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WARNING!
Position the shoulder belt height adjusters so that the
belt rests across the middle of your shoulder. Failure
to adjust the safety belt properly could reduce the
effectiveness of the seat belt and increase the risk of
injury in a collision.
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 or down to make sure that
it is locked in 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 SecondRow ALR ALR ALR
• N/A — Not Applicable
• ALR — Automatic Locking Retractor
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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 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.
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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 Man-
agement 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.
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.
2
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The Advanced Front Air Bags will not deploy in all
frontal collisions, including some that may produce sub-
stantial vehicle damage — for example, some pole colli-
sions, 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 crashes,
and also are needed to help keep you in position, away
from an inflating air bag.The ORC also monitors the readiness of the electronic
parts of the air bag system whenever the ignition switch
is in the START or ON/RUN positions. If the key is in the
LOCK position, in the ACC position, or not in the
ignition, the air bag system is not on and the air bags will
not inflate.
The ORC contains a backup power supply system that
may deploy the air bags even if the battery loses power or
it becomes disconnected prior to deployment.
Also, the ORC turns on the Air Bag Warning
Light for four to eight seconds for a self-check
when the ignition is first turned on. After the
self-check, the Air Bag Warning Light will turn
off. If the ORC detects a malfunction in any part of the
system, it turns on the Air Bag Warning Light either
momentarily or continuously. A single chime will sound
if the light comes on again after initial startup.
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Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB)
Inflator Units — If Equipped
The Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags Inflator
Units (if equipped) are designed to activate only in
certain side collisions.
The ORC determines if a side collision requires the side
air bags to inflate, based on several factors, including the
severity and type of collision.
Based on several factors, including the severity and type
of collision, the side air bag inflator on the crash side of
the vehicle is triggered releasing a quantity of non-toxic
gas. The inflating SAB exits through the seat seam into
the space between the occupant and the door. The SAB
fully inflate in about 10 milliseconds. The side air bag
moves at a very high speed and with such a high force
that it could injure you if you are not seated properly, or
if items are positioned in the area where the side air bag
inflates. This especially applies to children.
Front And Side Impact Sensors
In front and side impacts, impact sensors can aid the ORC in
determining appropriate response to impact events.
Enhanced Accident Response System
In the event of an impact causing air bag deployment, if the
communication network remains intact, and the power
remains intact, depending on the nature of the event the
ORC will determine whether to have the Enhanced Accident
Response System perform the following 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.
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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 fuse block 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.
Event Data Recorder (EDR)
This vehicle is equipped with an event data recorder
(EDR). The main purpose of an EDR is to record, in
certain crash or near crash-like situations, such as an air
bag deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will
assist in understanding how a vehicle’s systems per-
formed. The EDR is designed to record data related to vehicle dynamics and safety systems for a short period of
time, typically 30 seconds or less. The EDR in this vehicle
is designed to record such data as:
•
How various systems in your vehicle were operating;
• Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts
were buckled/fastened;
• How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
• How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better understanding of
the circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur.
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To Install A LATCH-compatible Child Restraint
1. If the selected seating position has a Switchable Auto-matic Locking Retractor (ALR) seat belt, stow the seat
belt, following the instructions below. See the section
“Installing Child Restraints Using the Vehicle Seat
Belt” to check what type of seat belt each seating
position has.
2. Loosen the adjusters on the lower straps and on the tether strap of the child seat so that you can more
easily attach the hooks or connectors to the vehicle
anchorages.
3. Place the child seat between the lower anchorages for that seating position. For some second row seats, you
may need to recline the seat and / or raise the head
restraint to get a better fit. 4. Attach the lower hooks or connectors of the child
restraint to the lower anchorages in the selected seat-
ing position.
5. If the child restraint has a tether strap, connect it to the top tether anchorage. See the section “Installing Child
Restraints Using the Top Tether Anchorage” for direc-
tions to attach a tether anchor.
6. Tighten all of the straps as you push the child restraint rearward and downward into the seat. Remove slack
in the straps according to the child restraint manufac-
turer ’s instructions.
7. Test that the child restraint is installed tightly by pulling back and forth on the child seat at the belt
path. It should not move more than 1 inch (25.4 mm)
in any direction.
2
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How To Stow An Unused ALR Seatbelt
When using the LATCH attaching system to install a child
restraint, stow all ALR seat belts that are not being used by
other occupants or being used to secure child restraints. An
unused belt could injure a child if they play with it and
accidentally lock the seatbelt retractor. Before installing a
child restraint using the LATCH system, buckle the seat
belt behind the child restraint and out of the child’s reach.
If the buckled seat belt interferes with the child restraint
installation, instead of buckling it behind the child re-
straint, route the seat belt through the child restraint belt
path and then buckle it. Do not lock the seatbelt. Remind
all children in the vehicle that the seat belts are not toys and
that they should not play with them.
WARNING!
Improper installation of a child restraint to the
LATCH anchorages can lead to failure of the re-
straint. The child could be badly injured or killed.
Follow the child restraint manufacturer ’s directions
exactly when installing an infant or child restraint.
90 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE