2005 DODGE DURANGO belt

LATCH child restraint anchorage system. (See the
LATCH - Child Seat Anchorage System section.)
•Rearward-facing child seats mustNEVERbe used in
the front seat of a vehicle with a front passenger
airbag. An airbag deployment could cause severe
injury or death to infants in this position.
Older Children and Child Restraints
Children who weigh more than 20 lbs (9 kg) and who are
older than one year can ride forward-facing in the
vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and convertible child
seats used in the forward-facing direction are for children
who weigh 20 to 40 lbs (9 to 18 kg) and who are older
than one year. These child seats are also held in the
vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt or the LATCH child
restraint anchorage system. (See the LATCH - Child Seat
Anchorage System Section.)
The belt-positioning booster seat is for children weighing
more than 40 lbs (18 kg), but who are still too small to fitthe vehicle’s seat belts properly. If the child cannot sit
with knees bent over the vehicle’s seat cushion while the
child’s back is against the seat back, they should use a
belt-positioning booster seat. The child and belt-
positioning booster seat are held in the vehicle by the
lap/shoulder belt.
Children Too Large for Booster Seats
Children who are large enough to wear the shoulder belt
comfortably, and whose legs are long enough to bend
over the front of the seat when their back is against the
seat back should use the lap/shoulder belt in a rear seat.
•Make sure that the child is upright in the seat.
•The lap portion should be low on the hips and as snug
as possible.
•Check belt fit periodically. A child’s squirming or
slouching can move the belt out of position.
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•If the shoulder belt contacts the face or neck, move the
child closer to the center of the vehicle. Never allow a
child to put the shoulder belt under an arm.
WARNING!
•Improper installation can lead to failure of an
infant or child restraint. It could come loose in a
collision. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer’s directions ex-
actly when installing an infant or child restraint.
•A rearward facing infant restraint should only be
used in a rear seat. A rearward facing infant
restraint in the front seat may be struck by a
deploying passenger airbag which may cause se-
vere or fatal to the infant.
Here are some tips for getting the most out of your child
restraint:
•Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it
has a label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety
Standards. The manufacturer recommends that you
try a child restraint in the vehicle seats where you will
use it before you buy it.
•The restraint must be appropriate for your child’s
weight and height. Check the label on the restraint for
weight and height limits.
•Carefully follow the instructions that come with the
restraint. If you install the restraint improperly, it may
not work when you need it.
•The second row outside seating positions and all third
row seats have cinching latch plates. The second row
center position has an automatic locking retractor.
These are designed to keep the lap portion tight
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around the child restraint so that it is not necessary to
use a locking clip. If the seat belt has a cinching latch
plate, pulling up on the shoulder portion of the
lap/shoulder belt will tighten the belt. The cinching
latch plate will keep the belt tight, however, any seat
belt system will loosen with time, so check the belt
occasionally and pull it tight if necessary. If the seat
belt has a automatic locking retractor, it will have a
distinctive label. Pull the belt from the retractor until
there is enough to allow you to pass through the child
restraint and slide the latch plate into the buckle. Then,
pull the belt until it is all extracted from the retractor.
Allow the belt to return to the retractor, pulling on the
excess webbing to tighten the lap portion about the
child restraint. Refer toAutomatic Locking Mode
earlier in this section.
•Buckle the child into the restraint exactly as the
manufacturer’s instructions tell you.
•When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in the
vehicle with the seat belt or remove it from the vehicle.
Do not leave it loose in the vehicle. In a sudden stop or
collision, it could strike the occupants or seat backs
and cause serious personal injury.
LATCH - Child Seat Anchorage System (Lower
Anchors and Tether for CHildren)
Your vehicle’s second row seat is equipped with the child
restraint anchorage system called LATCH. The LATCH
system provides for the installation of the child restraint
without using the vehicle’s seat belts, instead securing
the child restraint using lower anchorages and upper
tether straps from the child restraint to the vehicle
structure. LATCH-compatible child restraint systems are
now available. However, because the lower anchorages
are to be introduced over a period of years, child restraint
systems having attachments for those anchorages will
continue to also have features for installation using the
vehicle’s seat belts. Child restraints having tether straps
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and hooks for connection to the top tether anchorages
have been available for some time. For some older child
restraints, many child restraint manufacturers offer
add-on tether strap kits or retro-fit kits. You are urged to
take advantage of all the available attachments provided
with your child restraint in any vehicle.
All three second row seating positions have lower an-
chorages that are capable of accommodating LATCH-
compatible child seats having flexible, webbing-mounted
lower attachments. Child seats with fixed lower attach-
ments must be installed in the outboard positions only.
Regardless of the specific type of lower attachment,
NEVERinstall LATCH-compatible child seats such that
two seats share a common lower anchorage. If you are
installing LATCH-compatible child restraints in adjacent
rear seating positions, you can use the LATCH anchors or
the vehicle’s seat belt for the outboard position, but you
must use the vehicle’s seat belt at the center position. If
your child restraints are not LATCH-compatible, you canonly install the child restraints using the vehicle’s seat
belts. Please refer to the next section for typical installa-
tion instructions.
