2012 MITSUBISHI GALANT Owners Manual

2-30 Seat and restraint systems
2
NOTE
Before purchasing a child restraint system, try installing it
in the rear seat to make sure there is a good fit. Because of
the location of the seat belt buckles and the shape of the
seat cushion, it may be difficult to securely install some
manufacturer’s child restraint systems.
If the child restraint system can be pulled forward or to
either side easily on the seat cushion after the seat belt has
been tightened, choose another manufacturer’s child
restraint system.
Depending on the seating position in the vehicle and the
child restraint system that you have, the child restraint can
be attached using one of the following two methods:
• To the lower anchorage in the rear seat ONLY if the
child restraint is compatible with the LATCH system
(See page 2-31).
• To the seat belt (See page 2-34).
WA R N I N G
!
It is important to use an approved rear-facing infant
restraint until the infant is one year old (unless the
infant outgrows the seat sooner). This allows the
infant’s neck and spine to develop enough to support
the weight of their head in the event of an accident.
When installing a child restraint system, follow the
instructions provided by the manufacturer and fol-
low the directions in this manual. Failure to do so
can result in serious injury or death to your child in
an accident or sudden stop.
After installation, push and pull the child restraint
system back and forth, and side to side, to see that it
is firmly secured. If the child restraint system is not
installed securely, it may cause injury to the child or
other occupants in the event of an accident or sud-
den stop.
When not in use, keep your child restraint system
secured with the seat belt, or remove it from the
vehicle, in order to prevent it from being thrown
around inside the vehicle during an accident.
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Seat and restraint systems
2-31
2
Installing a child restraint system using the
LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for chil-
dren) system
N00418800072
Lower anchor locationsThe outboard seating positions in rear seat of your vehicle are
equipped with lower anchors for attaching child restraint sys-
tems compatible with the LATCH system.NOTE
The symbols on the seatback show the location of the
lower anchor points.
Tether anchor locations
N00418900161
Your vehicle has 3 attachment points on the rear shelf, located
behind the top of your rear seat. These are for securing a child
restraint system tether strap to each of the 3 rear seating posi-
tions in your vehicle.
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2-32 Seat and restraint systems
2
Examples of child restraint systems compatible with the
LATCH system
N00419000156
Using the LATCH system
N00419100115
1. Open the gap a little between the seat cushion (A) and the
seatback (B) with your hand to locate the lower anchors
(C).
2. Push the anchor connectors on the child restraint system
into the lower anchors (C) in accordance with the instruc-
tions provided by the child restraint system manufacturer.
Remember, the lower anchors provided with your vehicle
are designed to secure suitable child restraint systems
compatible with the LATCH system in the outboard posi-
tions of the rear seat only. The anchor connectors are NOT
designed to secure a suitable child restraint system in the
center position of the rear seat.
A- Rear-facing child restraint
B- Front-facing child restraint
C- Child restraint system lower anchor connectors
D- Tether strap
(These are only examples.)
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Seat and restraint systems
2-33
2
NOTE
In order to secure a child restraint systems compatible
with the LATCH system, use the lower anchor points in
the outboard positions of the rear seat. It is not necessary
to use the vehicle’s seat belt. The vehicle’s seat belt, how-
ever, MUST be used to secure a child restraint system in
the center position of the rear seat.3. Open the cover for the tether anchor by pulling it back
with your hand as illustrated below (3).
4. Latch the tether strap hook (D) of the child restraint sys-
tem to the anchor (E) as illustrated below (4) and tighten
the top tether strap so it is securely fastened.
5. Push and pull the child restraint system in all directions to
be sure it is firmly secured.
WA R N I N G
!
If there is any foreign material in or around the
lower anchors, remove it before installing the child
restraint system. Also, make sure the seat belt is
away from, not looped through or otherwise inter-
fering with, the child restraint system. If foreign
matter is not removed and/or the seat belt interferes
with the child restraint system, the child restraint
system will not be secured properly, could detach
and move forward in the event of sudden braking or
an accident and could result in injury to the child or
other vehicle occupants.
When the vehicle is moving, do not adjust the seat
where the child restraint system is installed.
WA R N I N G
!
Child restraint tether anchors are designed only to
withstand loads from correctly fitted child restraint
systems. Under no circumstances are they to be used
for adult seat belts, or harnesses, or for attaching
other items or equipment to the vehicle.
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2-34 Seat and restraint systems
2
Installing a child restraint system using the seat
belt (with emergency/automatic locking mecha-
nism)
N00407300325
With the exception of the driver, the seat belt in all other seat-
ing positions can be converted from normal Emergency Lock-
ing Retractor (ELR) mode to Automatic Locking Retractor
(ALR) mode. This means that when you pull the seat belt fully
out of the retractor, the retractor will switch to its ALR child
restraint installation function. Always use the ALR child
restraint installation function when you install a child restraint
system using the seat belt.
