•For vehicles not equipped with Keyless Enter-N-Go,
insert a valid key into the ignition switch and turn
the key to the ON position.
The Vehicle Security Alarm is designed to protect your
vehicle. However, you can create conditions where the
system will give you a false alarm. If one of the previ-
ously described arming sequences has occurred, the
Vehicle Security Alarm will arm regardless of whether
you are in the vehicle or not. If you remain in the vehicle
and open a door, the alarm will sound. If this occurs,
disarm the Vehicle Security Alarm.
If the Vehicle Security Alarm is armed and the battery
becomes disconnected, the Vehicle Security Alarm will
remain armed when the battery is reconnected; the
exterior lights will flash, and the horn will sound. If this
occurs, disarm the Vehicle Security Alarm.Security System Manual Override
The Vehicle Security Alarm will not arm if you lock the
doors using the manual door lock plunger.
ILLUMINATED APPROACH
The courtesy lights will turn on when you use the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter to unlock the
doors or open any door.
This feature also turns on the approach lighting in the
outside mirrors (if equipped). Refer to “Mirrors” in
“Understanding The Features Of Your Vehicle” for fur-
ther information.
The lights will fade to off after approximately 30 seconds,
or they will immediately fade to off once the ignition
switch is turned to ON/RUN from the OFF position.
24 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
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)
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 danger-
ous. 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 colli-
sion.
•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)
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 57
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.3. When the seat belt is long enough to fit, insert the latch
plate into the buckle until you hear a “click.”
Pulling Out The Latch Plate
58 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.
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 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.
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.
Adjustable Anchorage
60 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Position the lap belt snug and low below the abdomen
and across the strong bones of the hips. Place the
shoulder belt across the chest and away from the neck.
Never place the shoulder belt behind the back or under
the arm.
Seat Belt Pretensioner
The front seat belt system is equipped with pretensioning
devices that are designed to remove slack from the seat
belt in the event of a collision. These devices may
improve the performance of the seat belt by removing
slack from the seat belt early in a collision. Pretensioners
work for all size occupants, including those in child
restraints.
NOTE:These devices are not a substitute for proper seat
belt placement by the occupant. The seat belt still must be
worn snugly and positioned properly.The pretensioners are triggered by the Occupant Re-
straint Controller (ORC). Like the air bags, the preten-
sioners are single use items. A deployed pretensioner or
a deployed air bag must be replaced immediately.
Energy Management Feature — If Equipped
This vehicle has a seat belt system with an Energy
Management feature in the front seating positions that
may help further reduce the risk of injury in the event of
a collision. This seat belt system has a retractor assembly
that is designed to release webbing in a controlled
manner.
Switchable Automatic Locking Retractors (ALR) —
If Equipped
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions may be
equipped with a Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
(ALR) which is used to secure a child restraint system.
For additional information, refer to “Installing Child
Restraints Using The Vehicle Seat Belt” under the “Child
66 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
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 (if equipped) 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 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.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 71
The Side Air Bags 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
compartment. The Side Air Bags may deploy during
angled or offset frontal collisions where the Advanced
Front Air Bags deploy.
Rollover Events
Side Air Bags are designed to activate in certain rollover
events. The ORC determines whether the deployment of
the Side Air Bags in a particular rollover event is appro-
priate, based on the severity and type of collision. Vehicle
damage by itself is not a good indicator of whether or not
Side Air Bags should have deployed.
The Side Air Bags will not deploy in all rollover events.
The rollover sensing-system determines if a rollover
event may be in progress and whether deployment is
appropriate. A slower-developing event may deploy the
seat belt pretensioners on both sides of the vehicle. Afaster-developing event may deploy the seat belt preten-
sioners as well as the Side Air Bags on both sides of the
vehicle. The rollover sensing-system may also deploy the
seat belt pretensioners, with or without the Side Air Bags,
on both sides of the vehicle if the vehicle experiences a
near rollover event.
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.
If you do have a collision which deploys the air bags, any
or all of the following may occur:
•The air bag material may sometimes cause abrasions
and/or skin reddening to the occupants as the air bags
78 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
deploy and unfold. The abrasions are similar to fric-
tion rope burns or those you might get sliding along a
carpet or gymnasium floor. They are not caused by
contact with chemicals. They are not permanent and
normally heal quickly. However, if you haven’t healed
significantly within a few days, or if you have any
blistering, see your doctor immediately.
•As the air bags deflate, you may see some smoke-like
particles. The particles are a normal by-product of the
process that generates the non-toxic gas used for air
bag inflation. These airborne particles may irritate the
skin, eyes, nose, or throat. If you have skin or eye
irritation, rinse the area with cool water. For nose or
throat irritation, move to fresh air. If the irritation
continues, see your doctor. If these particles settle on
your clothing, follow the garment manufacturer ’s in-
structions for cleaning.Do not drive your vehicle after the air bags have de-
ployed. If you are involved in another collision, the air
bags will not be in place to protect you.
WARNING!
Deployed air bags and seat belt pretensioners cannot
protect you in another collision. Have the air bags,
seat belt pretensioners, and the seat belt retractor
assemblies replaced by an authorized dealer imme-
diately. Also, have the Occupant Restraint Controller
System serviced as well.
NOTE:
•Air bag covers may not be obvious in the interior trim,
but they will open during air bag deployment.
•After any collision, the vehicle should be taken to an
authorized dealer immediately.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 79