2013 DODGE JOURNEY belt

3. When the belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”WARNING!
•A belt that is buckled into the wrong buckle will not
protect you properly. The lap portion could ride too
high on your body, possibly causing internal injuries.
Always buckle your belt into the buckle nearest you.
•A belt that is too loose will not protect you prop-
erly. In a sudden stop, you could move too far
forward, increasing the possibility of injury. Wear
your seat belt snugly.
•
A belt that is worn under your arm is dangerous.
Your body could strike the inside surfaces of the
vehicle in a collision, 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 stron-
gest bones will take the force in a collision.
(Continued)
Connecting Latch Plate To Buckle
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 51

WARNING!(Continued)
•A shoulder belt placed behind you will not protect
you from injury during a collision. 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 a collision.
Removing Slack From Belt
52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 immedi-
ately and have it fixed.
5. Position the shoulder belt on your chest so that it is
comfortable and not resting on your neck. The retrac-
tor 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 posi-
tion. 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 assem-
blies 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 53

Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the driver’s seat and front passenger’s seat, the shoulder
belt can be adjusted upward or downward to position the
belt away from your neck. Push and fully depress the button
above the webbing to release the anchorage, then move it up
or down to the position that fits you best.
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 up and down to make sure that
it is 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 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.
Adjusting Upper Shoulder Belt
54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 an Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) or a
cinching latch plate which are used to secure a child
restraint system. For additional information, refer to
“Installing Child Restraints Using The Vehicle Seat
Belt” under the “Child Restraints” section. The chart
below defines the type of feature for each seating posi-
tion.
Driver Center Passenger
First Row N/A N/A ALR
Second Row ALR Cinch ALR
Third Row ALR N/A 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
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.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 55

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 available on all
passenger-seating positions with a combination 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 Retractor
(ALR) feature or any other seat belt function is not
working properly when checked according to the
procedures in the Service Manual.
•Failure to replace the belt and retractor assembly
could increase the risk of injury in collisions.
(Continued)
56 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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.
Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR)
These head restraints are passive, deployable compo-
nents, and vehicles with this equipment cannot be readily
identified by any markings, only through visual inspec-
tion of the head restraint. The head restraint will be split
in two halves, with the front half being soft foam and
trim, the back half being decorative plastic.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 57

NOTE:
•If you have difficulties or problems resetting the Active
Head Restraints, see an authorized dealer.
•
For safety reasons, have the Active Head Restraints
checked by a qualified specialist at an authorized dealer.
Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert®)
BeltAlert® is a feature intended to remind the driver and
front passenger (if equipped with front passenger
BeltAlert®) to fasten their seat belts. The feature is active
whenever the ignition is on. If the driver or front seat
passenger is unbelted, the Seat Belt Reminder Light will turn
on and remain on until both front seat belts are fastened.
The BeltAlert® warning sequence begins after the vehicle
speed is over 5 mph (8 km/h), by blinking the Seat Belt
Reminder Light and sounding an intermittent chime. Once
the sequence starts, it will continue for the entire duration or
until the respective seatbelts are fastened. After the sequence
completes, the Seat Belt Reminder Light remains illuminated
until the respective seat belts are fastened. The driver should
instruct all other occupants to fasten their seat belts. If a front
seat belt is unbuckled while traveling at speeds greater than
5 mph (8 km/h), BeltAlert® will provide both audio and
visual notification.
AHR In Reset Position
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 61