Page 65 of 695

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.
•Failure to replace the seat belt assembly could
increase the risk of injury in collisions.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•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
•Steering Wheel and Column
•Instrument Panel
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 63
Page 66 of 695
•Knee Impact Bolsters
•Advanced Front Air Bags
•Supplemental Side Air Bags
•Front and Side Impact Sensors
•Seat Belt Pretensioners
•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 passen-
ger ’s Advanced Front Air Bag is mounted in the instrument
panel, above the glove compartment. The words SRS
AIRBAG or AIRBAG are embossed on the air bag covers.
Advanced Front Air Bag And Knee Bolster Locations
1—DriverAndPassengerAdvancedFrontAirBags2 — Driver And passenger Knee Impact Bolsters
64 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 67 of 695

WARNING!
•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.
•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 a rear-facing child restraint in a vehicle
with a rear seat.
Advanced Front Air Bag Features
The Advanced Front Air Bag system has multistage
driver and front passenger air bags. This system provides
output appropriate to the severity and type of collision as
determined by the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC),
which may receive information from the front impact
sensors or other system components.
The first stage inflator is triggered immediately during an
impact that requires air bag deployment. A low energy
output is used in less severe collisions. A higher energy
output is used for more severe collisions.
This vehicle may be equipped with driver and/or front
passenger seat track position sensors that may adjust the
inflation rate of the Advanced Front Air Bags based upon
seat position.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 65
Page 68 of 695

This vehicle may be equipped with a driver and/or front
passenger seat belt buckle switch that detects whether
the driver or front passenger seat belt is buckled. The seat
belt buckle switch may adjust the inflation rate of the
Advanced Front Air Bags.
WARNING!
•No objects should be placed over or near the air
bag on the instrument panel or steering wheel,
because any such objects could cause harm if the
vehicle is in a collision severe enough to cause the
air bags to inflate.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•Do not put anything on or around the air bag
covers or attempt to open them manually. You may
damage the air bags and you could be injured
because the air bags may no longer be functional.
The protective covers for the air bag cushions are
designed to open only when the air bags are
inflating.
•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, air bags won’t deploy at all. Al-
ways wear your seat belts even though you have air
bags.
66 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 69 of 695

Advanced Front Air Bag Operation
Advanced Front Air Bags are designed to provide addi-
tional protection by supplementing the seat belts. Ad-
vanced Front Air Bags are not expected to reduce the risk
of injury in rear, side, or rollover collisions. The Ad-
vanced Front Air Bags will not deploy in all frontal
collisions, including some that may produce substantial
vehicle damage — for example, some pole collisions,
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.
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 colli-
sions, and also are needed to help keep you in position,
away from an inflating air bag.
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.
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 Advanced
Front Air Bags fully inflate in less time than it takes to
blink your eyes. The air bags then quickly deflate while
helping to restrain the driver and front passenger.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 67
Page 70 of 695

Knee Impact Bolsters
The Knee Impact Bolsters help protect the knees of the
driver and front passenger, and position the front occu-
pants for improved interaction with the Advanced Front
Air Bags.
WARNING!
•Do not drill, cut, or tamper with the knee impact
bolsters in any way.
•Do not mount any accessories to the knee impact
bolsters such as alarm lights, stereos, citizen band
radios, etc.
Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bags (SABs)
Your vehicle is equipped with Supplemental Seat-
Mounted Side Air Bags (SABs) that are located in the
outboard side of the front seats. The SABs are marked
with a SRS AIRBAG or AIRBAG label sewn into the
outboard side of the seats. The SABs may help to reduce
the risk of occupant injury during certain side impacts, in
addition to the injury reduction potential provided by the
seat belts and body structure.
When the SAB deploys, it opens the seam on the out-
board side of the seatback’s trim cover. The inflating SAB
Supplemental Seat-Mounted Side Air Bag Location
68 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 71 of 695

deploys through the seat seam into the space between the
occupant and the door. The SAB 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 SAB inflates. Children are at an
even greater risk of injury from a deploying air bag.
WARNING!
Do not use accessory seat covers or place objects
between you and the Side Air Bags; the performance
could be adversely affected and/or objects could be
pushed into you, causing serious injury.
SABs are designed to activate in certain side impacts. The
Occupant Restraint Controller (“ORC”) determines
whether the deployment of the SAB in a particular
impact event is appropriate, based on the severity and
type of collision. The side impact sensors aid the ORC in
determining the appropriate response to impact events.
The system is calibrated to deploy the SAB on the impact
side of the vehicle during impacts that require SAB
occupant protection. In side impacts, the SABs deploy
independently; a left side impact deploys the left SAB
only and a right side impact deploys the right side SAB
only. Vehicle damage by itself is not a good indicator of
whether or not SABs should have deployed.
The SABs will not deploy in all side collisions, including
some collisions at certain angles, or some side collisions
that do not impact the area of the passenger compart-
ment.
SABs are a supplement to the seat belt restraint system.
SABs deploy in less time than it takes to blink your eyes.
Occupants, including children, who are up against or very
close to SABs can be seriously injured or killed. Occupants,
including children, should never lean on or sleep against
the door, side windows, or area where the SABs inflate,
even if they are in an infant or child restraint.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 69
Page 72 of 695

Seat belts (and child restraints where appropriate) are
necessary for your protection in all collisions. They also
help keep you in position, away from an inflating SAB.
To get the best protection from the SABs, occupants must
wear their seat belts properly and sit upright with their
backs against the seats. Children must be properly re-
strained in a child restraint or booster seat that is
appropriate for the size of the child.
WARNING!
•SABs 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 SABs during deployment
could cause you to be severely injured or killed.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•Relying on the SABs alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The SABs work with
your seat belt to restrain you properly. In some
collisions, SABs won’t deploy at all. Always wear
your seat belt even though you have SABs.
NOTE:Air bag covers may not be obvious to you, but
they will open during air bag deployment.
If A Deployment Occurs
The Advanced Front Air Bags are designed to deflate
immediately after deployment.
NOTE:Front and/or side air bags will not deploy in all
collisions. This does not mean something is wrong with
the air bag system.
70 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE