OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems:
•Seat Belt Systems
•Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Air Bags
•Child Restraints
Important Safety Precautions
Please pay close attention to the information in this
section. It tells you how to use your restraint system
properly, to keep you and your passengers as safe as
possible.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize the
risk of harm from a deploying air bag:
1. Children 12 years old and under should always ride
buckled up in a vehicle with a rear seat.
2. If a child from 2 to 12 years old (not in a rear-facing
child restraint) must ride in the front passenger seat,
move the seat as far back as possible and use the
proper child restraint. (Refer to “Child Restraints”)
3. Children that are not big enough to wear the vehicle
seat belt properly (Refer to#Child Restraints#) should
be secured in a vehicle with a rear seat in child
restraints or belt-positioning booster seats. Older chil-
dren who do not use child restraints or belt-
positioning booster seats should ride properly buckled
up in a vehicle with a rear seat.
4. Never allow children to slide the shoulder belt behind
them or under their arm.
5. You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it
properly.
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3. Allow the seat belt to retract. As the seat belt retracts,
you will hear a clicking sound. This indicates the seat
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 seat belt assembly must be replaced if the
switchable Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) fea-
ture or any other seat belt function is not working
properly when checked according to the proce-
dures in the Service Manual.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•Failure to replace the seat belt assembly could
increase the risk of injury in collisions.
•Do not use the Automatic Locking Mode to restrain
occupants who are wearing the seat belt or children
who are using booster seats. The locked mode is
only used to install rear-facing or forward-facing
child restraints that have a harness for restraining
the child.
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
Air Bag System Components
Your vehicle may be equipped with the following air bag
system components:
•Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
•Air Bag Warning Light
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 65
Front Passenger Seat Oc-
cupant Status
Front Passenger Air
Bag Output
Rear-facing child restraint Reduced-power de-
ployment
Child, including a child in
a forward-facing child re-
straint or booster seat*
Reduced-power de-
ployment OR Full-
power deployment
Properly seated adult Full-power deployment
OR reduced-power de-
ployment
Unoccupied seatReduced-power de-
ployment
* It is possible for a child to be classified as an adult,
allowing a full-power Passenger Advanced Front Air Bag
deployment. Never allow children to ride in the front
passenger seat and never install a child restraint system,
including a rear-facing child restraint, in the front pas-
senger seat.
WARNING!
•Never place a rear-facing child restraint in front of
an air bag. A deploying Passenger Advanced Front
Air Bag can cause death or serious injury to a child
12 years or younger, including a child in a rear-
facing child restraint.
•Only use rear-facing child restraint in a vehicle
with a rear seat.
•Children 12 years or younger should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
The OCS determines the front passenger ’s most probable
classification. The OCS estimates the seated weight on
the front passenger seat and where that weight is located.
The OCS communicates the classification status to the
72 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
help keep you in position, away from inflating Side Air
Bags. To get the best protection from the Side Air Bags,
occupants must wear their seat belts properly and sit
upright with their backs against the seats. Children must
be properly restrained in a child restraint or booster seat
that is appropriate for the size of the child.
WARNING!
•Side Air Bags need room to inflate. Do not lean
against the door or window. Sit upright in the
center of the seat.
•Being too close to the Side Air Bags during deploy-
ment could cause you to be severely injured or
killed.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•Relying on the Side Air Bags alone could lead to
more severe injuries in a collision. The Side Air
Bags work with your seat belt to restrain you
properly. In some collisions, Side Air Bags won’t
deploy at all. Always wear your seat belt even
though you have Side Air Bags.
NOTE:Air bag covers may not be obvious in the interior
trim, but they will open during air bag deployment.
Side Impacts
In side impacts, the side impact sensors aid the ORC in
determining the appropriate response to impact events.
The system is calibrated to deploy the Side Air Bags on
the impact side of the vehicle during impacts that require
Side Air Bag occupant protection. In side impacts, the
Side Air Bags deploy independently; a left side impact
84 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Summary Of Recommendations For Restraining Children In Vehicles
Child Size, Height, Weight Or Age Recommended Type Of Child Restraint
Infants and
Toddlers
Children who are two years old or
younger and who have not reached the
height or weight limits of their child re-
straint
Either an Infant Carrier or a Convertible
Child Restraint, facing rearward in the rear
seat of the vehicle
Small Children Children who are at least two years old or
who have out-grown the height or weight
limit of their rear-facing child restraint
Forward-Facing Child Restraint with a
five-point Harness, facing forward in the
rear seat of the vehicle
Larger Children Children who have out-grown their
forward-facing child restraint, but are too
small to properly fit the vehicle’s seat belt
Belt Positioning Booster Seat and the ve-
hicle seat belt, seated in the rear seat of the
vehicle
Children Too Large
for Child Restraints
Children 12 years old or younger, who
have out-grown the height or weight limit
of their booster seat
Vehicle Seat Belt, seated in the rear seat of
the vehicle
94 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
remain in a forward-facing child seat with a harness for
as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height
allowed by the child seat.
All children whose weight or height is above the
forward-facing limit for the child seat should use a
belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle’s seat belts
fit properly. If the child cannot sit with knees bent over
the vehicle’s seat cushion while the child’s back is against
the seatback, they should use a belt-positioning booster
seat. The child and belt-positioning booster seat are held
in the vehicle by the seat belt.
WARNING!
•Improper installation can lead to failure of an
infant or child restraint. It could come loose in a
collision. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the child restraint manufacturer ’s
directions exactly when installing an infant or
child restraint.
•After a child restraint is installed in the vehicle, do
not move the vehicle seat forward or rearward
because it can loosen the child restraint attach-
ments. Remove the child restraint before adjusting
the vehicle seat position. When the vehicle seat has
been adjusted, reinstall the child restraint.
(Continued)
96 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
WARNING!(Continued)
•When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in
the vehicle with the seat belt or LATCH anchor-
ages, or remove it from the vehicle. Do not leave it
loose in the vehicle. In a sudden stop or accident, it
could strike the occupants or seatbacks and cause
serious personal injury.
Children Too Large For Booster Seats
Children who are large enough to wear the shoulder belt
comfortably, and whose legs are long enough to bend
over the front of the seat when their back is against the
seatback, should use the seat belt in a rear seat. Use this
simple 5-step test to decide whether the child can use the
vehicle’s seat belt alone:
1. Can the child sit all the way back against the back of
the vehicle seat?
2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably over the front
of the vehicle seat – while they are still sitting all the
way back?
3. Does the shoulder belt cross the child’s shoulder
between their neck and arm?
4. Is the lap part of the seat belt as low as possible,
touching the child’s thighs and not their stomach?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
If the answer to any of these questions was “no,” then the
child still needs to use a booster seat in this vehicle. If the
child is using the lap/shoulder belt, check seat belt fit
periodically and make sure the seat belt buckle is latched.
A child’s squirming or slouching can move the seat belt
out of position. If the shoulder belt contacts the face or
neck, move the child closer to the center of the vehicle, or
use a booster seat to position the seat belt on the child
correctly.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 97
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DESCRIPTIONS
1. Tachometer
Indicates the engine speed in revolutions per minute
(RPM x 1000).
2. High Beam Indicator
Indicates that headlights are on high beam.
3. Front Fog Light Indicator — If Equipped
This indicator will illuminate when the front fog
lights are on.
4. Park/Headlight ON Indicator — If Equipped
This indicator will illuminate when the park
lights or headlights are turned on.
5. Brake Warning Light
This light monitors various brake functions,
including brake fluid level and parking brake
application. If the brake light turns on it may
indicate that the parking brake is applied, that
the brake fluid level is low, or that there is a problem with
the anti-lock brake system reservoir.
If the light remains on when the parking brake has been
disengaged, and the fluid level is at the full mark on the
master cylinder reservoir, it indicates a possible brake
hydraulic system malfunction or that a problem with the
Brake Booster has been detected by the Anti-Lock Brake
System (ABS)/Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system.
In this case, the light will remain on until the condition
has been corrected. If the problem is related to the brake
booster, the ABS pump will run when applying the brake
and a brake pedal pulsation may be felt during each stop.
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