Second Row Left Side
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anchorages. Next attach the lower hooks or connectors
over the top of the anchorage bars, pushing aside the seat
cover material. Then attach the tether strap to the anchor-
age located on the back of the seat, being careful to route
the tether strap to provide the most direct path between
the anchor and the child restraint. If your vehicle is
equipped with adjustable rear head restraints, raise the
head restraint and, route the tether strap under the head
restraint and between the two posts. Finally, tighten all
three straps as you push the child restraint rearward and
downward into the seat, removing slack in the straps
according to the child restraint manufacturer’s instruc-
tions.WARNING!
Improper installation of a child restraint to the
LATCH anchorages can lead to failure of an infant or
child restraint. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer’s directions exactly
when installing an infant or child restraint.
Installing Child Restraints Using the Vehicle Seat
Belt
The passenger seat belts are equipped with either cinch-
ing latch plates or automatic locking retractors, which are
designed to keep the lap portion tight around the child
restraint so that it should not be necessary to use a
locking clip. If the seat belt has a cinching latch plate,
pulling up on the shoulder portion of the lap/shoulder
belt will tighten the belt. The cinching latch plate will
keep the belt tight, however, any seat belt system will
loosen with time, so check the belt occasionally and pull
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it tight if necessary. If the seat belt has an automatic
locking retractor, it will have a distinctive label. Pull the
belt from the retractor until there is enough to allow you
to pass through the child restraint and slide the latch
plate into the buckle. Then, pull the belt until it is all
extracted from the retractor. Allow the belt to return to
the retractor, pulling on the excess webbing to tighten the
lap portion about the child restraint. For automatic
locking retractor seat belts, refer toAutomatic Locking
Modeearlier in this section. If you have trouble tighten-
ing the lap/shoulder belt on the child restraint because
the buckle or latch plate is too close to the belt path
opening on the restraint, follow these steps. If the buckle
is webbing mounted, disconnect the latch plate from the
buckle and twist the short buckle-end belt to shorten it.Insert the latch plate into the buckle with the release
button facing out. If the belt still can’t be tightened, the
buckle is not webbing mounted, or if by pulling and
pushing on the restraint loosens the belt, you may need
to do something more. Disconnect the latch plate from
the buckle, turn the latch plate around, and insert the
latch plate into the buckle again. If you still can’t make
the child restraint secure, try a different seating position
or use the locking clip provided with your child restraint.
To attach a child restraint tether strap: Route the tether
strap over the seat back, between the head restraint posts
and attach the hook to the tether anchor located on the
back of the seat.
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WARNING!
An incorrectly anchored tether strap could lead to
seat failure and injury to the child. In a collision, the
seat could come loose and allow the child to crash
into the inside of the vehicle or other passengers, or
even be thrown from the vehicle. Use only the
anchor positions directly behind the child seat to
secure a child restraint top tether strap. Follow the
instructions below. See your dealer for help if nec-
essary.
Transporting Pets
Airbags deploying in the front seat could harm your pet.
An unrestrained pet will be thrown about and possibly
injured, or injure a passenger during panic braking or in
a collision. Pets should be restrained in the rear seat in
pet harnesses or pet carriers that are secured by seat belts.
ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS
A long break-in period is not required for the engine in
your new vehicle. Drive moderately during the first 300
miles (500 km). After the initial 60 miles (100 km), speeds
up to 50 or 55 mph (80 or 90 km/h) are desirable. While
cruising, brief full-throttle acceleration, within the limits
of local traffic laws, contributes to a good break-in.
Avoid wide open throttle acceleration in low gear.
The engine oil installed in the engine at the factory is a
high-quality, energy-conserving type lubricant. Oil
changes should be consistent with anticipated climate
conditions under which vehicle operations will occur.
The recommended viscosity and quality grades are
shown in Section 7.
NON-DETERGENT OR STRAIGHT MINERAL OILS
MUST NEVER BE USED.
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Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle
Seat Belts
Inspect the belt system periodically, checking for cuts,
frays and loose parts. Damaged parts must be replaced
immediately. Do not disassemble or modify the system.
Seat belt assemblies must be replaced after an accident if
they have been damaged (bent retractor, torn webbing,
etc.). If there is any question regarding belt or retractor
condition, replace the belt.
Defrosters
Check operation by selecting the defrost mode and place
the blower control on high speed. You can feel the air
directed against the windshield.
Safety Checks You Should Make Outside The
Vehicle:
Tires
Examine tires for tread wear or uneven wear patterns.
Check for stones, nails, glass or other objects lodged in
the tread.
Inspect for tread cuts or sidewall cracks. Check wheel
nuts for tightness and tires for proper pressure.
Lights
Have someone observe the operation of exterior lights as
you turn them on. Check turn signal and high beam
indicator lights on the instrument panel.
Door Latches
Check for positive closing, latching and locking.
66 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE