel
cluster, will both be blinking, until the ignition is turned
off. In order to move your vehicle to the side of the road
you must follow the system reset procedure.
Customer Action Customer Will See
1. Turn ignition OFF. (Turn Signal Switch Must be
placed in Neutral State).
2. Turn ignition ON. Left Turn Light is OFF. Right Turn Light BLINKS.
3. Turn Right Turn Signal Switch ON. Right Turn Light is ON SOLID. Left Turn Light
BLINKS.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 51

Air Bag Warning Light
You will want to have the air bags ready to
inflate for your protection in a collision. The
Air Bag Warning Light monitors the internal
circuits and interconnecting wiring associated
with air bag system electrical components. While the air
bag system is designed to be maintenance free, if any of
the following occurs, have an authorized dealer service
the air bag system immediately.
•The Air Bag Warning Light does not come on during
the four to eight seconds when the ignition switch is
first turned to the ON/RUN position.
•The Air Bag Warning Light remains on after the four to
eight-second interval.
•The Air Bag Warning Light comes on intermittently or
remains on while driving.
NOTE: If the speedometer, tachometer, or any engine
related gauges are not working, the Occupant Restraint
Controller (ORC) may also be disabled. The air bags may
not be ready to inflate for your protection. Promptly
check the Body Control Module (BCM) fuse block inside
the vehicle for blown fuses. Refer to the label located on
the inside of the fuse block cover for the proper air bag
fuses. See your authorized dealer if the fuse is good.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 55