2008 DODGE MAGNUM SRT child restraint

•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.
NOTE: For additional information, refer to
www.seatcheck.org or call 1–866–SEATCHECK.
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 deploy-
ing passenger airbag, which may cause severe or
fatal injury to the infant.
66 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

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 Safety
Standards. 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 seatbacks and
cause serious personal injury.
LATCH — Child Seat Anchorage System (Lower
Anchors and Tether for CHildren)
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.
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
have features for installation using the vehicle’s seat
belts. Child restraints having tether straps and hooks for
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 67
2

5connection 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. You shouldNEVERinstall LATCH-
compatible child seats so that two seats share a common
lower anchorage. If installing child seats in adjacent
rear-seating positions, or if your child restraints are not
LATCH-compatible, install the restraints using the vehi-
cle’s seat belts.
LATCH Anchorages
68 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Installing the LATCH-Compatible Child Restraint
System
We urge you to follow the manufacturer’s directions
carefully when installing your child restraint. Not all
child restraint systems will be installed as described here.
Again, carefully follow the installation instructions that
are 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 seatback 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 located
behind each rear seatback.
Many, but not all restraint systems will be equipped with
separate straps on each side, with each having a hook orconnector 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
seatcover 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 anchor-
age, being careful to route the tether strap to provide the
most direct path between the anchor and the child
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.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 69
2

NOTE:
•Ensure that the tether strap does not slip into the
opening between the seatbacks as you remove slack in
the strap.
•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
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 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 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
70 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

keep the belt tight; however, any seat belt system will
loosen with time, so check the belt occasionally and pull
it tight if necessary.
Seat belts with an automatic locking retractor have a
distinctive label on the seat belt webbing. The seat belt
must be in the Automatic Locking mode in order to
enable a child restraint to be tightly installed. (Refer to
“Automatic Locking Mode” in this section). A locking
clip should not be necessary once the automatic locking
feature is enabled. Position the shoulder and lap belt on
the child restraint. The automatic locking retractor is
activated by first attaching the child seat, then pulling all
of the webbing out of the retractor, then allowing the
webbing to retract back into the retractor. Tighten web-
bing. To release, simply unbuckle the seat belt by de-
pressing the button, allowing the webbing to retract into
the retractor.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 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.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 71
2

To attach a child restraint tether strap:
1. Route the tether strap to provide the most direct path
for the strap between the anchor and the child seat.2. Attach the tether strap hook of the child restraint to the
tether anchor and remove slack in the tether strap
according to the child restraint manufacturer’s instruc-
tions.
NOTE:Ensure that the tether strap does not slip into the
opening between the seatbacks as you remove slack in
the strap.
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.
Tether Strap Mounting
72 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

When the seatback is folded to the upright position, make
sure it is latched by strongly pulling on the top of the
seatback above the seat strap.
WARNING!
•Be certain that the seatback is securely locked into
position. If the seatback is not securely locked into
position, the seat will not provide the proper
stability for child seats and/or passengers. An
improperly latched seat could cause serious injury.
•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
Two latches must be released to open the hood. First, pull
the hood release lever located under the left side of the
instrument panel.
Hood Release Lever
124 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE