WARNING!(Continued)
•Being too close to the steering wheel or instrument
panel during Advanced Front Air Bag deployment
could cause serious injury, including death. Air
bags need room to inflate. Sit back, comfortably
extending your arms to reach the steering wheel or
instrument panel.
•Side air bags also need room to inflate. Do not lean
against the door or window. Sit upright in the
center of the seat.
•In a collision, you and your passengers can suffer
much greater injuries if you are not properly buck-
led up. You can strike the interior of your vehicle or
other passengers, or you can be thrown out of the
vehicle. Always be sure you and others in your
vehicle are buckled up properly.
Buckle up even though you are an excellent driver, even
on short trips. Someone on the road may be a poor driver
and cause a collision that includes you. This can happen
far away from home or on your own street.
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 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 collisions. This feature allows the
shoulder part of the belt to move freely with you under
normal conditions. However in a collision, the belt will
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 29
Seat Belts And Pregnant Women
We recommend that pregnant women use the seat belts
throughout their pregnancy. Keeping the mother safe is
the best way to keep the baby safe.
Pregnant women should wear the lap part of the belt
across the thighs and as snug across the hips as possible.
Keep the belt low so that it does not come across the
abdomen. That way the strong bones of the hips will take
the force if there is a collision.
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) — Air Bags
This vehicle has Advanced Front Air Bags for both the
driver and front passenger as a supplement to the seat
belt restraint systems. The driver’s Advanced Front Air
Bag is mounted in the center of the steering wheel. The
passenger’s Advanced Front Air Bag is mounted in the
instrument panel, above the glove compartment. The
words SRS AIRBAG are embossed on the air bag covers.
In addition, the vehicle is equipped with a Supplemental
Driver Side Knee Air Bag mounted in the instrument
panel below the steering column.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 39
This vehicle is equipped with Supplemental Side Air Bag
Inflatable Curtains (SABIC) to protect the driver, front,
and rear passengers sitting next to a window. The SABIC
are located above the side windows. The trim covering
the SABIC is labeled SRS AIRBAG.
This vehicle is equipped with Supplemental Seat-
Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB). The SAB are marked with
an air bag label sewn into the outboard side of the front
seats.
NOTE:
•Air Bag covers may not be obvious in the interior trim,
but they will open during air bag deployment.
•After any collision, the vehicle should be taken to an
authorized dealer immediately.
Air Bag System Components
Your vehicle may be equipped with the following air bag
system components:
•Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
•Air Bag Warning Light
•Steering Wheel and Column
•Instrument Panel
•Supplemental Driver Side Knee Air Bag
•Knee Impact Bolsters
•Driver Advanced Front Air Bag
•Passenger Advanced Front Air Bag
•Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SAB)
•Supplemental Side Air Bag Inflatable Curtains (SABIC)
•Front and Side Impact Sensors
•Front Seat Belt Pretensioners, Seat Belt Buckle Switch,
and Seat Track Position Sensors
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 41
noted that could affect the air bag system. The diagnos-
tics also record the nature of the malfunction.
WARNING!
Ignoring the Air Bag Warning Light in your instru-
ment panel could mean you won’t have the air bags
to protect you in a collision. If the light does not come
on as a bulb check when the ignition is first turned
on, stays on after you start the vehicle, or if it comes
on as you drive, have an authorized dealer service the
air bag system immediately.
Driver And Passenger Advanced Front Air Bag
Inflator Units
The Driver and Passenger Advanced Front Air Bag
Inflator Units are located in the center of the steering
wheel and on the right side of the instrument panel.
When the ORC detects a collision requiring the Ad-
vanced Front Air Bags, it signals the inflator units. A large
quantity of non-toxic gas is generated to inflate the
Advanced Front Air Bags. Different air bag inflation rates
are possible, based on several factors, including the
collision type and severity. The steering wheel hub trim
cover and the upper right side of the instrument panel
separate and fold out of the way as the air bags inflate to
their full size. The air bags fully inflate in about 50 to 70
milliseconds. This is about half of the time it takes to
blink your eyes. The air bags then quickly deflate while
helping to restrain the driver and front passenger.
The Advanced Front Air Bag gas is vented through the
vent holes in the sides of the air bag. In this way, the air
bags do not interfere with your control of the vehicle.
Supplemental Driver Side Knee Air Bag Inflator
Unit
The Supplemental Driver Side Knee Air Bag unit is
located in the instrument panel trim beneath the steering
column. When the ORC detects a collision requiring the
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
WARNING!
Deployed air bags and seat belt pretensioners cannot
protect you in another collision. Have the air bags,
seat belt pretensioners, and the front seat belt retrac-
tor assemblies replaced by an authorized dealer im-
mediately. Also, have the Occupant Restraint Con-
troller (ORC) system serviced as well.
Maintaining Your Air Bag System
WARNING!
•Modifications to any part of the air bag system
could cause it to fail when you need it. You could
be injured if the air bag system is not there to
protect you. Do not modify the components or
wiring, including adding any kind of badges or
stickers to the steering wheel hub trim cover or the
upper right side of the instrument panel. Do not
modify the front bumper, vehicle body structure, or
add aftermarket side steps or running boards.
•It is dangerous to try to repair any part of the air
bag system yourself. Be sure to tell anyone who
works on your vehicle that it has an air bag system.
(Continued)
54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make Outside
The Vehicle
Tires
Examine tires for excessive tread wear and uneven wear
patterns. Check for stones, nails, glass, or other objects
lodged in the tread or sidewall. Inspect the tread for cuts
and cracks. Inspect sidewalls for cuts, cracks and bulges.
Check the wheel bolts for tightness. Check the tires for
proper cold inflation pressure.
Lights
Have someone observe the operation of brake lights and
exterior lights while you work the controls. Check turn
signal and high beam indicator lights on the instrument
panel.
Door Latches
Check for positive closing, latching, and locking.
Fluid Leaks
Check area under vehicle after overnight parking for fuel,
engine coolant, oil, or other fluid leaks. Also, if gasoline
fumes are detected or if fuel, power steering fluid (if
equipped), or brake fluid leaks are suspected, the cause
should be located and corrected immediately.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 83
BLUE&ME™ HANDS-FREE COMMUNICATION —
IF EQUIPPED
Overview
Windows Mobile™-based FIAT BLUE&ME™ is a per-
sonal telematic system enabling you to use communica-
tion and entertainment applications expressly designed
for use in the car.
The BLUE&ME™ system installed on your car is
equipped with a hands-free kit, message reader and
media player, and it is preset for future installation of
additional services.
The BLUE&ME™ system, fully integrated with voice
commands, buttons on the steering wheel and multifunc-
tion display messages, gives you the possibility of inter-
acting with your Bluetooth® wireless technology mobile
phone (even if you keep it in your pocket or bag) without
having to take your eyes off the road or remove your
hands from the steering wheel. To use voice commands
you are not required to train the voice recognition system
to recognize your voice. This implies that the system is
nearly equally performing with different persons, i.e.: the
voice recognition system is of the “speaker independent”
type.
With this system you can also play your favorite music
stored on USB device and select tracks and playback
modes with both voice commands or buttons on the
steering wheel.
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules
subject to the following two conditions:
•This device may not cause harmful interference.
•This device must accept all interference received, in-
cluding interference that may cause undesired opera-
tion.
96 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
The Hands-Free Kit
The basic characteristic of this hands-free kit is voice
recognition with Bluetooth® wireless technology. With
this system you can make and receive calls safely and
securely by using either voice commands or buttons on
the steering wheel. This can be done under any driving
condition without ever having to take your eyes off the
road or remove your hands from the steering wheel, as
required by current laws.
Bluetooth® wireless technology enables wireless connec-
tion between your mobile phone and the hands-free kit
installed on your car.
To use the hands-free kit, you need a Bluetooth® wireless
technology enabled mobile phone. This hands-free kit
gives you the possibility of interacting vocally with your
mobile phone while driving, even if your mobile device
does not feature this capability. You can also interact with
your mobile phone manually and visually using the
steering wheel controls and the instrument panel multi-
function display.
1—Mute/ESC2—Phone/Menu4—VoiceRecognition(VR) 3—PhoneHangUp
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 97