WARNING!
your seat belt safely and to keep your
passengers safe, too.
• Two people should never be belted into a
single seat belt. People belted together
can crash into one another in a collision,
hurting one another badly. Never use a
lap/shoulder belt or a lap belt for more
than one person, no matter what their
size.
WARNING!
• A lap belt worn too high can increase therisk 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 ve-
hicle, take it to your authorized dealer
immediately and have it fixed.
WARNING!
• A seat belt that is buckled into the wrongbuckle will not protect you properly. The
lap portion could ride too high on your
body, possibly causing internal injuries.
Always buckle your seat belt into the
buckle nearest you.
• A seat belt that is too loose will not
protect you properly. In a sudden stop,
you could move too far forward, increas-
ing the possibility of injury. Wear your
seat belt snugly.
• A seat belt that is worn under your arm is
dangerous. Your body could strike the
inside surfaces of the vehicle in a colli-
sion, 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 collision.
• 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
WARNING!
your shoulder belt. The lap and shoulder
belt are meant to be used together.
• 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.
SAFETY
50
3. When the seat belt is long enough to fit,insert the latch plate 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 ab-
domen. 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.
5. Position the shoulder belt across the shoulder and chest with minimal, if any
slack so that it is comfortable 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 posi-
tion. 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 pos-sible to the anchor point.
2. At about 6 to 12 inches (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 outboard 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.
Pulling Out The Latch Plate
1 — Seat Belt Latch Plate
2 — Seat Belt Buckle
51
NOTE:
The adjustable upper shoulder belt anchor-
age 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 button. To
verify the shoulder belt anchorage is latched,
pull downward on the shoulder belt anchor-
age until it is locked into position.
WARNING!
• Wearing your seat belt incorrectly couldmake your injuries in a collision much
worse. You might suffer internal injuries,
or you could even slide out of the seat
belt. Follow these instructions to wear
your seat belt safely and to keep your
passengers safe, too.
• Position the shoulder belt across the
shoulder and chest with minimal, if any
slack so that it is comfortable and not
resting on your neck. The retractor will
withdraw any slack in the shoulder belt.
• Misadjustment of the seat belt could
reduce the effectiveness of the safety
belt in a crash.
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.
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.Adjustable Anchorage
Pregnant Women And Seat Belts
SAFETY
52
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 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
The front seat belt system is equipped with
an Energy Management feature that may help
further reduce the risk of injury in the event of
a collision. The seat belt system has a retrac-
tor assembly that is designed to release web-
bing in a controlled manner.
Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
(ALR)
The seat belt in the passenger seating posi-
tion is equipped with a Switchable Automatic
Locking Retractor (ALR) which is used to
secure a child restraint system. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Installing Child
Restraints Using The Vehicle Seat Belt” un-
der the “Child Restraints” section of this
manual. The figure below illustrates the lock-
ing feature for each seating position.
Front Bucket Seat: ALR — SwitchableAutomatic Locking Retractor
53
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 occu-
pant’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 ofwebbing necessary to comfortably wrap
around the occupant’s mid-section. Slide the
latch plate into the buckle until you hear a
"click."
In Automatic Locking Mode, the shoulder
belt is automatically pre-locked. The seat
belt will still retract to remove any slack in
the shoulder belt. Use the Automatic Locking
Mode anytime a child restraint is installed 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 pas-
senger 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. How To Engage The Automatic Locking Mode
1. Buckle the combination lap and shoulder
belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull down- ward 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 disen-
gage the Automatic Locking Mode and acti-
vate the vehicle sensitive (emergency) lock-
ing mode.
WARNING!
• The seat belt assembly must be replaced if the switchable Automatic Locking Re-
tractor (ALR) feature or any other seat
belt function is not working properly
when checked according to the proce-
dures in the Service Manual.
Front Bench Seat: ALR — Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
SAFETY
54
WARNING!
• Failure to replace the seat belt assemblycould increase the risk of injury in colli-
sions.
• 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 har-
ness for restraining the child.
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
• Driver and Front Passenger Air Bags
• Seat Belt Buckle Switch
• Supplemental Side Air Bags
• Front and Side Impact Sensors
• Seat Belt Pretensioners
Air Bag Warning Light
The ORC monitors the readiness of the
electronic parts of the air bag system when-
ever the ignition switch is in the AVV/START
or MAR/ACC/ON/RUN position. If the ignition
switch is in the STOP/OFF/LOCK 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 seconds for a self-check when
the ignition switch is in the MAR/ACC/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 continuously. 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 malfunction is detected
that could affect the air bag system. The
diagnostics also record the nature of the
malfunction. While the air bag system is
designed to be maintenance free, if any of the
following occurs, have an authorized dealer
service the air bag system immediately.
55
• The Air Bag Warning Light does not comeon during the four to eight seconds when
the ignition switch is first in the MAR/ACC/
ON/RUN position.
• The Air Bag Warning Light remains on after the four to eight-second interval.
• The Air Bag Warning Light comes on inter- mittently or remains on while driving.
NOTE:
If the speedometer, tachometer, or any en-
gine related gauges are not working, the Oc-
cupant Restraint Controller (ORC) may also
be disabled. In this condition the air bags
may not be ready to inflate for your protec-
tion. Have an authorized dealer service the
air bag system immediately.
WARNING!
Ignoring the Air Bag Warning Light in your
instrument panel could mean you won’t
have the air bag system to protect you in a
collision. If the light does not come on as a
bulb check when the ignition is first
WARNING!
turned on, stays on after you start the
vehicle, or if it comes on as you drive, have
an authorized dealer service the air bag
system immediately.
Front Air Bags
This vehicle has front air bags and lap/
shoulder belts for both the driver and front
passenger. The front air bags are a supple-
ment to the seat belt restraint systems. The
driver front air bag is mounted in the center
of the steering wheel. The passenger 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.
WARNING!
• Being too close to the steering wheel or instrument panel during front air bag
deployment could cause serious injury,
including death. Air bags need room to
Front Air Bag Locations
1 — Driver Front Air Bag
2 — Passenger Front Air Bag
SAFETY
56
WARNING!
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 pas-
senger 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.
Driver And Passenger Front Air Bag Features
The driver and passenger front air bag system
is designed to inflate based on the severity and
type of collision as determined by the Occu-
pant Restraint Controller (ORC), which may
receive information from the front impact sen-
sors (if equipped) or other system components.
WARNING!
• No objects should be placed over or nearthe air bag on the instrument panel or
steering wheel because any such objects
WARNING!
could cause harm if the vehicle is in a
collision severe enough to cause the air
bag to inflate.
• 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. Always wear
your seat belts even though you have air
bags.
Front Air Bag Operation
Front Air Bags are designed to provide addi-
tional protection by supplementing the seat
belts. Front air bags are not expected to
reduce the risk of injury in rear, side, or
rollover collisions. The 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, 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 de-
celeration over time, vehicle speed and dam-
age by themselves are not good indicators of
whether or not an air bag should have de-
ployed.
Seat belts are necessary for your protection in
all collisions, and also are needed to help
keep you in position, away from an inflating
air bag.
When the ORC detects a collision requiring
the front air bags, it signals the inflator units.
A large quantity of non-toxic gas is generated
to inflate the 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
57