
If the passenger seating position is equipped with an
ALR and is being used for normal usage, only pull the
seat belt webbing out far enough to comfortably wrap
around the occupant’s mid-section so as to not activate
the ALR. If the ALR is activated, you will hear a clicking
sound as the seat belt retracts. Allow the webbing to
retract completely in this case and then carefully pull
out only the amount of webbing necessary to comfort-
ably wrap around the occupant’s mid-section. Slide the
latch plate into the buckle until you hear aclick.
In Automatic Locking Mode, the shoulder belt is auto-
matically pre-locked. The seat belt will still retract to
remove any slack in the shoulder belt. Use the Auto-
matic Locking Mode anytime a child restraint is in-
stalled 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 front air bag
can cause death or serious injury to a child 12
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
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.
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 (emer-
gency) locking mode.2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 33

WARNING!
•The seat belt assembly must be replaced if the
switchable Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
feature or any other seat belt function is not
working properly when checked according to the
procedures in the Service Manual.
• Failure to replace the seat belt assembly could
increase the risk of injury in collisions.
• Do not use the Automatic Locking Mode to re-
strain 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 har-
ness for restraining the child.
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
Some of the safety features described in this section
may be standard equipment on some models, or may be
optional equipment on others. If you are not sure, ask
your authorized dealer.
The air bag system must be ready to protect you in a
collision. The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) monitors the internal circuits and interconnecting wir-
ing associated with the electrical Air Bag System Com-
ponents. Your vehicle may be equipped with the fol-
lowing Air Bag System Components:
Air Bag System Components
Your vehicle may be equipped with the following air
bag system components:
•
Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
• Air Bag Warning Light
•Instrument Panel
• Knee Impact Bolsters
• Driver and Front Passenger Air Bags
• Supplemental Side Air Bags
• Supplemental Knee Air Bags
• Front and Side Impact Sensors
• Seat Belt Pretensioners
• Seat Track Position Sensors
• Seat Belt Buckle Switch
34 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Air Bag Warning Light
The ORC monitors the readiness of the elec-
tronic parts of the air bag system whenever
the ignition switch is in the AVV/START or
MAR/ON/RUN position. If the ignition
switch is in the STOP/OFF/LOCK position or in the
ACC position, the air bag system is not on and the air
bags will not inflate.
The ORC contains a backup power supply system that
may deploy the air bag system even if the battery loses
power or it becomes disconnected prior to deployment.
The ORC turns on the Air Bag Warning Light in the
instrument panel for approximately four to eight sec-
onds for a self-check when the ignition switch is in the
MAR/ON/RUN position. After the self-check, the Air
Bag Warning Light will turn off. If the ORC detects a
malfunction in any part of the system, it turns on the
Air Bag Warning Light, either momentarily or continu-
ously. A single chime will sound to alert you if the light
comes on again after initial startup.
The ORC also includes diagnostics that will illuminate
the instrument panel Air Bag Warning Light if a mal-
function is detected that could affect the air bag system. The diagnostics also record the nature of the malfunc-
tion. While the air bag system is designed to be main-
tenance free, if any of the following occurs, have an
authorized dealer service the air bag system
immediately.
•
The Air Bag Warning Light does not come on during
the four to eight seconds when the ignition switch is
first in the ON/RUN position.
• The Air Bag Warning Light remains on after the four
to eight-second interval.
• The Air Bag Warning Light comes on intermittently
or remains on while driving.
NOTE: If the speedometer, tachometer, or any engine
related gauges are not working, the Occupant Restraint
Controller (ORC) may also be disabled. In this condi-
tion the air bags may not be ready to inflate for your
protection. Have an authorized dealer service the air
bag system immediately.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 35

left side SABIC only and a right-side impact deploys the
right side SABIC only. Vehicle damage by itself is not a
good indicator of whether or not SABICs should have
deployed.
SABICs 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. SABICs may deploy during angled or offset
frontal collisions where the front air bags deploy.
SABICs are a supplement to the seat belt restraint
system. SABICs deploy in less time than it takes to blink
your eyes.
WARNING!
•Occupants, including children, who are up
against or very close to SABICs can be seriously
injured or killed. Occupants, including children,
should never lean on or sleep against the door,
side windows, or area where the side air bags
inflate, even if they are in an infant or child
restraint.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•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 SABIC. To get the best protection
from the SABICs, 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.
• Do not stack luggage or other cargo up high
enough to block the deployment of the SABICs.
The door trim below the side windows where the
SABIC and its deployment path are located
should remain free from any obstructions.
• SABICs 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 SABICs during deployment
could cause you to be severely injured or killed.
• Relying on the SABICs alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The SABICs work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
(Continued)
40 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