Children 12 years old and under should always be restrained in
the rear seat, whenever possible, although the front passenger
seat belt can also be converted to ALR mode.
Installation: 1. Place the child restraint system in the rear seating posi-
tion.
2. Route the seat belt through the child restraint system
according to the instructions provided by the child
restraint manufacturer. Then insert the seat belt latch plate
into the buckle. Make sure you hear a “click” when you
insert the latch plate into the buckle.
WA R N I N G
!
When you install a child restraint system using the
seat belt, always make sure the retractor has been
switched to the ALR child restraint installation
function. The ALR function will keep the child
restraint system tightly secured to the seat.
Failure to convert the retractor to the ALR function
may allow the child restraint system to move for-
ward during sudden braking or an accident, result-
ing in serious injury or death the child or other
occupants.
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Seat and restraint systems
2-35
2
3. To activate the ALR child restraint installation function,
slowly pull the shoulder part of the belt all the way out of
the retractor until it stops. Then let the belt feed back into
the retractor.
4. After the belt has retracted, tug on it. If the belt is in the
ALR function, you will not be able to pull it out. If the
webbing can be pulled out from retractor, the ALR func-
tion has not been activated and you will need to repeat
steps 3 and 4.5. After confirming that the belt is locked, grab the shoulder
part of the belt near the buckle and pull up to remove any
slack from the lap part of the belt allowing the slack to
feed into the retractor. Remember, if the lap belt portion is
not tight, the child restraint system will not be secure. It
may help to put your weight on the child restraint system
and/or push on its seatback while pulling up on the belt
(see illustration).
If your child restraint system requires the use of a tether strap,
fasten the tether strap in accordance with the following proce-
dures.
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2-36 Seat and restraint systems
2
6. Open the cover from the tether anchor installation point
by pulling it back with your hand as illustrated below (6).
7. Latch the tether strap hook (A) of the child restraint sys-
tem to the tether anchor (B) as illustrated below (7) and
tighten the top tether strap so it is securely fastened.
8. Before putting your child in the restraint, push and pull
the restraint in all directions to be sure it is firmly secure.
Do this before each use. If the child restraint system is not
firmly secure, repeat steps 1 through 7.9. To remove a child restraint system from the vehicle and
deactivate the ALR mode, remove the child from the
restraint. Unlatch the buckle. Then remove the belt from
the restraint and let the belt fully retract.
Children who have outgrown child restraint sys-
tems
N00407600562
Children who have outgrown a child restraint system should be
seated in the rear seat and wear the seat belt. If the shoulder
belt crosses their face or neck, and/or the lap belt crosses their
stomach, a commercially available booster seat (including a
booster cushion) must be used, to raise the child so that the
shoulder belt crosses their shoulder and the lap belt remains
positioned low across their hips. The booster seat (including a
booster cushion) should fit the vehicle seat and have a label
certifying compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan-
dards or Motor Vehicle Restraint Systems and Booster Cush-
ions Safety Regulations.
WA R N I N G
!
Child restraint tether anchors are designed only to
withstand loads from correctly fitted child restraint
systems. Under no circumstances are they to be used
for adult seat belts, or harnesses, or for attaching
other items or equipment to the vehicle.
WA R N I N G
!
Any child who is too small to properly wear a seat
belt must be properly restrained in an appropriate
child restraint system, to reduce their risk of serious
injury or death in an accident.
A child should never be left unattended in, or unsu-
pervised, around your vehicle. When you leave the
vehicle always take the child out as well.
Children can die from heat stroke if left or trapped
inside the vehicle, especially on hot days.
Keep your vehicle locked and the trunk lid closed
when not in use. Keep your vehicle keys away from
children.
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Seat and restraint systems
2-37
2 Maintenance and inspection of seat belts
N00407000221
The seat belt webbing may be cleaned with mild soap or deter-
gent solution. Do not use an organic solvent. Allow the belts to
dry in the shade. Do not allow them to retract until completely
dry. Do not attempt to bleach or re-dye the belts. The color may
rub off and the webbing strength may be affected.
Regularly check your seat belt buckles and their release mech-
anisms for positive engagement and release of the latch plate.
Check the retractors for automatic locking when in the Auto-
matic Locking Retractor function.
The entire seat belt assembly should be replaced if the webbing
shows any obvious cuts, tears, increase in thickness in any sec-
tion of the webbing from broken fibers, or severe fading from
sunlight. All of these conditions indicate a weakening of the
belt, which may adversely affect seat belt performance in an
accident.

Never allow children to play in the trunk of your
vehicle.
WA R N I N G
!
WA R N I N G
!
Do not attempt to repair or replace any part of the
seat belt assemblies. This work should be done by an
authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer. Failure to
have an authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer per-
form the work could reduce the effectiveness of the
belts and could result in a serious injury or death in
an accident.
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