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Securing a Child Restraint in a
Center Seat Position (2nd Row)
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-51. SeeTop Strap
on page 1-48if the child restraint has one.
If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system,
you'll be using a lap-shoulder belt which works the
same way as the safety belts in the rear outside seat
positions. To learn how to secure a child restraint with a
lap-shoulder belt, refer to the instructions in
Securing
a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat Position
on page 1-53
.
Securing a Child Restraint
in a Center Seat Position
(3rd, 4th and 5th Row)
If your child restraint is equipped with the LATCH
system, seeLower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on page 1-51. SeeTop Strap
on page 1-48if the child restraint has one.
For vehicles with fourth and/or ®fth rows, there are no
top strap anchors at the fourth and ®fth row center
seating positions. Do not secure a child seat in these
positions if a national or local law requires that the
top strap must be anchored.
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If your child restraint does not have the LATCH system,
you'll be using the lap belt to secure the child restraint
in this position.
Be sure to follow the instructions that came with the
child restraint. Secure the child in the child restraint
when and as the instructions say.
1. Make the belt as long as possible by tilting the latch
plate and pulling it along the belt.2. Put the restraint on the seat.
3. Run the vehicle's safety belt through or around the
restraint. The child restraint instructions will show
you how.
4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
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5. To tighten the belt, pull its free end while you push
down on the child restraint. If you're using a
forward-facing child restraint, you may ®nd it helpful
to use your knee to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt.
6. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle's
safety belt. It will be ready to work for an adult or
larger child passenger.Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position
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Unless your vehicle has an air bag off switch and you
have used it to turn the passenger's air bag off,
never put a rear-facing child restraint in the right front
passenger's seat. Here's why:
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger's air bag in¯ates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child restraint
would be very close to the in¯ating air bag. If
your vehicle is a passenger van, always secure
a rear-facing child restraint in a rear seat. If
your vehicle is a cargo van with a right front
passenger air bag and an air bag off switch, be
sure to turn off the air bag before using a
rear-facing child restraint in the right front seat
position. If your vehicle is a cargo van with a
right front passenger air bag but does not
have an air bag off switch, do not use a
rear-facing child restraint in this vehicle. If a
forward-facing child restraint is suitable for
your child, always move the passenger seat as
far back as it will go.
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Although a rear seat is a safer place, you can secure a
forward-facing child restraint in the right front seat.
{CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light ever comes on
when you have turned off the air bag, it means
that something may be wrong with the air bag
system. The right front passenger's air bag
could in¯ate even though the switch is off. If
this ever happens, don't let anyone whom the
national government has identi®ed as a
member of a passenger air bag risk group sit
in the right front passenger's position (for
example, don't secure a rear-facing child
restraint in your vehicle) until you have your
vehicle serviced. See ªAir Bag Off Switchº in
the Index.You'll be using the lap-shoulder belt. See
Top Strap on
page 1-48if the child restraint has one. Be sure to
follow the instructions that came with the child restraint.
Secure the child in the child restraint when and as
the instructions say.
1. If your vehicle has a passenger air bag and an air
bag off switch, and you are using a rear-facing child
restraint in this seat, make sure the air bag is
turned off. See
Air Bag Off Switch on page 1-70.If
your child restraint is forward-facing, always
move the seat as far back as it will go before
securing it in this seat. See
Power Seat on page 1-4orManual Seats on page 1-3.
2. Put the restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle's safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
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6. To tighten the belt, feed the lap belt back into the
retractor while you push down on the child restraint.
You may ®nd it helpful to use your knee to push
down on the child restraint as you tighten the belt.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle's
safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety
belt will move freely again and be ready to work for an
adult or larger child passenger.
If you were using a rear-facing child restraint in a
vehicle with an air bag off switch, turn on the right front
passenger's air bag when you remove the rear-facing
child restraint from the vehicle unless the person
who will be sitting there is a member of a passenger air
bag risk group. See
Air Bag Off Switch on page 1-70.
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If your vehicle has an air bag for the right front
passenger read this.
{CAUTION:
Anyone who is up against, or very close to,
any air bag when it in¯ates can be seriously
injured or killed. Air bags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer the best protection for adults, but
not for young children and infants. Neither the
vehicle's safety belt system nor its air bag
system is designed for them. Young children
and infants need the protection that a child
restraint system can provide. Always secure
children properly in your vehicle. To read how,
see
Older Children on page 1-34 and Infants
and Young Children on page 1-36.
There is a air bag
readiness light on the
instrument panel, which
shows the air bag symbol.The system checks the air bag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. See
Air Bag Readiness Light on page 3-27for more information.
Where Are the Air Bags?
The driver's air bag is in the middle of the steering
wheel.
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The AIR BAG OFF light will come on to let you know
that the right front passenger's air bag is off. The
right front passenger's air bag will remain off until you
turn it back on again, and the AIR BAG OFF light
will stay on to remind you that the air bag is off.
{CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light ever comes on
when you have turned off the air bag, it means
that something may be wrong with the air bag
system. The right front passenger's air bag
could in¯ate even though the switch is off.
If this ever happens, don't let anyone whom
the national government has identi®ed as a
member of a passenger air bag risk group
sit in the right front passenger's position
(for example, don't secure a rear-facing child
restraint in your vehicle) until you have your
vehicle serviced.To turn the right front passenger's air bag on again,
insert your ignition key into the switch, push in,
and move the switch to the on position.
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