•Turn on the interior lights, which remain on as long
as the battery has power or for 15 minutes from the
intervention of the Enhanced Accident Response
System.
• Unlock the power door locks.
Enhanced Accident Response System Reset
Procedure
After the event occurs, when the system is active, a
message regarding fuel cutoff is displayed. Turn the
ignition switch from ignition AVV/START or MAR/
ACC/ON/RUN to ignition STOP/OFF/LOCK. Care-
fully check the vehicle for fuel leaks in the engine
compartment and on the ground near the engine com-
partment and fuel tank before resetting the system and
starting the engine.
Depending on the nature of the event the left and right
turn signal lights, located in the instrument panel, may
both be blinking and will continue to blink. In order to
move your vehicle to the side of the road, you must
follow the system reset procedure.
Customer Action Customer Will See
NOTE: Each step MUST BE held for at least
2 seconds
1. Turn ignition STOP/
OFF/LOCK. (Turn Sig-
nal Must be placed in
Neutral State).
2. Turn ignition MAR/
ACC/ON/RUN. Right turn light BLINKS.
Left turn light is OFF.
3. Turn right turn signal
switch ON. Right turn light is ON
SOLID.
Left turn light BLINKS.
4. Place turn signal in
neutral state. Right turn light is OFF.
Left turn light BLINKS.
5. Turn left turn signal
switch ON. Right turn light BLINKS.
Left turn light is ON
SOLID.
6. Place turn signal in
neutral state. Right turn light BLINKS.
Left turn light is OFF.
7. Turn right turn signal
switch ON. Right turn light is ON
SOLID.
Left turn light BLINKS.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 43

Customer Action Customer Will See
NOTE: Each step MUST BE held for at least
2 seconds
8. Place turn signal in
neutral state. Right turn light is OFF.
Left turn light BLINKS
9. Turn left turn signal
switch ON. Right turn light is ON
SOLID.
Left turn light is ON
SOLID.
10. Turn left turn signal
switch OFF. (Turn Signal
Switch Must be placed
in Neutral State). Right turn light is OFF.
Left turn light is OFF.
11. Turn ignition STOP/
OFF/LOCK.
12. Turn ignition MAR/
ACC/ON/RUN. (Entire
sequence needs to be
completed within one
minute or sequence will
need to be repeated). System is now reset and
the engine may be
started.
Turn hazard flashers
OFF (Manually) If a reset procedure step is not completed within 60
seconds, then the turn signal lights will blink and the
reset procedure must be performed again in order to be
successful.
Maintaining Your Air Bag System
WARNING!
•
Modifications to any part of the air bag system
could cause it to fail when you need it. You could
be injured if the air bag system is not there to
protect you. Do not modify the components or
wiring, including adding any kind of badges or
stickers to the steering wheel hub trim cover or
the upper right side of the instrument panel. Do
not modify the front bumper, vehicle body struc-
ture, or add aftermarket side steps or running
boards.
• It is dangerous to try to repair any part of the air
bag system yourself. Be sure to tell anyone who
works on your vehicle that it has an air bag
system.
(Continued)
44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

belt out of position. If the shoulder belt contacts the face
or neck, move the child closer to the center of the
vehicle, or use a booster seat to position the seat belt on
the child correctly.
WARNING!
Never allow a child to put the shoulder belt under
an arm or behind their back. In a crash, the shoulder
belt will not protect a child properly, which may
result in serious injury or death. A child must
always wear both the lap and shoulder portions of
the seat belt correctly.
Installing Child Restraints Using The Vehicle
Seat Belt
Child restraint systems are designed to be secured in
vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap belt portion of a
lap/shoulder belt.
WARNING!
•Improper installation or failure to properly secure
a child restraint can lead to failure of the restraint.
The child could be badly injured or killed.
• Follow the child restraint manufacturer ’s direc-
tions exactly when installing an infant or child
restraint.
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with a Switchable Automatic Locking Retrac-
tor (ALR) that is designed to keep the lap portion of the
seat belt tight around the child restraint so that it is not
necessary to use a locking clip. The ALR retractor can be
“switched” into a locked mode by pulling all of the
webbing out of the retractor and then letting the web-
bing retract back into the retractor. If it is locked, the
ALR will make a clicking noise while the webbing is
pulled back into the retractor. Refer to the “Automatic
Locking Mode” description under “Occupant Re-
straints” for additional information on ALR.
50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Lap/Shoulder Belt Systems For Installing Child
Restraints In This Vehicle
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) Locations
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 51