2013 JEEP COMPASS 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 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
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 front 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
locked in position.
Adjustable Anchorage
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In the rear seat, move toward the center of the seat to
position the belt away from your neck.
Second Row Center Lap/Shoulder Belt Operating
Instructions
The second row center lap/shoulder belt features a
three-point seat belt with a mini-latch and buckle, which
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 itsstowed 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 headrestraint.
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 the 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 yourabdomen. 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 retrac-
tor 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 forstorage, 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 neces-
sary, 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 theanchor 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. 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
52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

•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 a click.
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 re-
strained 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.
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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.
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.
54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE