2015 JEEP COMPASS warning

NOTE:If BeltAlert has been deactivated, the Seat Belt
Reminder Light will continue to illuminate while the
driver ’s or outboard front passenger ’s (if equipped with
BeltAlert) seat belt remains unbuckled.
Lap/Shoulder Belts
All seating positions in your vehicle are equipped with
lap/shoulder belts.
The seat belt webbing retractor will lock only during very
sudden stops or collisions. This feature allows the shoul-
der part of the seat belt to move freely with you under
normal conditions. However, in a collision the seat belt
will lock and reduce your risk of striking the inside of the
vehicle or being thrown out of the vehicle.
WARNING!
•Relying on the air bags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The air bags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions, the air bags won’t deploy at all.
Always wear your seat belt even though you have
air bags.
•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.
•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.
(Continued)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 43

WARNING!(Continued)
•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.
•Wearing your seat belt incorrectly could make your
injuries in a collision much worse. You might
suffer internal injuries, or you could even slide out
of the seat 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)
WARNING!(Continued)
•A lap belt worn too high can increase the risk of
injury in a collision. The seat belt forces won’t be at
the strong hip and pelvic bones, but across your
abdomen. Always wear the lap part of your seat
belt as low as possible and keep it snug.
•A twisted seat belt may not protect you properly.
In a collision, it could even cut into you. Be sure the
seat belt is flat against your body, without twists.
If you can’t straighten a seat belt in your vehicle,
take it to your authorized dealer immediately and
have it fixed.
•A seat 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 inter-
nal injuries. Always buckle your seat belt into the
buckle nearest you.
(Continued)
44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!(Continued)
•A seat belt that is too loose will not protect you
properly. In a sudden stop, you could move too far
forward, increasing the possibility of injury. Wear
your seat belt snugly.
•A seat 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 seat belt worn under the arm can cause
internal injuries. Ribs aren’t as strong as shoulder
bones. Wear the seat belt over your shoulder so that
your strongest 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.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•A frayed or torn seat belt could rip apart in a
collision and leave you with no protection. Inspect
the seat belt system periodically, checking for
cuts, frays, or loose parts. Damaged parts must be
replaced immediately. Do not disassemble or
modify the seat belt system. Seat belt assemblies
must be replaced after a collision.
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 the front
seat, and next to your arm in the rear seat (for vehicles
equipped with a rear seat). Grasp the latch plate and
pull out the seat belt. Slide the latch plate up the
webbing as far as necessary to allow the seat belt to go
around your lap.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 45

9. To release the belt, push the red button on the buckle.
10. To disengage the mini-latch from the mini-buckle for
storage, insert the regular latch plate into the center
red slot on the mini-buckle. The seat belt will auto-
matically retract to its stowed position. If necessary,
slide the latch plate down the webbing to allow the
belt to retract fully. Insert the mini-latch plate and
regular latch plate into its stowed position.
WARNING!
•If the mini-latch and mini-buckle are not properly
connected when the seat belt is used by an occu-
pant, the seat belt will not be able to provide
proper restraint and will increase the risk of injury
in a collision.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•When reattaching the mini-latch and mini-buckle,
ensure the seat belt webbing is not twisted. If the
webbing is twisted, follow the preceding proce-
dure to detach the mini-latch and mini-buckle,
untwist the webbing, and reattach the mini-latch
and mini-buckle.
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 seat belt webbing 180° to create a
fold that begins immediately above the latch plate.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 51

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 or squeezing the release but-
ton. To verify the shoulder belt anchorage is latched, pull
downward on the shoulder belt anchorage until it is
locked into position.
Seat Belt Extender
If a seat belt is not long enough to fit properly, even when
the webbing is fully extended and the adjustable upper
shoulder belt anchorage (if equipped) is in its lowest
position, your authorized dealer can provide you with a
Seat Belt Extender. The Seat Belt Extender should be used
only if the existing seat belt is not long enough. When the
Seat Belt Extender is not required for a different occu-
pant, it must be removed.
WARNING!
•ONLY use a Seat Belt Extender if it is physically
required in order to properly fit the original seat
belt system. DO NOT USE the Seat Belt Extender
if, when worn, the distance between the front edge
of the Seat Belt Extender buckle and the center of
the occupant’s body is LESS than 6 inches.
•Using a Seat Belt Extender when not needed can
increase the risk of serious injury or death in a
collision. Only use the Seat Belt Extender when the
lap belt is not long enough and only use in the
recommended seating positions. Remove and store
the Seat Belt Extender when not needed.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53

installed in a seating position that has a seat belt with this
feature. Children 12 years old and under should always
be properly restrained in a vehicle with a rear 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.
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 seat belt is extracted.
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)
56 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 Active Head Restraints (AHR)
These head restraints are passive, deployable compo-
nents, and vehicles with this equipment cannot be readily
identified by any markings, only through visual inspec-
tion of the head restraint. The head restraint will be split
in two halves, with the front half being soft foam and
trim, the back half being decorative plastic.
How The Active Head Restraints (AHR) Work
The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) determines
whether the severity, or type of rear impact will require
the Active Head Restraints (AHR) to deploy. If a rear
impact requires deployment, both the driver and front
passenger seat AHRs will be deployed.
When AHRs deploy during a rear impact, the front half
of the head restraint extends forward to minimize the gap
between the back of the occupant’s head and the AHR.
This system is designed to help prevent or reduce the
extent of injuries to the driver and front passenger in
certain types of rear impacts.
NOTE:The Active Head Restraints (AHR) may or may
not deploy in the event of a front or side impact.
However if during a front impact, a secondary rear
impact occurs, the AHR may deploy based on the sever-
ity and type of the impact.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 57

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
•Steering Wheel and Column
•Instrument Panel
•Knee Impact Bolsters
•Advanced Front Air Bags
•Supplemental Side Air Bags
•Front and Side Impact Sensors
•Seat Belt Pretenioners
•Seat Belt Buckle Switch
•Seat Track Position Sensors
Advanced Front 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.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 61