Child Restraints
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up at all
times, including babies and children. Every state in the
United States, and all Canadian provinces, require that
small children ride in proper restraint systems. This is the
law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
Children 12 years or younger should ride properly
buckled up in a rear seat, if available. According to crash
statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in
the rear seats rather than in the front.
There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
enough for an adult safety belt. Always check the child
seat Owner ’s Manual to ensure you have the correct seat
for your child. Use the restraint that is correct for your
child.WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child, even a tiny baby,
can become a projectile inside the vehicle. The force
required to hold even an infant on your lap could
become so great that you could not hold the child, no
matter how strong you are. The child and others
could be badly injured. Any child riding in your
vehicle should be in a proper restraint for the child’s
size.
Infants And Child Restraints
Safety experts recommend that children ride rearward-
facing in the vehicle until they are two years old or until
they reach either the height or weight limit of their rear
facing child safety seat. Two types of child restraints can
be used rearward-facing: infant carriers and convertible
child seats.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 57
The infant carrier is only used rearward-facing in the
vehicle. It is recommended for children from birth until
they reach the weight or height limit of the infant carrier.
Convertible child seats can be used either rearward-
facing or forward-facing in the vehicle. Convertible child
seats often have a higher weight limit in the rearward-
facing direction than infant carriers do, so they can be
used rearward-facing by children who have outgrown
their infant carrier but are still less than at least two years
old. Children should remain rearward-facing until they
reach the highest weight or height allowed by their
convertible child seat. Both types of child restraints are
held in the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt or the
LATCH child restraint anchor system. Refer to “Lower
Anchors and Tether for CHildren (LATCH)”.WARNING!
Rearward-facing child seats must never be used in
the front seat of a vehicle with the front passenger air
bag. An air bag deployment could cause severe
injury or death to infants in this position.
Older Children And Child Restraints
Children who are two years old or who have outgrown
their rear-facing convertible child seat can ride forward-
facing in the vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and
convertible child seats used in the forward-facing direc-
tion are for children who are over two years old or who
have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit of
their rear-facing convertible child seat. Children should
remain in a forward-facing child seat with a harness for
as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height
allowed by the child seat. These child seats are also held
58 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
in the vehicle by the lap/shoulder belt or the LATCH
child restraint anchorage system. Refer to “Lower An-
chors and Tether for CHildren (LATCH)”.
All children whose weight or height is above the
forward-facing limit for the child seat should use a
belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle’s seat belts
fit properly. If the child cannot sit with knees bent over
the vehicle’s seat cushion while the child’s back is against
the seatback, 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.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 air bag which may cause severe or
fatal injury to the infant.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 59
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
seatback, 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.
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. FIAT Group Automobiles also recommends
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.
NOTE:
For additional information, refer to
www.seatcheck.org or call 1–866–SEATCHECK. Cana-
dian residents should refer to Transport Canada’s web-
site for additional information: http://www.tc.gc.ca/
roadsafety/safedrivers/childsafety/index.htm
60 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
▫Recline Adjustment .................... 93
▫ Seat Height Adjustment ................. 94
▫ Ez Entry Feature ...................... 94
▫ Memory Feature ...................... 95
▫ Heated Seats — If Equipped ............. 95
▫ Head Restraints ...................... 96
To Open And Close The Hood ............. 98
Lights ............................. 100
▫ Multifunction Lever .................. 100
▫ Headlights ......................... 100
▫ High Beams ........................ 101
▫ Flash-To-Pass ....................... 101
▫ Parking Lights ...................... 101 ▫
Daytime Running Lights — If Equipped .... 101
▫ Turn Signals ........................ 102
▫ Lane Change Assist ................... 102
▫ Follow Me Home/Headlight Delay ....... 102
▫ Interior Lights ...................... 103
▫ Front Fog Lights — If Equipped .......... 104
Windshield Wipers And Washers .......... 105
▫ Front Windshield Wiper Operation ........ 105
▫ Rear Windshield Wiper ................ 107
Tilt Steering Column — If Equipped ........ 108
Electronic Speed Control ................ 109
▫ To Activate ......................... 110
▫ To Set A Desired Speed ................ 110
74 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
Seat Height Adjustment
The driver ’s seat height can be raised or lowered by
using a lever, located on the outboard side of the seat.
Pump the lever upward to raise the seat height, or pump
the lever downward to lower the seat height.
EZ Entry Feature
The driver and front passenger seats have an EZ entry
feature for rear seat passengers. Pull forward on the
release lever, located on the outboard side of the seatback,
dump the seatback forward, then slide the seat forward
to allow access in and out of the rear seat.
Height Adjuster
EZ Entry Lever
94 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
Rear Park Assist Sensors
The four Rear Park Assist sensors, located in the rear
fascia/bumper, monitor the area behind the vehicle that
is within the sensors’ field of view. The sensors can detect
obstacles, in the horizontal direction, from approximately
12 in (30 cm) up to 55 in (140 cm) from the center of the
rear fascia/bumper and up to 24 in (60 cm) from the
corners of the rear fascia/bumper, depending on the
location, type and orientation of the obstacle.
If several obstacles are detected, the Rear Park Assist
system indicates the nearest obstacle.
The minimum height of a detectable obstacle corre-
sponds to the maximum height of an obstacle that would
clear the underside of the car during the parking
maneuver.
Rear Park Assist Alerts
If an obstacle is behind the vehicle when REVERSE gear
is engaged, an audible alert is activated.
The tones emitted by the loudspeaker inform the driver
that the vehicle is approaching an obstacle. The pauses
between the tones are directly proportional to the dis-
tance from the obstacle. Pulses emitted in quick succes-
sion indicate the presence of a very close obstacle. A
continuous tone indicates that the obstacle is less than
12 in (30 cm) away.
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 113
Tire Sizing Chart
EXAMPLE:
Size Designation:
P= Passenger car tire size based on U.S. design standards
....blank.... = Passenger car tire based on European design standards
LT = Light truck tire based on U.S. design standards
TorS= Temporary spare tire
31 = Overall diameter in inches (in)
215 = Section width in millimeters (mm)
65 = Aspect ratio in percent (%)
— Ratio of section height to section width of tire
10.5 = Section width in inches (in)
R = Construction code
—R means radial construction
—D means diagonal or bias construction
15 = Rim diameter in inches (in)
238 STARTING AND OPERATING