2016 JEEP COMPASS Owners Manual

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 re-
placed 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.
Pulling Out The Latch Plate
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 47

3. When the seat belt is long enough to fit, insert the latchplate into the buckle until you hear a “click.” 4. Position the lap belt so that it is snug and lies low
across your hips, below your abdomen. To remove
slack in the lap belt portion, pull up on the shoulder
belt. To loosen the lap belt if it is too tight, tilt the latch
plate and pull on the lap belt. A snug seat belt reduces
the risk of sliding under the seat belt in a collision.
Inserting Latch Plate Into Buckle
Positioning The Lap Belt
48 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

5. Position the shoulder belt across the shoulder andchest with minimal, if any slack so that it is comfort-
able and not resting on your neck. The retractor will
withdraw any slack in the shoulder belt.
6. To release the seat belt, push the red button on the buckle. The seat belt will automatically retract to its
stowed position. If necessary, slide the latch plate
down the webbing to allow the seat belt to retract
fully.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 theanchor point.
2. At about 6 to 12 in (15 to 30 cm) above the latch plate, grasp and twist the seat belt webbing 180 degrees to
create a fold that begins immediately above the latch
plate.
3. Slide the latch plate upward over the folded webbing. The folded webbing must enter the slot at the top of
the latch plate.
4. Continue to slide the latch plate up until it clears the folded webbing and the seat belt is no longer twisted.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 49

Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the driver and front passenger seats, the top of the
shoulder belt can be adjusted upward or downward to
position the seat belt away from your neck. Push or
squeeze the anchorage button to release the anchorage, and
move it up or down to the position that serves you best.
As a guide, if you are shorter than average, you will
prefer the shoulder belt anchorage in a lower position,
and if you are taller than average, you will prefer the
shoulder belt anchorage in a higher position. After you
release the anchorage button, try to move it up or down
to make sure that it is locked in position.
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.
Adjustable Anchorage
50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Second Row Center Seat Belt Operating
Instructions
The second row center seat belt features a seat belt with
a mini-latch plate and buckle, which allows the seat belt
to detach from the lower anchor when the seat is folded.
The mini-latch plate and regular latch plate can then be
stored out of the way in the right side trim panel for
added convenience to open up utilization of the storage
areas behind the front seats when the seat is not occu-
pied.
1. Remove the mini-latch plate and regular latch platefrom its stowed position in the right rear side trim
panel. 2. Grasp the mini-latch plate and pull the seat belt over
the seat.
3. Route the shoulder belt to the inside of the right head restraint.
Mini-Latch Stowage
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 51

4. When the seat belt is long enough to fit, insert themini-latch plate into the mini-buckle until you hear a
“click.”
5. Sit back in seat. Slide the regular latch plate up the webbing as far as necessary to allow the seat belt to go
around your lap.
6. When the seat belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”
7. Position the lap belt so that it is snug and lies low across your hips, below your abdomen. To remove
slack in the lap belt portion, pull up on the shoulder
belt. To loosen the lap belt if it is too tight, pull on the
lap belt. A snug seat belt reduces the risk of sliding
under the seat belt in a collision.
8. Position the shoulder belt on your chest so that it is comfortable and not resting on your neck. The retrac-
tor will withdraw any slack in the seat belt. 9. To release the seat belt, push the red button on the
buckle.
10. To disengage the mini-latch plate from the mini- buckle for storage, insert the regular latch plate into
the black button on the top of the mini-buckle. The
seat belt will automatically retract to its stowed
Rear Center Seat Belt Buckled
52 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

position. If necessary, slide the latch plate down the
webbing to allow the seat belt to retract fully. Insert
the mini-latch plate and regular latch plate into its
stowed position.WARNING!
•If the mini-latch plate and mini-buckle are not
properly connected when the seat belt is used by an
occupant, the seat belt will not be able to provide
proper restraint and will increase the risk of injury
in a collision.
• When reattaching the mini-latch plate and mini-
buckle, ensure the seat belt webbing is not twisted.
If the webbing is twisted, follow the preceding
procedure to detach the mini-latch plate and mini-
buckle, untwist the webbing, and reattach the
mini-latch plate and mini-buckle.
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 aDetaching Mini-Latch And Buckle
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 53

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.
Seat Belts And Pregnant Women
Seat belts must be worn by all occupants including
pregnant women: the risk of injury in the event of an
accident is reduced for the mother and the unborn child
if they are wearing a seat belt.
Pregnant Women And Seat Belts
54 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE