2013 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE Owners Manual

Research has shown that seat belts save lives, and they
can reduce the seriousness of injuries in a collision. Some
of the worst injuries happen when people are thrown
from the vehicle. Seat belts reduce the possibility of
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 seating positions in your vehicle are equipped with
lap/shoulder belts. The belt webbing retractor is de-
signed to lock during very sudden stops or collisions.
This feature allows the shoulder part of the belt to move
freely with you under normal conditions. However, in an
collision the belt will lock and reduce the risk of you
striking the inside of the vehicle or being thrown out.
WARNING!
•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.
Wearing your belt in the wrong place could make
your injuries in a collision much worse. You might
suffer internal injuries, or you could even slide out
of part of the belt. Follow these instructions to wear
your seat belt safely and to keep your passengers
safe, too.
•Two people should never be belted into a single
seat belt. People belted together can crash into one
another in a collision, hurting one another badly.
Never use a lap/shoulder belt or a lap belt for more
than one person, no matter what their size.
(Continued)
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WARNING!(Continued)
•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.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Operating Instructions
1. Enter the vehicle and close the door. Sit back and
adjust the seat.
2. The seat belt latch plate is above the back of your seat.
Grasp the latch plate and pull out the belt. Slide the
latch plate up the webbing as far as necessary to make
the belt go around your lap.3. When the belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”
Latch Plate
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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.
(Continued)Latch Plate to Buckle
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WARNING!(Continued)
•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.
•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 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.
WARNING!
•A lap belt worn too high can increase the risk of
injury in a collision. The belt forces won’t be at the
strong hip and pelvic bones, but across your abdo-
men. Always wear the lap part of your seat 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.
58 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 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 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.).
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.
Removing Slack From Belt
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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.
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.
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
button, verify the shoulder belt anchorage is latched by
pulling downward on the shoulder belt anchorage until it
is locked into position.
Adjusting Upper Shoulder Belt
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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 pushing the release button. To verify the
shoulder belt anchorage is latched, pull downward on the
shoulder belt anchorage until it is locked into position.
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•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.
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
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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.
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