2006 CHRYSLER SEBRING SEDAN child seat

airbag unless the airbag is turned off. An airbag
deployment could cause severe injury or death to
infants in this position.
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 child restraint should only be
used in a rear seat. A rearward facing child re-
straint in the front seat may be struck by a
deploying passenger airbag which may cause se-
vere or fatal injury to the infant.
Here are some tips on 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 SafetyStandards. We also recommend that you make sure
that you can install the child restraint in the vehicle
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.
•Buckle the child into the seat according to the child
restraint manufacturer’s directions.
•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.
NOTE:For additional information refer to
www.seatcheck.org or call 1–866–SEATCHECK.
40 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 fit
the 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 bendover 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.
•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 or behind
their back.
LATCH — Child Seat Anchorage System (Lower
Anchors and Tether for CH ildren)
Your vehicle’s rear 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.
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LATCH-compatible child restraint systems are now avail-
able. 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 and hooks for
connection to the top tether anchorages have been avail-
able 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 re-
straint in any vehicle.
All three rear seating positions have lower anchorages
that are capable of accommodating LATCH-compatible
child seats having flexible, webbing-mounted lower at-
tachments. Child seats with fixed lower attachments
must be installed in the outboard positions only. Regard-
less of the specific type of lower attachment,NEVER
install LATCH-compatible child seats such that two seats
share a common lower anchorage. If you are installing
LATCH-compatible child restraints in adjacent rear seat-
ing positions, you can use the LATCH anchors or the
vehicle’s seat belt for the outboard position, but you mustuse the vehicle’s seat belt at the center position. If your
child restraints are not LATCH-compatible, you can only
install the child restraints using the vehicle’s seat belts.
Please refer to the next section for typical installation
instructions.
Installing the LATCH-Compatible Child Restraint
System
We urge that you carefully follow the directions of the
manufacturer when installing your child restraint. Not all
child restraint systems will be installed as described here.
LATCH
42 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Again, carefully follow the installation instructions that
were provided with the child restraint system.
The rear seat lower anchorages are round bars, located at
the rear of the seat cushion where it meets the seat back,
and are just visible when you lean into the rear seat to
install the child restraint. You will easily feel them if you
run your finger along the intersection of the seatback and
seat cushion surfaces.
In addition, there are tether strap anchorages
behind each rear seating position located in the
panel between the rear seat back and the rear
window. These tether strap anchorages are
under a hinged plastic cover with this symbol on it.
Many, but not all restraint systems will be equipped with
separate straps on each side, with each having a hook or
connector for attachment to the lower anchorage and a
means of adjusting the tension in the strap. Forward-
facing toddler restraints and some rear-facing infant
restraints will also be equipped with a tether strap, a
hook for attachment to the tether strap anchorage and a
means of adjusting the tension of the strap.You will first loosen the adjusters on the lower straps and
on the tether strap so that you can more easily attach the
hooks or connectors to the vehicle anchorages. Next
attach the lower hooks or connectors over the top of the
anchorage bars, pushing aside the seat cover material.
Then rotate the tether anchorage cover directly behind
the seat where you are placing the child restraint and
attach the tether strap to the anchorage, 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, where possible, route the
tether strap under the head restraint and between the two
posts. If not possible, lower the head restraint and route
the tether strap around the outboard side of the head
restraint. 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 instructions.
NOTE:When using the LATCH attaching system to
install a child restraint, please ensure that all seat belts
not being used for occupant restraints are stowed and out
of reach of children. It is recommended that before
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installing the child restraint buckle the seat belt so the
seat belt is tucked behind the child restraint and out of
reach. If the buckled seat belt interferes with the child
restraint installation, instead of tucking the seat belt
behind the child restraint, route the seat belt through the
child restraint belt path and then buckle it. This should
stow the seat belt out of the reach of an inquisitive child.
Remind all children in the vehicle that the seat belts are
not toys and should not be played with, and never leave
your child unattended in the vehicle.
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 cinching latch
plates which are designed to keep the lap portion tightaround the child restraint so that it is not necessary to use
a locking clip. 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 occasion-
ally and pull it tight if necessary.
In the rear seat, you may have trouble tightening 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. Disconnect the latch plate from the
buckle and twist the short buckle-end belt several times
to shorten it. Insert the latch plate into the buckle with the
release button facing out.
If the belt still can’t be tightened, 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 buckle 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.
44 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Child restraint tether strap attachment
1. Rotate the cover over the anchor directly behind the
seat where you are placing the child restraint.
2. Route the tether strap to provide the most direct path
for the strap between the anchor and the child seat. If
your vehicle is equipped with adjustable rear head
restraints, raise the head restraint and, where possible,
route the tether strap under the head restraint andbetween the two posts. If not possible, lower the head
restraint and pass the tether strap around the outboard
side of the head restraint.
3. Attach the tether strap hook (A) of the child restraint
to the anchor (B) and remove slack in the tether strap
according to the child restraint manufacturer’s instruc-
tions.
WARNING!
An incorrectly anchored tether strap could lead to
increased head motion and possible injury to the
child. Use only the anchor positions directly behind
the child seat to secure a child restraint top tether
strap.
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.
Tether Strap Mounting
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WARNING!
The cargo area in the rear of the vehicle (with the
rear seatbacks in the locked-up or folded down
position) should not be used as a play area by
children when the vehicle is in motion. They could
be seriously injured in an accident. Children should
be seated and using the proper restraint system.
TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE HOOD
To open the hood, two latches must be released. First pull
the hood release lever located under the left side of the
instrument panel.
Then lift the secondary latch located under the front edge
of the hood, near the center and raise the hood.
Hood Release Lever
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POWER SUNROOF — IF EQUIPPED
The sunroof controls are mounted between the sun visors
on the overhead console.WARNING!
•Never leave children in a vehicle, with the keys in
the ignition switch. Occupants, particularly unat-
tended children, can become entrapped by the
power sunroof while operating the power sunroof
switch. Such entrapment may result in serious
injury or death.
•In an accident, there is greater risk of being
thrown from a vehicle with an open sunroof. You
could also be seriously injured or killed. Always
fasten your seat belt properly and make sure all
passengers are properly secured too.
•Do not allow small children to operate the sun-
roof. Never allow fingers or other body parts, or
any object to project through the sunroof opening.
Injury may result.
Power Sunroof Controls
78 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE