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 wear-
ing a seat belt.
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 — If Equipped
The front and second row outboard seat belt
system is equipped with pretensioning de-
vices 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 re-
straints.
NOTE:
These devices are not a substitute for proper
seat belt placement by the occupant. The
seat belt still must be worn snugly and posi-
tioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the Occu-
pant Restraint Controller (ORC). Like the air
bags, the pretensioners are single use items.
A deployed pretensioner or a deployed air bag
must be replaced immediately.
Energy Management Feature — If Equipped
The front seat belt system is equipped and
the second row outboard seat belt system
may be equipped with an Energy Manage-
ment feature that may help further reducethe risk of injury in the event of a collision.
The seat belt system has a retractor assembly
that is designed to release webbing in a
controlled manner.
Supplemental Restraint Systems (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 autho-
rized dealer.
The air bag system must be ready to protect
you in a collision. The Occupant Restraint
Controller (ORC) monitors the internal cir-
cuits and interconnecting wiring associated
with the electrical Air Bag System Compo-
nents. Your vehicle may be equipped with the
following Air Bag System Components:
Air Bag System Components
• Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
• Air Bag Warning Light
• Steering Wheel and Column
• Instrument Panel
• Knee Impact Bolsters
Pregnant Women And Seat Belts
105
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 immedi-
ately. Do not disassemble or modify the sys-
tem.
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 web-
bing, etc.). If there is any question regarding
seat belt or retractor condition, replace the
seat belt.
Air Bag Warning Light
The Air Bag warning lightwill turn on for
four to eight seconds as a bulb check when
the ignition switch is first turned to ON/RUN.
If the light is either not on during starting,
stays on, or turns on while driving, have the
system inspected at your authorized dealer as
soon as possible. After the bulb check, this
light will illuminate with a single chime whena fault with the Air Bag System has been
detected. It will stay on until the fault is
removed. If the light comes on intermittently
or remains on while driving, have your autho-
rized dealer service the vehicle immediately.
Refer to “Occupant Restraint Systems” in
“Safety” for further information.
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 inoperable.
Floor Mat Safety Information
Always use floor mats designed to fit your
vehicle. Only use a floor mat that does not
interfere with the operation of the accelera-
tor, brake or clutch pedals. Only use a floor
mat that is securely attached using the floor
mat fasteners so it cannot slip out of position
and interfere with the accelerator, brake or
clutch pedals or impair safe operation of your
vehicle in other ways.
WARNING!
An improperly attached, damaged, folded,
or stacked floor mat, or damaged floor mat
fasteners may cause your floor mat to in-
terfere with the accelerator, brake, or
clutch pedals and cause a loss of vehicle
control. To prevent SERIOUS INJURY or
DEATH:
• ALWAYS securely attach
your floor
mat using the floor mat fasteners. DO
NOT install your floor mat upside down
or turn your floor mat over. Lightly pull to
confirm mat is secured using the floor
mat fasteners on a regular basis.
• ALWAYS REMOVE THE EXISTING
FLOOR MAT FROM THE VEHICLE
before installing any other floor mat.
NEVER install or stack an additional
floor mat on top of an existing floor mat.
• ONLY install floor mats designed to fit
your vehicle. NEVER install a floor mat
that cannot be properly attached and
secured to your vehicle. If a floor mat
needs to be replaced, only use a FCA
approved floor mat for the specific
make, model, and year of your vehicle.
137
STARTING THE ENGINE
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat,
adjust both inside and outside mirrors, and
fasten your seat belts.
WARNING!
• When exiting the vehicle, always remove
the key fob from the vehicle and lock
your vehicle.
• Never leave children alone in a vehicle,
or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
• Allowing children to be in a vehicle un-
attended is dangerous for a number of
reasons. A child or others could be seri-
ously or fatally injured. Children should
be warned not to touch the parking
brake, brake pedal or the transmission
gear selector.
• Do not leave the key fob in or near the
vehicle, or in a location accessible to
children, and do not leave the ignition of
a vehicle equipped with Keyless Enter-
N-Go in the ACC or ON/RUN mode. A
child could operate power windows,
other controls, or move the vehicle.
WARNING!
• Do not leave children or animals inside
parked vehicles in hot weather. Interior
heat build-up may cause serious injury
or death.
Start the engine with the gear selector in the
NEUTRAL or PARK position. Apply the brake
before shifting to any driving range.
Normal Starting — Gasoline Engine
NOTE:
Normal starting of either a cold or a warm
engine is obtained without pumping or press-
ing the accelerator pedal.
Cycle the ignition switch to the START posi-
tion and release when the engine starts. If the
engine fails to start within 10 seconds, cycle
the ignition switch to the LOCK/OFF position,
wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat the “Nor-
mal Starting” procedure.
Tip Start Feature
Cycle the ignition switch to START position
and release it as soon as the starter engages.
The starter motor will continue to run, andwill automatically disengage itself when the
engine is running. If the engine fails to start,
cycle the ignition switch to the OFF position,
wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat the “Nor-
mal Starting” procedure.
Automatic Transmission
The gear selector must be in the NEUTRAL or
PARK position before you can start the en-
gine. Apply the brakes before shifting into
any driving gear.
CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may occur if
the following precautions are not ob-
served:
• Do not shift between PARK, REVERSE,
NEUTRAL, or DRIVE when the engine is
above idle speed.
• Shift into or out of PARK or REVERSE
only after the vehicle has come to a
complete stop.
• Before shifting into any gear, make sure
your foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
141
Keyless Ignition Functions — Using The ENGINE
START/STOP Button
1. The transmission must be in PARK or
NEUTRAL.
2. Press and hold the brake pedal while
pushing the ENGINE START/STOP button
once.
3. The system takes over and attempts to
start the vehicle. If the vehicle fails to
start, the starter will disengage automati-
cally after 10 seconds.
4. If you wish to stop the cranking of the
engine prior to the engine starting, push
the button again.
NOTE:
Normal starting of either a cold or a warm
engine is obtained without pumping or press-
ing the accelerator pedal.
Keyless Ignition Functions — With Driver’s Foot
OFF The Brake Pedal/Clutch Pedal (In PARK Or
NEUTRAL Position)
The Keyless Ignition feature operates similar to
an ignition switch. It has three modes, OFF,
ON/RUN, and START. To change the ignitionmodes without starting the vehicle and use the
accessories follow these steps starting with the
ignition switch in the OFF mode:
1. Push the ENGINE START/STOP button
once to change the ignition switch to the
ON/RUN mode.
2. Push the ENGINE START/STOP button a
second time to change the ignition switch
to the OFF mode.
Manual Transmission
The gear selector must be in the NEUTRAL
position before you can start the engine.
Apply the brakes before shifting into any
driving gear.
Keyless Ignition Functions — Using The ENGINE
START/STOP Button
1. The transmission must be in NEUTRAL.
2. Press and hold the clutch pedal while
pushing the ENGINE START/STOP button
once.
3. The system takes over and attempts to
start the vehicle. If the vehicle fails to
start, the starter will disengage automati-
cally after 10 seconds.4. If you wish to stop the cranking of the
engine prior to the engine starting, push
the button again.
NOTE:
Normal starting of either a cold or a warm
engine is obtained without pumping or press-
ing the accelerator pedal.
Keyless Ignition Functions — With Driver’s Foot
OFF The Brake Pedal/Clutch Pedal (In PARK Or
NEUTRAL Position)
The Keyless Ignition feature operates similar
to an ignition switch. It has three modes,
OFF, ON/RUN, and START. To change the
ignition modes without starting the vehicle
and use the accessories follow these steps
starting with the ignition switch in the OFF
position:
1. Push the ENGINE START/STOP button
once to change the ignition to the ON/
RUN mode.
2. Push the ENGINE START/STOP button a
second time to change the ignition switch
to the OFF mode.
STARTING AND OPERATING
142
Stopping The Engine
Vehicles Equipped With A Mechanical Key Fob:
To turn off the engine, proceed as follows:
1. Park the car in a position that does not
cause a traffic hazard.
2. Place the transmission in gear (models
with a manual transmission) or place the
transmission in PARK (P) (models with
automatic transmission).
3. With the engine idling, place the ignition
in the STOP/OFF position.
4. Remove the key from the ignition when
the engine is shut off.
Vehicles Equipped With Electronic Key (Keyless
Ignition):
To shut off the engine with vehicle speed
greater than 5 mph (8 km/h), you must push
and hold the ignition or push the START/
STOP button three times consecutively
within a few seconds. The engine will shut
down, and the ignition will be placed in the
RUN position.Turning Off the car (placing the ignition from
the RUN position to the STOP position), the
power supply to the accessories are main-
tained for a period of three minutes.
Opening the driver side door with the ignition
in RUN will sound a short chime that reminds
the driver to place the ignition to STOP.
When the ignition is in the STOP/OFF posi-
tion, the window switches remains active for
three minutes. Opening a front door will can-
cel this function.
After severe driving, idle the engine to allow
the temperature inside the engine compart-
ment to cool before shutting off the engine.
Normal Starting — Diesel Engine
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat,
both inside and outside mirrors, and fasten
your seat belts.
The starter is allowed to crank for up to
30-second intervals. Waiting a few minutes
between such intervals will protect the starter
from overheating.
WARNING!
• Before exiting a vehicle, always come to
a complete stop, then shift the auto-
matic transmission into PARK and apply
the parking brake.
• Always make sure the keyless ignition
node is in the OFF mode, key fob is
removed from the vehicle and vehicle is
locked.
• Never leave children alone in a vehicle,
or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Leaving children in a vehicle unattended
is dangerous for a number of reasons. A
child or others could be seriously or
fatally injured. Children should be
warned not to touch the parking brake,
brake pedal or the gear selector.
• Do not leave the key fob in or near the
vehicle, or in a location accessible to
children, and do not leave the ignition of
a vehicle equipped with Keyless Enter-
N-Go in the ACC or ON/RUN mode. A
child could operate power windows,
other controls, or move the vehicle.
143
WARNING!
Allowing children to be in a vehicle un-
attended is dangerous for a number of
reasons. A child or others could be seri-
ously or fatally injured. Children should
be warned not to touch the park brake,
brake pedal or the transmission gear
selector.
• Do not leave the key fob in or near the
vehicle (or in a location accessible to
children), and do not leave the ignition
(in a vehicle equipped with push button
start) in the ON/RUN mode. A child
could operate power windows, other
controls, or move the vehicle.
CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may occur if
the following precautions are not ob-
served:
• Shift into or out of PARK or REVERSE
only after the vehicle has come to a
complete stop.
CAUTION!
• Do not shift between PARK, REVERSE,
NEUTRAL, or DRIVE when the engine is
above idle speed.
• Before shifting into any gear, make sure
your foot is firmly pressing the brake
pedal.
NOTE:
You must press and hold the brake pedal
while shifting out of PARK.
Ignition Park Interlock
Vehicles with push button start:
This vehicle is equipped with an Ignition Park
Interlock which requires the transmission to
be in PARK before the ignition can be turned
to the OFF mode. This helps the driver avoid
inadvertently leaving the vehicle without
placing the transmission in PARK. This sys-
tem also locks the transmission in PARK
whenever the ignition is in the OFF mode.Vehicles with mechanical key:
This vehicle is equipped with a Key Ignition
Park Interlock which requires the transmis-
sion to be in PARK before the ignition can be
turned to the OFF (key removal) position. The
key can only be removed from the ignition
when the ignition is in the OFF position, and
the transmission is locked in PARK whenever
the ignition is in the OFF position.
If the vehicle's battery becomes discharged,
the key will be trapped in the ignition even
when the gear selector is in PARK. Recharge
the battery to allow key removal.Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock
System
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake Trans-
mission Shift Interlock system (BTSI) that
holds the transmission gear selector in PARK
unless the brakes are applied. To shift the
transmission out of PARK, the ignition must
be in the ON/RUN mode (whether the engine
is running or not), and the brake pedal must
be pressed. The brake pedal must also be
pressed to shift from NEUTRAL into DRIVE or
REVERSE when the vehicle is stopped or
moving at low speeds.
151
Six-Speed Or Nine-Speed Automatic
Transmission
NOTE:
Your vehicle may be equipped with a six-
speed or nine-speed automatic transmission,
depending on model. This section describes
operation of both the six-speed and nine-
speed transmission.
The transmission gear range (PRND) is dis-
played both beside the gear selector and in
the instrument cluster. To select a gear range,
push the lock button on the gear selector and
move the selector rearward or forward. You
must also press the brake pedal to shift the
transmission out of PARK (or NEUTRAL,
when the vehicle is stopped or moving at low
speeds). Select the DRIVE range for normal
driving.
NOTE:
In the event of a mismatch between the gear
selector position and the actual transmission
gear (for example, driver selects REVERSE
while driving forward), the position indicator
will blink continuously until the selector is
returned to the proper position, or the re-
quested shift can be completed.The electronically-controlled transmission
adapts its shift schedule based on driver
inputs, along with environmental and road
conditions. The transmission electronics are
self-calibrating; therefore, the first few shifts
on a new vehicle may be somewhat abrupt.
This is a normal condition, and precision
shifts will develop within a few hundred miles
(kilometers).
The nine-speed transmission has been devel-
oped to meet the needs of current and future
FWD/AWD vehicles. Software and calibration
is refined to optimize the customer’s driving
experience and fuel economy. By design,
some vehicle and driveline combinations uti-
lize 9th gear only in very specific driving
situations and conditions.
Only shift from DRIVE to PARK or REVERSE
when the accelerator pedal is released and
the vehicle is stopped. Be sure to keep your
foot on the brake pedal when shifting be-
tween these gears.
The transmission gear selector provides
PARK, REVERSE, NEUTRAL, DRIVE, and
AutoStick (+/-) shift positions. Manual shifts
can be made using the AutoStick shift con-trol. Moving the gear selector into the
AutoStick (+/-) position (beside the DRIVE
position) activates AutoStick mode, provid-
ing manual shift control and displaying the
current gear in the instrument cluster (as 1,
2, 3, etc.). Toggling the gear selector forward
(-) or rearward (+) while in the AutoStick
position will manually select the transmis-
sion gear. Refer to "AutoStick" in this section
for further information.
NOTE:
If the gear selector cannot be moved to the
PARK, REVERSE, or NEUTRAL position
(when pushed forward) it is probably in the
AutoStick (+/-) position (beside the DRIVE
position). In AutoStick mode, the transmis-
sion gear (1, 2, 3, etc.) is displayed in the
instrument cluster. Move the gear selector to
the right (into the DRIVE [D] position) for
access to PARK, REVERSE, and NEUTRAL.
STARTING AND OPERATING
152
Operation
When the gear selector is in the AutoStick
position (beside the DRIVE position), it can
be moved forward and rearward. This allows
the driver to manually select the transmission
gear being used. Moving the gear selector
forward (-) triggers a downshift and rearward
(+) an upshift. The current gear is displayed
in the instrument cluster.
In AutoStick mode, the transmission will
shift up or down when the driver moves the
gear selector rearward (+) or forward (-), un-
less an engine lugging or overspeed condition
would result. It will remain in the selected
gear until another upshift or downshift is
chosen, except as described below.
• Six-speed transmissions will automatically
upshift when necessary to prevent engine
over-speed.
• The transmission will automatically down-
shift as the vehicle slows (to prevent engine
lugging) and will display the current gear.• The transmission will automatically down-
shift to first gear when coming to a stop.
After a stop, the driver should manually
upshift (+) the transmission as the vehicle
is accelerated.
• You can start out, from a stop, in first or
second gear (or third gear, in six-speed
models, or in 4LO range, Snow mode, or
Sand mode, where available). Tapping (+)
(at a stop) will allow starting in second gear.
Starting out in second gear can be helpful
in snowy or icy conditions.
• If a requested downshift would cause the
engine to over-speed, that shift will not
occur.
• The system will ignore attempts to upshift
at too low of a vehicle speed.
• Transmission shifting will be more notice-
able when AutoStick is enabled.
• The system may revert to automatic shift
mode if a fault or overheat condition is
detected.
NOTE:
When Selec-Speed or Hill Descent Control is
enabled, AutoStick is not active.To disengage AutoStick, return the gear se-
lector to the DRIVE position. You can shift in
or out of the AutoStick position at any time
without taking your foot off the accelerator
pedal.
WARNING!
Do not downshift for additional engine
braking on a slippery surface. The drive
wheels could lose their grip and the ve-
hicle could skid, causing a collision or
personal injury.
Transmission Limp Home Mode
Transmission function is monitored electroni-
cally for abnormal conditions. If a condition
is detected that could result in transmission
damage, Transmission Limp Home Mode is
activated. In this mode, the transmission
may operate only in a fixed gear, or may
remain in NEUTRAL. The Malfunction Indi-
cator Light (MIL) may be illuminated. Limp
Home Mode may allow the vehicle to be
driven to an authorized dealer for service
without damaging the transmission.
STARTING AND OPERATING
156