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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.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•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.
•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.
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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.
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 restraint, 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.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 91
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WARNING!
•An incorrectly anchored tether strap could lead to
increased head motion and possible injury to the
child. Use only the anchorage position directly
behind the child seat to secure a child restraint top
tether strap.
•If your vehicle is equipped with a split rear seat,
make sure the tether strap does not slip into the
opening between the seatbacks as you remove
slack in the strap.
Transporting Pets
Air Bags deploying in the front seat could harm your pet.
An unrestrained pet will be thrown about and possibly
injured, or injure a passenger during panic braking or in
a collision.
Pets should be restrained in the rear seat in pet harnesses
or pet carriers that are secured by seat belts.
ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS
A long break-in period is not required for the engine and
drivetrain (transmission and axle) in your vehicle.
Drive moderately during the first 300 miles (500 km).
After the initial 60 miles (100 km), speeds up to 50 or
55 mph (80 or 90 km/h) are desirable.
While cruising, brief full-throttle acceleration within the
limits of local traffic laws contributes to a good break-in.
Wide-open throttle acceleration in low gear can be detri-
mental and should be avoided.
The engine oil installed in the engine at the factory is a
high-quality energy conserving type lubricant. Oil
changes should be consistent with anticipated climate
conditions under which vehicle operations will occur. For
the recommended viscosity and quality grades, refer to
“Maintenance Procedures” in “Maintaining Your Ve-
hicle”.
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Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle
Seat Belts
Inspect the seat belt system periodically, checking for
cuts, frays, and loose parts. Damaged parts must be
replaced immediately. Do not disassemble or modify the
system.
Front seat belt assemblies must be replaced after a
collision. Rear seat belt assemblies must be replaced after
a collision if they have been damaged (i.e., bent retractor,
torn webbing, etc.). If there is any question regarding seat
belt or retractor condition, replace the seat belt.
Air Bag Warning Light
The light should come on and remain on for
four to eight seconds as a bulb check when the
ignition switch is first turned ON. If the light is
not lit during starting, see your authorized dealer. If the
light stays on, flickers, or comes on while driving, have
the system checked by an authorized dealer.
Defroster
Check operation by selecting the defrost mode and place
the blower control on high speed. You should be able to
feel the air directed against the windshield. See your
authorized dealer for service if your defroster is inoper-
able.
Floor Mat Safety Information
Always use floor mats designed to fit the footwell of your
vehicle. Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area
unobstructed and that are firmly secured so that they
cannot slip out of position and interfere with the pedals
or impair safe operation of your vehicle in other ways.
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WARNING!
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss of
vehicle control and increase the risk of serious per-
sonal injury.
•Always make sure that floor mats are properly
attached to the floor mat fasteners.
•Never place or install floor mats or other floor
coverings in the vehicle that cannot be properly
secured to prevent them from moving and interfer-
ing with the pedals or the ability to control the
vehicle.
•Never put floor mats or other floor coverings on top
of already installed floor mats. Additional floor
mats and other coverings will reduce the size of the
pedal area and interfere with the pedals.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•Check mounting of mats on a regular basis. Always
properly reinstall and secure floor mats that have
been removed for cleaning.
•Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the
driver footwell while the vehicle is moving. Ob-
jects can become trapped under the brake pedal
and accelerator pedal causing a loss of vehicle
control.
•If required, mounting posts must be properly in-
stalled, if not equipped from the factory.
Failure to properly follow floor mat installation or
mounting can cause interference with the brake
pedal and accelerator pedal operation causing loss of
control of the vehicle.
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To Raise The Rear Seat
Raise the seatback and lock it into place. If interference
from the cargo area prevents the seatback from fully
locking, you will have difficulty returning the seat to its
proper position.
NOTE:If the rear seatback is not fully latched, the center
shoulder belt will not be able to be extended for use. If
you cannot extend the center shoulder belt, make sure
your seatback is fully latched.
WARNING!
Be certain that the seatback is securely locked into
position. If the seatback in not securely locked into
position the seat will not provide the proper stability
for child seats and/or passengers. An improperly
latched seat could cause serious injury.
TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE HOOD
Release both the hood latches.
Raise the hood and locate the safety latch, located in the
middle of the hood opening. Push the safety latch to the
left side of the vehicle, to open the hood. You may have
Hood Latch
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 165
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to push down slightly on the hood before pushing the
safety latch. Insert the support rod into the slot on the
hood.
To close the hood, remove the support rod from the hood
panel and place it in the retaining clip. Lower the hood
slowly. Secure both of the hood latches.
WARNING!
Be sure the hood is fully latched before driving your
vehicle. If the hood is not fully latched, it could open
when the vehicle is in motion and block your vision.
Failure to follow this warning could result in serious
injury or death.
LIGHTS
Multifunction Lever
The multifunction lever controls the operation of the
parking lights, headlights, headlight beam selection,
passing light, fog lights, instrument panel light dimming
and turn signals. The multifunction lever is located on
the left side of the steering column.
166 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
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DUAL TOP — TWO-DOOR MODELS — IF
EQUIPPED
If your vehicle is equipped with a Dual Top,you must
remove one of the tops from the vehicle. If the soft top
is removed, the pivot brackets must also be removed
from the sport bar.The soft top was installed at the
factory for shipping purposes only.The soft top and the
hard top are to be used independently.Removal is
mandatory to prevent any possible wear and tear on the
soft top. Your vehicle warranty will not cover damage
resulting from both tops remaining on the vehicle at the
same time for extended periods of time.
Removing The Soft Top — Two-Door Models
1. Locate and remove the two boxes that contain the
following items:
•Right and left door frames
•Four door frame attachment knobs
•Right and left quarter windows
•Rear window
•Two rear window roll up straps
•Two Sunrider® secure straps (if equipped)
•Two rear swing gate brackets
2. Remove the hard top. Refer to “Freedom Top™ Three-
Piece Modular Hard Top — Front/Rear Panel Re-
moval” in this section.
3. Remove the soft top bow assembly pivot bracket
screws (two per side) using a #T30 Torx® head driver.
192 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE